Alright, let me tell you about my little dive into the world of Global Premier Soccer, or GPS as everyone called it back then. It wasn’t like I was trying to become a pro coach or anything, just trying to figure out the youth soccer scene for my kid.
It started pretty simply. You’d see their name everywhere, right? Banners at fields, slick flyers, other parents talking about it at school pickup. They had this air of being the serious option if you wanted your kid to really get into soccer. So, naturally, I got curious. You hear stuff, you gotta check it out yourself, that’s just how I am.
So, what did I do? First step, I went to one of their open sessions or maybe it was a tryout day, can’t recall exactly which. Just wanted to get a feel for it, you know? Drove down to that big sports complex they used sometimes. Parking was a mess, already a sign of how popular they were, I guess.
Getting Eyes On
Walked over to the fields. Here’s what I saw:
- Lots of kids, all ages, running drills.
- Coaches in matching tracksuits, looked pretty official.
- Parents lined up on the sidelines, watching intensely.
- Everything seemed super structured. Cones, specific drills, groups rotating.
I remember standing there for a good hour, just observing. The coaching seemed okay, pretty standard drills mostly. They definitely had the numbers, loads of kids signed up. Talked briefly with another dad standing next to me. He seemed bought in, mentioned something about their connections to clubs overseas, sounded fancy.
Grabbed one of their brochures before I left. Looked professional, talked about player development pathways, different tiers of teams, the whole nine yards. Took it home, spread it out on the kitchen table. The fees weren’t cheap, that jumped out right away. It felt like a big commitment, not just financially but time-wise too, with all the travel they mentioned for games and tournaments.
Thinking it Over
We chewed on it for a while. Watched my kid play in his regular town league, compared it to the intensity I saw at that GPS session. Was this really necessary? Was it worth the pressure and the cost? It felt like youth sports were turning into this massive business, and GPS seemed like a prime example.
In the end, we decided against it for our family. Just didn’t feel like the right fit for us at that moment. Seemed a bit too much, too soon. We stuck with the local league, focused on just having fun with the game.
And then, you know, things went sideways for GPS. Started hearing whispers, then saw news articles. It all seemed to fall apart pretty quickly. All those banners disappeared, the name faded from conversations. It was a strange thing to watch, this huge organization that seemed so dominant just… vanish. Made me think about how fast things can change, and maybe sticking to the simpler path wasn’t such a bad call after all. Just my experience, looking back on it now.
