From those that have had experience with GPS, can you give me the pros and cons. Yes, I know that there is probably some information deep in the archives of TS, but decided to start a fresh thread as things do change. I'm considering moving my son from one of the smaller clubs to GPS. In the past I wasn't in favor of the move because I thought they were running it too much like a business and I heard they changed the coaches every couple of years. But you can't deny they have some success with their top teams. So please just some honest feedback from those that have had experience.
-
-
here is all you need...Please contact when you are readyOriginally posted by Unregistered View Post
781-891-6900
info@globalpremiersoccer.com -
I have a D with GPS currently in Gu13 NPL. We started as Gu12 with regionally NEP.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
I have posted previously. We are happy.
I am sharing our families experience. This is girls, and I know you are concerned with boys. I think many of the pros/cons are similar with the exception that GPS Boys top tier is more highly regarded than GPS girls top tier.
Pros:
Organization and Communication
Coaches - maybe we got luck, or I don't know but we had great Regional "Elite" and NPL Coaches
Opportunity for Movement: D played u12 NEP, then U13 NPL, and now BY 02 will mix it up again
Sideline and Attitude - Parents are calm, stay quiet, and girls get along
Cons:
Cost is high - but not really higher than other big brands.
Variable cost of tourneys and => Tuition
Mandatory pay/attendance at Camps
Would like to see more movement up/down during season (parent contracts get in the way here)Comment
-
-
With the instant response, must be answering your own post. Or must be a GPS coach working the TS website all day. For anyone else, its common sense that you won't get an honest assessment of a club by contacting them directly. Ask your friends, ask other kids that play, watch a practice. That's how you find out the real scoop.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
-
if you have lots of money and you want to give it away, it is a great place to go. numerous terrible teams paying outrageous money for less than you would get in a town program. - nice shirts thought - although they are extraOriginally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
-
Save your money. Biggest rip off in all of club sports.Comment
-
Some success on the boys side... Little to none for the girls. I'll take my 4K elsewhere.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
-
Thank you very much. I appreciate your response. Despite what other posters have stated, I'm not a troll. I'm a father in search of the best option for my son. With all the BS on this site, it's very difficult to determine what the best clubs are. I know there's good and bad in every club and again I've had negative feelings about GPS in the past, but thought I would at least try to get some feedback from some people with actually experience. So, thanks again.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
-
Thanks, but I'm looking for people's personal experiences not what a website tells me about the club and how good they are.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
-
LMAO! You're not looking for what a website tells you about a club and how good they are?Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
-
Son with GPS, Select team Central region.
Our experience:
Select teams (B teams) are almost always low on #s.
The club will sign anyone just to get the #s.
While coach dependent, it's more flexible than other clubs. Meaning some players never show at practices but still get to play in games.
Coaching is inconsistent. Some are good, some aren't. There is very little work on foot skills. Lots of passing drills and scrimmages. However almost all coaches are nice.
A and B teams are mostly kept separate and there is rarely ever any movement. Peaking A players aren't moved down. B players aren't moved up.
Lots of opportunity for play. Your fee includes Winter training and sometimes futsal.
Parents have been awesome. Very few crazys.
Kids have also been great.
We have a love/hate relationship with GPS. Our goals are fun and growth/development. He's having fun. He's not developing at the same rate as his peers/friends who play for other clubs.
I suspect A team experiences are better.Comment
-
We have had an almost identical experience on a B team with another very large club, only the coaching has been terrible. It's likely the same at all big clubs. Need to make an A team to get the best experience...Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
-
Good to know as we're considering leaving GPS. Sometimes the grass isn't always greener.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
-
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.Comment
Comment