Demographics are the engine that propel good clubs to become great clubs, and allow good teams to become great teams. Demographics here implies not just numbers of kids, but also kids with an interest in soccer, and parents willing to and financially able to support these interests. I am, and always have been a proponent of local soccer and community focused clubs. I live on James Island and take pride in driving by the JIYSC fields on any given afternoon or weekend and seeing the fields full of young people learning the sport, dedicating their effort to becoming better players. But small or medium community driven clubs can not, as a rule, support the upper level play of Premier or Challenge league soccer. Exceptions exist, but remain exceptions.
I think an umbrella organization such as Bridge FA is a solid approach to how to harness the demographic power of the lowcountry and yet maintain local club structure -- a federation of clubs supporting upper level play in a combined fashion. Swimmer 1 proposed a similar idea a couple of years ago with the idea of a Battery sponsored umbrella club.
I agree with Chic0 that Bridge FA will not be fully effective unless it extends across all the major Charleston/Summerville area clubs. I disagree as to which club, MPSC or CUSC, should be the priority club next. Bridges, like Rome, are not built in a day. Mount Pleasant, for a variety of reasons I think, is not ready to make a commitment to the Bridge FA concept. But CUSC can and would bring the girls side of the equation into equilibrium with the strong boys programs of Summerville and the solid rec orientation of James Island. Every effort possible should be made to bring CUSC and the expertise DOC Andy Grist has to offer to the Bridge FA table.
lpaf
