"The GPS Way"

[Unregistered]

Serious question. But how is GPS "saving" money by running an intraclub tournament? Are they not still paying for some staff, refs and fields? They certainly are not making a lot of money off of other club's entry fees since there are so few of them. Tell me then again how this becomes the cheaper option??

[Unregistered]

This is correct. It has absolutely nothing to do with points--GPS does not care about them, and if they did, there are much better and more efficient ways to chase them. This is really about keeping the $$ in house.

Totally agree with that part.

GPS has many, many teams from all over the region. If they were to send them all to Stars or NEFC or some other club's tourney, they would be handing huge sums to their competition. Why do that when you have enough teams throughout the region to field a reasonably competitive intra-club tournament? Especially for pre-season, when teams are just getting organized and nothing is at stake. Seems like a smart move to me.

The problem is that just to keep the money in house, GPS will often send its teams to its own craptastic tournaments with poor competition, instead of other, better tournaments run by other clubs. In the long run, that drives off customers, so I don't think it's a smart move.

[Unregistered]

Serious question. But how is GPS "saving" money by running an intraclub tournament? Are they not still paying for some staff, refs and fields? They certainly are not making a lot of money off of other club's entry fees since there are so few of them. Tell me then again how this becomes the cheaper option??

They charge parents for entry fees and keep the money themselves instead of paying it to other clubs.

[Unregistered]

they charge parents for entry fees and keep the money themselves instead of paying it to other clubs.

bingo!

[Unregistered]

Serious question. But how is GPS "saving" money by running an intraclub tournament? Are they not still paying for some staff, refs and fields? They certainly are not making a lot of money off of other club's entry fees since there are so few of them. Tell me then again how this becomes the cheaper option??

A very simplified answer is their cost to run their own tournament is a lot less than the amount of money they would have to pay to register all their teams in another clubs tournament. Again, this is not a GPS only thing. As a club gains size and has more teams, it becomes increasingly financially advantageous to go to this model.

My original point to the OP was that GS points have nothing to do with GPS (Stars, NEFC, Seacoast, etc.) trying to amass GS points. That just happens to be a byproduct of running a GotSoccer tournament. It really is all about running a business. Another poster correctly pointed out that there are more efficient ways to amass GS points (See Valeo FC threads).

As I stated, this model scales quite nicely. Has anyone noticed any mergers lately?

[Unregistered]

You are aware that GS points are based on the teams entered into the event, not what a club wants the points to be! You do realize your club could have entered the GPS event but chose something different. Why bitch?

And if only your teams are entered and they continue to compound points then the potential point totals climb all the time and it's all internally squirreled away.

The GPS girls team that won the U12 top division was a 6th place finisher in NEP during the Spring. After playing some scrimmages among other GPS teams last weekend they essentially doubled their GS points and made themselves more relevant. When they participate in the next GPS GotSoccer scrimmage they'll contribute to raising the GS points available for their bracket.

[Unregistered]

My original point to the OP was that GS points have nothing to do with GPS (Stars, NEFC, Seacoast, etc.) trying to amass GS points. That just happens to be a byproduct of running a GotSoccer tournament. It really is all about running a business. Another poster correctly pointed out that there are more efficient ways to amass GS points (See Valeo FC threads).

But your teams actually have to be good to win those big time tournaments with 10000+ points on the line. GPS doesn't have many teams that can compete at that level. That's why they ensure these lower teams amass more points so they can "sell" those teams as "elite" to unassuming parents. The scam isn't necessarily about the top teams. Any top GPS team that participated in that tournament did themselves a developmental disservice.

[Unregistered]

But your teams actually have to be good to win those big time tournaments with 10000+ points on the line. GPS doesn't have many teams that can compete at that level. That's why they ensure these lower teams amass more points so they can "sell" those teams as "elite" to unassuming parents. The scam isn't necessarily about the top teams. Any top GPS team that participated in that tournament did themselves a developmental disservice.

Interesting topic: I'm a GPS parent and my kid's team played in a flight with all GPS teams, with our parents jokingly calling it the GPS Intramural Cup.

One of the posters here raises a good point in that while all clubs stock their own tournaments with their own teams to ensure critical mass, max out the # of total teams available for all ages/genders/flights I don't see other clubs having 80% of the teams from their club.

It will never happen but utopia would be each of the big clubs sitting down and carving out each clubs' tournament schedules and dividing up the dates on a regular basis...ie - Stars Cup is Labor Day, NEFC gets the March pre-season, GPS keeps Needham/Memorial Day.....or have them all rotate each year (Stars get Labor day in 2015, Columbus Day in 2016, etc.).

Again - will never happen but at least you'd have a shot at having all of the best teams all playing each other throughout the year. I suppose that's what the NEP State Cup series does as well, but it would eliminate the intramural play feel of some of these tournaments.

All that said - while it would have been great to play other non-GPS teams, our kids played some competitive games, the coach figured some things out in terms of positions, roster, etc. and it was a good tune-up before the regular season starts next weekend so there were some positives.

[Unregistered]

Omg

But your teams actually have to be good to win those big time tournaments with 10000+ points on the line. GPS doesn't have many teams that can compete at that level. That's why they ensure these lower teams amass more points so they can "sell" those teams as "elite" to unassuming parents. The scam isn't necessarily about the top teams. Any top GPS team that participated in that tournament did themselves a developmental disservice.

Right, right. My bad. It really is all about the GS points. Not the money. Thanks for clearing that up for me with your insights. I guess I had never really thought of a preseason tournament as a GS goldmine. After spending a some time in this thread I have realized that I really need to focus on GS points more and all the possible ways they could be potentially abused for malicious purposes. I see the light (reflecting off you tinfoil hat) now. My kids teams are potentially not being represented to the public in their true glory because all these giant clubs....Doh, strike that. because GPS has figured out how to inflate their inferior teams with GS points and diminishing my...Doh x2, my kids glory! Or god forbid, the institutional integrity of the whole GS system!!! Holy crap, no wonder you were outraged and had to bring this all to our attention. Thank you! Thank you!

[Unregistered]

Old news

Right, right. My bad. It really is all about the GS points. Not the money. Thanks for clearing that up for me with your insights. I guess I had never really thought of a preseason tournament as a GS goldmine. After spending a some time in this thread I have realized that I really need to focus on GS points more and all the possible ways they could be potentially abused for malicious purposes. I see the light (reflecting off you tinfoil hat) now. My kids teams are potentially not being represented to the public in their true glory because all these giant clubs....Doh, strike that. because GPS has figured out how to inflate their inferior teams with GS points and diminishing my...Doh x2, my kids glory! Or god forbid, the institutional integrity of the whole GS system!!! Holy crap, no wonder you were outraged and had to bring this all to our attention. Thank you! Thank you!

Its clear that GPS is the walmart with neiman marcus pricing, soccer club in massachusetts and growing elsewhere.

They are a money machine, period. They are using gs to bolster their image, fact. They own most tournaments they play in, fact. They keep all the profit from all tournaments they own, fact.

If every JA wants to only play GPS teams then by all means, give them your $4400.00 per year. All just sheep, and fools.

[Unregistered]

This discussion is useless.

-Not all GPS teams paid extra to be in the tournament, it was included with the tuition. So not about the money just doing what was promised.
-PRE SEASON games who cares who you are playing, just trying to evaluate the team and work the kinks out
-You're blaming GPS for GS giving out too many points, why don't you blame GS
-If you want the points...come get them...if you don't care about the points you wouldn't be talking about them

[Unregistered]

NO

This discussion is useless.

-Not all GPS teams paid extra to be in the tournament, it was included with the tuition. So not about the money just doing what was promised.
-PRE SEASON games who cares who you are playing, just trying to evaluate the team and work the kinks out
-You're blaming GPS for GS giving out too many points, why don't you blame GS
-If you want the points...come get them...if you don't care about the points you wouldn't be talking about them

GPS charges $3700 tuition, on top of the $50 tournament fees plus the $350 uniform fee. IDIOTS!!!!!!

[Unregistered]

Omg

GPS charges $3700 tuition, on top of the $50 tournament fees plus the $350 uniform fee. IDIOTS!!!!!!

$450 tournament fees sorry

[Unregistered]

GPS charges $3700 tuition, on top of the $50 tournament fees plus the $350 uniform fee. IDIOTS!!!!!!

Other than NPL, who pays that much per year? My kids play for GPS and I pay half of the tuition with no additional tournament fees.

[Unregistered]

lol

Other than NPL, who pays that much per year? My kids play for GPS and I pay half of the tuition with no additional tournament fees.

LIE!!!!

All u12 to u14 pay 3700 + 350 +450. u15 and up is 2800 plus tournament fees.