dk_b
GOLD
I have enjoyed this board very much over the years - I was first involved MANY years ago when my kid had her first experience at Surf Cup (before they expanded the field) and, in a quarterfinal game, there was a red card called on our GK which generated a lot of discussion. @Dominic reached out to me about the NorCal board in one of its iterations and that was fun to see take off and, after years, peter out.
This board has been really consistent and I have enjoyed follow the progress of some of the participants' kids, getting inside info about certain college programs and certain coaches and making real life contact with some. I like that we come with different viewpoints, expectations about what "soccer" represents (youth, college, pro, community, national identity, etc.). I've tangled with some but b/c I don't like to fight on the internet, I try to express disagreement w/o using insults or derision (I have failed more on the latter than on the former) and back when the thumbs down feature existed, I am proud that I never gave anyone a thumbs down (if I don't like a post, I'd prefer saying so and explaining why. Sometimes I learn something and sometimes we can just part respectfully).
Why all this? Well, I don't have any blocked names but I can't stand the threads that get so hijacked on the political track. I get the "why" behind that but I do think that the Covid impact can be discussed w/o resorting politics. So while sometimes I do read the threads, and get depressed as hell, it's easy enough to ignore it. And while I am often tempted to just cancel my account, I do like the D1 threads and I do like the recruiting thread (I learn things that may help my younger kids and I can share aspects of my older kid's experience that might be helpful to others).
I hope everyone can focus their anger, anxiety, fear and frustration in positive ways (on that, I am often not successful but at least I get to see my dog all day every day). And I look forward to more threads that are entirely soccer-related b/c that will be an indication that we will be on the other side of Coronavirus.
This board has been really consistent and I have enjoyed follow the progress of some of the participants' kids, getting inside info about certain college programs and certain coaches and making real life contact with some. I like that we come with different viewpoints, expectations about what "soccer" represents (youth, college, pro, community, national identity, etc.). I've tangled with some but b/c I don't like to fight on the internet, I try to express disagreement w/o using insults or derision (I have failed more on the latter than on the former) and back when the thumbs down feature existed, I am proud that I never gave anyone a thumbs down (if I don't like a post, I'd prefer saying so and explaining why. Sometimes I learn something and sometimes we can just part respectfully).
Why all this? Well, I don't have any blocked names but I can't stand the threads that get so hijacked on the political track. I get the "why" behind that but I do think that the Covid impact can be discussed w/o resorting politics. So while sometimes I do read the threads, and get depressed as hell, it's easy enough to ignore it. And while I am often tempted to just cancel my account, I do like the D1 threads and I do like the recruiting thread (I learn things that may help my younger kids and I can share aspects of my older kid's experience that might be helpful to others).
I hope everyone can focus their anger, anxiety, fear and frustration in positive ways (on that, I am often not successful but at least I get to see my dog all day every day). And I look forward to more threads that are entirely soccer-related b/c that will be an indication that we will be on the other side of Coronavirus.