SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP PMSL Fee

Coach P: I'll take a look at the RIIIPL-East and tournament schedule and see if I have an opening on one of these Sunday's during the season.

A few questions, all of which I ask incredibly respectfully.

Why is it that clubs need a simple parent [me] to come forward to ask these questions? Aren't these questions to which each club should know the answer? Where are the club administrators and coaches in this process?

Since you believe that everyone who has these concerns and questions should attend and take advantage of this opportunity, do you believe that answers to these kinds of questions should only be available annually via this type of event?

Do you have concerns and/or questions? If so, what are they? Will you be attending to address these concerns/questions or are you availing yourself of any shorter-term avenues for information?

Chico,
While I may agree that this type of communication should be ongoing throughout the year, I am pleased to see that SCYSA is at least offering this forum. I'm not making excuses, but I do understand the time constraints of a volunteer organization. The SCYSA board members' email addresses are available on the SCYSA web page. I have always received timely responses from my emails to SCYSA board members. This is another way to seek information throughout the year.

And yes, I think maybe the clubs could do a better job of disseminating information. Including asking the difficult questions and communicating the answers to their constituents.

I plan to attend the forum if my schedule allows. The Challenge team I coach is playing in a tournament on October 1.

Coach P: Several more comments upon a bit more reflection on this. I've actually introspected on whether being a "gadfly" to the SCYSA would help youth soccer in South Carolina. For example, I found recently than anyone could write a complaint to the SCYSA -- there is no concept of "standing." Thus, and again, only for example, I could write a complaint that HHBSC is partnering with the Island Recreation Center and that partnerships had been disallowed by the SCYSA as per the spring ruling published on this message board. I've found several such instances in the last few months where folks have let me know of gross inconsistencies in rulings that appear to reflect some type of political bias.

However, it's not clear how this would help. The SCYSA is a political body. In terms of helping youth soccer in SC, the choices appear to be to either get elected into the SCYSA and attempt to change it from within, directly help one or more clubs, or directly help other affiliating organizations. In examining this, it appears that the latter two options are more viable.

What continues to frustrate me a bit is the wide-spread unhappiness with the SCYSA and yet the tremendous, mind-blowing intertia of the clubs. I have not a clue as to who "lurker" is; however, I fear that beyond her/his outrage that nothing will happen with respect to his concern.

Why don't clubs get together and build alternatives to PMSL (for example)? Because it's easier to complain about rising rates and the like than to try to change the SCYSA from within or try to create alternatives.

Again...I'll make my position clear. If a few or more clubs want to build an alternatve to PMSL, I will devote time, energy, and even a small amount of financial support to helping them. But the clubs need to get together on this and decide it's something worth doing.

I am just advocating an open exchange of information between SCYSA, its constituency, and the soccer community in general. My experience with organizations has been that open communication will usually lead to some amount of improvement. At least 2 things usually occur:
1 - The decision makers will make an effort toward better decisions if they are going to be publicizing the reasons for their decisions.
2 - Those being affected by the decisions, while not necessarily agreeing with the reasons, will at least understand why the decisions were made. People tend to be more comfortable with leaders when they understand the decision making process and feel that they are not just being kept in the dark.

I would hope that going to the forums and asking questions would promote better understanding between everyone. Better understanding usually leads to more productive relationships.

Coach P: It's hard to disagree with your stance toward open communication -- I think that you're dead on in your reasoning. I'm not at all convinced that the SCYSA board members feel this way -- but you're right, it's absolutely a step in the right direction when they're out talking in open forums. At the same time, in speaking with administrators and coaches within the clubs there is a continuing and possibly growing dissatisfaction.

I hope that people who are dissatisfied will either try to work within the SCYSA or outside of it to make changes they think will benefit youth soccer in South Carolina.