Quote Originally Posted by Frodo View Post
So if you give me the choice between charging hundreds of kids higher fees to offset the first team just to help a club who's too lazy/poorly run to go scout and attract talented kids themselves, or keep costs down low for everyone and focus on the kids who want to push themselves when they are spotted at training. I think that's a very easy decision to make.
Not every club in NPL and NL1 charges fees to offset the cost of the seniors. While some NPL clubs certainly do and charge over $2k, others, including the one where I am, charge less than $1,000 and the first grade players don't get paid. The fees we charge cover the costs of entering teams, kits etc. Remember the team / comp fees are higher in the premier youth league than in community and that is not the fault of clubs.

As to clubs being too lazy or poorly run to scout:
a) Fronting up to a community club game or training and approaching players, even if you have introduced yourself to the coach etc, is never easy. There is always resentment from the community club, whether it is from the coach, players/parents offended that their child was not approached, players/parents upset that you are trying to take their teams best player that gives them the best chance of winning. While your contention is that the kids just want to have fun, fun includes winning, and taking away the team star lessens the chances of winning going forward.
b) All coaches at all levels are busy. Work, coaching, family etc. They may simply not have the time to go scouting community clubs. I know of several coaches that wait until the last few rounds of the community comp before they go looking and then only go to watch A grade top four teams. They play the odds that it is these teams that will have the better players.
c) Every PYL club advertises their trial dates on social media. They promote their trials. The community player has some responsibility to seek out a higher level if he wants it. Waiting for an invitation doesn't always work.

It is great that your club is supportive of the those that move up to the PYL or Jets, but I can assure your, from personal experience, that not all do. What would be even better is that clubs like yours that are favorably inclined to thier kids moving up, identify the talented kids and approach their nearlest PYL club and put the kids name forward. Perhaps build a relationship that could see PYL kids that are let go, moving to your club as well as your best kids going up.