Monday, Apr. 20, 2009

Did parents hamstring Tri-City youth soccer?

By Eric Degerman, sportstricities.com

Last week, I wondered why Kamiakin grad Kendyl Pele, a co-captain at the University of Washington, is the only Tri-City product — male or female — playing Pacific-10 Conference soccer.

One area coach — whom I won't identify for obvious reasons — sent me a note indicating the problem stemmed from some meddling parents who wreaked havoc at the club level for years. As a result, the Three Rivers Soccer Club suffered a loss of depth in its program.

In baseball, the crucial developing ground is not the spring high school season. It's summer American Legion ball.

When it comes to golf, college coaches don't pay as much attention to the spring prep campaign. They focus on the junior golf tournaments after school lets out.

The same can be said for club soccer vs. high school soccer.

Fortunately, it sounds as though the Three Rivers program has been turned around under the leadership of Chad Bodnar and Chip Elfering.

Bodnar is the club's coaching director. His coaching résumé includes the 2008 NWAAACC men's title team at Walla Walla Community College, four straight regional crowns with the WWCC women and the 2005 state title with the Pasco High School boys. Elfering is the club director as well as the Southridge High School boys soccer coach.

"The club is in shambles because of mismanagement of the past 6-12 years," the unnamed coach wrote me. "Chad Bodnar and Chip Elfering have control now, and have the club running in the right direction. Basically, the inmates were running the asylum — self-serving, confrontational parents have made it unbearable for coaches and players alike."

Bodnar said via email on Sunday that Three Rivers is in a rebuilding mode, and he seems pleased with the early progress.

"I took over as coaching director last June," Bodnar wrote. "The club was in a very bad state in many ways. I think there is a lot of talent in the Mid-Columbia and I get to see it on a regular basis at WWCC. ... I believe (Three Rivers) has just been stuck in old ways for many years, while clubs from different areas around the state have continued to evolve and grow. Three Rivers has a tremendous amount of talented athletes, but there are many things that have interfered with the development of these athletes."

The unnamed Mid-Columbia coach claimed there aren’t as many talented girls playing soccer in Mid-Columbia as there could be.

"In terms of the lack of players recruited in the Pac-10, it stems from quality,” the coach wrote. “While I think we have a few Pac-10 players around here, the fact that the highest level many of our kids are playing at is in high school, which doesn't serve them to be playing at the Pac-10 level. The lack of a competitive club team at U17, U18, and U19 (levels) makes it very difficult to gain exposure AND to improve. We have the players to make all those teams top-flight, but they don't play club because of the negative experience."

The coach concluded by writing, "I can name 5-10 girls right now who should be playing club, thereby making the team more competitive, and allowing for a higher intensity in training to develop the players faster."

A sizable part of Bodnar's success at WWCC has built on his recruitment of Tri-City high school grads. In turn, he has produced a number of players who have gone on to play Division 1 soccer. So from a WWCC standpoint, Bodnar also would like to see Three Rivers flourish again.

"I have hired a staff of coaches that are very good local people including Mike Pardini and Matt Potter from Pasco, Chip Elfering and Greg Sambrano from Southridge, as well as Richland and Connell coaches and some former college players to come back to the club and help develop players," Bodnar wrote.

One significant hurdle, according to Bodnar, has been the parochial attitude of soccer parents. Those old Kennewick vs. Pasco vs. Richland rivalries thrive to a level beyond reason.

"The political part that has interfered in the past of where coaches are from is what we need to get over," Bodnar wrote. "I want every good coach in the Tri-Cities to become involved and help area soccer players regardless of what side the river they live. In terms of parents interference, I do believe it has hurt in the past. But parents want what is best for their kids, and I think when they see what has taken place the last 9 months and the quality of people and training we will offer, I think you will see less and less of parents, and more and more of kids enjoying the game and the training they are getting."

Bodnar said he's impressed with the quality of coaching at the high school level, but regulations by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association limit the amount of time these prep coaches can spend with their players. That makes it more important for players become involved with club teams.

"Kids now are playing 11 months a year, and the club should be where these kids are provided opportunity for additional training and opportunities to travel and play," Bodnar wrote. "The more coaches involved and the more training opportunities provided, the better our young athletes will get. It takes all of us being a part of development."

Bodnar added that many coaches volunteer their time because they want to give back to the sport and would love to see the Tri-Cities produce another talent akin to World Cup star Hope Solo.

"We currently have great people involved and will continue to bring in more quality people," Bodnar wrote. "In the past, I just think it has been easier to complain about it instead of people getting involved and being part of the solution.

"My goal has been to provide a good learning environment for kids and help develop the game in the area," he continued. "It has been a very tiresome road, but we have people that care and that are from the area and want to make it better.

Alas, it sounds as if the term "Little League parents" doesn't apply to just baseball. But in just nine months, the situation seems to be improving.

"If we do our job as a club and do things right and develop kids, parents will not interfere, then I think you will see more and more kids playing at D-1 schools and Pac-10 schools," Bodnar wrote. "If we all sit around and let egos and what high school area you live in interfere, the kids will continue to underachieve as a whole.

"There are very good coaches in the area and very talented athletes in the area," he added. "I am just trying to bring the two together and watch our local kids succeed on the state and regional level on a regular basis."

Tryouts for the Three Rivers Premier U-17/U-19 girls are scheduled for May 14. Let's hope some of those missing "5-10" girls that my unnamed coach spoke of will decide to join Three Rivers.