Are the best players playing?

[wmsmphs]

I really don't know. It just seems that there are only enough DI players in Memphis to form about 2 1/2 teams at the older ages. This means 1 of the 3 teams doesn't survive at the D1 level as they lose games badly which leads to not being invited back to tournaments and player moral drops and parents complain and some better players finally leave for the one of the other better teams which kills the weakest team. I guess it is survival of the fittest at this age.

[mrh11]

On 5/24/2003 at 10:55 AM, Irish17 said:

I think a rule like that would destroy high school soccer in Tennessee.

 

An area like Knoxville isn't big enough (population) for more than one top Div. I team in each older age group. There are a few teams around the state that seem to actually play club together when they aren't in high school, but they are not the dominant club or high school teams. I can tell you that Knoxville's best club team for junior year players, two-time Div. I State Champion TVFC Diadora Impact '86, has players from 10 different schools-not just Bearden and Farragut as people assume. Farragut has 4, Bearden 2, Knox Catholic 2, Knox West 2, Webb, Science Hill, Chattanooga Central, Morristown West, Lenoir City and University High of Johnson City each have 1 Impact player.

 

I'm not positive, but I think the distribution is pretty much the same on the other top (present or former State Champion) Knoxville teams like SMSC Select '85 (mostly seniors) and Knoxville Fire '87 (mostly sophomores).

 

The high school coaches at Farragut, Bearden, Catholic, CAK and Lenoir City do a good job of blending a lot of club players from different aged teams together during high school, but Knoxville's high school teams do not play together, for the most part, during club season.

Great point, Irish17! ☘️