SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP CESA-Columbia

SCYSA squashed the fact that CESA wanted to set up an extension of their current club. CESA-Columbia is a fully independent club that has its own by-laws and board members or at least is suppose too. It is possible that the parents from CESA-Columbia could decide to disassociate themselves from CESA and merge with CUFC, Lexington, or CRSA and there is nothing CESA could do about it. I would be surprised if it ever did happen but it is important to understand the difference between the extension or training site and a fully independent club.

CESA Columbia had a Columbia based u11 team this year, and apparently will more Columbia based teams next year.

John: Respectfully, you are an official with the SCYSA. CESA-Columbia is a member in good standing with the SCYSA. Don't you need to at least try to appear to be unbiased?

>>[Chapindad] I am a little confused.<<

Okay...I'll try to help...

>>You really only have 2 coaches with the CESA-Columbia group; Eddie and Chris. All the others listed are just names to put on the site.<<

I actually happen to know that this is incorrect. I know more coaches than you have named that coach teams, which coaches do training, and so on. Since you are the one making the assertion that everyone else are just "names on a page", you need to bring forward the factual basis of your assertion.

>>So comparing the 2 Coaches from CESA-Columbia to the 32 at CUFC is just not working.<<

I actually agree that comparing CESA-Columbia to CUFC is a difficult at best proposition. CUFC is the second largest club in the state, has a tremendously large recreation program, and in terms of their select program is one of the top clubs in the state. CESA-Columbia is tremendously smaller.

However, to a parent of a child, a club consists of the folks doing the coaching and training of their children. Just as I think that there are some wonderful trainers and coaches at CUFC, there appear to be those that believe that there are wonderful coaches and trainers at CESA-Columbia. But there are certainly fewer coaches and trainers at CESA-Columbia.

>>And finding fields and coaches in Columbia is always a problem, which will happen if CESA-Columbia grows to just 5-6 teams.<<

It sounds as if you are making this assertion based on some insight into CESA-Columbia's plans and constraints. Are you? Or are you saying that any club that wants to grow in the Columbia area will have these constraints, or are you aware of some specific constraints with respect to that club but not others?

>>As far as CESA in the upstate. They have some great coaches but I do believe the leadership of Andrew is what has made CESA the powerhouse.<<

Pearse is kinda okay too...

>>I may not always agree on his tactics but I have always admired his vision and ability to execute that vision.<<

Okay...

>>None of the coaches or parents really question Andrew and he isn't afraid to to say bye to a coach or group of parents that are causing problems.<<

Wow. I don't know exactly what to say. Uh...

I've been involved when coaches question each other (including Andrew) quite strenuously. I've been involved in situations where parents question coaches (including Andrew) beyond strenuously. So I'm honestly not sure where you're getting this from.

I do believe that there is at CESA less tolerance of parents who believe and act as if they lead the team rather than the coaches leading the teams. Maybe that's what you mean.

>>The greatest strength at CESA and St. Giles before that was that they could have 2 quality teams at any level and train them both as the Elite team. This allowed the players to learn with a greater group and with better competition during the training. Trying to get 2 quality teams together is tough in the Midlands because parents will pull their kid from Soccer all together if their child is not on the Elite team. This attitude in Columbia has really hurt the Midland's soccer clubs. CUFC has done a good job in changing this attitude but it will take a few more years.<<

I have a relative that has trained with CESA since its inception...and GFC before that. It has been incredibly rare that the premier and challenge team trained together; in fact, it is more common that a boys and girls premier team trained together. Where are you getting this from?

>>Congrats to Coach P and his season this spring! <<

I found out more about this. Coach P led a CUFC team that had trouble competing in the fall to the state classic finals in the spring. It was an amazing accomplishment and the team, Coach P, and CUFC should be really proud of it.

>>SCYSA squashed the fact that CESA wanted to set up an extension of their current club.<<

More precisely, Ron Tryon (former president of NECSA, now president of CUFC, a lawyer by training) wrote a complaint and the SCYSA decided that their bylaws could be interpreted that teams had to have more than 50% of its members from the "district" in which that club resided. Not a great moment for parental choice, but it's "water under the bridge."

>>CESA-Columbia is a fully independent club that has its own by-laws and board members or at least is suppose too.<<

The statement "or at least is suppose too [sic]" seems to intimate that it may not. If you have any evidence that CESA-Columbia is in violation of the SCYSA rules regarding club creation then don't you have a duty and obligation as a member of the SCYSA board to raise that formally?

>>It is possible that the parents from CESA-Columbia could decide to disassociate themselves from CESA and merge with CUFC, Lexington, or CRSA and there is nothing CESA could do about it.<<

This is absolutely true; as you note, CESA and CESA-Columbia are independent clubs. If a club wishes to merge with CESA-COlumbia, then I would recommend that they contact the board members of CESA-Columbia.

>>I would be surprised if it ever did happen but it is important to understand the difference between the extension or training site and a fully independent club.<<

I agree that it would be surprise. It is more likely that CESA-Columbia might decide to merge and/or form alliances with LCSC, CRSA, Lower Lexington, SOAR, one of Lexington's recreation clubs, and the like. But one never knows.

>>[...] But one team or parent leaving for another club in entirely different then an entire club leaving for another club. CESA managers will have put a lot of time and money into CESA-Columbia by the time it finally gets past the one or two teams.<<

Really? How much time do "CESA managers" put into CESA-Columbia? How much money?

My guess is that you don't know. Which raises another question: what is your motivation for making these allegations?

>>And lets just say, that CESA-Columbia does very well, 16 teams, and starts competing very hard against CESA at the state tournament level, but just can't seem to make that last step in beating CESA in the state cup because Columbia is now very fractured again.<<

COlumbia is "fractured" again? When was Columbia "unfractured" from your perspective?

Is the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson metropolitan statistical area "fractured" or "unfractured" from your perspective?

>>The CESA-Columbia board(Parents) decide that they want their kids competing for the state cup, with region play and the only way they see to do it is to merge with CUFC, they are only a few miles from each other and going after the same pool of players.<<

Do you know anything about the CESA-Columbia board structure that leads you to this conclusion?

>>The entire club, all 16 teams could merge with CUFC and there is nothing CESA could do about it. This is a very big difference, especially if CESA seeded CESA-Columbia with a lot of money in order to grow the program, purchase fields and add lights. Then all that goes to CUFC during the merger. Teams and single parents do not own assets. The club does and anything CESA gives to CESA-Columbia in assets is the sole property of CESA-Columbia.<<

This is true. Then again, if CESA-Columbia decides to begin worshipping goats and sacrificing puppies to the great goat-god pagan image they have erected, neither CESA nor any other club can do much about it.

Why is my "if" any less probable than your "if"? In other words, do you have specific information regarding CESA seeding CESA-Columbia with a lot of money, or any money at all? Or are you simply hypothesizing?

If this is simple hypothesizing, what is your motivation for doing this? Why are you posing hypotheticals about one club but not another?

I don't think Chris C. is coaching in Columbia anymore. I was at Saluda Shoals yesterday and stopped by the SOAR Complex (had not been out that way in at least 10 years). Needs some work, but nice infrastructure. Couldn't help but notice the CESA Tryouts sign on the side of the road and the Columbia United FC billboard above. Took a drive over the new Lake Murray Dam as well (nice work, but lots of traffic).

It does appear that Chapindad may have an agenda of his own. His comments about Andrew show his ignorance as does many of his other comments. If he is indeed a member of the SCYSA he should cloak his bias a little better.

Chapindad—I find the implications about Andrew H (and the running of CESA) to be irresponsible and misleading—I have the highest regard for him as a person and a coach—My child respects and loves him for what he has contributed to her life—I have felt completely free to express myself to him and he has always responded fairly and professionally when I have—even when we have disagreed—

I know this is a discussion board of opinions, but we should monitor ourselves on some issues related to specific people—If you meant nothing negative—accept my apologies for misunderstanding—

Cola Fan: I didn't want to confuse anyone with the facts, but I think you're right -- I believe Chris Christian has or is moving to Greenville and is coaching next season at CESA. Excellent trainer and coach; CESA is fortunate to get him.