# Question about multiple teams in age bracket?



## mommato2girls (Aug 23, 2016)

I've started looking at various clubs and find that many clubs have 4 or 5 teams in the same age bracket. I know there are different flights etc but what I don't understand is when there is a tournament and then 3 teams from the same club all play in the same bracket. Why is that done? For example why would a Slammers team play a Slammers team at a tournament? (Insert any team name there, this just happened to be the last one I saw) Is it bc they are different locations of the same club? The club we moved away from frowned upon teams playing against each other in formal competition. Even the 'A' team vs the 'B' team etc. And if all the clubs are in spread out locations why are they still under the same name? Like the SD Galaxy in South Bay? Is there a benefit besides name recognition? Do they train together or share the same trainers/facilities? I'm confused trying to figure out which team is who?


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## futbol fanatic (Aug 23, 2016)

I think you'll find that all these large clubs are mergers. I may have this wrong, but LA Galaxy San Diego was a merger between Carlsbad Wave and Carlsbad LIghtning, then it became Carlsbad United. Then they went under the LA galaxy name to let people know they were in affiliation with a professional team. I think it works much like a franchise for the other ones like Surf, Slammers, etc. They have different locations, but they don't share trainers. They just share the name, and I believe they have to pay to use the name. Someone with more experience in that can provide better insight.


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## younothat (Aug 23, 2016)

Franchising & consolidation has made interclub comp the new normal.     Some oxymoronic names   Inland Empire Surf , LA Galaxy Bakersfield 

Between Slammer, Pats, Galaxy,  Strikers,  Surf you have enough teams for league,  all in a name...  like a fictitious business name.


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## timbuck (Aug 24, 2016)

I believe that before we had SCDSL that a club was limited to a maximum number of team per age group.  
Not sure how the various satellite groups we have now would have been impacted (i.e.- slammers, south slammers, Irvine slammers. Or OC Strikers , MV Strikers, Newport Strikers, Strikers North-  which all are in OC).


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## mirage (Aug 24, 2016)

There are two basic types of large clubs.  One is a franchise model, where a club formerly know as "x" is now called "BigDA/ECNL cityname" and imply that they are somehow work closely with the original club.  Each club in this category has its own 501(C)3 incorporation and its own board and governance.  Its just a banner and logo on the jersey, for all practical purposes (e.g., Strikers, Slammers, LAG).  They may share training programs and other curricular but it depends club by club.

The other is a large club acquire or merge into a larger entity with multiple cities and operate under the original club's 501(C)3.  So it really is a one club with multiple operating sites (e.g., Pats) - not a franchise model.

In all cases, its not clear case of one or another.  As time have gone by, there are mixes of both as clubs get larger to suit their needs at the time.

This trend started when SCDSL was formed and eliminated CSL's then rule of only having 3 teams at any given age.  CSL now has changed that too and the popularity of club soccer as economic conditions improved over the past 7 years or so has fueled the consolidation of "names".  It is very difficult to be non DA and/or ECNL club these days when every parents are so focused on high end competition and a chance to play in college for their kids.

So when you see Strikers North play Strikers Irvine, its was OC Revolution vs Strikers.  Similar things can be said about Surf, Slammers and so on.

Hope this helps with some background....


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## mommato2girls (Aug 24, 2016)

Thanks for the responses! Yes, helps clear it up a little. I just saw a tournament schedule and saw the same club competing against each other and thought??? Wouldn't it be cheaper just to call each other and have friendlies vs pay to be in a tournament to play your own club? I definitely have a lot to learn about soccer in SoCal!


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## zebrafish (Aug 24, 2016)

timbuck said:


> I believe that before we had SCDSL that a club was limited to a maximum number of team per age group.
> Not sure how the various satellite groups we have now would have been impacted (i.e.- slammers, south slammers, Irvine slammers. Or OC Strikers , MV Strikers, Newport Strikers, Strikers North-  which all are in OC).


Jeez, don't forget CDA Slammers


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## timbuck (Aug 24, 2016)

They should start a new league and call is 
S3 P R G
Slammers
Strikers
Surf
Pats
Real
Galaxy

Then Blues, Legends and West Coast can have their own league.  Anyone with "United" or "FC" in their name can also join the independent league.


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