The leaders of the great 8 have some big choices to make regarding the future of competitive soccer for Oregon girls. The current club system supports the dilution of both coaching and player talent the result of which is to prevent Oregon teams from being as competitive as they could be out of state and reduces the access players have to the best coaches.
Continuing to live with a broken soccer model, one which the better clubs and organizations across the nation are moving away from, is a disservice to our DD’s and short changes them developmentally and in the national recruiting environment.
OSSA has shown what is possible when DOC’s agree to consolidate and now it’s up to the balance of the clubs in OPL to figure out a palatable way to consolidate from U15 upward.
If we ever expect to produce consistently competitive club teams the DOC’s and the club Presidents have to put their petty differences aside and start thinking about what could be vs. what is. They have to think about the potential of pooling resources and coaching talent has to deliver on their promise to develop players…..not clubs!
The cost to standing pat is that Oregon teams will continue to fall behind our neighbors to the far North and South which will keep those teams from coming to local tournaments and giving our kids a cost effective way to play against the best in their age groups. It will also diminish the value recruiters put in our players as they know that they are not “battle tested”. The current alignment is limiting their collegiate coaching exposure to the more expensive California showcases, USYS and US Club regional tournaments.
If you are a U13 parent it’s your time to step up to the plate and push your DOC and board to think about the future. Do not let any one of them tell you they are going to be able to deliver on their promise to be competitive with Cali teams without consolidation. Because unless they get a 3 million dollar gift and end up with their own facility no club is going to be in a position attract the best talent on the field or on the bench.
If your DD is a top line player you owe it to her and her fellow Oregonian players to push this issue to the top of the agenda of club boards and demand answers to how Oregon is going to compete because right now we are not even in the same division and we are falling farther and farther behind clinging onto a organization structure designed in the horse and buggy days!
Continuing to live with a broken soccer model, one which the better clubs and organizations across the nation are moving away from, is a disservice to our DD’s and short changes them developmentally and in the national recruiting environment.
OSSA has shown what is possible when DOC’s agree to consolidate and now it’s up to the balance of the clubs in OPL to figure out a palatable way to consolidate from U15 upward.
If we ever expect to produce consistently competitive club teams the DOC’s and the club Presidents have to put their petty differences aside and start thinking about what could be vs. what is. They have to think about the potential of pooling resources and coaching talent has to deliver on their promise to develop players…..not clubs!
The cost to standing pat is that Oregon teams will continue to fall behind our neighbors to the far North and South which will keep those teams from coming to local tournaments and giving our kids a cost effective way to play against the best in their age groups. It will also diminish the value recruiters put in our players as they know that they are not “battle tested”. The current alignment is limiting their collegiate coaching exposure to the more expensive California showcases, USYS and US Club regional tournaments.
If you are a U13 parent it’s your time to step up to the plate and push your DOC and board to think about the future. Do not let any one of them tell you they are going to be able to deliver on their promise to be competitive with Cali teams without consolidation. Because unless they get a 3 million dollar gift and end up with their own facility no club is going to be in a position attract the best talent on the field or on the bench.
If your DD is a top line player you owe it to her and her fellow Oregonian players to push this issue to the top of the agenda of club boards and demand answers to how Oregon is going to compete because right now we are not even in the same division and we are falling farther and farther behind clinging onto a organization structure designed in the horse and buggy days!
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