SoCal Elite - exit stage left

[TeamDadJokes]

So what are the loopholes here? Open trainings? ID Events? I mean Eagles having tryouts in January ‍.. all of this was pulled on Instagram today..

From the SoCal website:
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 - Tryouts may begin NO SOONER than Monday, February 13, 2023

Pay attention to the dates below (Some are looking in November):

 

[Grace T.]

So what are the loopholes here? Open trainings? ID Events? I mean Eagles having tryouts in January ‍♂.. all of this was pulled on Instagram today..

From the SoCal website:
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 - Tryouts may begin NO SOONER than Monday, February 13, 2023

Sporting California and Eagles are both in Ventura, Coast (at least they were fall season). So the SoCal League rules wouldn't apply to them. TFA seems to be the affiliates....don't know about them.

 

[aong cangkol]

Since the end of Fall season, clubs have had open tryouts for ECNL, DPL, GA, EA, EA2. They will not sign players for SOCAL leagues but verbally told parents that the offer will come after the Feb 13 date. Clubs definitely use this loophole to recruit players and technically conforms with the rule.
Another way is to give out coaches contact info. If a player/parent showed up to practice and did not disclose their club affiliations, then technically it is within the rule as well. The coach is not required to do "background check" on a player and there is no rule saying a player will be "banned" from SOCAL league for training with other team.
Thanksgiving camp, holiday camp, and any other camps are 100% legal way to recruits as long as there is no contract offer.
It is possible that this club has been signing official contract agreement with players from other SOCAL club (signing up AYSO or other non-SOCAL is fine) and some parents leaked out that info. Other clubs found the evidence and SOCAL has to make a decision.

 

[dad4]

I’m trying to understand the difference between an out of season tryout (Socal Elite) and an out of season invitation only training camp (Blues).

That’s not to throw shade at Blues. I see nothing wrong with Blues creating an extra chance for kids to play and get better. But I also see nothing wrong with SoCal Elite doing the same.

 

[Grace T.]

Since the end of Fall season, clubs have had open tryouts for ECNL, DPL, GA, EA, EA2. They will not sign players for SOCAL leagues but verbally told parents that the offer will come after the Feb 13 date. Clubs definitely use this loophole to recruit players and technically conforms with the rule.
Another way is to give out coaches contact info. If a player/parent showed up to practice and did not disclose their club affiliations, then technically it is within the rule as well. The coach is not required to do "background check" on a player and there is no rule saying a player will be "banned" from SOCAL league for training with other team.
Thanksgiving camp, holiday camp, and any other camps are 100% legal way to recruits as long as there is no contract offer.
It is possible that this club has been signing official contract agreement with players from other SOCAL club (signing up AYSO or other non-SOCAL is fine) and some parents leaked out that info. Other clubs found the evidence and SOCAL has to make a decision.

The tryout policy is pretty clear: "clubs and teams CAN NOT hold training sessions, clinics, kick arounds, camps, festivals (whatever name you give it) for players OUTSIDE of your club"...prior to the try out date. You can hold free ones for your club and rec players, and you can also hold ones that you charge for (so long as your intent isn't just to recruit...e.g., you can't charge for the camp and call it a try out).

 

[Soccerisfun2022]

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I’m trying to understand the difference between an out of season tryout (Socal Elite) and an out of season invitation only training camp (Blues).

That’s not to throw shade at Blues. I see nothing wrong with Blues creating an extra chance for kids to play and get better. But I also see nothing wrong with SoCal Elite doing the same.

The invitation camp had a cost and was not organized by any Blues staff or was affiliated with the Blues. Just because Blues players go to a camp does not mean the Blues ran that camp. They did not.

 

[watfly]

This email is being sent to notify the SOCAL membership, including DOC's, coaches, managers and Club Officials, that So Cal Elite FC is being removed as a member of the SOCAL Soccer League starting the Spring 2023 and the 2023/2024 Fall Season.

This email is not being sent to parents but can be forwarded to parents from the SOCAL member clubs should you choose to do so.



As many of you know, So Cal Elite has been posting tryouts for age groups that are outside of the dates, communicated and published, of our Tryout Policy and have continually failed to comply with the Tryout Policy when instructed to do so.

Their teams will be allowed to remain in State Cup for 2023.

As the club will no longer be a member of the SOCAL Soccer League, we no longer have jurisdiction over when they hold their tryouts, but their players are now considered non-SOCAL players and can be invited to your training session as non-SOCAL players.

Please note: players will not be allowed to transfer for Youngers State Cup as we will honor the participation of the So Cal Elite team in the Youngers State Cup event.

So Cal Elite will be exploring their options for a new league to participate in but their players are no longer protected by our Transfer Policy nor our Tryout Policy (with the exception of youngers transfers for State Cup since the roster freeze deadline was January 18, 2023.)

It is not an easy decision to make to remove a club from the league and the decision is not taken lightly but, the Technical Committee, the Tryout Committee and the Board of Directors all voted to remove the club from the league based on the their violation of probation and the Tryout Policy. The rules have to be enforced for all, not just some and this decision, while difficult, was made to protect the rules and policies of the members of the league and those that do choose to follow those rules and policies.

Should you have any questions, please let me know.

Thank you

Michelle Chesters

SOCAL Executive Director

I could be wrong, but I have to believe there is a lot more to this story than just "out-of-season" tryouts. Every club I know has informal tryouts all year long. Granted a kid may have to wait to be rostered on the team based on league rules, but individual tryouts are still happening. Open tryouts are pretty much a waste of time anyway.

 

[Code]

Sporting California and Eagles are both in Ventura, Coast (at least they were fall season). So the SoCal League rules wouldn't apply to them. TFA seems to be the affiliates....don't know about them.

Also TFA did not post any tryout date, just advertised to contact them for tryout info. If you can prove they had a tryout session before the date, then there is a problem for them. If they are just getting info from interested people for the upcoming tryouts, then they are not wrong. It appears they understand the policy, and are operating within the guidelines.

 

[Code]

I’m trying to understand the difference between an out of season tryout (Socal Elite) and an out of season invitation only training camp (Blues).

That’s not to throw shade at Blues. I see nothing wrong with Blues creating an extra chance for kids to play and get better. But I also see nothing wrong with SoCal Elite doing the same.

If the camp/training session/gathering has a cost, it is allowed. If it is no cost, only the clubs own players can attend. What is the cost limit, who knows?? I guess if I was going to exploit that loophole I would charge everybody a dollar, and be good to go.

 

[espola]

I could be wrong, but I have to believe there is a lot more to this story than just "out-of-season" tryouts. Every club I know has informal tryouts all year long. Granted a kid may have to wait to be rostered on the team based on league rules, but individual tryouts are still happening. Open tryouts are pretty much a waste of time anyway.

It used to be fairly common for players to appear as guest players on another team at tournaments. Does that still happen? It's obvious that there will be some recruiting going on there.

 

[Code]

The tryout policy is not intended to keep Players from checking out other clubs, or finding different teams/coaches. There are many loopholes for the Player, I'm sure by intention. The policy is there to restrict the clubs from getting players into a signed contract for the year before the current season is finished. If a Club has an official advertised tryout, all the players, existing and new, are expecting a phone call with an offer or a thank you for coming out, maybe next season. The policy prevents clubs from placing high pressure tactics on players who may be worried they won't find a good team and lock them in earlier and earlier. It prevents clubs from cutting and adding multiple players on teams prior to the end of the season, protecting the current team from a disgruntled environment because some players were cut, and new players are joining. It is a good system for the Player and the Team. I'm not sure what the details are of the Socal Elite tryouts that are in question. Did they have a tryout? Did they have an ID Camp? Did they sign new contracts for the 23-24 season?

 

[Jamisfoes]

Could someone explain to me why they have tryouts before state cup? Makes it hard to prep for state cup when kids are thinking about leaving.

 

[Code]

It used to be fairly common for players to appear as guest players on another team at tournaments. Does that still happen? It's obvious that there will be some recruiting going on there.

It still happens. The difference is in how it comes to be. The Player is free to reach out to the Club/Coach/Team at anytime, which isn't recruiting, it is a player looking for a team. The Club/Coach/Team can't reach out to a Player and invite them to train/guest play/tryout. If the Player is in a different league than the Coach/Team, there are different rules for playing with the team in a tournament or playing with the team in a league game, but can pretty much attend as many practice sessions as they want.

 

[espola]

Could someone explain to me why they have tryouts before state cup? Makes it hard to prep for state cup when kids are thinking about leaving.

And the situation may arise that after the game where a team got eliminated at State Cup, the coach has to take a few players to one side and tell them that he has selected better players from the tryouts held a week or two before, so they're not coming back next season.

 

[Grace T.]

The tryout policy is not intended to keep Players from checking out other clubs, or finding different teams/coaches. There are many loopholes for the Player, I'm sure by intention. The policy is there to restrict the clubs from getting players into a signed contract for the year before the current season is finished. If a Club has an official advertised tryout, all the players, existing and new, are expecting a phone call with an offer or a thank you for coming out, maybe next season. The policy prevents clubs from placing high pressure tactics on players who may be worried they won't find a good team and lock them in earlier and earlier. It prevents clubs from cutting and adding multiple players on teams prior to the end of the season, protecting the current team from a disgruntled environment because some players were cut, and new players are joining. It is a good system for the Player and the Team. I'm not sure what the details are of the Socal Elite tryouts that are in question. Did they have a tryout? Did they have an ID Camp? Did they sign new contracts for the 23-24 season?

Caveat: the policy does say that so long as you don't do it as part of an open tryout, you can resign your own players for the next year as early as you like.

They did have two id camps but they were ostensibly one over thanksgiving for MLS/Mexican pro scouts, and some recently for EA and DPL I also saw a camp over the Christmas break, but I don't remember if there was a fee for that.

 

[mlx]

LAFC just posted open tryouts for the younger age groups. Someone should tell them.

 

[Brav520]

does this give them the possibility to re-apply after next season, letter seems to suggest only next season

hate to see this , but I could see clubs absorbing entire So Cal Elite teams , poach their coaches , etc

i don’t know how you sell CSL to parents , or why CSL would even take them ( besides money).

is there anyway they can rectify this? Change leadership completely and beg for forgiveness?

The people who suffer the most are the players , and paying customers ( parents )

 

[TeamDadJokes]

does this give them the possibility to re-apply after next season, letter seems to suggest only next season

hate to see this , but I could see clubs absorbing entire So Cal Elite teams , poach their coaches , etc

i don’t know how you sell CSL to parents , or why CSL would even take them ( besides money).

is there anyway they can rectify this? Change leadership completely and beg for forgiveness?

The people who suffer the most are the players , and paying customers ( parents )

I think this would be a great opportunity for one of the larger clubs to break into this market. Rebrand the area, absorb their teams and staff, fly a new banner, give opportunities for higher level of play (ECNL, RL, GA, MLS, E64).

58 teams, imagine if Pats or Strikers combined with SoCal Elite? Even better, a club like Slammers or maybe SoCal Blues extends more into the boys side and gives a viable option for parents in the IE to not have to drive to great park for quality programs.

Arsenal could also use a shot in the arm and would be worth wild making a pitch to take on those teams too and compete with Legends out in the IE and help bolster their failing girls program

 

[Grace T.]

does this give them the possibility to re-apply after next season, letter seems to suggest only next season

hate to see this , but I could see clubs absorbing entire So Cal Elite teams , poach their coaches , etc

i don’t know how you sell CSL to parents , or why CSL would even take them ( besides money).

is there anyway they can rectify this? Change leadership completely and beg for forgiveness?

The people who suffer the most are the players , and paying customers ( parents )

The affiliates are the most vulnerable to being poached by other clubs (other clubs that have access to SoCal league). That’s one of the reason some of the smaller clubs joined the big ones in both valleys (to get the facilities and back room they needed).

the core on the boys side depends on what happens with ea1. The lure of ea1 and continued campaign for mls next might be enough to keep them together. If ea1 pulls the plug the club will likely disintegrate. Golden state is the competitor in the area and will likely pull the better players.

 

[Brav520]

The affiliates are the most vulnerable to being poached by other clubs (other clubs that have access to SoCal league). That’s one of the reason some of the smaller clubs joined the big ones in both valleys (to get the facilities and back room they needed).

the core on the boys side depends on what happens with ea1. The lure of ea1 and continued campaign for mls next might be enough to keep them together. If ea1 pulls the plug the club will likely disintegrate. Golden state is the competitor in the area and will likely pull the better players.

yeah , maybe that saves them, but I think someone mentioned this earlier , why would EA or MLS next even take them considering all this uncertainty?

but I’m just not sure if I’m a parent at this club that I’m signing up for them next season considering all the uncertainty. I’d probably run far away , and if my child really liked the team I’d be reaching out to other clubs to see if they would take the team on.

2014-2017 had tryouts in December , likely registered and probably already made a down payment on the 2023 registration fees . What do those parents do?

 

[Chalklines]

I don't know that would be a great strategy for CSL. How would CSL advertise the practice of picking up clubs that have been kicked out of other leagues due to their questionable integrity and inability to adhere to agreed upon rules and standards? "Come play in a league with the clubs who are willing to bend the rules and not uphold their word. It will be the Best!"

But isn't that the foundation todays Club Soccer was built on?