Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[tripleplay]

Fewer options for kids = higher fees

Even though I'm not in favor of merger mania, this superficially appealing argument isn't correct. The areas with the most clubs have the highest cost clubs. Premier clubs don't compete on cost, but perceived quality.

[Islander]

HPFC just issued a press release saying they are not going to merge.
http://www.highlinesa.org/home.php

Don't you just love how HPFC identifies all the various stakeholders - but does not include the players as stakeholders?
That tells me alot about the club right there.

That's because Clubs offer a product, the players are the consummers and are offered to either puchase their product or someone else.

[Islander]

A more competative and successful club is able to attract better players and better coaching.  In doing so they are able to increase revenues by one, offering A, B and C teams at multiple age groups, and two by simply increasing their fees.

A club that attracts 80 to 100 kids per age gender/age group is simply in a better potential revenue position than one that attracts 30 to 50.

So with the snow ball rolling down the hill it's either merge or get left behind.

[tripleplay]

A more competative and successful club is able to attract better players and better coaching.  In doing so they are able to increase revenues by one, offering A, B and C teams at multiple age groups, and two by simply increasing their fees.

A club that attracts 80 to 100 kids per age gender/age group is simply in a better potential revenue position than one that attracts 30 to 50.

So with the snow ball rolling down the hill it's either merge or get left behind.

Large size is not the key to attractiveness. USYS Region 4 has a land area of about 1.9 million square miles. Crossfire sent more teams to Regionals than any other soccer club in the region. It belongs to an association with an area of about 100 square miles - don't know of any smaller even in Washington.

[Islander]

if you plotted the homes of those players currently wearing the Crossfire uniform, my guess it would exceed an area of 100 sqmi.   

My point though was Crossfire in the GU15 division has an ECNL team, A team, B team, C team and two Select Teams.  Not to many clubs claim that.  Multiply the revenues created by 6 teams versus some clubs that only have one team in that age group and so on.

[Pops]

A more competative and successful club is able to attract better players and better coaching.  In doing so they are able to increase revenues by one, offering A, B and C teams at multiple age groups, and two by simply increasing their fees.

A club that attracts 80 to 100 kids per age gender/age group is simply in a better potential revenue position than one that attracts 30 to 50.

So with the snow ball rolling down the hill it's either merge or get left behind.

Large size is not the key to attractiveness. USYS Region 4 has a land area of about 1.9 million square miles. Crossfire sent more teams to Regionals than any other soccer club in the region. It belongs to an association with an area of about 100 square miles - don't know of any smaller even in Washington.

While I agree that Crossfire's success is due to performance (and isn't hurt by the relative wealth of its local demographic), the idea that square miles matters is just silly. It's the school age population/ player base that makes the difference.

[tripleplay]

Crossfire's school age base is enough kids to fill 4 public high schools. Not big at all. And let's not forget that the winningest clubs at regionals don't have ANY geographical or population base assigned to them.

It's tempting (and fun I'm sure) to transform youth soccer into a big Risk game. But it is also wrong. Why go to Kent to play soccer if the people from Kent don't? My perception is that both GRFC and DOS have good offerings, but they are located in areas where for whatever reasons the sport has not made the inroads that it has elsewhere. Forcing people into one supplier by destroying two other suppliers doesn't sound like a promising first step to facing that reality.

[Islander]

the kids in Renton/Kent/Auburn (if we're just talking RCL) have many options beyond GRFC and Dos.  Going North or South isn't that big of a deal or going west to HPFC or FWFC is a very easy option also.  Anyudes makes a good point, just look at the rosters of Kentwood/Tahoma/Kentridge or even Auburn Mountainview girls HS teams and what Clubs they play for.

[metz123]

if you plotted the homes of those players currently wearing the Crossfire uniform, my guess it would exceed an area of 100 sqmi.   

My point though was Crossfire in the GU15 division has an ECNL team, A team, B team, C team and two Select Teams.  Not to many clubs claim that.  Multiply the revenues created by 6 teams versus some clubs that only have one team in that age group and so on.

Crossfire Select is its own club and has no interaction with Crossfire Premier from a revenue or player perspective. They are 2 different clubs, offering 2 unique programs, to 2 independent player and parent demographics. About the only thing they share is the same parent association, LWYSA.

[tripleplay]

Anyudes makes a good point, just look at the rosters of Kentwood/Tahoma/Kentridge or even Auburn Mountainview girls HS teams and what Clubs they play for.

Is that information listed somewhere?

[Islander]

Not that I know of.  Just knowing a lot of the players.

And Metz, thanks.  Maybe it was the Crossfire name and location that they both share that got me going, but thanks

[EWSoccer64]

Just to further sidetrack the thread - Crossfire Select.

I have dealt with a few teams and some players/families who were part of this program/club.   Everything I have seen, everything that I have heard, has been uniformly positive.   In many ways they fly under the radar, but they have been all accounts doing a good job there.  +1 to Crossfire Select.

[Soccer Wonk]

Yup.

[FanInRed]

the kids in Renton/Kent/Auburn (if we're just talking RCL) have many options beyond GRFC and Dos.  Going North or South isn't that big of a deal or going west to HPFC or FWFC is a very easy option also.  Anyudes makes a good point, just look at the rosters of Kentwood/Tahoma/Kentridge or even Auburn Mountainview girls HS teams and what Clubs they play for.

True dat...

The area is very accessible in every direction.  Kids who want to play for RCL have any number of convenient choices.  Lots of Kent school team members play their club soccer elsewhere.  Plus there's a huge number of families in Kent who won't play for Dos due to the long & painful history of board politics (Yote is the expert on this!) - note there are 19 teams in the Kent select program versus 22 in Dos.  Same goes for Renton - some of the local select teams want nothing to do with GRFC.  These areas have a lots of lower income families, and many folks see these programs as being too expensive when cheaper select programs (or ethnic leagues, which are very popular for the older boys) are available nearby, and people who can afford RCL can easily shop the bigger clubs just a few miles down the road.

[LTDAD]

I overheard a conversation last night at soccer practice; 2 parents were talking about a huge merger of South Hill Soccer Cub(Revolution), Puyallup Soccer Club, Sumner Soccer Club, Orting Soccer Club and the FWFC as their RCL team.  Does anyone know if this is true?  Seems to leave MRFC out in the cold, why wouldn't these teams include MRFC or RVS?

Go Panthers

[Southend soccer mom]

MRSA is disbanding so their Rec/Select clubs are going to other associations. The one left is MRFC which will be a stand alone club playing in PSPL only. Can anyone confirm that?

I overheard a conversation last night at soccer practice; 2 parents were talking about a huge merger of South Hill Soccer Cub(Revolution), Puyallup Soccer Club, Sumner Soccer Club, Orting Soccer Club and the FWFC as their RCL team.  Does anyone know if this is true?  Seems to leave MRFC out in the cold, why wouldn't these teams include MRFC or RVS?

Go Panthers

[bigb]

Not sure this would be a good idea for for FWFC...but for all the other clubs it sounds like a good idea...If Fury is not picked up by WPFC it could leave them all alone.

[BigBilly]

This is news to me, but I've been out of it for about a year or so, can anyone confirm this?  I guess thats why I drive all the way to FWFC for the past couple of years, cause I could see this coming for MRFC. 

MRSA is disbanding so their Rec/Select clubs are going to other associations. The one left is MRFC which will be a stand alone club playing in PSPL only. Can anyone confirm that?

I overheard a conversation last night at soccer practice; 2 parents were talking about a huge merger of South Hill Soccer Cub(Revolution), Puyallup Soccer Club, Sumner Soccer Club, Orting Soccer Club and the FWFC as their RCL team.  Does anyone know if this is true?  Seems to leave MRFC out in the cold, why wouldn't these teams include MRFC or RVS?

Go Panthers

[Southend soccer mom]

I've also heard that MRFC are doing some good things and lining up competent training partners so going US Club doesn't necessary mean a bad thing.

[erickb]

I've also heard that MRFC are doing some good things and lining up competent training partners so going US Club doesn't necessary mean a bad thing.

I hope they come up with something for the kids in the area that works not only for the future kids but the older kids that are in or stay with the club. That has been my biggest knock wrighting off development of the older kids to focus on the younger ones, good luck to them comming up with something that works

[chapsasoccerdad]

I overheard a conversation last night at soccer practice; 2 parents were talking about a huge merger of South Hill Soccer Cub(Revolution), Puyallup Soccer Club, Sumner Soccer Club, Orting Soccer Club and the FWFC as their RCL team.  Does anyone know if this is true?  Seems to leave MRFC out in the cold, why wouldn't these teams include MRFC or RVS?

Go Panthers

MRFC is left out in the cold due to MRFC - no other club wants to merge with them.  They are going US Club - have been very vocal about that.  The HUGE merger would be a great asset to all the kids in the Sumner, Bonney Lake, Orting area.  Alot of great options under one umbrella.