CT Soccer Landscape in BAD SHAPE

[Unregistered]

Does anyone else feel that the future of youth soccer in CT looks bleak in its current form?

Does anyone else feel like all this exodus into the supposed better regional leagues only hurt the youth players in CT? Are the clubs trying to help improve your child or improve their perception of what a "great club" is supposed to be like?

Why can't parents understand that all clubs just continue to seek out for new ways to gain your business to fill their cofers? "if we do this new league our tryout numbers will get better and that means more teams and more $$$"

Why is it better that "we play out of state every weekend"? Since when is that the makings of a good club?

What if the Top Premier Clubs all stayed together and consisted of:

1. CFC
2. SoccerPlus
3. Yankee
4. FSA FC
5. Oakwood
6. South Central
7. Academica FC
8. Beachside

If all the clubs back 7 years ago just decided that they form one super league consisting of the clubs above, parents would not be spending obscene amounts of money and still have a great product and a great game every weekend right here in CT.

Add in friendlies against PDA, Albertson, Manhattan, etc... along with 2 very good tournaments... How great would that all be???

EDP, NPL, ECNL c'mon people...

Did Mia have 75 games a year...she did ok.
Did Lilly have a league to play "out of state" every weekend? i'm pretty sure that was a treat 20 years ago to travel...
Did Meola, Harkes, and Ramos play in any huge league run by people with a big ego? They played in a league run by some Scottish Immigrants who LOVED the game...I'm pretty sure they never left Kearny, NJ and they put US Soccer on the map.

It is up to the parents to take it all back and for CJSA to put "soccer people" in charge!

Club Presidents...you all claim to want to offer what is best for the "child".

let's be honest, you want what's best for your club and your bank account...

It's broke and by the way, when did CT last produce a real NATIONAL TEAM PLAYER?

So, is youth soccer in its current form working for CT? Did the days of just playing at your local park do a better job.

[Unregistered]

don't forget simmons
oops sorry, you meant real teams

[Unregistered]

The youth soccer scene in CT is in a period of fragmentation. There are many reasons, and numerous factors that have brought us to the current environment.

My suggestion is not to be preoccupied with the negative aspects of the environemnt, but to find the proper fit for each player and family. The choices are out there, as it is a free market system.

The value each particpant finds in their selection is the most important factor in the equation, not the opinions of others regarding their status .

[Unregistered]

Let's keep it civil...real topic here. No need to make negative comments. Every club has it's nitch.

I agree with the previous post especially about each parent finding the right place for their child...

I guess I mean that the system is broke and how the system creates an atmosphere of "one upping" each other at the detriment of the "athletes".

If the clubs didn't care about perception then why is it every day we hear about a club joining a new league?

Is it because it truly benefits the kids or is it because it helps their clubs perception.

We parents are also at fault for "drinking the juice" as they say.

[Unregistered]

Trying to figure out the reasons for a club's behaviour, or even a coach , is pure speculation.

Parental perception is usually very narrow, that is, their expereince is limited to their own child , or children. On any given weekend in CT, there are hundreds of soccer games going on, all over the state. Different ages, levels, competitons and what have you.

Now is a Premier match that has one team up 6-0 a better game than those of a travel game tied 1-1 after 80 minutes? The true answer can be found by the experiences of the children participating . Every game , for children that play the game, is an important game for them, no matter where it is played or at what level. We should be embracing that concept and expanding on it to make sure each and every individuals expereince is the best that can be offered, not worrying about labels, leagues, prestige, etc.

[Unregistered]

What if the Top Premier Clubs all stayed together and consisted of:

1. CFC
2. SoccerPlus
3. Yankee
4. FSA FC
5. Oakwood
6. South Central
7. Academica FC
8. Beachside


No Northeast Utd, Southeast, Everton, Eastern ?

[Unregistered]

I knew I missed some!! Sorry, didn't mean too..

1. CFC
2. SoccerPlus
3. Yankee
4. FSA FC
5. Oakwood
6. South Central
7. Academica FC
8. Beachside
9. NEU
10. Eastern
11. Everton
12. Southeast

2 leagues / a couple of cross over games..or however it may work logistically.

Rank and seed 8 of the 12 and state Cup would actually be meaningful again.

[Unregistered]

Let's keep it civil...real topic here. No need to make negative comments. Every club has it's nitch.

I agree with the previous post especially about each parent finding the right place for their child...

I guess I mean that the system is broke and how the system creates an atmosphere of "one upping" each other at the detriment of the "athletes".

If the clubs didn't care about perception then why is it every day we hear about a club joining a new league?

Is it because it truly benefits the kids or is it because it helps their clubs perception.

We parents are also at fault for "drinking the juice" as they say.

Keeping it civil, What other club was formed just so you can coach your own kid?

[Unregistered]

And the shots keep coming. Ouch FSA!

[Unregistered]

The leagues are out there for each team to play at their own level. What is the point of wasting an entire day for a team to travel 90 minutes then play a game 90 minutes and drive home 90 minutes and the score be 6-0. What good is that?

I feel CFC and Oakwood should be in the ECNL. FSA and Yankee should be in the new NPL. People can say what they want but these are the 4 top "clubs" in Ct.

The others should play in a state league and the winner of the league goes the the Region 1 championship.

[Unregistered]

We have a CT league

It is called CJSA premier league. It is a glorified travel league for the most part.

Truth is, just because you put premier next to the club name and pay the entry fee, it doesn't make them premier. There are a handful on your list I would consider premier at best. Your list of 12 would say there are 200 premier players in CT at a given age group. There aren't. So having more than a handful premier teams waters down the talent on all teams and the result is a lot of mediocre teams where the best kids are not challenged on a day to day basis and where the coach has to coach down to the median level (you may argue that some coaches couldn't coach to the higher level if they tried on some of these clubs, but that is another topic). My daughter happens to play on a top team in her age group, but even so, when she is doing 1v1 drills, she will only pair up with certain girls to ensure she is challenged.

Most parents should just keep their kids in travel, but they like the sound of saying their kid plays premier. They write the check, never watch a practice or do research on a club/coach, their kid practices twice a week spending a good portion of practice talking with friends, never practices at home or with a friend, never watches a pro or college game to undersatnd what it should look like, plays some local tournaments and beats up on some lower level travel/rec teams and in their mind, that justifies that their kid is getting the best training and headed down the road of a full D1 scholarship.


S

I knew I missed some!! Sorry, didn't mean too..

1. CFC
2. SoccerPlus
3. Yankee
4. FSA FC
5. Oakwood
6. South Central
7. Academica FC
8. Beachside
9. NEU
10. Eastern
11. Everton
12. Southeast

2 leagues / a couple of cross over games..or however it may work logistically.

Rank and seed 8 of the 12 and state Cup would actually be meaningful again.

[Unregistered]

We aren't talking about which clubs are best or which leagues clubs should play.

My question continues to be is current system working? Based on the way the teams are departing CT my guess is no. Why are they departing?

Are they departing because its whats best for their players or because its what's best for the club to attract the players.

Are the clubs motives in line with what is actually best for our children? At this point I don't feel this statement to be true. No matter what they tell us.

I get it, it's a business.

To be successful in this business of youth sports you must win.
You can only win with the best players.
How can we get these players to come to club?

All fair comments but again, just not bying it!

[Unregistered]

I feel CFC and Oakwood should be in the ECNL. FSA and Yankee should be in the new NPL. People can say what they want but these are the 4 top "clubs" in Ct.

Maybe right now, but in the past, relative club strength has changed quickly. Yankee, for instance, was the clear #1, dropped off (as a result of coach/team defections to CFC), built up a bit, dropped off again (as a result of coach/team defections to NE Comets), and is now pretty strong once again. FSA looked like a solid #2 before the FSA arena debacle. Things change.

[Unregistered]

It is called CJSA premier league. It is a glorified travel league for the most part.

Even with a bunch of the top teams playing in other leagues, D1 is WAY above the actual CT travel league in most age/gender groups

[Unregistered]

Why can't parents understand that all clubs just continue to seek out for new ways to gain your business to fill their cofers? "if we do this new league our tryout numbers will get better and that means more teams and more $$$"

I don't know why anyone should be shocked or upset about that. They are businesses, not charities. They are supposed to be trying to maximize profits. But that also means that most of these changes are just in response to what the perceive to be the desires of their customers. If parents didn't like the idea of doing all these "elite" leagues and going to all these "elite" tournaments, the clubs wouldn't do it.