Competitive RI club teams

[Unregistered]

NEFC is a MA based club. That 2004 South team is made up of some RI girls and some MA girls. Considering they train out of Durfee in Fall River, Wheeler in Seekonk and Taunton Forekicks, I wouldn't begin to call that a RI team.

NEFC South Elite are RI teams that pull from RI and southern Ma (just like MA teams
pull players from RI). The NEFC south teams practice out of Wheeler often
and the travel to a turf field is due to field availability and where the club has booked field time.

[Unregistered]

I wish US Soccer mandated a youth system similar to the European club system where it is limited or restricted to localities. You can only play for your local clubs. Doing so will force local players to play only in a local clubs. European system developed pride and support and centralized development locally. In doing encourage local concentration of talents. I for one always believe with good coaches any young players can be develope.

We don't have enough good coaches. Also, the popularity of soccer and availability of local clubs with decent coaching is night and day in Europe vs here. We shouldn't be forcing kids to stay local if there's better options for them to develop

[Unregistered]

We don't have enough good coaches. Also, the popularity of soccer and availability of local clubs with decent coaching is night and day in Europe vs here. We shouldn't be forcing kids to stay local if there's better options for them to develop

I would point out more that Soccer RI did have the old 3 town rule and what did that do?

Lead to the proliferation and then "hanging on" of low economy of scale town programs and the the proliferation (watering down) on the premier side. It's not only coaches, it's the lack of referees, fields, and good administrators as well. All done to satisfy the egos of some and line the pockets of others.

The system also enhanced the team centric concept at younger ages because how else can we have leagues, stratified by winning and with no movement except occasionally up for players in the lower divisions and certainly not down once the roster has been submitted.

[Unregistered]

On the male side, the whole competitive / premier structure in the US is broken and a sham. When will every face up to the fact that soccer will always be well behind football, baseball and basketball as a spectator sport. The only place it will every be higher, in our lifetime, is in Europe. The top US talent will go to Europe by the time they are 16. Doesn't matter if you were playing competitive soccer, premier, DAP, ..., whatever, there's only room for a few and it doesn't matter what league you kid is playing in now. Genetics and desire will open it up to the obvious few and none of your kids are going to get it. Making matters worse, top colleges don't want the American kids. If they are going to have 11 full scholarships to give out they are going to go get the foreigners. Gives the coaches a chance to go on an occasional junket, and adds diversity to the student body. Sure they'll let the walk-on americano jump on the team and be a practice body, but don't expect much if any cash.

On the girls side, there will never be professional product that would support a living, but as long as there's mens college football and Title IX there will always be some scholarships.

[Unregistered]

On the male side, the whole competitive / premier structure in the US is broken and a sham. When will every face up to the fact that soccer will always be well behind football, baseball and basketball as a spectator sport. The only place it will every be higher, in our lifetime, is in Europe. The top US talent will go to Europe by the time they are 16. Doesn't matter if you were playing competitive soccer, premier, DAP, ..., whatever, there's only room for a few and it doesn't matter what league you kid is playing in now. Genetics and desire will open it up to the obvious few and none of your kids are going to get it. Making matters worse, top colleges don't want the American kids. If they are going to have 11 full scholarships to give out they are going to go get the foreigners. Gives the coaches a chance to go on an occasional junket, and adds diversity to the student body. Sure they'll let the walk-on americano jump on the team and be a practice body, but don't expect much if any cash.

On the girls side, there will never be professional product that would support a living, but as long as there's mens college football and Title IX there will always be some scholarships.

What's that have to do with the price of tea in China? Or, how RI can't put a quality program together?

[Unregistered]

Rhode Island USB always going to suffer because they just don't have the numbers.

[Unregistered]

Rhode Island and Maine are about the two weakest states for soccer.

[Unregistered]

Rhode Island and Maine are about the two weakest states for soccer.

I would disagree. RI is relatively small but has a good concentration of talents in Providence and the surrounding communities (Cranston, Warwick, Lincoln, etc...) on the boys side. Let’s say Bayside or Bruno is awarded an full pledge DA they can work with RI soccer community to ID players for development. The problem is neither clubs have the vision nor the infrastructure to do that. Providence is an untapped soccer potential due to a large diverse soccer playing population who have yet been exposed to premier/da.

[Unregistered]

I would disagree. RI is relatively small but has a good concentration of talents in Providence and the surrounding communities (Cranston, Warwick, Lincoln, etc...) on the boys side. Let’s say Bayside or Bruno is awarded an full pledge DA they can work with RI soccer community to ID players for development. The problem is neither clubs have the vision nor the infrastructure to do that. Providence is an untapped soccer potential due to a large diverse soccer playing population who have yet been exposed to premier/da.

There are no state borders in club soccer. Top RI players drive to MA to play for Stars, FC Boston, NEFC. If there was a RI based club that had top program then MA players would drive to RI. Stop saying RI has small numbers and can’t compete.

[Unregistered]

There are no state borders in club soccer. Top RI players drive to MA to play for Stars, FC Boston, NEFC. If there was a RI based club that had top program then MA players would drive to RI. Stop saying RI has small numbers and can’t compete.

You and I are talking about apples and oranges. Yes, I agreed on the girls side go to MA bc RI does not have quality clubs and players. However on the boys side that is a different story.

[Unregistered]

There are no players driving to MA to compete in RI. There are two reasons for this: MA has a variety of options and RI have none.

[Unregistered]

Bayside have strong teams but struggle outside of RI.

[Unregistered]

Bayside have strong teams but struggle outside of RI.

What the heck does that mean? Strong teams in a tiny state, but struggle outside?

In other words, not competitive....

[Unregistered]

It means they do fine as long as they remain the big fish in the tiny pond. Any attempt to play outside this little pond is met with disaster.

[Unregistered]

It means they do fine as long as they remain the big fish in the tiny pond. Any attempt to play outside this little pond is met with disaster.

Unfortunately the soccer scene has changed a bit in the last 5 years. The goal of club soccer now is measured by the number of DA players your club have produced. In the metric Bayside is still the only club in RI comparable to MA, Ct, & NH. Bayside continues to produce top players for the top DA programs.