Re: Spirit Red North Coaching Change

by berserker13 12/01/10, 03:22 pm

Back- I'm not arguing against your point. Like I've said, I don't know much about this team or coach. I would agree that the expectation of the parents were probably not realistic, if they expected to win in D1 after promotion and losing 2 key players. It also doesn't make sense to go get the coach that got them there fired because they didn't win at that level. Yet you still use language when making your point that is derogetory of the club and not completely correct, that is my point. You say that the club fine for a team that doesn't take it seriously. Why isn't the club fine for a team that does take it seriously? What makes you think that the players in the Spirit club will never play D1? My DD's 97 Spirit team has had 5 players that left and are playing on D1 teams now. My other DD's Spirit academy team is very competative, probably top 5 and would be D1 if select today.
You can make your point about this particular team based on the facts of this team, without chalking it up to the fact that Spirit is an inferior club. Your elitist attitude is why smaller clubs don't maintain D1 teams easily: the parents think the grass is greener and go to an established team. The LH bye system also make it very difficult to take a team and move up and break into the ranks. Its far easier for parents to simply take their kids to the D1 team with the bye, and leave their old teammates to struggle to fill the gaps. A large club can absorb this movement especially when they have an established D1 team. So when it comes to recruiting, yes, we are not as good as the big clubs, mainly because the club follows the rules and does not recruit (its up to the parents).

by Uncle Numanga 12/01/10, 03:32 pm

berserker13 wrote: Why would a D1 player want to come to Texas Spirit? - Why not?
It is true that success perpetuates itself, that is why the big clubs continue to dominate the D1 ranks. The big clubs also have a bigger pool to draw from and create elite teams. Your attitude that you have to be at a big club to get something out of it, is what also perpetuates the big clubs staying big.
I've had experience as a parent with Blachwatch (now Solar), FC Dallas, Texans and Sting. None of those clubs offer much more or less than I have now at Spirit. Mainly it is about the coach. I feel that I am getting better coaching than I have had in the past. I feel that both of my DDs have gotten great development from their coaches at Spirit. Spirit also uses the same goalkeeper coachs as Sting. The facilities at Spirit are on par with all those other clubs, and is in fact better than what we got with Sting, Texans and Blackwatch. Sting and Texans frequently used parks and were bounced around a lot. I would have to say that FC Dallas has great facilities. I am talking about the Spirit facility in Plano, I don't know where Spirit North practices. A big part of the reason I like my DD's teams is the attitude of the parents and girls.
Scholarship opportunities: Go to the Spirit website. I don't know whether these girls all got scholarships, but it lists 12 girls that are playing in college from the class of 2009 (all off of one team). This seems pretty consistent from year to year. I know that all the Select teams participate in the Houston showcase each year.
I know I'm not going to convince those that only believe in the big club theory, but I ask that you don't bash a smaller club, without having some first hand knowledge of that club. Even those big clubs where I have had experience, I don't go out and bash them, because I know that I've only experience a small part of that club. The most important thing is to get a coach that works for you and your situation.

Have you been to Ross Stewart?

by berserker13 12/01/10, 04:45 pm

Uncle Numanga wrote:
berserker13 wrote: Why would a D1 player want to come to Texas Spirit? - Why not?
It is true that success perpetuates itself, that is why the big clubs continue to dominate the D1 ranks. The big clubs also have a bigger pool to draw from and create elite teams. Your attitude that you have to be at a big club to get something out of it, is what also perpetuates the big clubs staying big.
I've had experience as a parent with Blachwatch (now Solar), FC Dallas, Texans and Sting. None of those clubs offer much more or less than I have now at Spirit. Mainly it is about the coach. I feel that I am getting better coaching than I have had in the past. I feel that both of my DDs have gotten great development from their coaches at Spirit. Spirit also uses the same goalkeeper coachs as Sting. The facilities at Spirit are on par with all those other clubs, and is in fact better than what we got with Sting, Texans and Blackwatch. Sting and Texans frequently used parks and were bounced around a lot. I would have to say that FC Dallas has great facilities. I am talking about the Spirit facility in Plano, I don't know where Spirit North practices. A big part of the reason I like my DD's teams is the attitude of the parents and girls.
Scholarship opportunities: Go to the Spirit website. I don't know whether these girls all got scholarships, but it lists 12 girls that are playing in college from the class of 2009 (all off of one team). This seems pretty consistent from year to year. I know that all the Select teams participate in the Houston showcase each year.
I know I'm not going to convince those that only believe in the big club theory, but I ask that you don't bash a smaller club, without having some first hand knowledge of that club. Even those big clubs where I have had experience, I don't go out and bash them, because I know that I've only experience a small part of that club. The most important thing is to get a coach that works for you and your situation.
Have you been to Ross Stewart?

Yes, I agree Ross Stewart does have nice fields. When we were with Texans it was Texans North and we practiced at Carpenter park and other city parks. So, I will say the Texans Dallas has nicer grass than Spirit Plano, but not significantly better and Sprit's parking is better. Smile

by socrocks 12/01/10, 08:53 pm

I can see where Backtrackin is coming from on this. My dd did play for Spirit (academy) so I can offer some perspective. Spirit North did have 2 pretty solid 96 academy teams at u10. Peter P coached the White team (always a Spirit team) and my dd played for Force Academy North Yellow (old FC Dallas) which migrated to Spirit and became the Spirit Red North team. This was a scenario where putting the 2 teams together would have easily made for a solid D1 team. Let’s suffice to say there was nothing smooth about the transition. There was a battle of egos between coaches, parents and players. The teams never really got along….practiced separately and during our tenure never even scrimmaged each other even though we practiced on the same days and right next to each other (I think they may have interacted more sometime after my dd left). I’ve been outspoken in the past that I thought upper Spirit management should have stepped in and taken control of the situation. They didn’t and the potential for a really good team eroded. By u11, Spirit Red North dissolved, with several girls moving to D1 teams. The White team became the Red team and did qualify for D1. That’s the team this thread is about.

Details escape me but Spirit North also lost a D1 caliber ’95 team (you may remember them as “shoulda been in D1”) who became North Texas United (now a D1 team at u15).

Either the ’93 or the ’94 Spirit North team, who I seem to remember was also pretty good had an implosion at about the same time. I can’t remember the coach’s name (John something, I think) but it was a similar situation where some parents loved him and some didn't. I think he was ousted and the team splintered.

So, while my exposure was really limited to the Spirit North division, I’d have to agree with Backtrackin that things could have been managed better. Spirit seems to have a good draw and sizable talent pool at the academy ages but they don’t seem to retain that talent as the girls get older.

Sly is a good guy and I hate to see this happen. Not sure I understand his fate though. Is he just parting ways with the 96s or leaving Spirit altogether?

by Sponsored content

Join Heath Soccer Academy (Rockwall area)	29/08/24, 10:58 pm	socroc
Join Heath Soccer Academy (Rockwall area)	29/08/24, 11:02 am	socroc
09/10 COMPETITIVE TEAM IN ROCKWALL AREA	17/08/24, 02:26 am	Jumpman
Last call Solar 09/10 Rockwall	22/07/24, 10:48 am	socroc
Last call Solar 09 Rockwall	22/07/24, 10:15 am	socroc
Solar 09 NPL NTX (Rockwall)	15/07/24, 08:15 pm	socroc
Solar 09 NPL NTX (Rockwall)	15/07/24, 06:35 pm	socroc
Solar 09 NPL NTX (Rockwall)	15/07/24, 05:18 pm	socroc
Solar 09 NPL NTX (Rockwall)	26/06/24, 10:29 am	socroc
2008G Dallas Texans Tryouts (Final 1-2 spots)	26/06/24, 10:20 am	Dallas Texans East
2008G Dallas Texans Tryouts	26/06/24, 09:52 am	Dallas Texans East
Solar 07 Spear DII Classic League	25/06/24, 01:42 pm	socroc
Solar 06B RL and DI Classic	25/06/24, 01:34 pm	socroc
RSC 11' GCL w/Coach Adam	23/06/24, 01:15 pm	acst
Oh Yeah! movin' on UP 09's	23/06/24, 09:58 am	acst
Open Practice	20/06/24, 10:00 am	Coach Jim
BvB '06 Gold D-1 Coach Chris Obara formerly with Ayses	17/06/24, 11:18 am	BiroBiro
Renegades 2016G and 2017G North Blanton	16/06/24, 06:30 pm	tareyncarol
FCP Dynamos 2010B - Looking For Players	16/06/24, 05:02 pm	fcpcoach
Solar 2014B Williams - White - Needing 2 more players	09/06/24, 02:39 pm	Marvelousmar
RSC ELITE CAC	09/06/24, 12:10 pm	acst
RSC 08Clark	02/06/24, 05:43 pm	acst
Sting 2011 Boys ECNL RL NTX	02/06/24, 06:17 am	Jumpman
NTX Celtic 2011B ECNL-RL-NTX Opportunity	01/06/24, 11:04 pm	FSFFL
NTX Celtic 06/07G ECNL-RL-NTX Opportunity	01/06/24, 10:49 pm	FSFFL