The problem is in the talent pool available in South Carolina. In order for teams from our state to compete at the level of the other teams in our region (Florida, Georgia, North Carolina) we must combine. Look at the population in those states. There are just so many more players to choose from in those other areas. We don't have a Charlotte, Raleigh, Atlanta or Miami in our state. If we want to develop our best players to compete with these other states, this is the only way to go. Our focus is producing the best players we can. That doesn't take away from the average player. The average player can have fun playing soccer regardless of where he/she is playing. But the best players need to be challenged, and this is the only way of challenging them.
