Let's create a soccer forum - I need your votes!

My lone blog reader nudged me yesterday. Time to write again.

When we last left our protagonist, he was just entering the world of High School Soccer parent. A full HS season and most of the winter has passed since then and it is too much to recap. So, we press on, Dear Readers.

Something that has been missing for the last couple of years is any sort of online forum for youth soccer in the DC Metro area. Potomac Soccer Wire had one a few years back but did away with it with their site's redesign. At the time, they said that they wanted the conversation to be about specific stories. I work for a internet content company so I know this is the economic play - comments drive page views and overall stickiness (see The Huffington Post, e.g.), which increase advertising revenue. However, it took away a place where parents in the area could get information about teams, coaches, tournaments, etc. On the PSW forums, one could post a question and generally receive good information. Visit enough and you could tell which contributors really knew their stuff and which had a bone to pick.

It is in these soccer shoulder seasons that the forum was most useful. Which leagues are thriving? What happened to that team? Why did this team change coaches? Did that team really fold? Why is GotSoccer so wrong all the time? What is up with CASA? Which league is Bethesda in THIS year?

A quick post about any of these would create an interesting conversation and usually have feedback from both sides.

Without the forums, we parents are stuck with rumors or have to accept what the clubs deem to be true or what PSW decides to write about (and, since their support comes from leagues and clubs, it isn't always parent centric).

At one point, I had hoped that Patch could provide these types of forum, especially with its more regional bent in recent years but nothing came out of it.

So I am happy to try to address things and keep it going. Interested? Shall we discuss WAGS division structures? ECNL vs. CCL? CCL vs WAGS? Should we talk about the pros and cons of high school soccer vs Club? Do we need to find out about certain teams or coaches?

If so, do me a favor and comment or like or tweet or something to let me know that there are indeed readers out there. I have no way to see page views or reader engagement. If I need to get this on another platform, I'll try but I am just as happy to stay here if Patch helps get the word out!

Yours,

Michael