There are going to be alot of p!ssed off parents here soon!

[Unregistered]

You criticize some people for knocking ECNL and not building it, but you do the same exact thing regarding the Academy. Hypocrite much?

Hardly. I expect them to do very well this season. You have also missed my repeated praise for the Timbers contribution to the costs as having done nearly the same schedule a few years ago I know the travel it will take all of the $3,600.

You also have missed my criticism of the coaching selections at CU but that is vastly different that harping on petty issues like schedule changes or DISCLOSED additions to the schedule. It's also vastly different that projecting failure for the entire effort based upon one of ten teams.

If you call pointing out the limited schedule "knocking" then I'm guilty as charged. If you call making per quality game cost comparisons between the two that show a slight edge to the ECNL "knocking" guilty again.

However these comparisons were made to provide some relative perspective on the costs and balance the negative onslaught from the haters.

[Unregistered]

Hardly. I expect them to do very well this season. You have also missed my repeated praise for the Timbers contribution to the costs as having done nearly the same schedule a few years ago I know the travel it will take all of the $3,600.

You also have missed my criticism of the coaching selections at CU but that is vastly different that harping on petty issues like schedule changes or DISCLOSED additions to the schedule. It's also vastly different that projecting failure for the entire effort based upon one of ten teams.

If you call pointing out the limited schedule "knocking" then I'm guilty as charged. If you call making per quality game cost comparisons between the two that show a slight edge to the ECNL "knocking" guilty again.

However these comparisons were made to provide some relative perspective on the costs and balance the negative onslaught from the haters.

The coaching decisions at CU were terrible. Cost held some people back from trying out, but I know that some of the coaching decisions played a factor as well.

[Unregistered]

I think both ecnl and the Thorn Academy will do fine.

Thorns Academy is a 1 year wonder built around an existing TA team. The Timbers had to do something to show that they could "compete" with the ECNL clubs. They can't, they know they can't, and this will be the first and last year of the Thorns Academy.

[Unregistered]

Hardly. I expect them to do very well this season. You have also missed my repeated praise for the Timbers contribution to the costs as having done nearly the same schedule a few years ago I know the travel it will take all of the $3,600.

You also have missed my criticism of the coaching selections at CU but that is vastly different that harping on petty issues like schedule changes or DISCLOSED additions to the schedule. It's also vastly different that projecting failure for the entire effort based upon one of ten teams.

If you call pointing out the limited schedule "knocking" then I'm guilty as charged. If you call making per quality game cost comparisons between the two that show a slight edge to the ECNL "knocking" guilty again.

However these comparisons were made to provide some relative perspective on the costs and balance the negative onslaught from the haters.

How could the Academy NOT do well this season? They are playing in cream puff leagues against tier 2/3 competition. If they don't win every game by 5+ goals then people should be asking for their money back.

[Unregistered]

The coaching decisions at CU were terrible. Cost held some people back from trying out, but I know that some of the coaching decisions played a factor as well.

Who should CU have selected?

[Unregistered]

No Mr. Negative was in the Muppet Balcony criticizing the entire presentation and didn't want to "hear" anything that challenged his preconceived notions. When your life is founded on hate it's hard to "hear' what is being said especially if it contradicts what you already "know". He also didn't bother to ask any clarifying questions that would have challenged that perception either.

Rather than doing anything to help make the effort better, like raising funds to lower the costs, the haters are content to spew their negative opinions without have any responsibility for the results other than to say "see I told you so" when things don't go smoothly.

Pillars of communities help BUILD things from scratch. They are the ones who put in effort unrelated to their individual interests and they are the ones who get Streets and Buildings named after them or in the case of sports, Fields and Stadiums.

What do the haters get? What can they say they accomplished other than spewing hate and negativity? What do they get their name put on other than a head stone?

Marbull claims his DD is good enough for the ECNL and that her College is paid for already yet he doesn't even think to offer a scholarship or even a partial scholarship to a player whose parents aren't as fortunate to pay for either the Academy or the ECNL.

I guess when you suffer from "Entitlement Syndrome" it never occurs to you that your wealth was created by your participation in a SOCIETY. The syndrome prevents you from realizing that giving back a few pennies makes the society stronger in the long run but that is exactly how Pillars of communities look at their place in the world.

The tail end of the Baby Boom and the lead part of Generation X are best defined by the phrase "I got mine to hell with everybody else". Is it any wonder our communities are crumbling around us both physically and emotionally? As the pillars of our communities from the war generations who built the schools roads, freeways, sewer and water plants die where is the next generation of equally civic minded individuals?

Looks like it's up to you Millennial's!


The Real THUSC MOM
Accept No Substitutes
AKA Angry Poster

"Rather than doing anything to help make the effort better, like raising funds to lower the costs, the haters are content to spew their negative opinions without have any responsibility for the results other than to say "see I told you so" when things don't go smoothly."

Sorry, AP but aren't you doing the exact same thing towards "The Haters"? My suggestion quit labeling others and going on a diatribe about "Why They…" and "What They…" and talk about yourself instead. What do you believe? Why are you making the decisions you make? We are all free to explain our own perspectives, but the moment we start trying to explain others we fall into a trap known as attributional error. What happens is everything we believe ends up being for the most innocent and purest motives and what "the other side" believes ends up being for selfish, greedy motives.

[Unregistered]

The coaching decisions at CU were terrible. Cost held some people back from trying out, but I know that some of the coaching decisions played a factor as well.

Do you think FCP is much better?

[Unregistered]

You know there is one thing that unites both sides of premier soccer in this community and that is the quality of officiating. This IS one thing that both parents and coaches agree on yet the leadership of the leagues is too timid to tackle.

Why should we allow our players to risk their safety when the Center is OBEESE and can not keep up with the play? Why should we allow our players to risk their safety when the officials ALLOW games to get unnecessarily physical?

Why should we put up with AR's who can't track the line of play and listen for the sound of the kick?

Look 80% of the officials are decent and take the game seriously and work hard but that other 20% bring the whole game down and gives the profession a bad name. We as Consumers and Clubs and Leagues have ALLOWED this to go on for far too long.

The solution is increasing the pay to attract more quality people to the job and in exchange demand more training and accountability and BANNING out of shape officials.

the reason that the Pay to Play leagues don't take the lead is that every dollar that goes to officials is a dollar that can't go to the Club!

Not sure what OSAA's problem is but their performance delivering enough or competent officials this season has been abysmal!

Yeah I AM pissed off because a poorly officiated game wrecks it for BOTH sides win or loose!

The quality of officiating is a serious issue that needs more attention. I don't think any of the clubs or leagues thinks of this as a place to cut corners or save money. Rather I think it is just something that does not get brought up.

Pretty much everyone would agree that quality officiating is very important to the quality of the experience.

I think it would benefit the leagues and clubs to have a system that requires peer monitoring and reporting of every referee on a periodic basis. Have other referees observe in an impartial manner and submit a scorecard to the referee coordinator. Average the scorecards out over time and use it to monitor their performance.

I think we have a lot of good referees and we have some real poor ones. Poor ones can influence the outcome of games and create dangerous situations where kids could get hurt.

Very recently watched a game where a referee was allowing everything and it spiraled out of control by the end where very reckless play was putting kids at risk of serious injuries. We need to improve the system.

[Unregistered]

Do you think FCP is much better?

I don't know the coaches there as well. The one or two I do know are pretty good. I can't speak for all of them however so perhaps it does apply. I just know the coaches that are coaching CU teams as well as those that were left off ECNL teams and feel that there were terrible deicions made. Not all, but some.

[Unregistered]

I don't know the coaches there as well. The one or two I do know are pretty good. I can't speak for all of them however so perhaps it does apply. I just know the coaches that are coaching CU teams as well as those that were left off ECNL teams and feel that there were terrible deicions made. Not all, but some.

Would you care to elaborate about your thoughts on the CU coaching staff? I'm curious about these "terrible decisions" that were made.

[Unregistered]

No Mr. Negative was in the Muppet Balcony criticizing the entire presentation and didn't want to "hear" anything that challenged his preconceived notions. When your life is founded on hate it's hard to "hear' what is being said especially if it contradicts what you already "know". He also didn't bother to ask any clarifying questions that would have challenged that perception either.

Rather than doing anything to help make the effort better, like raising funds to lower the costs, the haters are content to spew their negative opinions without have any responsibility for the results other than to say "see I told you so" when things don't go smoothly.

Pillars of communities help BUILD things from scratch. They are the ones who put in effort unrelated to their individual interests and they are the ones who get Streets and Buildings named after them or in the case of sports, Fields and Stadiums.

What do the haters get? What can they say they accomplished other than spewing hate and negativity? What do they get their name put on other than a head stone?

Marbull claims his DD is good enough for the ECNL and that her College is paid for already yet he doesn't even think to offer a scholarship or even a partial scholarship to a player whose parents aren't as fortunate to pay for either the Academy or the ECNL.

I guess when you suffer from "Entitlement Syndrome" it never occurs to you that your wealth was created by your participation in a SOCIETY. The syndrome prevents you from realizing that giving back a few pennies makes the society stronger in the long run but that is exactly how Pillars of communities look at their place in the world.

The tail end of the Baby Boom and the lead part of Generation X are best defined by the phrase "I got mine to hell with everybody else". Is it any wonder our communities are crumbling around us both physically and emotionally? As the pillars of our communities from the war generations who built the schools roads, freeways, sewer and water plants die where is the next generation of equally civic minded individuals?

Looks like it's up to you Millennial's!


The Real THUSC MOM
Accept No Substitutes
AKA Angry Poster

AP - you're bright and sunny approach to everything dazzles me. Are you by chance single?

[Unregistered]

AP - you're bright and sunny approach to everything dazzles me. Are you by chance single?

*your

[Unregistered]

Do you think FCP is much better?

Seems like a pretty decent lineup:

Brian Gant and Miguel Guante combine for over 13 years of professional playing experience and national team experience.
Brian Gant, Adin Brown, Garrett Smith, and Miguel Guante played for the Portland Timbers at one time.
Gant has sent his fair share of players on to play collegiately and professionally. (Kendall Johnson, University of Portland, NJ Sky Blue NWSL, U23 US National Team; Courtney Verloo, Standford, Western NY Flash NWSL, U23 US National Team; Laura Schott, Cal Berkely, Washington Freedom WUSA, Full US National Team)
Guante has developed several accomplished players as well, while at FC Portland (Micaela Capelle, University of Portland, U20 National Team; Ariel Viera, University of Portland, U20 National Team)
Lisa Chambers is involved with the US Youth National Teams. She coaches youth, collegiately, nationally. The involvement at various levels helps to understand the scope of the youth game today and where it is moving.
The coaching staff combines for 3 NCAA National Championships, over a decade of youth and full national team experience, and 75 years of coaching at FC Portland.
6 of our staff members played with or were coached by our founder, Clive Charles.

[Unregistered]

FC forum monitor is a coach!

[Unregistered]

FC forum monitor is a coach!

What leads you to say that? The above post seems to be a simple cut/paste from the FC website.