Several comments:
  • CESA can't "take over" anybody. CESA is not people, it is an operating entity as defined by its affiliating organizations (and by state and federal incorporation rules.) CESA is not a "South Carolina" club, because there's no such thing -- the SCYSA invented the concept of a "district club" expressly to keep any South Carolina club from being organized such that it had teams that were made up of more than 50% of players from its non-headquartered district. Thus a "CESA takeover" of another club is impossible if the club is to field teams that compete in SCYSA leagues.

  • The full-time club managers of CESA can be invited into an area, either via an existing club or via a group of people that want to form a club, to create and/or organize another club. This is what occurred with CESA-Columbia. As I understand it, Pearse Tormey is the president of that club and Andrew Hyslop is the executive directory (or something like that.)

  • If (and I stress if) the professional managers of CESA are being asked to come in and work with SSC, what I would expect you to see is a shift in focus away from a political and parent-centric club (this isn't a shot at SSC -- it's just the way almost any club that doesn't have full-time professional managers is operated) and more toward a professionally managed club that is focused on offering better services that are currently available. That's the only reason to invite the full-time professionals into an area.

Practically, what's the difference? Well, if this is occurring, I would agree with Bear that this isn't an issue of one club taking a shot at another club. Instead, it would be the desire to provide more and better services to children than are available now.

We discussed this years ago when CESA started -- and discussed it again when CESA-Columbia began -- there is a fundamental attitudinal shift between a professionally led and managed club and one that is not. When Bridge began I lauded them as trying another approach -- and that we needed different approaches out there. My guess -- and it's a guess, mind you -- is that if this is really occurring it's a continuing shift toward professionally managed and operated organizations that focus on providing increasingly superior services. But that's again a guess...