Future of OR Soccer

[Unregistered]

I agree that for tournaments it makes environmental sense to have them where travel is minimized. However, having Portland teams just play home games during league play doesn't reduce total travel at all. It just reduces travel for Portland clubs.

If you're arguing that club soccer should be run as a business, then shouldn't it be run to maximize profit? Of course not! The point is that if we only focus on the business aspects of club soccer, then we would make decisions that wouldn't necessarily maximize the benefit to our kids, which I hope you agree is the real goal. It appears to me that you're trying to find some way to rationalize what is unfair because it benefits you.

[Unregistered]

Bottom line: Club soccer is a business and as such listens to its customers.[/QUOTE]

I think this is where people have the assumption that because most of these clubs are non-profits that they are run like non-profits with that "let's make this world a better place for our kids" focus. Once you really dive in and get to know what is really happening at your club, you'll see the real picture.

That being said, the clubs serve a purpose. They provide soccer for those who want or can afford to pay for their kids to play competitive soccer. While some clubs claim they focus on building players not only on the field but with life skills, what the reality is that the life skills your child will learn is that talent doesn't always matter, life isn't always fair, those in charge aren't always honest or even looking out for your best interest and "do as I say not as I do".

No, I am not a bitter parent but a realist. Life isn't fair, Power does not equal Right, etc.

As for the traveling, I can understand that people are self-driven and self-focused and what makes my life more convienent is what matters most. ME, ME, ME. Let's look at the bigger picture: I have to drive an hour or two to another community where if I wasn't involved in soccer I would never get to experience that town or area. I wouldn't get that time in the car with my child and/or their mates. It is amazing what you can learn from spending time in the car with your child and their mates. My child wouldn't have a sense of what was going on in communities outside of their own.

I guess what I am trying to say, is that the world is a big place and it is when we step outside of our little ME bubble, that great or interesting things can happen.

You don't see the Timbers, Beavers, Winterhawks, Trailblazers demand that everyone come to them.

But, let's not fool ourselves, it never matters what is truely right or even best, but what we want.

[Unregistered]

Lets get to some nuts and bolts. What is wrong with OYSA? I have heard travel brought up a number of times, I have heard gripes about scheduling, I have heard complaints about ODP, I have heard OYSA charges an exorbitant amount per player in fees.

I would like to hear valid complaints of OYSA. I would like to listen to this OPL forum, see what they have to offer. Somewhere there has to be a way for these two organizations to find a middle ground and what is best for the kids and the game.

[Unregistered]

The travel thing is mostly a red-herring. As the pro-OPL person said, most of the good teams are in portland so if you're a gold or silver team, odds are that at least 75% of your league is in the portland area. That means you're only traveling for a small number of games for league play and so the transition to OPL would be minor. If you're a non-Portland club, however, the transition is huge. Instead of roughly half your games being in Portland, ALL of them are.

Can Portland-area clubs be troubled to travel to Bend, Eugene, etc a few times a year to save many, many reverse trips?

Now for Division I and lower teams, the situation might be different and if you're not playing a very high caliber of soccer the motivation to travel might be less from all geographies.

[Unregistered]

YES, please tell me what's wrong with OYSA. I'd really like to know. What is the problem that OPL is supposed to solve?

Is OPL a well-oiled machine? Well let's look at the web page. Here's an excerpt from the spring schedule page:

"There is no room to move games around, so if you need a change, you can ask but I am not making any promises."

Wow, that sounds really accommodating!

[Unregistered]

The business aspect of club soccer is a factor that cannot be dismissed. The Portland club teams have a "monopoly" so they are exercising the power that monopoly enables them with to provide a better product to their customers.

To jump up an down and say this is not fair is meaningless. You need to formulate solid business based arguements describing how specifics of this change would be a detrement to the OPL organization and bring them to the open forum to change minds. If you keep of level head, provide solid fact based arguements, and refrain from jumping up and down saying this isn't fair, you will likely be surprised at how accomodating they may be.

This online forum is an excellent venue for you to present those arguements and get good feedback prior to the meeting.

[Unregistered]

YES, please tell me what's wrong with OYSA. I'd really like to know. What is the problem that OPL is supposed to solve?

Is OPL a well-oiled machine? Well let's look at the web page. Here's an excerpt from the spring schedule page:

"There is no room to move games around, so if you need a change, you can ask but I am not making any promises."

Wow, that sounds really accommodating!

It IS accommodating to ALL the other teams that a schedule change may affect. If YOU can't play a certain date/time, why should MY team have to rearrange OUR schedule. Sorry if this sound self-centered but, as many can attest, a change can be a royal pain and if we made travel arrangements, expensive too.

[Unregistered]

"You don't see the Timbers, Beavers, Winterhawks, Trailblazers demand that everyone come to them."

The above teams players are PAID to play. In club soccer we are paying to play. Consequently, the above teams players and families are not customers where we are. This can make a huge difference in how a sports organization is run.

[Unregistered]

To jump up an down and say this is not fair is meaningless.

First of all, no one is jumping up and down (unless you are). Second, fairness is something that is taken into account in all levels of sporting events. You're really missing something fundamental if you don't realize that.

You need to formulate solid business based arguements describing how specifics of this change would be a detrement to the OPL organization and bring them to the open forum to change minds.

To say that "business based arguments" are the only ones that should be listened to for managing youth soccer is completely off-base.

If you keep of level head, provide solid fact based arguements, and refrain from jumping up and down saying this isn't fair

Again, my butt is firmly planted in my chair, although I could use some coffee.

[Unregistered]

It IS accommodating to ALL the other teams that a schedule change may affect. If YOU can't play a certain date/time, why should MY team have to rearrange OUR schedule. Sorry if this sound self-centered but, as many can attest, a change can be a royal pain and if we made travel arrangements, expensive too.

Because YOUR team may have something come up where YOU need to reschedule so it's nice of OTHER teams and your LEAGUE can be accommodating. SIMPLE

[Unregistered]

The Portland club teams have a "monopoly" so they are exercising the power that monopoly enables them with to provide a better product to their customers.

For someone that acts as if they know something about business, you don't really understand the nature of monopolies. Monopolies do not maximize benefit for their customers. The reason there are anti-trust laws to prevent monopolies is for just that reason. There's plenty of reading material online about this if my brief explanation doesn't make sense.

[Unregistered]

Because YOUR team may have something come up where YOU need to reschedule so it's nice of OTHER teams and your LEAGUE can be accommodating. SIMPLE

Why is it anyone else's responsibility if we can't field a team on a certain date/time?

[Unregistered]

Can Portland-area clubs be troubled to travel to Bend, Eugene, etc a few times a year to save many, many reverse trips?

I hadn't really thought of it this way but it's true.

Come on Portland'ers! Drive down here once during the season and it will save me many trips. Not to mention it is fair - one home game for each team.

Also can we lose the "business" BS? We're talking about kids soccer here, not the dow jones. Of course there's money involved but this is for the kids.

[Unregistered]

For someone that acts as if they know something about business, you don't really understand the nature of monopolies. Monopolies do not maximize benefit for their customers. The reason there are anti-trust laws to prevent monopolies is for just that reason. There's plenty of reading material online about this if my brief explanation doesn't make sense.

How does anti-trust play into club soccer? Please explain since I can't seem to find it online.

[Unregistered]

For someone that acts as if they know something about business, you don't really understand the nature of monopolies. Monopolies do not maximize benefit for their customers. The reason there are anti-trust laws to prevent monopolies is for just that reason. There's plenty of reading material online about this if my brief explanation doesn't make sense.

This is a group monopoly managed by OPL. This is not a single company monopoly. You are correct that if this were a single club with monopolistic power it would certainly not care about it's customer base. However, there is competition between the clubs within the OPL for customers. Consequently, the managers of these clubs listen to there customers needs and are resolving some of those concerns via the OPL as a group so they have the power to do so.

If you don't like what OPL is doing all I am saying is that one good avenue to build an argument to get OPL to do what you want would be to take a business approach. Trying to find out reasons why what OPL is doing would be bad business for the clubs involved.

Saying I don't know business when all I am doing is trying to help you understand where the clubs are coming from so you can formulate arguments to change the situation to your benefit doesn't really help you at all.