Chico,
Bridge FA has done everything it could to ally with both MPSC and CUSC. As noted numerous times, each club for their own reasons has not joined the alliance. Due to these decisions, unfortunately, in some age groups we are going to be competing against each other. This competition against the local clubs is not at all what Bridge FA is about.
Only time will tell on the cumulative total of finalists, but I think it will grow. I think you will see some shift in teams, but I think the cumulative total should increase.
Bridge FA has provided a framework for the area clubs to allow players to migrate without feeling like they are "leaving us to go to them". That framework still can be tweaked, but with the current position of area clubs, I think players/parents, still feel like they are in the position of old.
Unfortunately, in an open tryout situation, there is never a guarantee that an "entire" team would remain intact. I agree with Swimmer that both the rising U18 Boys and rising U17 Girls teams from MPSC are very strong. However, there may have been some players that could have made each of these teams even stronger, if the team had been under a neutral entity. Back to the leaving us to play for them. Some SSC people won't play for MPSC, and some MPSC people won't play for SSC, but in many age groups we have found that both MPSC and SSC people will play for Bridge FA, at least tryout and test the water anyway.
Club decisions have been made, many individual decisions have been made, but some still remain, and we are going to move forward and do the very best that we can in raising the level of soccer in the low country.
Can Bridge FA and MPSC both succeed in State Cup play, possibly. Can Bridge FA and MPSC both succeed in Regional play, maybe not. Can one neutral entity in the low country succeed in Regional play, more likely than if separate. Of course until all low country clubs unite under this neutral entity, we'll never know.
