CLARIFICATION: This commentary by me is simply description of a phenomenon; I am in no way criticizing any of the schools, coaches or players who fall within this description. I do regret that the current parameters under which teams compete (open enrollment public, private, and closed enrollment public all competing equally among each other) are unfair; however, I would blame those who make the rules, not those competing within those rules.
Sorry—BE recruits—it may not be direct—but do you really believe they haven't benefited from players going there to reap the advantages of a fine soccer program? (Or tennis, or golf, or. . .)
My gut feeling is that public schools with open enrollment and private schools benefit from a reverse recruitment advantage: Students in part or completely choose the school because of the soccer program and school quality. Therefore, the school/coaches do not need to recruit directly.
And it doesn't take much to know the players at Greenville schools and where they live. The top soccer schools do have players who live elsewhere in the county. This is perfectly legal so I am not suggesting anything is wrong with this.
Both OE public and private schools are doing absolutely nothing wrong. The result, however, is a clear advantage over traditional public schools with a closed enrollment policy.
Formula for soccer success: (1) Start a soccer team in a school with a LOW poverty index + (2) Be sure the school has an open enrollment policy (or is private) + (3) Be sure the school is close enough to a large club that players have access to a high-quality club coaching and play = Success
Last edited by garnet&black; 07/19/07 05:41 PM.
