Pulling out of State cup?

10 and 11 person teams are not uncommon at state cup. Sons team played with 14 the whole season. 14 seems to be a high number to be worrying about.

This is good to know.... It is our first time up there and not sure what to expect. We had a 14 man roster all year and that felt a little short given injuries, vacations, etc.
 
On the flip side, I remember a starting GK that was moving to a new team, but wanted to honor the commitment to her current Hotspurs team by staying with the team until after State Cup. The family drove all the way to Lancaster, but the coach (Paolo Landini) did not let her play at all that weekend since he questioned her "commitment" to the team. I have always make sure to tell people about what happened when they ask about him.
Due to the timing of tryouts my daughter knew on 2 occasions that she would be leaving an old team for a new team before national cup. Both times she stayed with her "old" team through national cup; I wouldn't have it any other way. 1st time the coach asked us to stay and we did, no issues no drama (she was the only keeper). 2nd time I was nervous as the coach had been acting in ways that I was not a fan of and he had another keeper. I was determined that even if the coach elected not to play her, she would be suited up and ready to play; the other players and parents would know that it was the coach's decision not to play her. Coach ended up riding her as far as the team could go losing in the elimination game to the team that ended up winning the tournament. I was very proud of her. Honor your commitments.
 
We are stuck going into State Cup without a keeper, silly daughter of mine broke her hand playing basketball at school. She will be helping the two girls that will take over at keeper, who are both forwards, and we will be there as well at the games. As a team we felt we could do really well this year, so it will be difficult. I feel really bad for the girls and other parents and hope they realize the process is more important then any wins or losses. There are still many things they can work on even when lacking at certain positions.
 
This is good to know.... It is our first time up there and not sure what to expect. We had a 14 man roster all year and that felt a little short given injuries, vacations, etc.
You can also find available girls to fill the roster if needed :). I don't know what the rule is, but I have seen quite a few girls (and usually they are one of the better players on the team) on younger boys teams over the years.
 
Being from LA, Galway Downs isn’t an easy drive either, especially making that left turn and the the parking
Galway is not much better in my mind either. Absolutely horrible parking lot. Takes several washes to get all the fine grit out of the car.

Over the years, State/National Cups have taken us to Apple Valley and Lancaster. Ventura/Oxnard, Ryan Park in Escondido, Coronado, Oceanside and Silverlakes. And who can forget San Bernardino Blast and Soccer complexes.

Frankly, I don't understand why these tournaments cannot be held at Great Park, Oceanside and Silverlakes. Between the three, there are more enough soccer fields. The Ventura/Oxnard complex is nice too. So include those fields to accommodate LA/Ventura Co teams too.
 
If you're getting a hotel in Lancaster.. stay away from anything along Sierra Hwy from the top of Lancaster to the bottom of Palmdale. Unless you're looking for hookers and drugs. Then by all means that's the spot. Stay with well-known hotel chains.
 
Frankly, I don't understand why these tournaments cannot be held at Great Park, Oceanside and Silverlakes. Between the three, there are more enough soccer fields. The Ventura/Oxnard complex is nice too. So include those fields to accommodate LA/Ventura Co teams too.

How do they go around picking the venues? For the second round league cup, they had us in a field which was comical other than be centrally located for the 3 teams playing. It was in a downtown elementary school. There was almost no grass on the field, just mud, and a large hole marked with cones on one corner and a baseball cage cutting short another. The goals were permanently affixed to the ground, but one was larger than the other, and they were misaligned (so the players were constantly on the run in a classic CR's diagonal). Is it a cost thing? An availability thing? A politics thing?
 
Pulling out rarely works and it gets messy

How do they go around picking the venues? For the second round league cup, they had us in a field which was comical other than be centrally located for the 3 teams playing. It was in a downtown elementary school. There was almost no grass on the field, just mud, and a large hole marked with cones on one corner and a baseball cage cutting short another. The goals were permanently affixed to the ground, but one was larger than the other, and they were misaligned (so the players were constantly on the run in a classic CR's diagonal). Is it a cost thing? An availability thing? A politics thing?

Cost and contracts, CS had/has some deals or ownership with the lancaster complex and apple valley at some point I recall. The wind & dust storms can be brutal out there but one of my son favor cup memories was playing in the snow in apple valley and advancing to the next round at lancaster.
 
Many parents on the sidelines of other teams can thank a Nat Cup game in Lancaster when the wind was blowing 44 mph for killing the microphone on my camera. Ever since then it almost never picks up sound and has saved many parent's comments from becoming immortal on YouTube.
 
On the flip side, I remember a starting GK that was moving to a new team, but wanted to honor the commitment to her current Hotspurs team by staying with the team until after State Cup. The family drove all the way to Lancaster, but the coach (Paolo Landini) did not let her play at all that weekend since he questioned her "commitment" to the team. I have always make sure to tell people about what happened when they ask about him.
What piece of P.O.S that guy must be.
 
His girls '05 team was very competitive right before the age split. Then his best players left for Rebels and Albion - that team got decimated
He is good at coaching the game, and will say very nice things to try to recruit you. His true character was shown in the way he treated the keeper I referred to. Treating a preteen player like that is childish. Coaches need to respect when players move to a team that better fits their needs, especially when it is a strong player moving to a higher level team. The facts are that it is difficult to get higher level development and exposure at a small, east SD county club.
 
Coaches should make sure they have players signed and committed to the following season before entering State Cup. If not just play a tournament in Jan and continue to train until your contract is up for the season. Clubs should start pulling out of State Cup to put pressure on Cal South to stop allowing clubs from holding tryouts until the end of State Cup like Cal North does.
 
Hello everyone,

I'm wondering if any team on this board has pulled out of State cup or any tournament for that matter? Generally, there is a fine that occurs when this happens and I'm trying to see who pays this. Is it only the families who pull out or does the team just divide it up? I can add some context.

Our team is a lower level team.... We were around .500 for most of the season and planned on going to State Cup mostly for the experience. We figured we would go 1-2 but either way we decided to go knowing that we could have to travel a bit. Of course we got put in Lancaster which is 3 hours from us. Adding to it is that our goalie broke his foot and our backup is basically refusing to play goalie. We have someone who can play but we would prefer it if he didn't as he is a better field player. As the team stand now, we would probably go 0-3. The parents are having a hard time justifying the trip only to get crushed. As of now, there are 3 families that are for sure not going.

So the goalie's mom was our team parent and I am getting stuck with this mess. In the mean time, we are looking to pick up some players and might get lucky but as it stands now we are running down to 12 kids, and hopefully no one else decides to skip.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Wouldn't it be better to have the first round for Presidents Division in Lancaster and the elimination rounds for Govt in Silver lakes. It stinks to drive so far for a single game.
 
Wouldn't it be better to have the first round for Presidents Division in Lancaster and the elimination rounds for Govt in Silver lakes. It stinks to drive so far for a single game.
Presidents is a higher level than Governors. In general higher level games tend to get better fields. Having had a player that rose through the ranks, I agree with this policy.
 
Presidents is a higher level than Governors. In general higher level games tend to get better fields. Having had a player that rose through the ranks, I agree with this policy.
I don't think level of play has anything to do with better fields.
 
Coaches should make sure they have players signed and committed to the following season before entering State Cup. If not just play a tournament in Jan and continue to train until your contract is up for the season. Clubs should start pulling out of State Cup to put pressure on Cal South to stop allowing clubs from holding tryouts until the end of State Cup like Cal North does.

This is a great idea. Right now, State Cup entry for younger teams is due by November 15th. Which is basically the end of the fall league season.
Teams register. Everyone is on board to play. Then the next 4 weeks, everyone runs around at tryouts trying to find the next best thing. Coaches leave for the next best thing. Practice starts back up again a week later and half of the team has 1 foot out the door, with another half of the team waiting to come in the door.
Cal-South could do one of the following:
1. Hold off on entry until mid-January and only allow teams to enter that have 80% of their fall team playing.
2. Mandate that clubs can't have tryouts until State Cup has been completed.
 
Coaches should make sure they have players signed and committed to the following season before entering State Cup. If not just play a tournament in Jan and continue to train until your contract is up for the season. Clubs should start pulling out of State Cup to put pressure on Cal South to stop allowing clubs from holding tryouts until the end of State Cup like Cal North does.

Then it gets down to the definition of "tryout".
 
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