Boys Drama - Bolts South Shore vs. SSS

[Guest]

Thought this was worthy of its own thread.

From: Don Whitaker <donwhitaker@bostonbolts.com>
Date: May 21, 202
Subject: League Options Update

Good Morning Families,


I wanted to connect with you regarding an email I sent yesterday morning. I pride myself on being an honest and transparent person with all information I share.

With this in mind I wanted to let you know that after sending yesterday's email I was notified by the ECRL at 5:39pm that the league has made the decision not to renew our license for next year after previously confirming we would be in the league.

A former disgruntled Bolts Employee, now working as a new employee at another south shore club, confirmed that he notified the league of our acceptance to the NAL and set the wheels in motion for the ECRL to remove us at the end of this competitive season. It is disappointing that a former employee would take away this opportunity from the players who have earned this, but we are faced with this new reality given the new information.

Please note that for teams currently playing in the ECRL we will finish our season in this league through the playoffs.

We are disappointed in this decision as we looked forward to providing both of these levels on the south shore. It is unfortunate that an adult's lack of integrity and willingness to take things out on his former employer is his motivating factor in trying to take from the kids. We continue to have our higher level platform in the NAL and are excited that we have this option along with other higher level playing opportunities than others in our area can provide.

I have appealed this decision by phone call and will do so in writing this morning as well to the league as they have already verbally accepted us and had us pay for a coaches education service that they require for next year. Our teams in the ECRL are moving to the NAL and our next level of teams will remain competitive in the ECRL if we are allowed back in.

If, for some reason, they stay closed minded to the idea of player development and advancement we will continue to provide a high level playing platform via the NAL for top teams and either the USYS National Club v Club Division (stronger than ECRL) or the RAL which is the NAL equivalent of the ECRL.

The positives of this for players who are in ECRL is that you would have significantly less travel for the games. We had intended to honor our commitment to the league, but will now turn our attention to other high level playing opportunities for our players.

Due to this league decision please see below for the new team placements in order by age:

U11/12 (these team placements have no impact on our teams as all teams at this age play in the NECSL).

• Pre-NAL
• Pre-National League
• Elite
• Premier

U13+:

• NAL
• USYS National
• Elite
• Premier

I apologize for any confusion with this as this caught us by surprise last night with no indication of this after prior conversations with the ECRL Director a few weeks back which prompted us to pay our coaches education fee for the coming year.

Thank you again and we look forward to seeing all of you at tryouts throughout this week

Don

[Guest]

ECRL is a rec league you arent losing anything

[Guest]

Seems like a reasonable email that doesn’t call anyone out by name or club? Apparently you have inside information that this is Select?

[Guest]

Seems pretty on point for BA. The guy has been a snake for years and has been fired from almost every job he has held in the soccer world. Good for someone for calling him out for taking out his club issues on kids.

[Guest]

Seems like a reasonable email that doesn’t call anyone out by name or club? Apparently you have inside information that this is Select?

BA ousted from bolts starting up/kickstarting SSS boys revamp. Who else would it be.

[Guest]

Seems like a reasonable email that doesn’t call anyone out by name or club? Apparently you have inside information that this is Select?

Don't be a dope. It's obvious who he's referring to.

Oh and hey, Don, don't bother with the written appeal. What family would want the ECRL level of travel as the 4th or 5th Bolts team: MLS --> NAL Boston --> NAL SS --> EDP Boston --> EDP SS? It's a lateral move of your ECRL teams over to NAL and that's a net win for you.

[Guest]

It's a lateral move of your ECRL teams over to NAL and that's a net win for you.

No, it’s clearly a step up.

[Guest]

Seems pretty on point for BA. The guy has been a snake for years and has been fired from almost every job he has held in the soccer world. Good for someone for calling him out for taking out his club issues on kids.

Even so, that is poor management to not know what is going on in your own business. If this person did this as a personal act, he should be sued. If he is not sued, you can assume that it was a club act and the balance of the club was on board with this decision and is simply using this guy as a scape goat.

[Guest]

Don't be a dope. It's obvious who he's referring to.

Oh and hey, Don, don't bother with the written appeal. What family would want the ECRL level of travel as the 4th or 5th Bolts team: MLS --> NAL Boston --> NAL SS --> EDP Boston --> EDP SS? It's a lateral move of your ECRL teams over to NAL and that's a net win for you.

NAL Boston = NAL SS. Those SS families driving to Newton maybe won't be doing that anymore, balancing out things even more...

[Guest]

So many holes in the logic of that email. (1) If you are in ECRL and they don't allow you to also have teams in NAL, then complaining about who tattled is silly. You broke the rule, deal with it. (2)" We're going to appeal but if we lose, you will be playing in USYS National Club v Club Division which is stronger than ECRL." Then why are you appealing?

[Guest]

Someone mentioned in the “BA to SSS” board that he may try to poach the Bolts Weymouth teams. Maybe that was an insider.

[Guest]

Let’s be honest here. DW wanted the best of both worlds by having NAL and ECRL which are competing leagues especially in the northeast. Trying to have both programs would’ve been a huge advantage lol on the south shore but obviously the other power at be wouldn’t allow it for good reason. DW was trying to do too much especially after being rejected by the ECNL for a full pathway. This could come back to bite him in years to come with select getting full ECNL on the girls and their boys likely to push for it down the road. You saw surf boys get ECRL as well as scorpions boys get ECRL. This could mean in 3-5 years time we see all those programs get a full pathway and mass now has boys ECNL in Stars, Select, Surf, and Scoprions on the boys side. That would be devastating especially if the NAL fails to grow nationally and be a truly compete against the ECNL. I could see the NAL folding in that same 3-5 year window.

[Guest]

I hope bolts parents aren’t that dumb to fall for this reason why they don’t have ECRL any more?
Maybe this former employee sped up the process but it was going to happen sooner or later. Unless bolts are that dumb also that they could hide this?
Heres what I think:
Bolts wanted to form ECRL teams before they got kicked out and then tell the parents that they have to play in another league. I think they thought they wouldn’t get kicked out till after tryouts and have parents sign the contracts and get their money. Now bolts
can't make offers to players for a league they aren’t in. Which could lead to players leaving for other clubs.
Or they already formed the ECRL teams and now they have blame someone besides themselves for this mess?

[Guest]

Let’s be honest here. DW wanted the best of both worlds by having NAL and ECRL which are competing leagues especially in the northeast. Trying to have both programs would’ve been a huge advantage lol on the south shore but obviously the other power at be wouldn’t allow it for good reason. DW was trying to do too much especially after being rejected by the ECNL for a full pathway. This could come back to bite him in years to come with select getting full ECNL on the girls and their boys likely to push for it down the road. You saw surf boys get ECRL as well as scorpions boys get ECRL. This could mean in 3-5 years time we see all those programs get a full pathway and mass now has boys ECNL in Stars, Select, Surf, and Scoprions on the boys side. That would be devastating especially if the NAL fails to grow nationally and be a truly compete against the ECNL. I could see the NAL folding in that same 3-5 year window.

What in the world are you smoking that you think select is anywhere close to boys ecnl? They’ve failed on the boys side for years and their dna of not giving an eff about boys ain’t changing. Their teams blow

[Guest]

If Bolts South Shore is getting NAL, why would they care if they lost ECRL?