Hmmm. THUSC, FC Portland, Crossfire

[Unregistered]

Most of your typical U12 and older coaches get $450-650 / per month. So in essence, your buying the coach a NICE new car. If the coach has 2 teams, well, your buying his wife one too.

I presume you are being sarcastic? It has nothing to do with the age of the team in relation to pay. I know coaches for HS age teams who are on less than $350/month. When you factor in training time, games, out of state travel tournaments, gas etc OR coaches get poorly paid.

I am not sure what you consider a nice new car but there won't be one bought from $450-650/month pay.

[Unregistered]

I presume you are being sarcastic? It has nothing to do with the age of the team in relation to pay. I know coaches for HS age teams who are on less than $350/month. When you factor in training time, games, out of state travel tournaments, gas etc OR coaches get poorly paid.

I am not sure what you consider a nice new car but there won't be one bought from $450-650/month pay.

Most coaches pay varies depending on

a) the club they coach at
b) are they drinking buddies with the DoC?
c) do they have an English accent?
d) are they drinking buddies with the DoC?
e) license level
f) are they drinking buddies with the DoC?
g) past coaching success (ie. did they win trophies for the DoC's mantle)
h) are they drinking buddies with the DoC?
i) playing experience
j) are they drinking buddies with the DoC?
k) college they attended (best if it's the same as the DoC)
l) are they drinking buddies with the DoC?

[Unregistered]

It's $2,200 per year for 3-4 days of training.

This is after a very lucrative corporate sponsorship and large donations. Crossfire has done well to try and make a very expensive program more affordable.

Unfortunately, I haven't heard, we haven't heard..... or it hasn't been shared if any of the 3 clubs have went and done the same to care for our DDs

[Unregistered]

most coaches if they are putting in sufficient effort are making about $12/hr. Deduct costs and it closer to min wage.

Nobody is getting rich off any of this.

I for one would be willing to pay 2 times more than I do for 30% better coaching.

[Unregistered]

It's $2,200 per year for 3-4 days of training.

Training 3-4 days/week for your club team is not necessarily a recipe for maximum development. If you train 2 days/week with club, play 1 or 2 games/week. That could be considered a lot. Top players are adding training days with RTC/ODP/maybe ECNL, ID2, other. Some of these players are even doing private training. At some point it is just too much and will actual be counter-productive to development. I like to see kids step away from the game and play other sports, particularly at the younger ages, on up to maybe U14. Often times doing that not only helps a kid avoid burnout, but it will also will enhance skills that compliment soccer.

I highly caution against more training = better player/better team. The main reason Xfire is at the top of the food chain is because they are Xfire. First, Seattle population dwarfs us down here so there are more players to choose from. Second, because of the Xfire name and reputation, you get a higher percentage of top players trying out. And if they are not cutting it, top players from other clubs will come in and replace.

Don't get me wrong. If a kid wants to develop and be the best they have to put the work in and train a lot. But it can backfire and parents really have to manage that with finesse.

[Unregistered]

It's $2,200 per year for 3-4 days of training.

BTW: Washington Premier (WPFC) is also $2200 for same.
Then again: (from their website)

Message from Seth Spidahl, Technical Director of WPFC

At Washington Premier F.C. we are committed to providing the best for our players and their families; the best training environment and facilities, coaching, competition, and customer service. The children who join our club will not only have the opportunity to reach their potential as athletes, but will also be expected to remain strong students and leaders in their community.

Why Washington Premier F.C.?
•Best coaching staff in the South Sound
•4 full time Directors; Technical, Boys, Girls and Youth
•Focused coaching philopshy and player development pathway
•One venue for training---25 Acres with 9 grass fields and 2 lit turf fields,
•Easy Access from major highways and interstates
•Competitive fee structure
•Highest level of play around; ECNL, RCL, WCDA and NWCL
•Year round GK training with highly qualiifed GK instructor
•College Placement Program
•Passionate leadership committed to achieving the best and doing what is right
•Top Tier club sponsorship by Adidas
•Committed board of Directors
•Financially stable organization

[Unregistered]

BTW: Washington Premier (WPFC) is also $2200 for same.
Then again: (from their website)

Message from Seth Spidahl, Technical Director of WPFC

At Washington Premier F.C. we are committed to providing the best for our players and their families; the best training environment and facilities, coaching, competition, and customer service. The children who join our club will not only have the opportunity to reach their potential as athletes, but will also be expected to remain strong students and leaders in their community.

Why Washington Premier F.C.?
•Best coaching staff in the South Sound
•4 full time Directors; Technical, Boys, Girls and Youth
•Focused coaching philopshy and player development pathway
•One venue for training---25 Acres with 9 grass fields and 2 lit turf fields,
•Easy Access from major highways and interstates
•Competitive fee structure
•Highest level of play around; ECNL, RCL, WCDA and NWCL
•Year round GK training with highly qualiifed GK instructor
•College Placement Program
•Passionate leadership committed to achieving the best and doing what is right
•Top Tier club sponsorship by Adidas
•Committed board of Directors
•Financially stable organization

This is true, but does not include travel costs.

[Marbull]

Most of the coaches that I spoke to, get $3-4k a year. (That is only $250 to $350 per month). This includes 16? hours of practice a month and during leagues 12-24 hours for games). That is somewhere around $12 per hour not including the gas it costs to get to practices and games nor time dealing with planning or parent concerns.

Ive been a coach. Not any longer (couldnt afford it with the price of gas and traveling 25 miles round trip 4 nights a week and each weekend).

With a C license I received $350-400/mo. When I got my B the rate went up to $450 to eventually $525. That was several years ago, so I was assuming some increase. The only way I could make it worth my while was to coach two teams. Out of State tourneys put a couple extra bucks in the wallet too.

[Unregistered]

Training 3-4 days/week for your club team is not necessarily a recipe for maximum development. If you train 2 days/week with club, play 1 or 2 games/week. That could be considered a lot. Top players are adding training days with RTC/ODP/maybe ECNL, ID2, other. Some of these players are even doing private training. At some point it is just too much and will actual be counter-productive to development. I like to see kids step away from the game and play other sports, particularly at the younger ages, on up to maybe U14. Often times doing that not only helps a kid avoid burnout, but it will also will enhance skills that compliment soccer.

I highly caution against more training = better player/better team. The main reason Xfire is at the top of the food chain is because they are Xfire. First, Seattle population dwarfs us down here so there are more players to choose from. Second, because of the Xfire name and reputation, you get a higher percentage of top players trying out. And if they are not cutting it, top players from other clubs will come in and replace.

Don't get me wrong. If a kid wants to develop and be the best they have to put the work in and train a lot. But it can backfire and parents really have to manage that with finesse.

If the clubs provided good training 3 or 4 days per week than there would not be a need for regular private training.

More training does equal better player/better team. I agree with you that Crossfire is drawing the best from a larger population pool, but they are also doing more with what they have. We get what we pay for. We don't pay coaches in Oregon enough to warrant them to go train 3 or 4 times per week. As it is, they are not making a whole lot of money training 2 times per week.

If your player is U14 or older and you have to manage their training with finesse than playing soccer at a high level is probably not for them.

[Unregistered]

This is true, but does not include travel costs.

True dat. I have yet to see a club fee structure that covers travel / uniform / team expenses etc. It does pay to understand the fee structures as fee structures vary club to club.
Bottom line is that the better Seattle based clubs cost x2 what the PDX clubs do.
More money doesn't always mean "better" but in this case maybe it does?
Better coaches / better facilities (club owned) / better training / better leagues = better players/teams

[Unregistered]

I'm a parent of a talented female player. I'm disgusted with the current offerings of clubs and leagues (OPL / OYSA).
My daughter will go to the first ECNL team(club) in PDX.
If PDX does not get an ECNL birth we will head North. I have already contacted the ECNL clubs in WA and they are expecting a big push if PDX does not get their own. They are hearing from a lot of OR players.
I am a consumer and I am talking with my $ and my feet. Evidently others are of like mind.

Clam down Onyx Dad!

[Unregistered]

Looking at the OPL and OYSA brackets, there is one pretty obvious conclusion. That is the need to specialize if there is an insistence on a division. Choose an age bracket and compare it between the two leagues, what almost immediately becomes clear is that the leagues should divide on a gender basis. If this was done, it would almost immediately clean up the mess in brackets, it would probably allow for a more successful pitch on the ECNL type leagues.

The biggest problem is clubs trying to be everything to everyone. There is no reason a club couldn't have its girls teams play OPL, and it's boys teams OYSA. The only thing preventing this is the DOC's desire to have "control". Eventually it would be great to have them all under one roof, but maybe this is a step in that direction.

This makes a ton of sense…Have the OYSL-B, and OYSL-G, these would provide the full competitive infrastructure for the girls and boys teams, thus you wouldn't have state cup brackets like OPL's B-U14, AND 17, or OYSA's G-U15 AND 17. leagues could direct into the elite programs for each gender… and hopefully there could eventually be an umbrella organization that would pull them back together.

You have to feel sorry for the THUSC boys teams, or the Westside Girls. The reason they exist is some DOC has to much ego to let them go, and has convinced the parents that the other organization is evil… time for a change!

[Unregistered]

If your player is U14 or older and you have to manage their training with finesse than playing soccer at a high level is probably not for them.

This couldn't be more false. Do not listen to this guy. If your child is elite, parents better be cognizant of burnout and not allowing them to be a kid. If you don't act as the adult and help them navigate this, you very much risk your kid bailing at their peak. I don't care how much they love the game. Training 2-3 times for club, 2 games, 2 ODP training, more... They can fade as they see their teenage counterparts living it up.

Do yourself a favor and ignore the guy that says otherwise.

[Unregistered]

Clam down Onyx Dad!

If he were an Onyx Dad wouldn't he be content as they are the best team ever?
Just kidding. I would think Onyx players/parents are tired of the OPL league as well. C'mon you have to admit this OPL/OYSA split has not benefitted the game in Oregon.

[Unregistered]

This couldn't be more false. Do not listen to this guy. If your child is elite, parents better be cognizant of burnout and not allowing them to be a kid. If you don't act as the adult and help them navigate this, you very much risk your kid bailing at their peak. I don't care how much they love the game. Training 2-3 times for club, 2 games, 2 ODP training, more... They can fade as they see their teenage counterparts living it up.

Do yourself a favor and ignore the guy that says otherwise.

Agreed. That dude is a nut.