The search continues - Week 2

My daughter just got back from church camp and she seems to be walking and running much better on her injured ankle. So I am hoping she can start making all the practices with the teams we are interested in joining. There are some very interesting developments with teams folding and new teams forming. Some of the developments are very surprising, but that's the nature of the beast, or so I am finding. This is the first time since our daughter started playing club soccer, that we are having to do the whole recruitment process to find her a team. The first time around, we were complete newbs and we just kind of "fell" into the opportunity. I honestly had no reason to believe that my daughter would even make a team, much less get calls from coaches asking her to come out. So it was a pleasant and no-stress experience - then. Now - not so much... This age group is VERY talented and there seems to be no end to the number of girls still playing club soccer. Usually, the numbers start to dwindle as other interests begin to demand time from the girls. It does seem liker there are fewer teams and the same amount of girls - or close too - vying for those few positions.

I do feel badly for her old team, as it seems that many more have left the team. We certainly never wanted to feel like we abandoned them, but we had to do what was best for our daughter. I think they are down to five players give or take two or three. I really hope things work out for them.

Unfortunately, there never seems to be end to the rumors and innuendo. A couple of girls on the team are telling my daughter that when they left and informed the coach, that he was very rude to them and told them that the reason we left was because of them. That is so far from the truth... We never blamed any of the players for our exit and we would have NEVER blamed them, in particular. My daughter "loved" them, in her words and really clicked with them on the pitch. I understand egos and hurt and resentment, and I still respect her old coach for his knowledge and for what he did for our daughter, but for him to say that to them was really not cool - at all. I made sure to keep our decision above board and to not place blame, and we would have never blamed the two girls, NEVER. In the end, it was a feeling that our goals did not match the direction of the team, and that was it. A difference in perspective and objectives. Oh well... My daughter has let the girls know that in no way, shape, form or fashion were they the reason we left. I need to speak to their parents... I don't know if I will speak to the coach; he probably doesn't want to speak to me...

So, these are the teams we are still looking at (with links, if available):

1. Solar White (still on top; down to last 5 spots and it will be very competitive)
   
2. Dallas Texans West White (closing the gap, nice additions are making them more attractive; down to the last few spots)
   
3. Dallas Texans Black (mainly because they are a Texans team; totally new team)
   
4. DFW Tornados Blue (making their first appearance; may move higher; going BACK to a Tornados team would be weird)
5. Odyssey 94 Gold (also making their first appearance previous experience with coach; a new team)
6. DFW Tejanos Premier (relegated down on our list due to no real history or contact, although a contender because they were a LHGCL team)
   

Well, I think that's enough of an update for this week; more to follow in the quest for the new team...