Team Transfers

Shouldn't there be an understanding among Club Presidents and DOCs that one club does not accept whole teams from another club?! Stars should not have taken the Bolts team, and by the same token, the Bolts should not have the FC United boys team. Same for Okarah. These are some of the adults who have not acted responsibly, so let's not blame everything on "guests" in an online soccer forum.

Why? Do you think if teams are planning to move en masse that they will stay together if they are forced to stay?

Whatever went wrong at the "sending" clubs went very wrong and it was just as likely the coach would leave and the team would split up (like Scorpions 16s) - maybe more would have ended up one place than another.

You are assuming there is something nefarious going on - but it may just be that there is some very bad blood which can't be repaired.

It only happens if it is allowed to happen. You don't see North Carolina's basketball team go to Duke or vice versa. The teams stayed together so obviously the coach was the issue in these cases. I'm sure the Bolts were resourceful enough to get a sufficiently good replacement coach. What happens, and you mentions Scorps U16s, is that a coach inappropriately uses the leverage he or she has with a team. No problem with a coach leaving, but they should go and start their new program without leaving a path of destruction behind them. These events have not been in the best long-term interests of any of the clubs, even the ones who look like the sort-term beneficiaries, and the DOCs and coaches should not have colluded with any of it.

These changes were made at the end of the season. Shouldn't players and coaches be able to change their circumstances at that time? If the players are more loyal to the coach then to the club what does that say about the environment created at the club? How can the clubs change this?

Re: Team Transfers

Shouldn't there be an understanding among Club Presidents and DOCs that one club does not accept whole teams from another club?! Stars should not have taken the Bolts team, and by the same token, the Bolts should not have the FC United boys team. Same for Okarah. These are some of the adults who have not acted responsibly, so let's not blame everything on "guests" in an online soccer forum.

The Bolts have done their share of team "pilfering"

For example on the boys side:
Current U18 Academy Team - formerly Inter
Current U15 Team - large chunk from Inter
Current U12(?) team - FCUnited

Wasn't one of the U18 girls teams added from another club as well?

These changes were made at the end of the season. Shouldn't players and coaches be able to change their circumstances at that time? If the players are more loyal to the coach then to the club what does that say about the environment created at the club? How can the clubs change this?

Of course they are going to have more loyalty to the coach (in most cases). That's not the point. It's the coach's job not to abuse this leverage or for the President or DOC of the "receiving" club not to allow it. What would happen if there were massive team and club changes every year? Do you think the same clubs (and coaches and parents) will endorse the same freedom of choice mantra if if happens to them next year? It's about professionalism.

It only happens if it is allowed to happen. You don't see North Carolina's basketball team go to Duke or vice versa.

If the Duke coach leaves for NC, do you think the players might consider transferring?

The teams stayed together so obviously the coach was the issue in these cases. I'm sure the Bolts were resourceful enough to get a sufficiently good replacement coach.

Would you be willing to pay club fees not knowing who would coach the team?

These events have not been in the best long-term interests of any of the clubs, even the ones who look like the sort-term beneficiaries, and the DOCs and coaches should not have colluded with any of it.

How do you base that judgement?

Wasn't one of the U18 girls teams added from another club as well?

Came from Spirit when they merged with Eagles.

If this was really considered a problem by the clubs, they would do something about it, but they all do it and the sun still rises every day.

What would happen if there were massive team and club changes every year?

But there aren't - nice try to catastrophize, but I think we can probably count on two hands the number of teams who have moved en masse in the last five years. Bolts got hit hard this year. Either they made some very poor choices in the coaching hires (if you maintain it's all the coaches' faults) or there are two sides to this story (which is more likely the case.)

Do you think the same clubs (and coaches and parents) will endorse the same freedom of choice mantra if if happens to them next year?[/quote]

They probably wouldn't be happy - no. But your assumption that they'd come on here whining is a big one. It is business - not personal. For you it is clearly personal.

It's about professionalism.[/quote]Yes you're right - it is very important to punish this coach and team and make them stay where they are so that the "sending" club can continue to do whatever it was that made them unhappy. To do otherwise is absolutely unprofessional.

It's a free enterprise system. FC United was built by acquiring 2 teams from SAC and 1 from Juventus. And this guest predicts the demise of FC is just around the corner.

It's a two way street - the coaches/parents that moved to FC United thought that the FC United experience would be better. Whether it actually has been would probably depend upon the person you ask.

The botttom line is that the clubs have a responsibility to provide structure AND VALUE to the players, the paying parents and the coaches. If they operate professionally and treat the players, customers and employees with RESPECT they wouldn't be looking elsewhere.

Wow, I guess about what I expected. Defend, defend, defend. These are the issues that are driving most of the threads, so I guess we'll go back to to dealing with them the usual way.

They probably wouldn't be happy - no. But your assumption that they'd come on here whining is a big one. It is business - not personal. For you it is clearly personal.

It's about professionalism.

Yes you're right - it is very important to punish this coach and team and make them stay where they are so that the "sending" club can continue to do whatever it was that made them unhappy. To do otherwise is absolutely unprofessional.

You are completely wrong. It was not just business for the coaches or for the families. It was personal. And no one is saying a coach should be punished. We can wish them every luck and every success, but it is reasonable to expect these folks to handle themselves in a certain way and to not be intent on causing as much damage as possible.
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I guess this is the problem. From the outside (and I am on the outside) it looks like a coach was unhappy aat the club nd the vast majority of the team decided to follow the coach rather than stay with the club.

I would expect that the "receiving club" would look at it the same way.

It is personal - you've said so now - and so you must realize that the receiving club would really have no idea of what had happened or how it happened. So accusing them of being unprofessional and expecting them to behave a certain way based on facts they wouldn't have really is unfair don't you think?

Clearly this was hurtful - I expect you are a parent of a child who did not move and I won't speculate on why. You have a right to feel that the team was more or less pulled out from under your child. But you can't assume that everyone else sees it the same way or even knows what you know.

Since the parents and kids see the coaches 2-3 times per week, their ability to plant seeds with the players to go with them is huge. And let's face it: Unless the coach brings a team with him/her, they are not of much value to the new club.

I know this has been brought up before, but for the sake of those that remain ignorant: The current players on the Bolts U18 and U15 teams moved from Inter ON THEIR OWN. The group initiated the move. The Bolts knew nothing about it until we contacted them. That's right: "We". I am a parent of U18 that moved.

and so you must realize that the receiving club would really have no idea of what had happened or how it happened. So accusing them of being unprofessional and expecting them to behave a certain way based on facts they wouldn't have really is unfair don't you think?

I can tell you are trying to respond thoughtfully, so that is appreciated. However, we are not talking about a team going from Mass. to Alaska. We're talking about, in the most discussed cases, teams or large segments of team going from Bolts to Stars, FC United to Bolts, Scorpions to Crusaders. Claiming ignorance -- as in "the receiving club would really ahve no idea of what had happened...so accusing them of unprofessional beahvior" really isn't fair -- just isn't credible. All of these people know each other well, and some even really respect one another. There are certain levels of professionalism that should be expected, if for no other reason then between the "professionals" themselves. Coaches and clubs should make every effort to do the right thing. If having legitimately tried to do the right thing -- instead of actively making sure the "sending" club took as big a hit as possible -- individual players still decide on their own to leave then that's fine, but that's not my sense of what has occurred.