We live in a world where facts sometimes mean little and people are left to sift through what is real and what is not. Youth soccer mirrors the world I am speaking of and sometimes is worse. Misinformation, propaganda and spin continue to attempt to mislead people in the world of youth soccer. This is most definitely the case in our community.
It's gone even farther these days. There is an obvious and very calculated effort to cause confusion by spreading misinformation. It is one thing to have an opinion about something. It is very different to present misinformation as fact. Making statements like Ohio Elite is getting kicked out of the U.S. Development Academy is irresponsible and without basis. Claiming Ohio Elite does not support high school soccer and threatens our players into playing for our fall team is another example of what I am talking about. Worse yet is speculating on the future employment of people who have chosen soccer as their profession. Finally, the lowest of the low are those who talk directly about individual kids. Those who make these type of statements should be embarrassed by this behavior.
Many of the people making these statements hide in anonymity on message boards and public forums. These forums can be a great avenue for discussion. They can also be destructive. Their presence will continue to allow gutless anonymous posters to recklessly spread information about organizations and individuals that is far from true. It empowers those who have no real voice in the soccer community. Unfortunately it also overshadows the posters that understand the real intention of these forums which I believe is healthy opinion and discussion.
I have always had the utmost respect for the people and organizations who work hard making their product the best it can be. I try to have a policy of not talking about other organizations and focus on what I think is great about what we do. I also know that Ohio Elite is not for everyone. That's perfectly okay. Bottom line is that if you do a great job your players will stay and new players will come, period. I think that we are very successful in that regard and I also think there are other organizations out there doing a great job.
When selecting a team and club for your child I encourage you to do your homework. Beware of those who bash others. They are often afraid you will find out the truth. Like the opinions in this blog or not at least you know who they are coming from.
