Status of SE Texas Boy's soccer!

[SFA]

Thanks for the update WellRead.  It does take a little research to keep up with all those guys.  I was sorry to read that Deavers left the U-17 Texans FC.  That group is playing in the premier league against the best teams in Texas and Oklahoma.  I imagine that it would of been some great competition.  It looks like Mr. Poole struck it rich with his club team.  They are doing well in the premier league and have qualified to play in a national league of club teams.  AWESOME!  The Kelly boys look like they are reaping the advantage of a good club season with 5 0r 6 of thier starters playing on the same club team.

I hope keeping this information out there will encourage and inspire other SE TX soccer players to play year around and develop their skillls.  Who knows where it might lead.  I think we will start to see a more consistant flow of players from this area to the college ranks.  I see at least 1 D1 college signing each of the next 3 years.  Based on what I've seen and their current level of play we can expect Kirby in 08, Stockie in 09 and Poole in 10.  Not to say there will not be more.  Mr. Waltrip, Hanks and Horning could easily be if they get seen by the right folks.  Mr. Washburn certainly has the skills and I am sure I am missing some others.  Its just hard to get recruited playing at the S2 level or just high school.

[sharkfutbol]

Scott Poole without a doubt if he continues to play... will play div one soccer in college if he so desires.  The experience and speed he is playing at is amazing and so he will be ready.. congrats to him.. I do not beleive all the Kelly players listed are interested in playing college soccer... Not saying they couldnt if they wanted.

[jcb6790]

playing club together is a great way to advance your play as a team because you get to know each other as players and can start reading the players pretty well. However, club isnt the only reason why teams are good. Some times the chemistry between players is naturally amazing, which is why lumberton and central did well...and another thing about central, im not sure how many club players they had last year but i would put some big money on the fact that they play together whenever possible, i play club with four or five central players this year and there timing is scary good, they just know each other. I dont think anyone is trying to say club is the only reason a team is good it is just a huge help...and even if you are playing club on a team with none of your high school teamates, it is still great because it gets you more practice and games, which helps your skill and decisivness witht the ball, it also keeps you in shape... and even teams with only four or five club players can win in the 22-4A because it is not the toughest district and with the exception of like four teams, everyone else only plays high school. so that is why lumberton and central did so well.. and that is why i think nederland along with Lumb and Cent will do well this year

[SFA]

You don't have to play club ball together, but it can help.  Some of the Kelly guys are in mid-season form as far as fitness and chemistry because they have been playing together since August.  I bet Central will get a boost if they have 4 or 5 players on that U-19 Spindletop Super 2 team. 

[sharkfutbol]

The things I agree with on playing club.  At least playing any level of club your getting touch on the ball and some decision making in a game.  Whatever level your playing at will dictate the speed your decisions are made. Obviously higher Div 1 games are faster than Div 2 and it is the same between lowest level to highest level.  I also beleive that the players have to adjust from club to high school and high school back to club.  Different speed and different style and different coaching.  The good players that are confident in their game can do this and be successful at both.  IT is sometimes probably better to have a player that hasnt played anywhere than one that doesnt believe anything their coach is saying because it isnt what club does and they have been in the club longer than with high school.  Its important that the club trainers and coaches adjust the kids game to the basics of defending, attack, and touch on the ball.  If you dont condemn a player to ONE position and teach them the whole game,  then any player can play anwhere on a field.  Sure you need a finisher and a keeper.  You cant teach the personality that makes those two positions successful but only funnel their energy the way you need it.  So kickit your team and you are at least doing more than most the players in the area are. 

[Bon_Mot]

SFA, I think the real question is should a kid who doesn't play for Spindletop Select be allowed to be called a "soccer player" or merely "a kid who aimlessly kicks a soccer ball from time to time"?  How many players can you name outside of the Select Family?

[SFA]

Can only talk to what I am familar with.  I try not to speak on players and teams I am not familar with.  I don't get to see the Gulf Coast kids play very often.  However I have seen the significant difference between local D2, Super 2 and D1 soccer.  I also know that some of the kids cannot be really evaluated because they don't play in the established youth leagues.  WB, Central and Memorial all have talent that was not developed by the club system.

[sharkfutbol]

I guess succes can be seen thru the club system..  Kelly has 3 div 1 players... 2 div 2 players and 5 super 2 players.  After that nothing and so the bench has to be developed to conform to the style of play your team will be working in a game.  So high school coaches have to work hard on getting a cohesiveness to develop.  Drills in tight spaces force the non club players to make decisions under pressure and hours of drills to develop their touch.  Unfortunate for the club players who are forced to hold up on their development to allow these others to catch up.  At Kelly there will be usually 2 or 3 non club players on the field at one time.  I am sure that most of the local high schools will have fewer club players than we do but several probably have more than we do.  Bon Mot is correct in saying that there is plenty of other clubs developing great players and being successful locally as well as in Houston or elsewhere. Either which way Kelly is 4-0-2 and doing well... soooo however we gots what we gots..  go dawgs....

[jcb6790]

Acctually Kelly has 6 super two, Matt Horning, Ben Hanks, Brent Fiedler, John Beaver, Ben Alvarado, and Hunter Allen. and the U19 age group, im ALMOST positive that it is all one big division...im not to sure that we are considered Division 1, Super 2, or Division 2..i THINK at that age(at least this year) it is all one level. But i could be wrong about the division thing.

[sharkfutbol]

Yep forgot Hunter Allen.  And for the super two.. or div one... The div one under nineteen usually come in and form after college for the National Cup.  So by guidelines there is no seperation but by quality there still is. Several of the teams in the league are not quality to be considered Div One and maybe no Super 2.  I still say Kelly has the same count add one to super 2.  Happy Thanksgiving to all....

[82Champs]

The same holds true for girls. If you are not playing Div. 1 level or have several years experience there, then you are probably not in the discussion of the best players in the area.

Spindletop U-15 girls has consistently been the area's top Div. 1 team for the past several years. Several girls from that team are already among the best in Southeast Texas even though they are freshmen.

The Spindletop Select U15 girls are a very good team.  The U12 Spindletop Select girls are also a Division 1 team that is about to be promoted to the Division 1 Classic Bracket (Top 6 Div 1 teams in the eastern part of South Texas).  The U13 Spindletop Select girls will be playing in the Super 2 State Tournament and also have earned a promotion to the Div 1 Competitive Bracket.  All of these teams are trained by Director of Training, Jan van Beveren and several fantastic associate trainers including Jonathan Lovoi, Justin Lovoi, and Joe Fontana.

[sharkfutbol]

what position do you play in club..... how many off your club team will start for vidor...

[SFA]

One fan's view in the spring of 08

The progress of the local soccer scene over the last year seems to me a mixed bag.  We have had some bright spots and some disappointments. I will list them out as I see them.  This is not just about high school soccer.  It is about this areas ability to produce quality soccer players that have the opportunity to play at the next level.  Something we do very well at in football and basketball.  Please chime in with your observations.  If I get a fact wrong, I apologize and appreciate any corrections.

First the good; 

We had our 1st Division 1 college signee in a while.  MK (Kelly) signed with the Univ. of Denver an up and coming D-1 program.  This makes for 2 local college players.  Young Mr. Smith (West Brook) is at Coker College a D2 program in SC.  If there is anyone else, please let us know.

We had local players play in some of the most competitive and elite youth soccer tournaments in the United States.  MK and SP (Lumberton) played with teams that won the Dallas Cup.  This has to be one of the top one or two tournaments in the country.  This is an accomplishment that seems lost on most of the local fans.  SP and NS (Kelly) both played at the Disney Soccer Showcase.  SP as part of Texans FC 92 Red play in a club National league and NS as part of the TSC Texans 91 run to the finals in that tournament.  MK and NS also played in the youth tournament associated with the College men’s final 4 in NC this year.

MK continued his successful year being named Dynamo Academy player of the year and was selected for the southeast region III ODP team that went to Brazil this spring.  These are both awesome accomplishments.

SP’s club team, Texans FC Red 92, is having a tremendous year.  They took 2nd place in the TX/OK Premier league.  This qualified them for a spot in a national club league, in which they tied for 3rd place.

These three young men are playing at a very high level and I would very much expect Messer’s SP and NS to join MK in the D1 college ranks.

Also to the good, Gulf Coast Soccer U-17 boys won the 1st round of the Super II, Silver bracket.  They did struggle in the 2nd round dropping back to the Bronze bracket for round three.  However, they did win that competition and should start back in the silver bracket next year.  If this team were able to attract some depth with players from north county and Orange they have the quality to make a run at the Division 1, competitive bracket before the end of the next club season. Also the Gulf Coast U-15’s came in 2nd for the last round of the S2 bronze bracket.  They should move up to the Silver bracket next year.  The success of these two teams should are good indicators for an improving Nederland and P-NG varsity squads in 09. The GC 89 team also finished 2nd in the U-19 bracket.

To the bad:  Spindletop Select is having absolutely no success in its high school aged boys program.  Only two teams represented the club in the EDDOA S2 and D1 level last club season.  Both of these teams played in the U-19 bracket. The 89 Red team started out with some promise but seemed to lose steam late in the season.  I believe most of these players graduate this year.  The 89 White team (made up of mainly under-aged players) was an absolute wreck.  They had no business playing at the U-19 S2 level and should have been playing D2. 

High School:

To the good – Congratulations to Lumberton and Kelly for great seasons:  Lumberton completed district play without a loss and made it into the 2nd round of the playoff losing to Regional finalist Nacogdoches.  Kelly played a tough non-district schedule including 4 5A playoff teams and 2 Louisiana state champions.  Kelly made it to the TAPPS semi-finals, losing to eventual state champion SA Central, giving them their closest game of the tournament.  Both of these teams had great seniors and will have to contend with significant talent loss for next season.

A lot of the high school varsity squads played in pre-season tournaments out of the local area.  Hopefully, the experience helped with their season and pushed them to improve the quality of their play.  The new smaller UIL districts for 09 should allow for more non-district games and an opportunity for the better teams to challenge themselves out of the local area and improve their chances come playoff time.

The bad:  WO-S.  I feel badly for these kids.  Hopefully, these players are or will start playing year around on club teams in an effort to improve, because it isn’t going to happen the way in is currently going.

Central: Why do these games more resemble rugby than the beautiful game.  Hopefully a change in player leadership will modify their style.  There are players on this team with talent, we just don’t get to appreciate it with all the questionable play and flopping.

West Brook:  What happened to West Brook?  They didn’t make a lot of noise this year.  They have traditionally been this areas strongest high school program.  Although they didn’t play, I feel that Lumberton and Kelly could have beat them head to head and LC-M and Nederland may have gotten the better of them as well.  The trouble with WB is that Spindletop doesn’t seem to be developing players at the high school age anymore,  couple that with a coach that discourages kids from playing club ball, the future does not look particularly bright.

Good luck to SP (Texas FC Red 92) and NS (TSC Texans Elite 91) in the upcoming National Cup play.  Good luck as well to MK (TSC Texans 90), BW (Lumberton & Space City 90) and ZC (Kelly & TSC Texans 92) in this springs Presidents cup

[sharkfutbol]

Also four Nederland players will be playing with the Texans FC in the president cup this spring.  All playing under sixteen.  So some other players are having to make the journey out of the area to get on quality teams.

[SFA]

Shark: Have these players been with FC all along, or have they just transfer under recently?  Either way, good luck to them.  Nederland should really see the benefits of this many players competing at this high a level. 

[sharkfutbol]

Just transferred.... so thats the reason you didnt have them listed...

[MANUNITEDfootball]

What a shame kids have to travel so far to compete.  Isn't that what you tried to do while you coached the Elite group?  Get them to compete at the highest level in the Houston area.  Since wins came few and far between, not many folks were happy.  Your message was always the same.  If you want to play against the best, this (Houston) is where we need to be.  I guess playing with versus against the best 

[MANUNITEDfootball]

Sorry for the abrupt end to the post.  Nothing left to say except "enjoyed it while it lasted."

[sharkfutbol]

It is in fact what soccer should have been at under fourteen ... Playing to be your best for the future.  Not about wins or losses.  The team earned their rite to be at a higher level and whether they won or loss, in my opinion they were competing well against larger numbers.  This is what prepared the boys to do so well for their high schools and to be appreciated for high level teams.  Watch your sons compared to the players who havent been at that level, and see the difference in their decision making.  The problem locally is that without numbers the kids can come to practices and loaf knowing we have nobody else to choose from.  And each year we have to pick up a couple of new players that havent played we are back to square one holding back the players that wanted to go forward.  It wasnt fair to have to fight to get kids to want to practice and be there and try.  I will miss it as much as the kids will because I did enjoy the players and their unique personality.  Teams in houston have three teams in each group and if you choose not to practice then they pass you on and move someone else up.  A nice deterrent.  Ask the players going to houston, and all they do is schrimmage, and very little teaching because by now they should all have the technique to play.  I agree its ashame that you cant keep a team together here to comopete which we have in the past.  I enjoyed the ride also........................

[Bon_Mot]

What clubs will be fielding a competitive team for the local high school kids?  I find it really hard telling my players that they have to drive to Houston 2 or 3 times a week and play some unbelievable fees just to play soccer at a high level and get better...but as far as I know, it's the truth.

Let's make sure we don't put all of the blame on the clubs, though.  I can't tell you how many times I heard some of my kids say, "We'd would've done a lot better if everyone had showed up..."  And that is abslolute crap.  If you make a commitment to something, and others are relying on you, stick to it.  Uphold your end of the deal.  And that's aimed at the parents and their children.

[sharkfutbol]

Amen,  to that bonmot.......... ;D

[MANUNITEDfootball]

You guys are right.  My belief is that we (locally) should be further along than we are.  Let's face it, unless you've played the game or are a parent of one who does, most folks don't think soccer is even a sport, especially here.  My kid shouldn't have to go to Houston to find competition.  Coaches/schools need to look ahead, prepare for the future.  Someday your child may want to play at a high level, and by that time gas will be $7.00 bucks a gallon.  No easy answers here.........just my opinion.

[sharkfutbol]

At one time the area was competitive with the houston teams.  Sure we lost alot but could compete and do well. However when the local soccer scene became all about each individuals feelings rather than putting the best together.......  we started back tracking.  Gulf coast has always had athletic kids and players who wanted to play but were spread very thin on what other sports we do in the area....  but you are rite when you say we are lagging behind.  like yous said gas prices are crazy.  but we were griping about one trip a week to houston... now they are looking at three or four.  it is a committment

[Bon_Mot]

While we're on the subject of clubs, the latest Soccer America has a great article about the flaws of our youth system.  It's got some great stuff from John Hackworth who is a director for the US Soccer Development Academy and Sigi Schmid who's been around the block quite a bit:

*  Clubs are focusing too much on results at too young of an age.  We shouldn't worry too much about results or championships until age 11 or 12.  The bigger, stronger, and faster teams usually win at these young ages.  worry about individual advancement and creativity, not trophies.

*  Things they hate to see at the youth level - 1)  a team's really good player marking the other team's really good player and chasing him all over the field.  2) A team playing with its tallest and fastest kid 20 yards behind his backline.  3) Coaches screaming out what to do every second of the play.

Schmid also had a great part in the article about what he looks for from players at a young age.  He says when a 6 or 7 year old begins to look up from a ball, that's a sign of advancement.  His stages are - "It's me and the ball" "It's me and the ball, where's the opponent?"  and finally "It's me and the ball, where's the opponent, and where's my teammate?"  Unfortunately I see the early stages of this with players who are 14+ years of age and have played club soccer for a while.  When they receive a pass, they either "boot it" down the field or bury their head and dribble straight into whatever is ahead of them.

I'm not throwing out accusations at our local clubs, but the area high schools are only as good as the area club systems to an extent. 

[Guest setxgal]

Our area would not have a chance of having soccer if it weren't for our clubs.  That being said, the running of those clubs, have at times, been a huge hindrance on the learning of the child.  I don't know how many seasons ( and i sat on one of the Boards) that we begged parents to coach or we wouldn't have a team.  Sounds great in theory, so we get the most gung-ho dad who has probably never played soccer(we are just getting to have a 2nd generation in few years), who picks up a book, etc and gives it all he has.  Unfortunately , it may not have been what those kids needed at that age, etc.  Look at how much trouble we have had getting and keeping good trainers (and they get paid).  Unfortunately, for many years, there was so much infighting between the area clubs, that little to nothing really was accomplished on a measurable scale.  I don't know if the Houston clubs are older (doubt by much) or if they got all the bickering out early and were able to actually focus on soccer. 

I will say, the clubs try, and when your kid is 4 and he is not picking daisies and he is at least touching the ball, you figure you are in good hands. The realization that there is a problem comes years later when some find it absurd that an ___yr old is having to just learn____. IDK. luckily my lil soccer guy turned out ok, but he now falls in that group that need to go to Houston to get even better.

I will say, that in the past 10 years, things have improved at a snails pace, but it has gone in a good direction.  But, when i sat on the board, there was this constant debate....do you let them be kids and its just a game or do you go all out, winning is everything.  While I was there they never could find that balance.  I wanted the first Saturday to be a "silent Saturday" for the younger kids, where parents could hold up signs but couldn't yell (it sounded like heaven in my mind ;D) so that the kids had a good experience and didn't go off crying cause their dad screamed at him.  But, then on the other hand, we had a very experienced coach/dad whom terrified the majority of board members.(Cause he knew his game!!) If your child was lucky to have been on that team, his tactics made sense....to the others (possibly jealous) he was a dictator of sorts. Well, it made me laugh at the parents who wanted the best for their kids but at 12 decided he was too tough...My husband and I would just roll our eyes and think"wait till high school, if they think that was yelling!" He went on to have several good club teams, and the board continued to listen to parents whine about his tactics.  So what to do? get experienced people that may not play nice or good ole dad who may not play well????

I do, however, recommend if you ever get the chance, sit on one of the club boards when your kids play..It goes back to that , can't gripe if you don't participate thing!

I did my time, made few changes, but felt I left it slightly better than when I first got there.  (my time was quite an eye-opener!)