Due to the confusion that have arised in recent times about the various possible leagues a team can choose to play, and the continual misconception that any one league is better than the others, we want to provide a space for families to learn more about the leagues your son and/or daughter might be participating while being part of Kalamazoo Soccer Club.
It is important to begin by clarifying that the soccer competitive environment in the United States is currently one where leagues and tournaments can be created by entities and a team and/or club have total freedom to participate from it or not. Due to this open system, it has been hard to identify a linear structure of which league or tournament is "above" or "below" others. This is due to the competitive business environment where all (leagues and tournaments) have the opportunity to compete and not be dominated by just one single league or tournament.
Alternatively, this also creates competitive gaps since there is not clear distinction and competitive level varies year by year based on the teams that sign up to compete.
Over time, some leagues and tournaments across the country have built and maintained their reputation due to the consistency of bringing highly skilled teams together year after year. This in turn has created a sense of "being better than" between leagues and tournaments. However, that can change pretty fast and is better to known more about each league and what they have to offer.
One very important fact to bring up is that some leagues have been created with the total intention of being "the best", but for a very important objective -which is to develop players who can eventually represent our country internationally. This is the case with leagues such as the US Soccer Developmental Academy. This is a U15 and upper ages competition that is run and evaluated directly by the Unites States Soccer Federation. What sets this competition apart is the hard standards clubs have to face in order to join and maintain their status. Clubs are evaluated continually, and the path to achieve their objective are different than most leagues. Because only a small group of clubs across the U.S. are able to join this league, similar leagues have open business to create a similar environment.
The best recommendation we at KSC can give our community is to ask questions and learn about competitions through the staff at your club. A club should not be judged by where they compete since all clubs are trying to do what's best for their members based on their objectives and philosophy.
The most important thing to remember is that it is very likely all families can find a club to call their home. As long as your personal objectives align with the philosophy of the club you are looking to participate, it is very possible to have a very rich experience.