El Clasico
GOLD
I'll tell you the problem with Futsal in SoCal, it's waaay too expensive!
Futsal is great, but the pick-up games and kick-arounds are basically limited to Upper-Middle class kids.... It should really only be $5 per kid if Futsal is going to have any meaningful affect on the soccer community.
Interesting choice of words. While I agree with you 100%, I think you fail to recognize that it is the very communities that prevents the sport from becoming more mainstream. All of club soccer is artificially inflated specifically to limit participation. As you browse this board, the board previously deleted, you will notice that while some complain of the club soccer price structure, you have many more who defend, or justify it. Why?? Speaking candid, and without the intent to offend, the reality is that if you take away club soccer, what would those "Upper-Middle class" kids do? Worse yet.... What would their parents do? For some, the ability to go back to work on Monday morning and talk about how your kid played in this tournament or that tournament is all they have. It brings meaning to their life...not passing judgement...just see it everyday. Yes, some of you will be offended but you all know what I am talking about.
So back to communities....if the voting block of the community has no problem with the high costs, there is no pressure on the cities to open up their fields to the kids of those same communities. When we were kids, we would play pick up games in the street on our block or head down to the park and play. That is no longer an option. Half of the parents won't let little Johnny play in the street and the cities won't let you assemble more than 8 kids without a permit. Tried taking my oldest down to the park a few years back for batting practice along with MY other kids to shag balls. We got kicked off the diamond and were told they were reserved for organized leagues. Middle of the day, four diamonds and we were the only ones there but told to move along. Aren't these the same fields paid for by the residents that live in the city? Since the local residents are not allowed use of the fields while they are monopolized by the big clubs with all their hundreds of kids who travel in from other cities, how do you get costs down?