Talent Consolidation and "Destination" Teams

Several players have left Stars for Scorpions.

Several????? I know of one who now plays for the Scorpions U15 but the rumour was she was cut from Stars.

Several players have left Stars for Scorpions.

Several????? I know of one who now plays for the Scorpions U15 but the rumour was she was cut from Stars.

Anyone cut from the Stars, is welcome to join the Scorpions.

Anyone cut from the Stars, is welcome to join the Scorpions.

Great post!

Of course Scorps will take them as they cannot seem to keep hold of their own players. They lost a bunch to Crusaders right?

Of course Scorps will take them as they cannot seem to keep hold of their own players. They lost a bunch to Crusaders right?

MPS is willing to take anyone who is cut from anywhere for $3500.

They lost a bunch to Crusaders right?

And Chesterfield here they come!

Hey Scorps, don't even pay attention to that. You know Crusaders had to figure out some way to muscle into the thread. These threads just kill them. Expect some great used car deals coming shortly.

Hey Scorps, don't even pay attention to that. You know Crusaders had to figure out some way to muscle into the thread. These threads just kill them. Expect some great used car deals coming shortly.

A used Lexus is a better ride than a new Scropmobile.

So - bashingMPS again....

"A coach's reputation is also critical, but some clubs (like MPS) have tried to minimize the coach centric situation by consistently rotating coaches."

Explains the failure of their club to succeed. They are always promising a better coach and don't deliver. You are lucky if the coach of your team shows up to more than 1/2 the practices and the games. A really lousy club!

The premier teams have their coaches consistently at practices and at games. They don't minimize the coach they simply believe kids get more from rotating coaches every two years which most soccer experts suggest btw. And with the deepest group of coaches in the state when there is a substitute it is a well qualified coach with real credentials and someone who consistently applies the club's curriculum and coaching style. How many clubs can accomplish that accross the board? Makes them a destination club as to coaching in reality.

And to the other poster who says MPS takes kids dropped from any club - for $3,500. MPS gives players opportunities to try-out through out the year and tries hard to provide a player an opportunity to join one of their teams which now includes up to 8 teams each at U14 and U13 (boys and girls between the Cape and Boston teams). Pretty great that a club accepts kids who want to play. But no they don't accept everyone. And the cost of a premier team is about $2,300. Not $3,500. Get real and state facts.

MPS is becoming a destination club imo. Since many people don't see them much and they don't play MAPLE, or even competitively in a league at U10, U11 and U12 they don't get a lot of people moving early in age groups, but as they continue to build their SOE program and have more and more success at U13 and U14 this will change over time. All of their U14's have picked up a number of talented players over the past year. And they will continue to do so. In large part because as one poster stated MPS is very supportive of players with a broad range of interests and encourages players to play HS and other sports as well. Another is the style of the coaching and the sense of team and support within the team and the club. And another is the building of skills and comfort with the ball and not drilling tactics at a young age.

Finally if you think being on a state championship team is the key to playing college ball think again. Playing for a club with a good reputation for developing its players abilities and playing meaningful minutes (not being the 15th to 18th player on the bench) and playing well is what matters. Good players get noticed. It's not only the Stars and Scorpions players that go on to play college ball. Oh, and exactly how many of them are playing meaningful minutes at a high level D1 College program? MPS and several other clubs go to the same college showcases and place plenty of kids in good college prgrams.

This forum is so overly focused on applauding two clubs and bashing others. State facts and don't make-up stories in order to bash another club.

And the cost of a premier team is about $2,300. Not $3,500. Get real and state facts.

Great post and i agree but you are not correct about this. I have a child playing for MPS and it is more like $3000 and does not include tournament fees either. I think it is well worth it though so no complaints from me.

Poor Poor MPS are they not getting the lovin that Scorps and Stars are?

2008 DESTINATION TEAMS

u14B BOLTS u14G STARS
u15B BLAST u15G STARS
u16B BOLTS u16G STARS
u17B BOLTS u17G STARS

I don't know that I'd call the boys 15 Blast a "destination" team. It takes more than a state cup win to become a destination team. The team has been inconsistent, playing brilliantly at times, and poorly at others. And their coach certainly doesn't come across as someone many parents and kids feel they have to have. The club has become virtually non-existent in most other age groups, and there's no real ties to a credible college program anymore (the Tufts afilliation is gone).

The other clubs mentioned all have good coaches across all age groups, have competitive teams across most age groups, a history of playing in better competitions across most age groups, and a pattern of development starting at the youngest age groups. Those are all things that drive players to them.

I don't know that I'd call the boys 15 Blast a "destination" team. It takes more than a state cup win to become a destination team. The team has been inconsistent, playing brilliantly at times, and poorly at others. And their coach certainly doesn't come across as someone many parents and kids feel they have to have. The club has become virtually non-existent in most other age groups, and there's no real ties to a credible college program anymore (the Tufts afilliation is gone).

Every team that wins at State Cup becomes a "destination" team for at least the next year. Certain people will always follow the most recent or most visible "winners".

Another set of automatic "destination" teams are all D1 teams. People will always try to get their kids on a "higher" team and that movement generally means those teams get stronger over time. Teams that fall from D1 usually have some serious problems.

Of course the "top" D1 teams are always the biggest draw, but I think the real "destination" Club is MPS. At least until recently, almost all of their players came from other MAPLE Clubs and from families with years of experience in MAPLE, The odd thing of course, is that those people are not following "winners" because we all know MPS hasn't racked up many State Cup wins. They also don't/can't play at a MAPLE D1 level. As we keep hearing over and over and over again, MPS is also more expensive than most MAPLE Clubs. They also don't seem to get into the best tournament. Yet, their rosters are full, and their growth and the number of teams they have is impressive by any standard.

So, based on the shear number of people that have left MAPLE to join a very different Club, MPS has to be the top "destination" Club.

So, based on the shear number of people that have left MAPLE to join a very different Club, MPS has to be the top "destination" Club.

Agreed they seem to be a destination club. Disagree they are different, They are just another club that plays in a different league.

So, based on the shear number of people that have left MAPLE to join a very different Club, MPS has to be the top "destination" Club.

Agreed they seem to be a destination club. Disagree they are different, They are just another club that plays in a different league.

I agree with you that "they are just another club", but there are some big differences; they cost more, they aren't MAPLE D1, they don't win SC, they don't get into top tournaments, and according to people in this forum, they don't have better coaches. So why do people go there????