|
|
Post by 4theloveofsoccer on May 27, 2014 11:45:45 GMT -5
It is interesting to hear about clubs merging and new clubs emerging. I am curious to see how the merging clubs will do compared to the newly formed ones. I believe merging clubs such as the recent UFA/Norcross can only help and make things better for the players and surrounding communities.
On the other hand with the newly formed clubs such as All In FC and Kolonji Soccer Academy have a tough task ahead of them at first by getting a good number of participants. I wonder if these two clubs will thrive, stay a small sided club, be merged with another club, or eventually fade out.
|
|
|
|
Post by mamampira on May 27, 2014 13:16:21 GMT -5
I believe Kalonji Soccer Academy will likely do well. Coach Bruno has a sizeable and passionate group of players he has worked with who love him dearly. Mine has not but is considering doing so. He has a proven track record as a select coach in Georgia. His charisma has worked well in inspiring And recruiting players. He is also known as a trainer extraordinaire. Word of mouth, testimonials, all will get him going strong in the beginning.
|
|
|
|
Post by spectator on May 27, 2014 13:59:22 GMT -5
I guess the real question about emerging clubs is how will they be placed? You don't want to leave a strong team in a high level to go to a team that may end up Classic 4 or Athena D.
|
|
|
|
Post by fan on May 27, 2014 15:50:47 GMT -5
What happened to needing to provide a rec program for a certain period of time before offering Academy/Select? Can someone recruit teams and be able to play this fall?
|
|
|
|
Post by reinalocura on May 27, 2014 20:57:09 GMT -5
In theory you are supposed to have equal numbers of rec / select...
|
|
|
|
Post by mamampira on May 27, 2014 21:27:49 GMT -5
I guess the real question about emerging clubs is how will they be placed? You don't want to leave a strong team in a high level to go to a team that may end up Classic 4 or Athena D. Yes. That is the key question right there. |
|
|
|
Post by jash on May 27, 2014 21:30:05 GMT -5
Seems like new clubs often partner with existing clubs that have excess capacity from their own rec programs to lend out.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 28, 2014 8:08:35 GMT -5
yea, never quite understand the rec to select/academy ratio.
but it does seem like if you have good coaches people will come. i've heard people talking about taking their kids to small clubs to play for coach X.
|
|
|
|
Post by soccerdadinga on May 28, 2014 22:36:27 GMT -5
Although the thread has focused on emerging clubs, the merging club phenomenon has been big the last three years. GSA and TYSA (and Atlanta Spurs). Someone may point out that they keep their Academies separate, but at Select it looks just like a merger to many. UFA and Norcross. SSA with an alliance to get DA with GUSA.
What will happen is that these super clubs will crowd out the smaller clubs at Select. Those clubs can offer one good top team and one team that's pretty much just above rec soccer -- of course at the year round Select prices. But they cannot offer that many true Classic III/Athena C teams. There may be an Athena C team with an A level player or two and some D level players. But with such a small base for Select, talent will be all over the place. Folks inevitably leave, the better players find teams with more commitment and the lower level players choose other sports.
Now the 5-6 large clubs, NASA, UFA, GSA, (Tophat for Girls), ConFire, SSA, and AFU will fight to offer the "elite" teams and a good second team as well. That leaves good players leaving decent clubs for the hope of the top team but willing to make the 2nd, to say that they are at the "destination club." For the best players, this model probably isn't best -- except for the DA clubs -- because they still are not competing with the best of the best. Too many elite teams to all be elite.
However, for the Classic I/II-Athena A/B players, this gives more teams with similar players. So that every player can have a team that's at their level. And that's something the small clubs will struggle to compete with against the merged clubs.
Of course, I wonder what this means for local soccer. Starting out at a club down the street (or closer than driving to a destination club, where ever that is) and going from Rec, to Academy, to Select. It seems that the large clubs lose the attraction of being neighborhood based, where most of the players go on to play for their local high schools and most of the local high school players play for one club. I think that there is something to be said for that, even as the bigger is better model wins out.
|
|
|
|
Post by soccergator on May 29, 2014 8:17:39 GMT -5
hence the baby steps for the ufa/norcross merger. they aren't jumping to create elite teams like concorde. all that does is piss off 1/2 of your top players that get left behind and create chaos. look at concordes current u13s, they had a girl not come to state cup because of the ecnl playups that they used instead.
in my opinion that has always been concords mentality, ignore everyone else but your top players. (sorry for being anti concorde). one of my kids was there years ago, and they wrote her off at u10 and never gave her a shot, if we stayed she would have been forever stuck on 2nd/3rd teams. once they hit 13, those 2nd and 3rd teams, became pretty bad. all the quality players are gone. fortunately we left sooner.
it comes down to having a good DOC/director. i'm biased, but tony does an amazing job. probably the best youth coach in the state and understands development and 100% de-emphasizes winning. its about development and progression. most importantly, he's as honest as they come. he's not going to tell you what you want to hear, but what the truth is.
i'll never forget when i was at concorde, my kid is a rising u10, the coach is talking to the kids about college scholarships! i was blown away, all he did was feed the parents BS after BS after BS. i knew that moment on, we wouldn't last their long, it was exactly 1 year.
i know others have had great experiences there, so i apologize for my tirade.
in the current landscape of ga soccer, their is so much freaking competition, you need a larger player pool to develop - a well done merger will fill that void.
i'm 100% confident in tony and iggy, they have co-existed extremely well with DA, and the merger is about the future.
|
|
|
|
Post by spectator on May 29, 2014 8:58:04 GMT -5
I hope the Norcross/UFA merger goes smoothly - I'm personally not a fan of UFA as a whole based on experiences with specific teams and parents over the years and a very negative experience with their tournament director three years ago. BUT - I will say Iggy was very responsive and professional when we dealt with him. Norcross, has always been a class act and I think that comes from Tony demanding it of his coaches, players and parents. I think those two men are a formidable force in Georgia Soccer and wish them well.
|
|
