I’m going to take a diff position that OP isn’t a coach. That’s what makes this worse. He’s a parent, and he really wanted to “win” state cup.
No offense, but state cup is nothing. 85% of the teams entering won’t/can’t win. If you do, who cares? Nobody remembers, it doesn’t mean much and I’ll bet you that within 2 years, at least 50% of the kids won’t be there. Within 4 years, 80% of team will be different.
Clubs are shady. Coaches are shady. Parents are shady. Whether it’s the coach sneakily building the new roster with new kids in december before you get to state:national up in Feb/March to clubs threatening you to sign or else, but being very vague in what you’re commitment actually is to parents trying to take “our core” to a “better team”.
I used to be a believer in stay the whole way through but I’ve also experience terrible situations. Try finishing a season with kids who have either signed elsewhere or know they are cut from the team starting the next week. It’s unpleasant. The kids are phoning it in, the coach is a jerk to some, and the parents are nasty. I’ve experienced this at all levels through ECNL.
Yes the system is broken because every part of the equation is out for their best interest. Clubs hold tryouts the next week after Thanksgiving. The coaches are scouting and recruiting all season, and little Stephanie’s dad is shopping her around and feverish emailing coaches.
I’ve always thought that the season should be considered full from March to December. Do Spring league or form your team, play your summer tourneys, start fall league in late August, run state/national cup in December.
Make the cal south cut off dec 31, and make January tryout and movement month with some moving ino February.
Now I know this won’t work, because there are too many tourneys in dec and Jan that would lose out to this plan. And we can’t have lost revenue.
So it will remain broken.