Cascade Rush?

[Unregistered]

yep.

bend has to house the craziest damn parents in the Northwest.

Those whackos actually think a second club is the way to go. You can scratch Bend players off of your list for a long while. This will set Bend soccer back at least 7 years with this mistake.

Rush actually transitioned. When Bend FC Timbers was formed (leaving national Rush), one unhappy parent/coach with a quality player hooked up with national Rush and the local indoor soccer center. Some other teams that were aligned with the coach also stayed on, and some have transitioned back to BFCT. Egos, egos, egos. As soon as the boys U18 Rush team wraps up, Rush in central Oregon will be a shell. It will continue in existence only because the local indoor center sees it as a money maker during the winter.

No, Bend and central Oregon cannot support two quality clubs. There might be a couple quality teams at some age groups, but that is by far the exception. There were two central Oregon clubs not that long ago and they merged because it was obvious that central Oregon can't support two quality clubs (and this was after central Oregon's population had grown dramatically). Anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional and has an incredibly short memory.

[Unregistered]

One other thought on classic soccer in Central Oregon.

If you play for a classic team in Portland or in the valley, most of your games are local, or a day trip at worst.

If you play for Bend FC Timbers, every road game in spring/fall leagues is a travel game--there aren't any away games in Deschutes County. Instead, it's a trip to Portland (or its 'burbs) or Woodburn or Salem or Corvallis or Eugene or Medford; generally a three-hour drive each way. And often two games/weekend, which means it will involve an overnight stay, rather than just a there-and-back day trip.

Same with Rogue Valley.

Playing classic soccer in a distant smaller community is a BIG time commitment. Having a second club in town might help--particularly if OYSA had more regionally-sensitive scheduling.

Park and Rec soccer exists if you don't want to travel. What does a separate club accomplish that P and R doesn't already - it's a huge program.

[Unregistered]

Park and Rec soccer exists if you don't want to travel. What does a separate club accomplish that P and R doesn't already - it's a huge program.

Having a second club around, if nothing else, gives a local opponent. And as noted above, a lot of good players from the Bend area are quite possibly opting for rec--kids that might play classic here in Portland.

Of course--that begs the question: If your kid is playing on a third team or lower, as opposed to the first or second team in the age group--is classic worth it? For some families, yes--the soccer is still better, the training is year-round, etc. For others, perhaps not. And one characteristic of Div 2 competitive soccer is less travel compared to Div 1 or premier. But Bend doesn't appear to field D2 teams.

[Unregistered]

Having a second club around, if nothing else, gives a local opponent. And as noted above, a lot of good players from the Bend area are quite possibly opting for rec--kids that might play classic here in Portland.

Of course--that begs the question: If your kid is playing on a third team or lower, as opposed to the first or second team in the age group--is classic worth it? For some families, yes--the soccer is still better, the training is year-round, etc. For others, perhaps not. And one characteristic of Div 2 competitive soccer is less travel compared to Div 1 or premier. But Bend doesn't appear to field D2 teams.

Not sure what a second club adds that P & R doesn't. There are more teams at each age group. A relatively serious soccer player isn't going to want to play the same club over and over, so travel still is inevitable. For the truly serious player, even more travel is inevitable if the player is in central Oregon. The pros and cons of living in God's country.

[Unregistered]

What does Rush even offer

Why would anyone even do Rush, since Bend is now affiliated with the timbers alliance? There's got to be some draw to it.

[Unregistered]

yep.

bend has to house the craziest damn parents in the Northwest.

Those whackos actually think a second club is the way to go. You can scratch Bend players off of your list for a long while. This will set Bend soccer back at least 7 years with this mistake.

People thought adding the Thorns Academy was a good Idea as well.

[Unregistered]

Why would anyone even do Rush, since Bend is now affiliated with the timbers alliance? There's got to be some draw to it.

A lot of people want nothing to do with Timbers and their overreach into youth soccer.

[Unregistered]

One other thought on classic soccer in Central Oregon.

If you play for a classic team in Portland or in the valley, most of your games are local, or a day trip at worst.

If you play for Bend FC Timbers, every road game in spring/fall leagues is a travel game--there aren't any away games in Deschutes County. Instead, it's a trip to Portland (or its 'burbs) or Woodburn or Salem or Corvallis or Eugene or Medford; generally a three-hour drive each way. And often two games/weekend, which means it will involve an overnight stay, rather than just a there-and-back day trip.

Same with Rogue Valley.

Playing classic soccer in a distant smaller community is a BIG time commitment. Having a second club in town might help--particularly if OYSA had more regionally-sensitive scheduling.

Interesting that you would thing so. A Beaverton-based Westside team had something like five players from Bend on very successful team. They commuted weekly for practices and traveled around the state for games. They were also on the ODP team. ODP was so poorly coordinated at the time, that those boys would get a phone call the same day to tell them to report for mandatory training in Woodburn at 5 pm on a school day, and they'd make it. This went on for years. Another player on that ODP team lived in LaGrande and played on a Salem club team. Before this age group were players from Ashland that played for Westside that made the trips for practices and games. It was what was done before more people moved into areas.

These players left Bend club teams to play for more competitive teams (at the time) and they and their families never complained.

One of those families was the McCools whose two sons played for Westside and possibly a third son played for a now defunct boys' Portland club. One of their daughters played for a very good Bend girls' team before switching over to THUSC, after she was on Tom A.'s ODP team-and brought other Bend girls with her. Soon, a McCool son becomes a coach at THUSC and now there are two McCools coaching at THUSC.

Bend has a lot of soccer talent. Bend has a soccer legacy. Embrace the challenge, the competition, and the travel.

[Unregistered]

People thought adding the Thorns Academy was a good Idea as well.

Even more, people that ECNL in Oregon was a good idea. Now look.

[Unregistered]

Even more, people that ECNL in Oregon was a good idea. Now look.

Still a lot better idea than Thorns Academy ever was.

[Unregistered]

Still a lot better idea than Thorns Academy ever was.

Not really. But ECNL does cost a lot more.

[Unregistered]

Not really. But ECNL does cost a lot more.

You're right. It's better to create an "all-star" team and then compete against all the teams you just took players from - and lose. Pretty good plan there Thorns Academy.

[Unregistered]

yep.

bend has to house the craziest damn parents in the Northwest.

Those whackos actually think a second club is the way to go. You can scratch Bend players off of your list for a long while. This will set Bend soccer back at least 7 years with this mistake.

Maybe crazy but they have the hottest moms!

[Unregistered]

You're right. It's better to create an "all-star" team and then compete against all the teams you just took players from - and lose. Pretty good plan there Thorns Academy.

don't be so bitter just because you are spending so much on an inferior product

[Unregistered]

A lot of people want nothing to do with Timbers and their overreach into youth soccer.

It's not a coincidence that Cascade Rush is tied in with the Cascade Sports Center, and an associated HS coach/son, with maybe two teams (one good and ending with graduations). It's really quite silly. Bend cannot support more than one club. Been there, done that over the past 15 years. National Rush is a wonderful organization, but it's not a logical fit for small market towns, just as it wouldn't make much sense for ECNL to align with a club in Bend.