Deseret News | Club sports: Options, expenses both expand for girls

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Club sports: Options, expenses both expand for girls

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Like it or not | 11:44 p.m. June 28, 2008

Avalanche is the best club in the state with the best players, they go to the best colleges and if you don't like it, by all means go to another club that's less competitive where the coaches are nicer and have a great time. Like someone said before the Avalanche U-18 college bound team has never ever lost to Celtic Storm. So have fun in college knowing you never beat Avalanche.

The future??? (girls soccer) | 12:07 a.m. June 29, 2008

Celtic has the best U-19 team. Avalanche has the best U-18 team and exceptional U-17 and team. Black Diamond also has an exceptional U-17 team. Sparta has an excellent overall program in all age groups. A good majority of the players on the above teams are already in college or are college bound.
So what is the future??? The talent pool looks to be moving to La Roca in Northern Utah.
La Roca teams captured State Titles in the U-16, U-15, and U-14 age groups. These are the incoming Freshman, Sophomores, and Juniors to be.
The U-14's beat So. Cal 3-0 at this year's Western Regionals, before losing in a shoot-out to eventual Champion Northern California.
The U-15's boast the top two teams in the State in their age group and about 20 ODP players. The U-15 Premier AO team is consistently ranked as one of the top teams in the West and the whole Nation.
The U-16's also opened a few eyes with their run at State Cup this year. These are girls that are already catching the attention of College coaches at the club level and will continue to be impact players on their High School team's.

Re: Avalanche | 7:57 p.m. June 29, 2008

Avalanche DID betray their U-17 Premier team that later left for Celtic. The team registered for State Cup but a team official promised to check the team in with the State and neglected to do so. Fortunately, the State has enacted policy to ensure that this does not happen again.

Avalanche is bad for girls soccer in Utah. They operate outside of the State rules that other clubs follow. They will actively recruit other teams players. They don't develop their own players but will take other team's best players by lying and deception.

Comments continue below

Re;Re; | 11:24 p.m. June 29, 2008

The team was Celtic, they were no longer part of Avalanche when they failed to check in. Most people on that team that I talked to wish they would have never left Avalanche. The only lying and deception going on around here is by you!. If other teams best players leave to play for Avalanche their doing it because they know there going to a better club. And what about all the loyal Celtic players that were let go the minute the Avlanche team transfered over. Real class by Celtic.

RE: re | 10:17 a.m. June 30, 2008

Celtic actually did not have a true 89 team because many 89s were playing with the 88 team. Once the team came over to Celtic the team became a mix of the former Avalanche team and the Celtic players. Also, it was the Avalanche club that did not go to the mandatory state cup meeting as the team was NOT allowed to switch clubs during the season. The people that knew about the meeting were the Avalanche club administration that were notified by the state. If so many of these girls wished they had stayed with Avalanche why do they list Celtic Storm as their club on their college profiles.

Club Sports can be snob Sports | 11:14 a.m. June 30, 2008

One of the biggest problems with Club Sports is girls are often cut not because of ability but because of politics ... way worse than High School. I have had Club coaches cut girls because another girl has a talented younger sibling they want later on or an older sibling was part of the club before. Money talks on these club teams.

Re; re; re; | 12:50 p.m. June 30, 2008

Celtic did have a 89 club team and many were replaced by Avalache players. I've talked to Celtic parents of the 89's that were cut, after all the years they put into the club, they are no longer friends of Celtic Storm for the way Celtic betrayed them. They were listed on their college profile becasue Celtic was the last club they came from. I didn't notice Celtic turning them down when they decided to take over an entire 89 team. Oh and by the way several 89's play with 88's that doesn't mean there was no 89 team.

Celtic storm - no U16 or U17 | 1:22 p.m. June 30, 2008

Again, there are NO premier soccer club teams in Utah County for U16 or U17. There are some younger teams but nothing for 16 or 17. You are forced to go to Salt Lake. There used to be U16 and U17 for Celtic Storm but nothing for he past couple of years.

Celtic U16 | 4:46 p.m. June 30, 2008

The Celtic Storm U-16 team was in the State Cup finals this year - so only one team was better. How is that not premier?

Where is USAA? part 1 | 11:14 p.m. June 30, 2008

Some clubs look out for club management, not the girls. And the politics that ï¿½Club Sports can be Snob Sports- mentions is for financial gain and ego.
Our high school soccer coach receives more income for working for one of the more expensive soccer clubs in the state than as the High School Coach.
Isnï¿½t this a conflict of interest? Really, is this legal? Isnï¿½t this at least unethical?
He and the club enjoy the financial benefits of at least appearing to be able to control and sell opportunities to make the High School soccer team.
Just from the influence of appearances, rich parents become more willing to spend funds to buy a place for their child on the team and deserving kids from poor families become discouraged from even trying.
When the income of the coach for the larger part of the year is coming from the club, will his decisions as the High School Coach be fair?
As another example of the clubs having a conflict of interest, kids are pressured to limit themselves to soccer.

Where is USAA? part 2 | 11:15 p.m. June 30, 2008

In this way, the benefit of our tax dollars is brokered to the financial benefit of clubs and possibly those that are outside of the community or even the school district.
Another example of clubs acting for their own benefit is pressuring kids to play just soccer.
Another temptation to give the soccer club kids on the High School Soccer team more playing time is this controls who is exposed to College scouts and scholarship offers. As we know, this effects club prestige and how much the club can get away with charging club members.

If a club coach is needed, canï¿½t we at least get a coach that works for free in the off season?
Where is the Utah High School Activities Association?

Re: Avalanche Club | 11:16 p.m. June 30, 2008

To set the record straight ... it was an Avalanche official who promised to check in the U-19 Celtic Storm team 2 years ago for state cup while that team was still part of the Avalanche club. It was mean and petty. That team lost out on the chance to play in the tournament and lost their registration fee of $600.

I can't understand why anyone would want to be part of the Avalanche club. They hurt more girls than they help. They're better at stealing other clubs best players than they are developing their own.

It's funny to see them brag about their U-18 premier team when their best players are girls that are not even in that age group but are younger players. Without the younger players that team would be just average.

Get your facts straight first. | 1:29 p.m. July 1, 2008

To: Where is USAA ?

Please try to be rational with your arguments. Yes ... your high school coach probably makes more as a club soccer coach ... your high school music teacher probably also makes more money teaching private lessons too. Fact is our teachers are not the best paid. Our high school coaches do it for the kids because they are truly not compensated very well for the amount of time they spend coaching high school sports.

Most of the premier level teams in soccer have girls that play for a variety of high schools. For instance, my daughter's team has girls that will play for Brighton, Jordan, Alta, East, Judge, Cottonwood, and Skyline. Our coach does not coach high school. Frankly ... most club coaches do not coach high school because the seasons conflict. Your panic about favoritism is largely unfounded.

Bottom line is that high school coaches will be fired or pressured to quit if they don't produce wins. They play their best players. Their best players usually turn out to be those who train and play the most and that is usually the club players.

Get your facts straight part 2 | 1:41 p.m. July 1, 2008

I really wish people would stop trying to use the lame argument that poorer kids cannot play club soccer. Any kid, if they really want to, can play club soccer. There are tons of independant teams that do not charge club fees. Generally, only the premier level teams travel out-of-state for tournaments. Excellent soccer can be found at the Division 1 and 2 levels.

The cost of club soccer can be as little as $50 per season for registration fees (2 seasons per year), $100 for a uniform with 2 jerseys, 2 shorts, and 2 socks (which can be used for 2 years/4 seasons), and $25 for referee fees. Many times teams can find sponsors that will reduce each child's fees and/or fundraisers can be used to cover all expenses. There are lots of good coaches that will even work for free. If you can't find one, find a parent who's willing and have them take the licensing courses. It's really not impossible IF you really want it for your children. It just takes work. Are you willing to pay the price to work hard for your children instead of just whining about it ?

central utah soccer | 7:12 a.m. July 2, 2008

here in central utah there is no club soccer for any of the players in any age group. playing comp club soccer is very beneficial, albeit costly, to develop and maintain strong high school soccer programs. with many of the central utah high schools in their first years of high school soccer you can clearly see in the level of their play that many havent played organized soccer.club ball gives you the opportunity to play against high caliber players all the time and gives you a chance to experience higher level coaching. we as parents and coaches in central utah we hope to someday have club soccer in central utah regardless of the cost.

Real world | 9:03 a.m. July 2, 2008

Club volley ball, baseball, wrestling even cheerleading is espensive, not just soccer. every sport nowdays has an off season program that costs money. That's the reality of it and it's here to stay. In my day we played in the streets, organized our own neighborhood teams and that was it. Not any more. Some of you act like your still living in the 50's. get with it and stop crying about paying for your kids while your driving your new SUV.

CLUBs good and bad | 12:46 p.m. July 2, 2008

Good
1. allows your son or daughter to really enhance their skills.
2. opportunity to play outside of Utah and be seen by college coaches

Bad
1. very expensive when you factor in the club dues as well as the out of state tournaments.
2. travel is a BIG concern now with the cost of fuel. Some sports like soccer have almost all clubs in Salt Lake so if you are from Utah County you better buy a Ugo that gets 40mpg.
3. most clubs are year round which means say good bye to the other non-athletic parts of your kids life.

so , although clubs do provide opportunity in athletics they steal away opportunity from other very important parts of a teen agers life. Balance is really what I am taking about here and balance is never mentioned in the conversation with club sports.

Soccer Sucks | 3:11 p.m. July 2, 2008

To think that clubs don't infiltrate HS Athletics is absurd. How many girls that don't play for Celtic play for Timpanogos? My daughter has friends who quit Celtic only to be cut later by Timpanogos. Sad but true.

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