College Soccer

Sorry - I didnt mean to give you the impression that I was disagreeing with you... Just sharing my thoughts on the HS vs Club issue that is coming up A LOT now-a-days.

I see problems with club and so I always want to offer another opinion when it is brought up.

Some of my problems:

1. It is Pay to Play
2. The number and cost of Tournaments are getting silly, and it is being touted as the best way to be seen, but it is really just a ploy to try and keep older players from dropping out of the club, and also as a fundraiser for the club.
They have a HUGE dropout rate when the kids get into the later teens... Going on vacations with your buddies to tournaments is how you keep those kids in the club and the parents writing checks.
3. There is a real elitist attitude. Each club is in competition for a limited number of players that have an ability to pay. So they have to prove that they are the best. The reality is that most do that by tearing the other coaches, clubs, programs down.
4. It requires enormous parental support and excludes those that dont have it.
5. Nobody goes to the matches and there is no community connection. It is dead from a spectator perspective.

I think we are on the road to solving some of these issues tho...