Clubs struggling with numbers?

[Unregistered]

Not entirely true, some of the coaches out there genuinely love working with kids and have a passion for the game. Look at the coaches who work a teaching job or other professions where they work with youth.

The problem is the businessmen who got into this to make money off this type of market. A lot of these club owners are scummy businessmen who jumped on it as an opportunity for dollars not for the good of children or the sport. We have a few of these right here in Fairfield county.

You have to realize it works both ways. Their customer base is stacked with parents seeking to alleviate their own anxiety. Many do not care for the good of children or the sport. They are also just seeking an advantage.

Without willing consumers, there isn't any way to grow a business.

[Unregistered]

I'd estimate that there are roughly 30 to maybe 40 players a year from CT that are going on to play college soccer. This would include the high level D1 kids, D2 and D3. I think that number is probably relatively static and doesn't change much from year to year. With that said, the number is skewed because CFCU alone puts 15 kids in year in college soccer. We can debate the numbers but it isn't much more than that.

On the other side of the equation, clubs have multiplied around here in the past 5 years. Just think about the numbers in Sporting, Rush, Ginga, FSA, CFC branches and so on. The kids that were part of the initial club boom are now coming to the end of their HS run and realizing that in many respects they were sold a bill of goods. Very few teams have access to the high end showcase events which makes getting recruited much more challenging. Our best players basically have no choice but to gravitate towards the ECNL and Academy, everyone else is on the outside looking in.

If you are parent at Sporting, SCP, Academica etc you only have to look at the list of schools that kids are moving onto to realize that prospects are extremely limited. Despite the seminars they held, its simply not playing out in reality.

Everyone small and second tier club in CT is struggling for numbers. The product is very watered down and it seems like we are definitely headed towards consolidation in local clubs.

we're a 2001 family in that list of smaller clubs. Now that the end is in sight and weighing everything, I feel the money, excessive travel, overall hassle, etc probably weren't worth it. Also I see the club unraveling a little more every year, so it makes the investment even less worth it.

[Unregistered]

Not entirely true, some of the coaches out there genuinely love working with kids and have a passion for the game. Look at the coaches who work a teaching job or other professions where they work with youth.

The problem is the businessmen who got into this to make money off this type of market. A lot of these club owners are scummy businessmen who jumped on it as an opportunity for dollars not for the good of children or the sport. We have a few of these right here in Fairfield county.

Thats not any different from the cause of "travel" flight- people get on the board who were intent on adressing selfish interests over the quality of the product they were producing. 15 years ago a travel player was one of the best players in town. Then it became a "thing" and the actual best players bailed to premier to play with others of the same ilk. Now evrybody goes premier but in realty there are only 5-6 teams at any age group where the best actually play. Want to know where?
Read your local paper-check the all state all conf lists see the college commitment lists
Is your kid of that caliber? Then by all means help her get on one of these teams if not find the club where she will have the best experience

[Unregistered]

we're a 2001 family in that list of smaller clubs. Now that the end is in sight and weighing everything, I feel the money, excessive travel, overall hassle, etc probably weren't worth it. Also I see the club unraveling a little more every year, so it makes the investment even less worth it.

How do you define "worth"?

[Unregistered]

Thats not any different from the cause of "travel" flight- people get on the board who were intent on adressing selfish interests over the quality of the product they were producing. 15 years ago a travel player was one of the best players in town. Then it became a "thing" and the actual best players bailed to premier to play with others of the same ilk. Now evrybody goes premier but in realty there are only 5-6 teams at any age group where the best actually play. Want to know where?
Read your local paper-check the all state all conf lists see the college commitment lists
Is your kid of that caliber? Then by all means help her get on one of these teams if not find the club where she will have the best experience

What if that experience for them, for us, is still on a club?

[Unregistered]

Thats not any different from the cause of "travel" flight- people get on the board who were intent on adressing selfish interests over the quality of the product they were producing. 15 years ago a travel player was one of the best players in town. Then it became a "thing" and the actual best players bailed to premier to play with others of the same ilk. Now evrybody goes premier but in realty there are only 5-6 teams at any age group where the best actually play. Want to know where?
Read your local paper-check the all state all conf lists see the college commitment lists
Is your kid of that caliber? Then by all means help her get on one of these teams if not find the club where she will have the best experience

I would tend to agree except for the comment regarding "...in reality there are only 5-6 teams at any age group where the best actually play "

The circumstances and logistics of the present environment have evolved to create less opportunity to play at the higher level.
Financials, Access, Family commitment, travel , time invested , etc. are some of the contributing factors. It isn't like 15 years ago when the best players only had to leave town for an away game, and the cost was so much less in comparable dollars.

[Unregistered]

What if that experience for them, for us, is still on a club?

Thats great- like i said find your player the best experience you can
You will miss this time when its over

[Unregistered]

The club on every corner is what killed travel. Kids saw the better kits and backpacks and assumed that the product was better. Parents chased the "premier" label with blatant regard for what the level of coaching or talent pool looked like. I know lots of "premier" players in our town that will never see meaningful time on the varsity soccer field. Does that still make you premier?

maybe for you guys. What killed it for our town was the sh1theads that ran the club and who are still running the club. Clowns

[Unregistered]

I would tend to agree except for the comment regarding "...in reality there are only 5-6 teams at any age group where the best actually play "

The circumstances and logistics of the present environment have evolved to create less opportunity to play at the higher level.
Financials, Access, Family commitment, travel , time invested , etc. are some of the contributing factors. It isn't like 15 years ago when the best players only had to leave town for an away game, and the cost was so much less in comparable dollars.

$$$ are not an issue to a quality player of any economic means
Not every one of the players on the lists i mentioned have money- yet they all play club
Good player , no money no problem- they are in
Average player lots of money no problem- they are paying for the good player

[Unregistered]

maybe for you guys. What killed it for our town was the sh1theads that ran the club and who are still running the club. Clowns

They will leave when their kids do

[Unregistered]

maybe for you guys. What killed it for our town was the sh1theads that ran the club and who are still running the club. Clowns

in our town, those sh1theads who ran the club into the ground also worked for popup premier clubs and actively recruited kids, parents, and coaches away from the town club.

This is because so very many soccer parents are utter azzhats. And, after reaching the zenith of stupidity around U12, by the time they started to recognize what they had done, they had passed the reins to some similar sycophants who were following in their footsteps and doing the same thing. But, hey, some popup premier "owner" got to make some bucks.

[Unregistered]

maybe for you guys. What killed it for our town was the sh1theads that ran the club and who are still running the club. Clowns

We had that then thankfully a board stepped in a few years ago and helped turn it around. The program still isn't as big as it once was (probably also due to population shrinkage) but at least travel isn't losing players in droves like it used to. Some families try the nearby McClubs for a year, aren't having a good experience and are coming back. That is good to see. For many players travel is an appropriate level for them (assuming other towns can do the same). Play locally, with your friends, not have too big a commitment, learn the game, hopefully play in HS supporting the few better club players. The better players should move up, but many kids don't need to and shouldn't.

[Unregistered]

ODP helped kill itself. Coaches that don't show all the time indicates a lack of committment. Coaches who put ECNL obligations above regional finals, for example. So, fill-in coaches who don't know the kids. And, uneven treatment of players. Play very well, score perhaps, still start on the bench. Known commodity underperforming always gets the start. Team makes the regional playoffs, bringing up kids from a younger team based on "known commodity" and benching the players who got you there. All of that political bullsh plus they are just disorganized as h3ll on every level.

In some parts of the country ODP is still a worthwhile experience - their state organizations put money and effort into it. As we know, CJSA's involvement is abysmal. That said, with PDP, ID2, ECNL and DA all offering exposure ODP here in CT is DaaD (Dead as a Doornail)

[Unregistered]

$$$ are not an issue to a quality player of any economic means
Not every one of the players on the lists i mentioned have money- yet they all play club
Good player , no money no problem- they are in
Average player lots of money no problem- they are paying for the good player

If this is what you think, you have been living in a soccer bubble. The proof is that the percentage of soccer players that participate in the top 5-6 teams that you are enamored with, are a tiny percentage of available soccer players . A lack of interest is why. Interest that is influenced by some of the areas I listed.

[Unregistered]

Not entirely true, some of the coaches out there genuinely love working with kids and have a passion for the game. Look at the coaches who work a teaching job or other professions where they work with youth.

The problem is the businessmen who got into this to make money off this type of market. A lot of these club owners are scummy businessmen who jumped on it as an opportunity for dollars not for the good of children or the sport. We have a few of these right here in Fairfield county.

Beachside and CFC Micky and Steve