Originally posted by Unregistered
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The most fundamental thing you need to understand about GPS is that they are first and foremost about trying to extract as much money from their customers as fast as they can. I have no problem with businesses trying to make money, but better-run businesses try to provide value for money so as to create a lasting relationship with the customer. That may mean a little less profit immediately but more profit down the road. GPS, OTOH, wants to Hoover your wallet right now and if they lose you next year, that's fine by them.
Some people will tell you that GPS is considerably more expensive than other clubs. Others will say that it isn't. They may both be correct. For us, the price was about the same as other clubs through U12. It got much more expensive at U13 because they rolled into the annual cost the cost of two camps (one in August and one in the spring) as well as summer activities. If you actually participate in those activities, the per-hour rate is probably about the same as other big clubs. But if you aren't going to participate (or can't participate in the spring camp, because your child's school doesn't follow the standard vacation schedule), it's considerably more expensive.
The coaches will generally change constantly because GPS's top priority is paying them as little as possible, and if that means they can't hold onto good coaches, that's fine with them. There are some very fine coaches nevertheless, but some extremely poor ones as well. This problem is worse if your kid isn't on the top team (mine was). But it affects all of the teams.
For similar reasons, you should expect that the facilities will be second rate. Your team may practice on overgrown grass fields because GPS has a deal in place with the school whose coach is a GPS employee, while other clubs have better facilities. Similarly, the place where the camps are held is a dump that is clearly inferior to the places where other big clubs hold their camps. (The camps are shorter than other clubs' camps, too.) Of course, the savings are not passed through to the consumer.
Communication and organization are poor, because administrative tasks are largely performed by soccer guys whose executive function skills do not impress. But honestly, this the case with most clubs.
What was most annoying, however, was the GPS-wide attitude that is encouraged, straight from the top, of flat out lying to your face. For example, practice will be canceled and the email informing you of the cancellation will claim that it will be rescheduled. Of course, it won't be. And you know that the second you read the email, because the last three times this happened, it wasn't rescheduled. And they know you know it won't be rescheduled, but that's what they tell you anyway, because that's the GPS way. Or they'll tell you that the GPS-run tournaments that your team is scheduled to play in will provide top-class competition, but you know better than that. You can see that you could easily get better competition by playing in another tournament the same weekend that isn't run by GPS, instead of playing a bunch of lower-tier GPS teams in the GPS tournament. But that would entail cutting checks to other teams, and GPS isn't into doing any more of that than is absolutely necessary.
Finally, and this once more plays into the short-term profit maximization that is at the core of everything GPS does, their style of play can be awful. They may actually play an attractive style during their practices. But it can take a while for that style to gel, and they're not willing to wait. They want and need to win right now to attract more players to next year's team (to replace the ones who are going to leave for the reasons given above). Therefore, instead of a more patient build-up, the offense almost always consists of getting one or two big, fast forwards and trying to slip them past the other team's backs. Now, there's nothing wrong with doing that if the other team is going to give it to you. But with GPS, that's Plan A and there usually isn't a Plan B.
Caveat emptor.
Some people will tell you that GPS is considerably more expensive than other clubs. Others will say that it isn't. They may both be correct. For us, the price was about the same as other clubs through U12. It got much more expensive at U13 because they rolled into the annual cost the cost of two camps (one in August and one in the spring) as well as summer activities. If you actually participate in those activities, the per-hour rate is probably about the same as other big clubs. But if you aren't going to participate (or can't participate in the spring camp, because your child's school doesn't follow the standard vacation schedule), it's considerably more expensive.
The coaches will generally change constantly because GPS's top priority is paying them as little as possible, and if that means they can't hold onto good coaches, that's fine with them. There are some very fine coaches nevertheless, but some extremely poor ones as well. This problem is worse if your kid isn't on the top team (mine was). But it affects all of the teams.
For similar reasons, you should expect that the facilities will be second rate. Your team may practice on overgrown grass fields because GPS has a deal in place with the school whose coach is a GPS employee, while other clubs have better facilities. Similarly, the place where the camps are held is a dump that is clearly inferior to the places where other big clubs hold their camps. (The camps are shorter than other clubs' camps, too.) Of course, the savings are not passed through to the consumer.
Communication and organization are poor, because administrative tasks are largely performed by soccer guys whose executive function skills do not impress. But honestly, this the case with most clubs.
What was most annoying, however, was the GPS-wide attitude that is encouraged, straight from the top, of flat out lying to your face. For example, practice will be canceled and the email informing you of the cancellation will claim that it will be rescheduled. Of course, it won't be. And you know that the second you read the email, because the last three times this happened, it wasn't rescheduled. And they know you know it won't be rescheduled, but that's what they tell you anyway, because that's the GPS way. Or they'll tell you that the GPS-run tournaments that your team is scheduled to play in will provide top-class competition, but you know better than that. You can see that you could easily get better competition by playing in another tournament the same weekend that isn't run by GPS, instead of playing a bunch of lower-tier GPS teams in the GPS tournament. But that would entail cutting checks to other teams, and GPS isn't into doing any more of that than is absolutely necessary.
Finally, and this once more plays into the short-term profit maximization that is at the core of everything GPS does, their style of play can be awful. They may actually play an attractive style during their practices. But it can take a while for that style to gel, and they're not willing to wait. They want and need to win right now to attract more players to next year's team (to replace the ones who are going to leave for the reasons given above). Therefore, instead of a more patient build-up, the offense almost always consists of getting one or two big, fast forwards and trying to slip them past the other team's backs. Now, there's nothing wrong with doing that if the other team is going to give it to you. But with GPS, that's Plan A and there usually isn't a Plan B.
Caveat emptor.
I'm the GPS poster considering leaving. Just don't want to leave to realize it's similar elsewhere.
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