Looking For A Good Soccer Club (St. Louis, Wildwood: house, catholic schools, college) - Missouri (MO) - City-Data Forum

movingfromatlanta · 05-24-2007, 07:51 AM

Our family will be moving to the STL area in early June. We have bought a house in Wildwood and our kids will be attending Ascension School. My eight year old daughter is a very good soccer player and I am looking for a strong soccer club for her to play at. I would prefer not to have to drive more than 15 minutes for practices and game. Any suggestions?

Inoxkeeper · 05-29-2007, 07:24 PM

Ascension is a Catholic school right? If so you will be pleased to learn that the Catholic schools of Saint Louis have one of the best soccor programs in the nation. Everyone in STL plays...

Check out the AB soccer park in Fenton...it's right at 44 and 270 by the Meramec river.

Fishtacos · 06-04-2007, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by movingfromatlanta

Our family will be moving to the STL area in early June. We have bought a house in Wildwood and our kids will be attending Ascension School. My eight year old daughter is a very good soccer player and I am looking for a strong soccer club for her to play at. I would prefer not to have to drive more than 15 minutes for practices and game. Any suggestions?

Soccer has always been a huge deal in St. Louis. Many strong teams. For girls, J.B. Marine and St. Louis Soccer Club(formerly Busch Soccer Club) are elite. For boys Scott Gallagher, St. Louis Soccer Club, and Lou Fusz Soccer Club.

These are top of the line, extremely competitve National Club teams....there are many other club teams in the area with good play for boys and girls. Soccer is a big deal in STL.

St. Louis is also a very Catholic community and Ascension would be typical example of endless Catholic Grade schools who have teams and leagues.

From a High school standpoint, unlike say Chicago where the public schools dominate boys and girls soccer, ....the private schools dominate the St. Louis scene in soccer....with some notable exceptions.

Your daughter is only 8, so the necessity of being in a top program for training and teaching isn't necessary until she is becoming a teen...12-13 or so(then seek out top level clubs)...so make it fun and don't worry about which club team you go with at 8 years old...but obviously the instruction level will be top notch at the exampled clubs.

Futeballer · 06-19-2007, 10:46 PM

Lou Fusz Soccer Club has a very good U9 girls team based in Eureka, just down the road from Wildwood. They are looking for a few players for the fall. Top notch club.
Contact information can be found on their website. www.loufuszsoccer.teammania.net

Fishtacos · 06-20-2007, 04:33 PM

In an update to my previous post since I saw this thread....St. Louis Soccer Club and Scott Gallagher soccer clubs have merged to form St. Louis Scott Gallagher. Just an fyi to original poster.

movingfromatlanta · 07-08-2007, 11:20 AM

Based on e-mail correspondence and a phone conversation with the Girl's soccer director at St. Louis Soccer Club, I had my daughter try out for a U-9 select team there, which she made. Our school situation also changed and my kids will be attending St.Albans Roe. All three of my kids are going to be playing in the CYC this fall also. I may have bit off more than I can chew logistically, but I have accepted the fact that this first year is going to be a learning experience. I'm impressed with STL's long soccer history, and it appears that there are several good clubs in the area. Our neighbor's kids play on older Loose Fuse Teams and have clued us in on what we can expect. Looks like a whole lot of miles on the mini van this fall. Oh well, I'm looking forward to it and I'm sure we'll eventually find a good club situation that practices closer to home. For now I'm just glad my daughter will have the opportunity to play select soccer in such a soccer mad town.

Fishtacos · 07-09-2007, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by movingfromatlanta

Based on e-mail correspondence and a phone conversation with the Girl's soccer director at St. Louis Soccer Club, I had my daughter try out for a U-9 select team there, which she made. Our school situation also changed and my kids will be attending St.Albans Roe. All three of my kids are going to be playing in the CYC this fall also. I may have bit off more than I can chew logistically, but I have accepted the fact that this first year is going to be a learning experience. I'm impressed with STL's long soccer history, and it appears that there are several good clubs in the area. Our neighbor's kids play on older Loose Fuse Teams and have clued us in on what we can expect. Looks like a whole lot of miles on the mini van this fall. Oh well, I'm looking forward to it and I'm sure we'll eventually find a good club situation that practices closer to home. For now I'm just glad my daughter will have the opportunity to play select soccer in such a soccer mad town.

Steve Pecher is a former local star soccer player who runs the St. Louis soccer club. St. Louis is now doing what many other cities have done in recent years and that is unify its soccer region more. Very different styles, and philosphies of the game amongst club teams and friction, fragmented has hurt St. Louis Nationally. Many strong teams play each other locally and dilute talent field for National competitions, but with merger of St. Louis Soccer club and Scott Gallagher, this will help change that.

I think especially at a younger age it is a good idea to have your kids play club and CYC ball. Different friends, etc...CYC ball is competitive but more about having fun with your school friends. Very important. And then for more competition, go to club scene.

...as long as it is fun and still fun for your kids

Lou Fusz btw is the club team you mentioned, named after a guy who owns many local car dealerships in St. Louis.

movingfromatlanta · 07-10-2007, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishtacos

Steve Pecher is a former local star soccer player who runs the St. Louis soccer club. St. Louis is now doing what many other cities have done in recent years and that is unify its soccer region more. Very different styles, and philosphies of the game amongst club teams and friction, fragmented has hurt St. Louis Nationally. Many strong teams play each other locally and dilute talent field for National competitions, but with merger of St. Louis Soccer club and Scott Gallagher, this will help change that.

I think especially at a younger age it is a good idea to have your kids play club and CYC ball. Different friends, etc...CYC ball is competitive but more about having fun with your school friends. Very important. And then for more competition, go to club scene.

...as long as it is fun and still fun for your kids

Lou Fusz btw is the club team you mentioned, named after a guy who owns many local car dealerships in St. Louis.

I was just having a little fun with the name. I think it's great that youth soccer gets so much corporate support here. That was not the case in Atlanta, where it costs about twice as much to play select soccer.

Futeballer · 07-11-2007, 02:08 PM

Wow! Didn't take you long to get caught up in the soap opera that is St. Louis Soccer. Already taking shots at other clubs. Especially one like Lou Fusz that is run by Don Popivic. No other club director in St. L even comes close to his international experience both as a professional player and coach. If I were you, I would do a little more research to insure you have your daughter where you want her to be.

I have a son who played for Fusz and is currently playing college soccer. I also have a daughter who is currently playing for SLSC in an older age level.

Both are great clubs, but have two different philosophies. Both have their plus and minuses. All depends what you are looking for.

Fusz is focused on giving every player the chance to develop without worrying all the time whether they will be on the same team or even in the club next year. No politics. No coaches within the club stealing other team's players. Go to their web site and check out Pop's page with his philosophy on youth development.

SLSC is all about building teams that will win them championships. They will start at U9 with about 6 teams which is about 70 - 80 players. In the first few years they will start moving players to begin building 1 or 2 top teams. Then they will start reducing the number of teams so by the time they are a the U12 age level, there will only be 2 maybe 3 teams. That means 40 - 50 kids who started with SLSC are now looking for another club. With the merger mentioned above, it's going to be even more competitive to stay on the roster. All you need to do is go to their website to see how the number of teams are reduced as they go up in age.

Again, not saying one is better than the other. It just depends on if you want to go through the grind with SLSC or have more stability with another club.

Good luck! Keep an open mind and don't be too quick to drink the Kool-aid any club serves you.

movingfromatlanta · 07-11-2007, 08:05 PM

No one from SLSC has spoken negatively of Lou Fuzh or any other club. I just have a bad habit of playing with names. Like I said, my neighbor speaks very highly of Lou's club. We didn't arrive in the area with a lot of time to spare, most teams had already set their rosters for the fall and Matt was very quick to line us up a tryout with a team that would be competing in SLYSA's A league. A couple of clubs didn't even return my e-mail inquiry and some had web sires that weren't very helpful.My daughter liked the coaches and was impressed with most of the girls she tried out with. When the spot was offered, I saw no reason to keep looking in a city I was unfamiliar with. I'll definitely keep an open mind and will observe opposing teams and their coach's demeanor during matches this season. As I said, this is going to be a learning experience for me and my daughter. See ya on the pitch.