OPL Club Finances

[Unregistered]

I had three kids in OPL this past season and I really enjoyed it. The schedules were done in a timely manner and Frasier did a great job at resolving any scheduling conflicts. The competition was great and most of our games were close games. Any team not doing well was able to drop down and vice versa.

I've read many parents on here talk about how they really enjoyed traveling to away games because of the bonding. I can see your point on that but I am quite happy not traveling 3 hours to play in one game. We do enough travel tournaments to more than make up for any missed bonding. The kids love it and it's more worth it to get at least 3-4 games instead of just one.

I am hoping that eventually OYSA and OPL can work out their differences. I would prefer one strong governing body instead of two but until that happens I'll have to stick with the OPL. You just have to trust your DOC and trust that what they are doing is right for the club. If you don't trust them, then change clubs. I personally feel that if 8 DOC's from competing clubs all felt that OYSA wasn't making the changes needed then something needed to be done. I believe that OYSA didn't think the OPL would be doing so well and had planned on them coming back this year. But with more and more clubs joining the OPL, OYSA suddenly decided to make some changes. Sometimes it's too little, too late. I certainly hope not but that could be the case.

As far as the money battle goes, OYSA wants your money, OPL wants your money. It's just up to you to decide who you're going to give it to.

[Unregistered]

> OYSA and OPL are both trying to make money, no one is better than the other in that catagory.

From reading through all the (dis)information, it appears the difference is that the OYSA aim is to make money to put back into OYSA, where the OPL aim is to make money to put back into the member clubs, i.e. the founding 8 clubs.

[Unregistered]

> back into OYSA

Oops, that should have said 'Oregon soccer'

[Unregistered]

where the OPL aim is to make money to put back into the member clubs, i.e. the founding 8 clubs.

Where are you getting this information? I have not read anything, including their bylaws, that state each of the 8 clubs will be getting a regular cut of the money in OPL. I have read that, after their operating costs are paid, they will be giving out grants and financial awards to clubs and programs that ask, as well as subsidizing the cost of their state cup winners to go to nationals. Isn't that what non-profits are supposed to do? Whether you like it or not, the OPL is still a non-profit; who cares if they aren't tax-exempt? All that means is that they won't be taking/surviving off donations and subsidies. You need to get off of this train of thought because it's going nowhere. There are plenty of things to pick on the OPL about. This isn't one of them.

[Unregistered]

Where are you getting this information? I have not read anything, including their bylaws, that state each of the 8 clubs will be getting a regular cut of the money in OPL. I have read that, after their operating costs are paid, they will be giving out grants and financial awards to clubs and programs that ask, as well as subsidizing the cost of their state cup winners to go to nationals. Isn't that what non-profits are supposed to do? Whether you like it or not, the OPL is still a non-profit; who cares if they aren't tax-exempt? All that means is that they won't be taking/surviving off donations and subsidies. You need to get off of this train of thought because it's going nowhere. There are plenty of things to pick on the OPL about. This isn't one of them.

OPC supporters keep getting caught up in the "nonprofit" word. The devil's in the details. The 8 founding members will be able to pay more in form of "operating costs" than those clubs that are not founding members and which are paying OPC to participate in OPL. A "nonprofit" does NOT mean the 8 founding members do not receive the economic benefits of being founding members at the expense of the nonfounding members. If, when all is said and done, there is anything left, that is when there are grants and financial awards. There is no requirement that that be done. The 8 founding clubs will have higher operating costs than nonfounding clubs in the form of benefits to those 8 founding clubs and can still maintain nonprofit status.

[Unregistered]

OYSA suddenly decided to make some changes. Sometimes it's too little, too late.

there was no "sudden". these are the changes that the premier council suggested and were adopted.

as you can see there are other entities involved. making plans with other state organizations take some time to ratify. once completed the final plan has to be "played out" on paper so that they dont miss the important stuff and make all of us unhappy.

[Unregistered]

there was no "sudden". these are the changes that the premier council suggested and were adopted.

as you can see there are other entities involved. making plans with other state organizations take some time to ratify. once completed the final plan has to be "played out" on paper so that they dont miss the important stuff and make all of us unhappy.

Do you really believe yourself? If this were the case, OYSA merely had to tell the presidents of the clubs, "look, hold on, we are making almost every change you have requested. Here are the details............"

The changes are a rash "Oh ****" moment in which they are desperately trying to maintain their hold on their control of competitive soccer.

[Unregistered]

The 8 founding clubs will have higher operating costs than nonfounding clubs in the form of benefits to those 8 founding clubs and can still maintain nonprofit status.

First, this sentence made no sense. And second, again I ask where are you getting this information from that says the 8 founding clubs will be taking money from the OPL on a regular basis to pad their own accounts? Please share with the rest of us, because from what I can tell, they will be paying more money IN to the OPL than a lot of the smaller clubs. They have to write checks to the OPL for team fees just the same as everyone else. Assuming each of the original 8 enter 2 teams at each age group times 4 age groups times two leagues (boys and girls) that's roughly $12,000 per club for the fall league. So if, as you say, they are taking money from the OPL, why even have them pay league fees? If you are in one of the OPL clubs, why don't you call your club's treasurer on the board of directors and ask how much money your club paid to the OPL over last two years and how much money they have received from the OPL in the last two years. Then, you can post the answers here for everyone to see just how much money the 8 OPL clubs are making from this venture.

[Unregistered]

And second, again I ask where are you getting this information from that says the 8 founding clubs will be taking money from the OPL on a regular basis to pad their own accounts?

I didn't completely understand the post but the assertion was that OPC can distribute funds to member clubs and still maintain its non-profit status. I believe this is correct. I think the bottom line is that there is a pretty good-sized cookie jar associated with youth soccer and there's a new hand dipping into it. That's not necessarily a bad thing (who says OYSA was spending the money appropriately?), but I can't say having these 8 clubs controlling the purse strings will be any better (and there are certainly conspiracy theories).

[Unregistered]

embarass Oregon?

What's the point of winning State Cup if you're not going to be competing against the best teams? There's no pride in that. Let's be real, who ever wins State Cup next year will embarass Oregon at Regionals. For U12G this year only the OPL teams made it into the quater finals.

Wow, that's a little harsh. It's not like Oregon teams ever do anything at regionals anyway. They might beat Alaska, Montana and Wyoming and that's about it. It's just a great experience for the kids that they will remember for the rest of their lives. The kids won't care if they got their because the OPL pulled out of OYSA.

If you want to look a little closer at U12G you will see that there are still several good teams that will be left. Bend made the semi-finals after beating THUSC. CFC Fusion and USA Hotshots are both solid teams that were stuck in tough groups. If they had been in group 1 they likely would have both advanced to the quarterfinals. CFC Fusion tied Crush 1-1 in pool play and USA Hotshots lost a tough 1-0 game to WSM. Any of those 3 teams would do fine at regionals and not "embarass" Oregon.

[Unregistered]

No, either of those two teams would not have done well at Regionals. I saw the Keizer/WSM game and the score did not represnt the game. WSM had plenty of chances but just couldn't put anymore in. Keizer barely got the ball past midfield. CFC is another team that is just not up to par. Their speed of play just isn't fast enough. I know for a fact they will have some players leaving and coming to OPL teams.

I disagree with you that kids won't care how they got to Regionals. Any truely competitive kid would care. I know my kids only consider themselves true champions by beating the best. They would take no pleasure in winning a second rate State Cup.

[Unregistered]

There is one fundamental problem with OPL. It is focused on Portland Metro area. This effectively leaves out all other areas of the state. People keep posting that soccer families have a choice. That is not the case. If you live well outside the Portland Metro Area you do not have a choice, you are stuck with OYSA. See Oregon Rush's decision.

I would have preferred if OPL come out from the start supporting all soccer in the state, not just Portland Metro Soccer. Are they really thinking of the kids?

[Unregistered]

Okay, this will probably sound a bit harsh but I can see where the OPL is coming from. 90% of the competition is in the Portland Metro area. The only club that could even justify a complaint is Oregon Rush. They have some great teams and I do feel bad for them. I read on their page that they are sticking with OYSA and I completely understand their decision. It makes sense for them to not want to travel to every game, especially at the younger age groups. I don't know how their younger teams will have much competition though. Having an entire team play up isn't always the best. Look at U12G WSM Usonians. They played up to U13 silver in OYSA and I believe it hurt them more than it helped them.

[Unregistered]

2011 State Champs

Okay, this will probably sound a bit harsh but I can see where the OPL is coming from. 90% of the competition is in the Portland Metro area. The only club that could even justify a complaint is Oregon Rush. They have some great teams and I do feel bad for them. I read on their page that they are sticking with OYSA and I completely understand their decision. It makes sense for them to not want to travel to every game, especially at the younger age groups. I don't know how their younger teams will have much competition though. Having an entire team play up isn't always the best. Look at U12G WSM Usonians. They played up to U13 silver in OYSA and I believe it hurt them more than it helped them.

2011 State cup Champs are as follows
Boys U12 Bend.
Boys U13 Bend.
Boys U14 Bend.
Boys U15 Bend.
Boys U16 Bend.
Boys U17 Bend.
Boys U18 Bend.



Now moving onto the girls.
Girls U12 Bend.
Girls U13 Bend.
Girls U14 Bend.
Girls U15 Bend.
Girls U16 Bend.
Girls U17 Bend.
Girls U18 Bend.



Enuff said

[Unregistered]

90% of the competition is in the Portland Metro area.

Which means that Portland teams would hardly be traveling even if OPL had a fair schedule (home and away games for each team). So the consequences for a Portland area team for only having home games is minimal - they difference is having no away games versus one or two away games. The consequences if you live outside the metro area (like Bend) are enormous - every game is away. I don't see why Portland area teams can't be inconvenienced for one or two away games per season to play a fair schedule?