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**Unregistered** · 01-17-2015, 11:27 AM

Originally posted by Crossfire/OPL Soccer Dad View Post

I was around before OPL, sat in on formation meetings, when it looked like it might succeed and now for what appears to be its dying gasps. When leagues and tournaments sponsored by Crossfire Oregon are filled with Crossfire Oregon teams of multiple years it becomes crystal clear to everyone, including the parents, that this ride is ending.

Timbers won out. OYSA won out. Unless there is a rabbit up someone's sleeve, kids in the top level MUST go elsewhere if they have any drive. The only way OPL will continue with any potential success will be for second or third tier teams maybe at lower age levels.

I read the threads on club loyalty and, believe it or not, the kids do have loyalty. It's a shame to have to move them and, frankly, it awful driving 217 to Beaverton or Hillsboro or 205 to Gresham. If Crossfire Oregon doesn't move to OYSA is there a chance someone would want to start a new or competitive club in the Tualatin/Tigard/West Linn/Lake Oswego/Wilsonville/Oregon City area to give us an option? Perhaps Southside would like to split off from Crossfire? Westside TS would have been an option, but its second/third tier Westside. I might even be willing to take on a hobby to help this effort.

Keep dreaming TA lemming. OPL is alive a well and fulfilling it's niche quite well. Isn't it great to have your "B" teams playing like vs like competition and not travelling all over the state to play the foam finger teams?

**Unregistered** · 01-17-2015, 11:38 AM

Are you kidding me. The brackets, in some cases the bracket, are awful. The lopsided scores, and injuries, will reveal the calamity that is the OPL boys. Anyone can see that and calling names is evidence there is not argument.

I just felt the need to chime in on my very first post to this blog. Now, I'll leave you all to throw stones at each other.

**Unregistered** · 01-17-2015, 11:40 AM

Originally posted by Crossfire/OPL Soccer Dad View Post

I was around before OPL, sat in on formation meetings, when it looked like it might succeed and now for what appears to be its dying gasps. When leagues and tournaments sponsored by Crossfire Oregon are filled with Crossfire Oregon teams of multiple years it becomes crystal clear to everyone, including the parents, that this ride is ending.

Timbers won out. OYSA won out. Unless there is a rabbit up someone's sleeve, kids in the top level MUST go elsewhere if they have any drive. The only way OPL will continue with any potential success will be for second or third tier teams maybe at lower age levels.

I read the threads on club loyalty and, believe it or not, the kids do have loyalty. It's a shame to have to move them and, frankly, it awful driving 217 to Beaverton or Hillsboro or 205 to Gresham. If Crossfire Oregon doesn't move to OYSA is there a chance someone would want to start a new or competitive club in the Tualatin/Tigard/West Linn/Lake Oswego/Wilsonville/Oregon City area to give us an option? Perhaps Southside would like to split off from Crossfire? Westside TS would have been an option, but its second/third tier Westside. I might even be willing to take on a hobby to help this effort.

I see what you see.

It is a shame that a few of the leaders are only motivated by their paycheck and their power. They still have both, but power over what you describe - whatever that is worth.

Before southside there was TTS - Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood. It gave something similar to what you describe: a club for kids that wanted to play soccer locally, run by people who were motivated by helping kids.

With the professionalization (e.g. People making full time wages) of youth soccer, I don't know if a club with pure intent could survive in a market full of competitors working to preserve their six figure salaries.

Our options seem to be: Rebuild southside, drive in traffics, build BSC, or start anew.

I'd be willing to help in this hobby, but I also want to find out if there is an existing entity that can provide my DD a club - as I fear that starting yet another club will water down the already weak league competitions.

**Unregistered** · 01-17-2015, 11:42 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Are you kidding me. The brackets, in some cases the bracket, are awful. The lopsided scores, and injuries, will reveal the calamity that is the OPL boys. Anyone can see that and calling names is evidence there is not argument.

I just felt the need to chime in on my very first post to this blog. Now, I'll leave you all to throw stones at each other.

The top boys teams were placed in OYSA. No need to move the rest. The top girls teams are in ECNL. No need to move the rest. It's all good.

**Unregistered** · 01-17-2015, 12:04 PM

Not all of the top teams were placed. The Crossfire top teams were not and that's unfortunate.

**Unregistered** · 01-17-2015, 12:30 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Not all of the top teams were placed. The Crossfire top teams were not and that's unfortunate.

Some were. And whose decision was that? DoCs must not have felt the rest were "top" enough. And they usually know better than the parents.

**Unregistered** · 01-17-2015, 01:30 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Keep dreaming TA lemming. OPL is alive a well and fulfilling it's niche quite well. Isn't it great to have your "B" teams playing like vs like competition and not travelling all over the state to play the foam finger teams?

You continue to display your ignorance. I feel sorry for your family.

**Unregistered** · 01-17-2015, 02:05 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

You continue to display your ignorance. I feel sorry for your family.

I'm ignorant because my opinion differs from yours? Prove me wrong? Or are there no facts to back up your argument?

Sorry your kid can't make the "A" team and now you can't brag that he's playing in the same league as the "A" kids. I feel sorry for you family.

**Unregistered** · 01-17-2015, 04:01 PM

Have to hand it to Tom and Fraser

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

I see what you see.

It is a shame that a few of the leaders are only motivated by their paycheck and their power. They still have both, but power over what you describe - whatever that is worth.

Before southside there was TTS - Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood. It gave something similar to what you describe: a club for kids that wanted to play soccer locally, run by people who were motivated by helping kids.

With the professionalization (e.g. People making full time wages) of youth soccer, I don't know if a club with pure intent could survive in a market full of competitors working to preserve their six figure salaries.

Our options seem to be: Rebuild southside, drive in traffics, build BSC, or start anew.

I'd be willing to help in this hobby, but I also want to find out if there is an existing entity that can provide my DD a club - as I fear that starting yet another club will water down the already weak league competitions.

OPL was on its way to the grave, and T&F threw a all-in Hail Mary resulting in getting ECNL. This blew a little bit of new life into OPL's carcass, but many of the "promises" made have started to ring false.

With reflection it would be better if they had spun the ECNL programs off as a completely different program, and allowed OPL to die naturally. They could have explained as an elite league member it was important for them to establish a pipeline of excellence that covered the whole state, so they wanted to be sure all teams were competing at the appropriate levels in the same league. The only real reasons I can see why they didn't do this are their ego and their pocketbook. It could have been a painless positive experience for everyone, but unfortunately that is no longer an option. CU and FC's membership in ECNLare not dependent on OPL or OYSA, but unfortunately the longer thus sham goes on the more it hurts Oregon Soccer.

**Unregistered** · 01-17-2015, 04:17 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

OPL was on its way to the grave, and T&F threw a all-in Hail Mary resulting in getting ECNL. This blew a little bit of new life into OPL's carcass, but many of the "promises" made have started to ring false.

With reflection it would be better if they had spun the ECNL programs off as a completely different program, and allowed OPL to die naturally. They could have explained as an elite league member it was important for them to establish a pipeline of excellence that covered the whole state, so they wanted to be sure all teams were competing at the appropriate levels in the same league. The only real reasons I can see why they didn't do this are their ego and their pocketbook. It could have been a painless positive experience for everyone, but unfortunately that is no longer an option. CU and FC's membership in ECNLare not dependent on OPL or OYSA, but unfortunately the longer thus sham goes on the more it hurts Oregon Soccer.

I'm pretty sure CU ECNL is seperate from OPL and a completely different program.

They don't play in the OPL league but rather the ECNL league.

**Unregistered** · 01-17-2015, 04:27 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

I'm pretty sure CU ECNL is seperate from OPL and a completely different program.

They don't play in the OPL league but rather the ECNL league.

They play separately but they are marketed as being the A-team for these clubs, even with the message sent that you should enroll in the other THUSC/Crossfire teams to improve your chances of making ECNL. The money from ECNL is the only thing keeping OPL alive.

**Unregistered** · 01-17-2015, 05:26 PM

Originally posted by Crossfire/OPL Soccer Dad View Post

I was around before OPL, sat in on formation meetings, when it looked like it might succeed and now for what appears to be its dying gasps. When leagues and tournaments sponsored by Crossfire Oregon are filled with Crossfire Oregon teams of multiple years it becomes crystal clear to everyone, including the parents, that this ride is ending.

Timbers won out. OYSA won out. Unless there is a rabbit up someone's sleeve, kids in the top level MUST go elsewhere if they have any drive. The only way OPL will continue with any potential success will be for second or third tier teams maybe at lower age levels.

I read the threads on club loyalty and, believe it or not, the kids do have loyalty. It's a shame to have to move them and, frankly, it awful driving 217 to Beaverton or Hillsboro or 205 to Gresham. If Crossfire Oregon doesn't move to OYSA is there a chance someone would want to start a new or competitive club in the Tualatin/Tigard/West Linn/Lake Oswego/Wilsonville/Oregon City area to give us an option? Perhaps Southside would like to split off from Crossfire? Westside TS would have been an option, but its second/third tier Westside. I might even be willing to take on a hobby to help this effort.

I agree wholeheartedly. Any kid that has talent will be moving to the timbers....if not in the spring for sure in the fall.

**Unregistered** · 01-17-2015, 06:37 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

OPL was on its way to the grave, and T&F threw a all-in Hail Mary resulting in getting ECNL. This blew a little bit of new life into OPL's carcass, but many of the "promises" made have started to ring false.

With reflection it would be better if they had spun the ECNL programs off as a completely different program, and allowed OPL to die naturally. They could have explained as an elite league member it was important for them to establish a pipeline of excellence that covered the whole state, so they wanted to be sure all teams were competing at the appropriate levels in the same league. The only real reasons I can see why they didn't do this are their ego and their pocketbook. It could have been a painless positive experience for everyone, but unfortunately that is no longer an option. CU and FC's membership in ECNLare not dependent on OPL or OYSA, but unfortunately the longer thus sham goes on the more it hurts Oregon Soccer.

Yah, that would explain the exodus of OYSA girls coming over to OPL teams this year. 5 girls moving from Vancouver on just one THUSC team. That's just one team, and no it's not an ECNL team.