SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer Post March 5-10 scores/results in this thread ...

The "problems" that you cite do not exist, for the most part, at the big, successful soccer schools (Riverside, Eastside, Mauldin, Lexington, Spring Valley, Fort Mill, Dutch Fork, Dorman, Wando, etc.). Why? Because there rosters are stuffed full of high level club players who know how to play the game. Their parents are also more knowledgeable for having come up through the club structure for all of these years.

So your problem exists primarily with the referees (limited resources) and with programs that don't have all their kids playing year-round soccer (club). I don't have the answer regarding the officiating but as for the high school programs that don't have an abundance of club players feeding into them...what's your solution? Let's take a fairly large school like Sumter that doesn't have a great club feeder program....what are you going to do? I can name three or four very successful club/high school coaches in South Carolina who cut their teeth in Sumter. They all left for greener pastures and succeeded in other communities (markets).

What's the answer?

On 3/8/07 Broome defeated Greenville Tech Charter 5-0

The Broome Lady Centurions ran their record to 4-2 overall with a dominant performance with goals being scored by Emily Bryant, Lauren Hutson, Addie Hutson, Chandler Morrow and Mackenzie Camby (assisted by Lauren Hutson). Caroline Moss was hardly bothered all evening, only having to save two shots.

On 3/9/07 Broome defeated Boiling Springs 2-0

The Broome Lady Centurions ran their record to 5-2 overall with a gritty performance against a tough Boiling Springs team. Both goals were scored by Lauren Hutson (assisted by Mackenzie Camby and Olivia Gilmer). Caroline Moss saved 7 shots on the night behind her determined defensive teammates. Caroline made a great save on a PK to preserve the shutout. Our prayers are with both the young ladies from Boiling Springs who were injured during the game. We hope both injuries turned out not be too serious and that you both get to return to the field as soon as possible.

I often hold rules clinics for the parents of my club team players. Why not do the same for high school players and parents. Invite a respected referee or referee trainer to conduct a rules clinic at the school at a convenient time for the parents. Maybe after practice or before/after a home match.

So HS coaches don't communicate directly with parents and with expertise? That's a big of a generality, not to mention saying that all clubs do such things. I know college kids needing extra money that coach club with no real love for the game. Of course, there is the football coach getting the extra supplement situation in HS.

If a coach were to hold such a meeting, who would really show up? The parents that come to all the games and travel and know what they're talking about. Definitely not the shift worker who makes it to one a game a month and shouts "Go! Go! Go! Kick it hard!" to let his daughter know he's there. Club parents have money and time to drive their kids all over the place. HS parents don't always have that and to say "so and so needs to speak directly and with more intelligence" isn't really addressing the problem.

Your lesser skilled players probably play less club, thus have parents who know less soccer...and probably get the least amount of playing time. Are you going to speak to their parents about your tactics and philosophy after a game in which they didn't come off the bench? I'm sure you're their favorite person at that moment. Maybe you could talk to them as they buzz through the parking lot to pick up their kid from practice, grocerys in the back of the van, and a 2 year old screaming his lungs off.

It's idealistic and really a great notion. I just have a problem with the finger pointing of HS, glorifying of club, and ignoring the statute of limiations in the clients we're dealing with. I've coached on both sides so I don't see through binders. I'm just here to shoot holes in ideas so this becomes rock hard and I can use the finished product .

M*A*S*H:

I didn't intend the conclusions you drew. Your insight about HS parents of players is dead-on as that is the same issue with education in general. I was arguing for taking the BEST of club and adding it to HS where it doesn't exist. Did not say ALL clubs do the best; did not say HS coaches don't do this. Many fine HS coaches are our best club coaches as well, in fact.

When we address solutions to problems we have to discuss where the problems are—without suggesting that is universal. And I don't suggest any universal qualities exist in HS or club.

But I think it is fair to say that in soccer, you have almost universal expertise in the coaching at club (though that doesn't guarantee anything, of course) and far less in HS because athletic directors often fill soccer jobs as a secondary concern; what clubs have a full-time football coach who is expert in football as their soccer coach? How many high schools have soccer coaches taking the soccer job by default or as a mandate without any experience or expertise?

And by the way, I did NOT do any of this: "I just have a problem with the finger pointing of HS, glorifying of club, and ignoring the statute of limitations in the clients we're dealing with." I finger point at everybody and everything; I glorify nothing; and I would never discuss humans in sports or school as "clients." <Shiver>

Perhaps in my haste I drew conclusions that were not there, and I apologize if I did. Again, I'm on your side in educating the public and increasing understanding. Perhaps all this talk of elite players, fouls, and all the talk of what clubs do (without mention of HS) has given me reason to bite on this boring day. I just get the club > HS vibe and the two are completly different animals, as you know, and it makes for dreadful comparisons. Perhaps I need a nap.

No....you need to start ranting about why FM only moved up one spot in the rankings. Move it over to the other thread you started!