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**Unregistered** · 04-18-2014, 01:33 PM

Best Choice

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

What's the best club for girls in the Bay Area? Looked at got soccer but nothing really stands out for my daughters who are u11 and u13

Tampa Bay United. The have a variety of teams at diffrent competitive levels. They have good coaches to develop your kids and the host a couple pretty good events!

**Unregistered** · 04-18-2014, 01:44 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

At the very least merge for DA and ECNL combined Teams (Tampa Bay Chargers) and allow Clubs to keep their individual identities. Absolutely no reason they could not form a combined DA and ECNL with a central location. Ideally they could use the old Blackwatch fields by Busch Gardens, invest some cash in those fields and facilities and that would serve N, S, E and W families and coaches. If they shared the costs 3 ways everything is possible ... too easy a solution ??

If for no other reason than the expense sharing I like it as a start, but would ultimately want to include W-League and NPSL or PDL.

Unfortunately. Pepsi (as the owner of the former Black Watch fields on 30th Street behind the brewery in Tampa) will not allow any permanent structures or facilities.

**Unregistered** · 04-18-2014, 02:53 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Since Orlando and Miami already have them, there is little chance the Tampa Bay area will receive an MLS franchise in the foreseeable future and, now that VSI has closed up shop and will no longer have any area USL Pro or W-League teams, the NASL Rowdies will be the only known area professional team. While VSI has also pulled the plug on its USL PDL team, the Tampa Marauders is a semi-pro NPSL team which has an affiliation with TBU. In that regard, college players will be able retain their NCAA eligibility while playing with the Marauders during the summer months.

Assuming that: the Chargers struggle to fully fund their complete USSF Development Academy, WFF would like to fully fund its USS ECNL program; TBU and WFF would both like to have a complete USSF Development Academy; and the Chargers and TBU would both like to have USS ECNL programs, it would make sense for the Rowdies, the Chargers, TBU and WFF to form an affiliation solely for purpose of supporting the Rowdies in their operation of their men's NASL team and for the operation of one women's W-League team, one men's NPSL team, one complete USSF Development Academy and one ECNL program for the Tampa Bay area.

Like others have said, the actual merger of them into one club will be a difficult task to accomplish. At this point, no director level soccer and administative employees wish to give up their jobs at those clubs and the board members of those clubs are naturally loyal to those employees. However, with their director level employees all being in their mid to late fifties, the Chargers board may be approachable about the possibility of a merger of those large clubs into one. In the interm, a loose affiliation between those clubs may pave the way for future merger talks.

This requires teamwork. Its something that none of these 3 clubs have been able to or willing to accomplish. One of the biggest issues in the Tampa Bay area is the lack of quality centrally located fields. I think the clubs should affiliate with a DA and ECNL teams and 3 NPL teams West, Central and East. Could easily produce very strong DA, ECNL teams as well as Very strong NPL teams. To be honest, I think it really should not matter where the ECNL and DA teams practice because if its important to you and you live in the Tampa Bay area you could make it work. I think whether you put the ECNL at the Brandon fields or the TBU fields it really would be a wash because putting it at TBU fields would make the drive longer for Lakeland, Brandon, and Fort Meyers/Bradenton but shorter for Tampa/Clearwater/Palm Harbor. The DA is in the wrong place for sure because its basically on the ocean (far West) and its partly why they struggle to get the best players. Clearwater would benefit greatly from centralized fields and WFF may benefit some but not nearly as much.

**Unregistered** · 04-18-2014, 03:14 PM

Chargers DA

26 W - 36 L - 15 D

That's a disgraceful record for all the soccer talent in the Tampa Bay area.

You're doing it wrong CLWR!

**Unregistered** · 04-18-2014, 03:48 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Chargers DA

26 W - 36 L - 15 D

That's a disgraceful record for all the soccer talent in the Tampa Bay area.

You're doing it wrong CLWR!

How about the Rowdies running the DA Academy for our area with an association with the Chargers, TBU and Wff? That way it can be a feeder club for locals to the professional team.

**Unregistered** · 04-18-2014, 04:41 PM

That would never happen because of the Chargers.

**Unregistered** · 04-19-2014, 09:15 AM

Wrong

I think you have the wrong clubs. What I hear from inside source is that TBU and WFF are close to joining forces. Now that will be a step in the right direction.

**Unregistered** · 04-19-2014, 09:22 AM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

I think you have the wrong clubs. What I hear from inside source is that TBU and WFF are close to joining forces. Now that will be a step in the right direction.

Find the best team/coach you can. If you are that crazy for soccer, you should be willing to drive an hour to bring your kid to a better team. Otherwise be content with what you have. Plenty of kids and parents don't devote their entire family life around the game.