Teams w/no Club players compared to those with.....

[cchssoccer]

I keep seeing all these high school teams who have alot of club players. What ever happened to girls playing basketball in the winter and running track in the spring? Options? I live about 45-60 minutes from the big city. So many girls cannot afford or do not have transportation to travel out of town for training/competition.

We have our short season.

The girls have to give up so much when you live in a town away from club...

Living in a big soccer community has many blessings. I hope those girls are thankful.

What is the percentage of West/ Middle/ and East TN high school teams with club players?

What about your school? %

[DonCChatt]

I agree that for rural areas, that it a great disadvantage.

 

For Notre Dame, at least 80% of varsity plays club at some level.

[BigG]

I agree that for rural areas, that it a great disadvantage.

 

For Notre Dame, at least 80% of varsity plays club at some level.

 

CAK is about the same...

[DonCChatt]

CAK is about the same...

 

 

Big G, that's the wrong answer. You need to say less than 10%.....

[h2odog]

CAK is about the same...

 

 

Just a few years back ( 4 or 5) St. Agnes had only a handful, today is closer to 90%.

[Bigdog01]

At CA we have 5 girls that play club but all travel 30 - 45 minutes to play. In Columbia there is 1 u-15 & 1 u-16 club girls team but they struggle to keep a team together so if the girls want to learn in a competitive environment and have a chance to play on a great team they have to travel to Franklin.

[woodeng]

Hmm interesting, just thought id add a note. In England, club soccer has almost totally destroyed high school soccer. 100% play club soccer, which of course ups the level of performance. But the esfa (english schools FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION) has hardly anymore power over youth football. School soccer is not very popular anymore, id say 50% of schools take it seriously and promote a good program, and only 5% run anywhere near as good as the ones in TN.

 

Students play for these clubs from the age of 8, so they think that club soccer is the "be-all and end-all" and often refuse to play for the school (due to their club coaches, who are hardly qualified and just shout nonsense at them from the sidelines).

 

So be careful what you wish for!!!! Is this likely to happen in TN? I hope not, as you guys (and ladies) have something very special.

[chindit]

The occasionally maligned Sequoy-aH has 1 girl that spent a year or so in the old "Tony" school (K'ville knows what I mean), 1 that played club age 10-12 and 1 that was playing U17 last spring. Madisonville and Vonore are a long way from anywhere...

[DonCChatt]

Hmm interesting, just thought id add a note. In England, club soccer has almost totally destroyed high school soccer. 100% play club soccer, which of course ups the level of performance. But the esfa (english schools FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION) has hardly anymore power over youth football. School soccer is not very popular anymore, id say 50% of schools take it seriously and promote a good program, and only 5% run anywhere near as good as the ones in TN.

 

Students play for these clubs from the age of 8, so they think that club soccer is the "be-all and end-all" and often refuse to play for the school (due to their club coaches, who are hardly qualified and just shout nonsense at them from the sidelines).

 

So be careful what you wish for!!!! Is this likely to happen in TN? I hope not, as you guys (and ladies) have something very special.

 

 

 

Good point. In my "ideal" world, they can both co-exist. Both add something to my daughter's overall experience. Plus, she get's a level of support from the school that can't exist at club.

[mustcoach]

I can only speak about the area I live. That being south of Knoxville, in Loudon County.

Lenoir City HS has four that I know play club soccer and maybe six at the most. Most of their team plays AYSO.

Loudon is even less then that as they have three. Most of them also play AYSO or have never played.

Alcoa has very few club players. I don't have numbers for them so going by what their coach said on a thread not to long ago.

In Roane County, Kingston HS has few, Harriman I would dare say has none and Rockwood I would venture to say is in the same situation.

In Monroe County, Sweetwater probably has the largest % of club players, while Sequoyah HS and Tellico Plains have mostly AYSO. Sequoyah's program has been around much longer then Tellico Plains, but I believe Sweetwater was where soccer began in that county back in the 80's.

I don't know this for fact but I would say alot of the girls in these more rural high schools do play basketball and softball in the spring. If they are playing soccer it is AYSO and indoor in the winter.

But to say this is any more unfair are forgetting a great number of basketball teams field players who play travel basketball and the same for softball and baseball. Tennis is the same and is becoming more and more like club soccer whereas you represent a particular racket club. Sports now a days isn't like it was when we grew up. I know that is stating the obvious, but almost every sport is year-around and becoming more and more specialized.

It is tough on players in the rural areas, but can be done. Most clubs have scholarships available to help with cost and it does take a change in priorities from a family standpoint. The families "together time" is at soccer contests instead of the movies on Fridays nights.

But in the long run it can help a family get their child into college both by helping encourage the child to keep grades up which could lead to academic scholarship and every year scholarships at colleges not given out because the talent pool is not there to award them. The same for golf, track and so on.

I know if a child has that kind of drive and commitment then the travel to get them the best training can be done. Is it the best system out there, probably not...but it is what it is for now.

[BigG]

In England, club soccer has almost totally destroyed high school soccer.

 

This is why we fought the TSSAA proposal for the 50% rule and we work so hard to be a joint effort with the club teams. I for one do not want it to come down to chosing (although some are) between the two, but to have the two benefit each other. The only way for this to happen, though, is a joint effort, and getting good highschool coaches who know and love the game, and who make the experience great for the players (note, I didn't say they had to win). I have had many of my players say that even though they have played on top notch club teams, their high school experience meant a lot more to them.

 

On the flip side of that, college coaches don't really care too much about high school soccer (which when you disect that, it makes sense on recruiting trips to go to big club tournaments) so club is almost paramount for good college recruiting exposure.

[kickgrass]

The Williamson County schools have very high percentages of club players with several likely approaching 100% (maybe a couple that don't). My daughter has played club soccer since she was 8 years old and if forced to choose she would probably pick club. But, High School is very, very important to her and there is something special about putting on your school colors and playing in front of fellow students and carrying that school banner. In the past in Williamson and Rutherford county there have been some club coaches that tried to force their players to not play in school and only club. Thankfully, they failed miserably in that attempt and gave it up to keep their players. There are many current instances of successful club coaches for older girls teams serving as assistant coaches on High School teams.

 

There is certainly room for both and I hope that the TSSAA will keep their noses out of it and allow both to peacefully coexist.