OPFC question (2012 B parent)

[Guest]

I get it. But why not let it continue as is. Why fix something that’s not broken? We are a good team in the top division. We have played well this season and could challenge for state cup. Kids and families have built strong relationships and been together for a couple of years has allowed for us to build cohesion and great chemistry. In theory, we can win the state cup or be a finalist, and our team will still get broken up so OPFC can build a super team that can… win the state cup or be a finalist? How is that becoming a “Premier team.” I can understand if the Premier team plays in ECNL (neighbor has a son who tried to explain that to me and I think I got it). But a Premier team that was plays in OYSA Gold division next season, as we already do this season?

I totally get what you are saying. From the looks of last year’s stats to this year’s for the 2011B’s it doesn’t seem to have made a lot of sense—last year both LO and wufc had a premier gold team at that age. Now it has one and two premier bronze teams. The opfc/premier gold doesn’t seem to be doing any better than they did last spring when they were independent. And I know families and boys were upset when a team that was doing quite well and had good chemistry broke up to make the ‘academy’ team. There were plenty of hard feelings.

On the other hand, when the team goes to 11v11 it’s harder to stay at that level of competitiveness with the smaller pool and with growing pains that come from melding two teams and cultures there is a case for doing it earlier than later. Assimilating a few extra players to make the full 16-18 roster is easier than the initial meld. Also, at some ages there isn’t a competitive enough team at either site for a premier gold, but there are when you pull from both. I know they have lost players because of this in the past and I think extending the academy to a younger age was a way of keeping people in the club.

[Guest]

The opfc/premier gold doesn’t seem to be doing any better than they did last spring when they were independent. And I know families and boys were upset when a team that was doing quite well and had good chemistry broke up to make the ‘academy’ team. There were plenty of hard feelings.

In case anyone forgot, this quote is referring to U12 boys. Youth soccer parents are so annoying.

[Guest]

In case anyone forgot, this quote is referring to U12 boys. Youth soccer parents are so annoying.

No **** Sherlock. And the post subject line says 2012 so you knew it was likely going to be comments regarding similar age groups. You thought you were gonna come here and see comments on D1 soccer prospects? Yet you still came on here and commented this. Idiot. Just move on to the next post

[Guest]

No **** Sherlock. And the post subject line says 2012 so you knew it was likely going to be comments regarding similar age groups. You thought you were gonna come here and see comments on D1 soccer prospects? Yet you still came on here and commented this. Idiot. Just move on to the next post

Simmer down. I typed 2 sentences, total of 17 words.

Keep focusing on all the wrong things. Your life, not mine.

[Guest]

I totally get what you are saying. From the looks of last year’s stats to this year’s for the 2011B’s it doesn’t seem to have made a lot of sense—last year both LO and wufc had a premier gold team at that age. Now it has one and two premier bronze teams. The opfc/premier gold doesn’t seem to be doing any better than they did last spring when they were independent. And I know families and boys were upset when a team that was doing quite well and had good chemistry broke up to make the ‘academy’ team. There were plenty of hard feelings.

On the other hand, when the team goes to 11v11 it’s harder to stay at that level of competitiveness with the smaller pool and with growing pains that come from melding two teams and cultures there is a case for doing it earlier than later. Assimilating a few extra players to make the full 16-18 roster is easier than the initial meld. Also, at some ages there isn’t a competitive enough team at either site for a premier gold, but there are when you pull from both. I know they have lost players because of this in the past and I think extending the academy to a younger age was a way of keeping people in the club.

You were rolling until your 2nd paragraph. Stop drinking the kool-aid. OPFC was made to cater to HS age groups from the start because the argument was that there weren’t enough players/enough interest from LO and WU families/players to field HS teams at those age groups. But that was like a decade ago. Soccer has grown. Wilsonville has proliferated. LO, West Linn, Tualatin have all grown. Each HS age group at OPFC is 3-4 teams deep, so that in itself shows there’s significant interest at those ages and LO and WU could field 2-3 teams each at those ages. It should be 2 separate clubs serving players at every age, incl HS. OPFC is superfluous. Would only make sense if they played ECNL and offered a true Premier experience. Otherwise they’re just fooling parents into paying $2500 for u12 9vs9 soccer when LO and WU and other clubs charge $1700.

And starting to pull players younger from LO and WU to make an OPFC team is not justified by anything you or they said. You can’t dismiss the dynamic of kids playing together for years and how that chemistry trumps many other things. Especially when they’re having success and fun.

They have maybe lost a few players here and there in the past because but never has it been the case where there weren’t enough numbers to field competitive teams at both of the lower clubs. Prior to this season, 10 2009 players who played on OPFC’s top team got recruited over by Conor Peterhans and Hockburn (Peterhans worked for Timbers Academy for a bit and preemptively recruited a bunch of players to OPF. when he knew he was leaving TA for OPFC) and didn’t want to be relegated to a silver division team so they left to Albion so could play gold. If an LO or WU team existed at that age group, they could’ve played there. That means there were enough players to field 5 teams at the 2009 age group.

“Keeping people in the club” is just not the true reason they do it but people don’t think and believe it so they get away with it.

[Guest]

Simmer down. I typed 2 sentences, total of 17 words.

Keep focusing on all the wrong things. Your life, not mine.

My life because my kids play soccer at the younger ages. Your life because your kids are probably in college and you’re a creep commenting on posts like this.

[Guest]

Yes but how does it make sense? I’m the original poster and as I said, my kid already plays on a good LO team in the Gold division. So we try out for another team to play Gold again but then officially can be called Premier (there’s only one team for U12 and U13 at OPFC)? Does this mean our current team will be relegated to a lower division (i.e. Silver) next year? Doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense unless I’m missing something

Forsake the majority for the benefit of the minority. The OPFC way. Better hope your kid makes it otherwise you’ll be playing in the slums of the bronze division next season even if you win the state cup. They know how to package OPFC so no parent or kid says no. I don’t believe any kid has ever said no to OPFC invite at U12/U13/U14. Lots of subliminal message throughout the season. Next time you see an LO or WU coach on the sideline of his u11 u10 or u9 check out his jacket or hoodie. Odds are he’s wearing an OPFC and not one associated with the actual club he’s coaching a team for in that match.

Ironic that they claim that they’re stripping kids from from 2 clubs after u11 to build a 3rd premier team so that they can placate a kid or two they THINK would leave, but the byproduct of their actions is like 20 kids left between LO/WU teams who end up having such a bad experience with a bare chest of decent players that they end up leaving en masse for that reason sooner than later. Just look at the recent U12 (2011) Timbers Academy Discovery evaluation weekends. Every club in the area had 3-4 players representing them, including OPFC. LOSC and WUFC each had ZERO but the U12 teams at their clubs are not bad at all. It’s all because the LO and WU coaching directors and coaches didn’t nominate any players from their respective teams.

It’s collusion and conflict of interest in its purest form.

[Guest]

I totally get what you are saying. From the looks of last year’s stats to this year’s for the 2011B’s it doesn’t seem to have made a lot of sense—last year both LO and wufc had a premier gold team at that age. Now it has one and two premier bronze teams. The opfc/premier gold doesn’t seem to be doing any better than they did last spring when they were independent. And I know families and boys were upset when a team that was doing quite well and had good chemistry broke up to make the ‘academy’ team. There were plenty of hard feelings.

On the other hand, when the team goes to 11v11 it’s harder to stay at that level of competitiveness with the smaller pool and with growing pains that come from melding two teams and cultures there is a case for doing it earlier than later. Assimilating a few extra players to make the full 16-18 roster is easier than the initial meld. Also, at some ages there isn’t a competitive enough team at either site for a premier gold, but there are when you pull from both. I know they have lost players because of this in the past and I think extending the academy to a younger age was a way of keeping people in the club.

Not only did each of those teams last year (2011 LOSC and Wufc) have a premier gold entry, but both made it to state cup semifinals. And this year’s OPFC team (that is comprised of the best players from last year’s LO and WU teams) doesn’t seem to be doing any BETTER than than last year when they were independent?? They’re actually doing way WORSE. It all backfired because now you have 3 crappy teams representing those clubs and it looks like 1 of them (LO) won’t even have a state cup entry. That’s pathetic lol

[Guest]

Craziest thing about this all: Fraser Money Morrison gets paid $160k from LO to drive it deeper and deeper into the ground each passing year. This season, LO won’t have a state cup entry at the 2010 and 2011 age groups. That’s embarrassing. And all a direct result of him double dipping at OPFC, getting paid $20k to run that club, and do way more work there to build that entity at the expense (literally $$$) of LO. Frasey is maybe the highest paid youth soccer figure in the entire state because of his take-home from LO while he works towards eliminating it and eventually consolidating it with OPFC. The only problem is a few thorns on his side, including the LO and WU BOD’s and a few huge fukcups by his partner in crime Ray Nelson that sent their master plans back a few years. Did I mention that he votes on the LO board of directors that he controls. It’s like the Spider-Man meme.

“Hey Frasey, you want a raise?” - Frasey
”Why yes, why not. Will you vote for it?” - Frasey
”Done.” - Frasey

[Guest]

Original poster here. Didn’t realize ECNL can start as early as next year for my kid. Got caught up to speed thanks to the good ole WWW. Don’t know why I figured it was just for the older ages. Not sure I can drive to Camas but it’s good to know a true Premier experience exists for my son’s age group next season with Washington Timbers. Hate that it sounds like he will be separated from his teammates next season if some make it on to OPFC. I do believe separation this early and telling kids that they are elite or premier at the age of 10 is absurd and psychologically taxing for those who don’t make it (can even argue same for those that do, for they might get a false sense of superiority). Especially when you’re talking about youth soccer in Oregon and the fact that they’ll play in the exact same division and exact same league next year. Sounds like a whole lot of packaging with the same goods. Not good all around.

[Guest]

Original poster here. Didn’t realize ECNL can start as early as next year for my kid. Got caught up to speed thanks to the good ole WWW. Don’t know why I figured it was just for the older ages. Not sure I can drive to Camas but it’s good to know a true Premier experience exists for my son’s age group next season with Washington Timbers. Hate that it sounds like he will be separated from his teammates next season if some make it on to OPFC. I do believe separation this early and telling kids that they are elite or premier at the age of 10 is absurd and psychologically taxing for those who don’t make it (can even argue same for those that do, for they might get a false sense of superiority). Especially when you’re talking about youth soccer in Oregon and the fact that they’ll play in the exact same division and exact same league next year. Sounds like a whole lot of packaging with the same goods. Not good all around.

Hahaha all these words, but what you aren’t saying speaks louder than what you actually said

[Guest]

Craziest thing about this all: Fraser Money Morrison gets paid $160k from LO to drive it deeper and deeper into the ground each passing year. This season, LO won’t have a state cup entry at the 2010 and 2011 age groups. That’s embarrassing. And all a direct result of him double dipping at OPFC, getting paid $20k to run that club, and do way more work there to build that entity at the expense (literally $$$) of LO. Frasey is maybe the highest paid youth soccer figure in the entire state because of his take-home from LO while he works towards eliminating it and eventually consolidating it with OPFC. The only problem is a few thorns on his side, including the LO and WU BOD’s and a few huge fukcups by his partner in crime Ray Nelson that sent their master plans back a few years. Did I mention that he votes on the LO board of directors that he controls. It’s like the Spider-Man meme.

“Hey Frasey, you want a raise?” - Frasey
”Why yes, why not. Will you vote for it?” - Frasey
”Done.” - Frasey

Even worse than you think. Neither LOSC or WUFC will have a state cup entry this season for the 2011 (U12) age group. That’s insane. Both clubs have gone to shet. Dumb board of directors members, even dumber parents.

[Guest]

Even worse than you think. Neither LOSC or WUFC will have a state cup entry this season for the 2011 (U12) age group. That’s insane. Both clubs have gone to shet. Dumb board of directors members, even dumber parents.

Nothing wrong with being a farm club.

[Guest]

Nothing wrong with being a farm club.

Yes, unless you forgot to notify the club members that that is where they stand.

[Guest]

Nothing wrong with being a farm club.

Intentionally being a farm club….. and being a Farm club because your directors and members are dumb…..are not the same