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Post by SoccerMom on Mar 26, 2015 8:04:28 GMT -5
Kinda saw this one coming....
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 26, 2015
Dear Club Members,
As representatives of one of the most successful soccer organizations in the state of Georgia, we continually seek ways to not only offer the best in soccer for our community’s recreational, intermediate and advanced players, but also to establish a strong presence in our state. In an effort to increase opportunities and provide an even greater level of service, we are pleased to announce the merger between United Futbol Academy (UFA) and South Georgia United (SGU).
When both clubs opened up communication last fall, it became clear that we were both working toward the same goals and it made sense that creating a single club could offer a much higher level of service to the South Georgia soccer community. By pooling our resources together, a greater opportunity exists for a more cohesive soccer presence in the area and to learn some best practices from UFA and SGU.
South Georgia United will continue operating as SGU through the end of the Spring 2015 Season. No changes will be made with teams or uniforms during this period. The full merge will take place on June 1st.
If you have further questions, please email us at Deo@unitedfa.org. We look forward to serving you and this community for years to come.
United Futbol Academy
Executive Board
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Post by Strikermom on Mar 26, 2015 8:31:50 GMT -5
I was just about to post this as well after reading my email. Is this the teams down in Warner Robins, Colquitt, etc??
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2015 8:32:44 GMT -5
Sucks for South Georgia United if they have to buy new kits for next year only....
Not sure what the point of this merger really is other than $$$$ -- lets be honest. Feeds right into prior thread about financials.
UFA folks keep us updated because your fees should get smaller, and when you have to buy new kits they should be cheaper. however the exact opposite will occur fees will go up, kits will go up...
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Post by SoccerMom on Mar 26, 2015 9:00:19 GMT -5
I was just about to post this as well after reading my email. Is this the teams down in Warner Robins, Colquitt, etc?? yea...and Tifton area. Very nice fields!!
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Post by SoccerMom on Mar 26, 2015 9:13:34 GMT -5
Sucks for South Georgia United if they have to buy new kits for next year only.... Not sure what the point of this merger really is other than $$$$ -- lets be honest. Feeds right into prior thread about financials. UFA folks keep us updated because your fees should get smaller, and when you have to buy new kits they should be cheaper. however the exact opposite will occur fees will go up, kits will go up... fees wont change and neither will kit prices for current UFA players. Whenever there is a merge the coming team will have cheaper fees and they get higher as the year passes, but i dont believe they will catch up to Forsyth either. Forsyth pays the most fees, Norcross pays a little less and from what i understand they get one less day of training. Dawson pays less than the other two and their uniforms are included but they are also a diff quality...then Lumpkin same thing. The fees for the whole club are diff based on location. Dont quote on it, i dont have access to how much the other locations pay...Forsyth i think is the only one listed online...but some parents from other locations have mentioned. Im not sure why the merge happened....i saw it coming because i saw the SGU directors at some of our games hanging around. The fields are very nice but theyre also very far
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2015 10:33:34 GMT -5
I think its the opposite actually -- don't top teams at norcross train 3 days a week for 1.5 hours a session? and Most top teams at UFA-Fowler train for 2 hours, twice a week?
If the right thing is done, fowlers fees should be reduced to match others. For example - It looks like to play on a top u12 team at Fowler, you pay 1610 at Norcross - 1250.
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Post by mamampira on Mar 26, 2015 10:41:45 GMT -5
I think its the opposite actually -- don't top teams at norcross train 3 days a week for 1.5 hours a session? and Most top teams at UFA-Fowler train for 2 hours, twice a week? If the right thing is done, fowlers fees should be reduced to match others. For example - It looks like to play on a top u12 team at Fowler, you pay 1610 at Norcross - 1250. Correct, at Norcross, three times a week for top team for 1.5 hours a session.
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Post by SoccerMom on Mar 26, 2015 12:30:35 GMT -5
Fowler is 3x a week as well. Academy is 2 - 1.5 hours sessions and 1 - 1hr session indoor
Select they train 3x a week 1.5 sessions, plus 2x week of HPD plus 2x week of 3 mile runs.
The fees have never increased or decreased for us with any of the multiple mergers
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Post by soccertwins on Mar 26, 2015 13:56:46 GMT -5
I was just about to post this as well after reading my email. Is this the teams down in Warner Robins, Colquitt, etc?? This doesn't include Macon (MSC) or Warner Robins (CGSA). Those 2 clubs merged and formed Southern Alliance Futbol (SAF). SGU are the teams located in Tifton and further south.
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Post by soccergator on Mar 26, 2015 14:04:19 GMT -5
That's who I thought they were when I got the email, assumed it was the Macon club vs those further south.
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Post by soccerdad44 on Mar 26, 2015 15:34:18 GMT -5
Fowler is 3x a week as well. Academy is 2 - 1.5 hours sessions and 1 - 1hr session indoor Only the top 1-2 academy teams have the 3rd session, right? And if you have that, you pay extra. Regular academy fees include only two 1.5 hr sessions.
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Post by soccerdad44 on Mar 26, 2015 15:41:39 GMT -5
Not sure what the point of this merger really is other than $$$$ -- lets be honest. Feeds right into prior thread about financials. Yes, exactly. We need more competition and opportunity for players, not less. Every merger is a sad day IMO.
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Post by SoccerMom on Mar 26, 2015 15:45:30 GMT -5
Fowler is 3x a week as well. Academy is 2 - 1.5 hours sessions and 1 - 1hr session indoor Only the top 1-2 academy teams have the 3rd session, right? And if you have that, you pay extra. Regular academy fees include only two 1.5 hr sessions. If I pay extra its included in my reg fees, like I said i know other locations pay less...I have heard that eventually they will all be the same but who knows
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Post by SoccerMom on Mar 26, 2015 15:47:45 GMT -5
Not sure what the point of this merger really is other than $$$$ -- lets be honest. Feeds right into prior thread about financials. Yes, exactly. We need more competition and opportunity for players, not less. Every merger is a sad day IMO. I dont understand why it's a sad day? Personally it doesn't affect me or my kids one way or another...none of the mergers have. If you're talking about competition and opportunities for players this gives SGU just that, it doesnt take anything away from your kids.
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Post by soccerdad44 on Mar 26, 2015 16:21:11 GMT -5
Yes, exactly. We need more competition and opportunity for players, not less. Every merger is a sad day IMO. I dont understand why it's a sad day? Personally it doesn't affect me or my kids one way or another...none of the mergers have. If you're talking about competition and opportunities for players this gives SGU just that, it doesnt take anything away from your kids. I think it takes way opportunities because the players will be pooled at some level. Probably only at the DA and top girls teams levels for this merger. The other mergers it will be at lower levels. The aim being to create 1 strong team. More kids fighting for fewer spots. Fewer tournament opportunities because how many UFA teams can you have in 1 bracket? I have heard that some UFA teams have had their tournaments cut down, or they no longer go to the top tournaments because now some other UFA location goes there. AFAICT a merger only benefits the directors ($) and the very few top players.
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Post by SoccerMom on Mar 26, 2015 16:33:49 GMT -5
Im not sure where youre getting your information from but at Forsyth UFA all teams have a minimum of tournaments they attend, some other teams will attend 1 or 2 more depending on the team or coach.
As far as pooling top teams...it hasnt happened yet and this is the 3rd or 4th merge...yes 1 or 2 kids may migrate to the other locations if the team is stronger but thats gonna happen merger or not.
As far as this merger taking a spot from any kids, i highly doubt anyone will commute 3.5 hours each way on a regular basis. And DA is not UFA, Georgia United is something between 3 or 4 clubs so they can play there whether we merge or not
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Post by rifle on Mar 26, 2015 18:46:31 GMT -5
So there isn't any player movement and the supposition that merging will reduce participant costs by eliminating redundant administrative roles (or Executive, or director) is unfounded?
What's the point of a merger, again?
(Rhetorical question really, not intended for anyone specific)
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Post by sidelinemama on Mar 26, 2015 19:15:12 GMT -5
Exactly the point, Rifle. These big clubs make promises to the little clubs, like more training, opportunities for their top players, ect. But do these things really ever happen? I mean how many top Coaches are going to schlep down to Tifton for some instruction for their coaches? How many Tifton players can realistically be on an Atlanta based team? It's just big business.
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Post by parentsoccerfan on Mar 26, 2015 20:27:01 GMT -5
Any one know about any other mergers in the ATL metro area? I've been hearing some chatter around at practices so wanted to know if any one has heard anything else?
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Post by Soccerhouse on Mar 26, 2015 21:23:03 GMT -5
If it wasn't for Jash's stats, I never would have heard of SGU. Don't think I've ever seen any of their teams play.
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Post by soccerdad44 on Mar 27, 2015 8:15:28 GMT -5
I can see where this merger will have minimal impact on the metro teams, but the other mergers (e.g. Norcross) I don't see how it won't affect most kids. Pooling will happen at some level someday. Kids that would have been on top teams will be on lower teams. Teams that would have gone to the top tournaments will go to lesser tournaments. Many teams will not even play in the UFA tournaments because there won't be room or they don't want teams competing against each other.
I see it's a good strategy to quickly create top teams. However, I think the downside is many kids will never reach their potential. They would be better off going to a smaller club where they will get more attention. Develop at a smaller club, then come back and play for UFA.
But with every merger, there are fewer smaller clubs to go to :-(
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Post by allthingsoccer on Mar 27, 2015 8:29:25 GMT -5
Yikes another merger in the United pool.
I can see the benefit for SGU... they can now offer DA. UFA now has more fields.
I think this really hurts the players from each team that is part of the United system. What I mean is... You now have how many teams/ club to pool 1 DA team?? Yes this helps United for sure. They have the numbers to select from. But wow the swimming pool is huge. Do you think this will translate to more bench time at the DA level??
A player will really, really have to shine to get noticed.
I don't know... But I feel this would benefit CF the most by all these mergers. 1 club, 3 locations, 1 DA vs 8/9/10/11 clubs, 20+ locations, 1 DA
Am I missing something???
Cheers, J4K
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Post by soccergator on Mar 27, 2015 8:31:27 GMT -5
The Norcross/Ufa merger is really taking baby steps. For 99% of kids nothing has really changed other than the name and uniform kit. The reality is if a kid wanted to leave Norcross for Fowler or Fowler for Norcross they always could. Now players this past year have been guesting from both sides when needed. On the boys side both were always aligned for GA United, they already "are" centralizing their top talent. With the threat of MLS and the big picture it made perfect sense -- especially from the girls side for Norcross, the numbers have gotten smaller and smaller every year.
We had a few combined sessions for the younger age groups, but nothing is really being forced. You will start to see probably some centralization in a few years, but you still have the issue of distance. Fowler and Pinckneyville are a good distance apart, and kids come from many different directions to get to each club, so the logistics itself is a challenge.
You do make a good point though, kids will eventually be impacted and potentially not be on the top team like they were (and not afforded the same experiences etc). I think we are still a few years off from that, but we will see.
I think you also bring up an important point, the danger of one coach having a team to long. A coach will tend to label certain kids as not being good enough at younger ages and never really give them a chance, it often takes a fresh look, new coach to give some new players a chance to show what they can do when playing with better players.
I have not talked to leadership at UFA on this one yet, but my thought is this isn't about DA. Its about brand recognition and probably helping South Ga United out. Maybe 1 kid comes to play for GA united, logistically it will be very difficult to make training sessions. So I don't think this has anything to do with DA. South Ga United probably wanted to start trying to offer some of their kids potentially more -- maybe they struggled to even get into super y, now with the UFA brand name, that might be easier. Same for NPL, etc. US Club soccer probably wasn't giving them a strong look being a smaller club. I truly doubt, us current UFA members will even notice any impact of this.
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Post by SoccerMom on Mar 27, 2015 9:00:35 GMT -5
I dont think DA was the reason either...but I also figure that once MLS DA comes, every program will loose players
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Post by allthingsoccer on Mar 27, 2015 9:09:17 GMT -5
I look at it as a business. We all know its big business. I used to handle small/large corporate mergers in technology. I can't say its the same, but it is a business at the end of the day.
Think of the players as employees. In mergers, some top employees get over looked or never the chance to prove they are an assist. Even in the top corporate structures this happens. Not to say that after all this happens that the company is much better/ stronger for it, they are most of the time.
Even in a large corporate structure its a lot harder to get noticed, sometimes wont get the opportunities as they would in a smaller environment.
I agree this hurts the smaller clubs for sure. How can they compete with the budget and market reach? They will have to bring more specialize services to draw players in.
Sorry for my telecom analogy but it's very close.
You have Verizon (UFA/United), AT&T (CF), TMobile/ Cricket/ Tec.. (smaller clubs)
Some like Verizon, some like ATT, some like the others. Some have had great experiences and not so great.
Some use market reach to draw in, some use better offers, some use better technology....
And now we all heard GOOGLE (MLS) is now coming to town offering all of the above....lol
Cheers, J4K
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Post by allthingsoccer on Mar 27, 2015 9:27:18 GMT -5
At the end of the day, this is GREAT for our kids. BOTH Boys and Girls!!
Soccer in GA is already some of the best in the country. It's only going to get better.
Let's all ride the WAVE!!
Cheers, J4K
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Post by Soccerhouse on Mar 27, 2015 10:04:17 GMT -5
Yikes another merger in the United pool. I think this really hurts the players from each team that is part of the United system. What I mean is... You now have how many teams/ club to pool 1 DA team?? Yes this helps United for sure. They have the numbers to select from. But wow the swimming pool is huge. Do you think this will translate to more bench time at the DA level?? I don't think its a question about more bench time at DA etc. Its about increasing your pool of players for evaluation. There is an expectation across the "alliance" clubs to train a certain way and implement a curriculum and style of play. Not all great players leave their clubs for DA, they don't want to. They are happy where they are at, the alliance helps this transition. Look at the new NYCFC academy team five of NYCFC youth affiliate clubs will participate in the U.S. Development Academy. The GA united alliance instantly put XXXXX players into the US Soccer System for evaluation. Thats the main purpose. Yes adding more clubs to the alliance will make it more difficult for "our" kids to make the team, but that's not what DA is for. Its not a right of passage for younger kids on top teams at Concorde or Georgia United clubs, its intended only for their top players that the coaches think can and are ready for DA and for the kids that want to play DA regardless of which club from the alliance they come from Look at last years u14 UFA team, many of those kids chose not to play DA in order to win a national title instead. Many kids don't come from any of the GA united alliance clubs or Concorde branch as well, so its an opened competitive process typically by invite only though. I think the GA United alliance was brilliant, it also helped fully fund the program, which they now are backing away from for various reasons. (PS - Georgia united/Concorde's DA teams play on sunday)
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Post by soccergator on Mar 27, 2015 10:13:28 GMT -5
I watch the GA United u14s train 2 to 3 times a week. Wow, that alone is a pleasure to watch. High level, fast, and unreal skill. Most of the boys look freakishly huge and they play at an unreal pace. Pace with purpose I like to call it. Its a diverse group of kids and an extremely well run professional session. (sorry for hijacking thread...)
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Post by allthingsoccer on Mar 27, 2015 11:25:03 GMT -5
I totally agree what you are saying. Its just not all for DA. Increasing pools for top level of play is always great. Great for the future of soccer in general.
I was just pointing out about the DA and it does make it harder for a player in the United system to make it. Its a numbers game.
I know some top level players don't even play DA which is great that we have so many other options in Georgia. It does open the playing field.
Mergers are great. I do think it is a great move by UFA to snatch up as many clubs as possible. It only grows the brand and more money for the club which in turn translates to better development across all clubs (we hope).
Clubs are going to have to do something knowing that the big monster is coming down the road (MLS). In order to do so money is going to be the key. Money brings in better coaching (sometimes) and better resources. Not saying a smaller club cant compete but it gets real hard to do so.
It only obvious that the United system works. I'm not knocking the system. I train a lot of kids that are in the "United" system. Some top level players.
Cheers, J4K
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Post by allthingsoccer on Mar 27, 2015 11:44:43 GMT -5
soccergator- sorry i didnt read your reply.
Come to think of it, I think your right on. DA offering wouldnt be a huge draw for a merger. But other resources for sure would be a huge benefit for them SuperY, RPL etc...
I think I got a little off track.
I think my responses are more for towards clubs joining the alliance.
Cheers, J4K
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