How does the PFC differ from West Morris “traveling” soccer?

Both the PFC and West Morris traveling soccer provide competitive and challenging youth soccer programs.  However PFC teams are comprised of players who intend to make soccer their primary sport.  PFC teams train with a professional trainer twice per week and are coached at games and tournaments by the same professional trainer.  Further, PFC squads are open to adjoining towns.  Although the core of a team, defined as 7 or more players, is comprised of Mendham and Chester residents, the remaining slots may be filled by Morristown, Morris Township, Randolph, Mount Olive, Roxbury, Washington Township, Long Valley, Bernards Township, Bernardsville and Peapack-Gladstone players. 

Since it is a community-sponsored program, every PFC team is expected to “repay” that support through a community service project.  Projects are chosen by the team and approved by the PFC Coordinator.  And finally, parents play an important role on a PFC team.  Every PFC team must have at least three volunteer parents to fill the roles of team manager, treasurer, and administrator.

How does the PFC differ from other elite programs?

The major difference between the PFC and other regional elite programs is that the PFC is a community-supported, non-profit program.  Most regional elite programs are run using an “economic model” that generates money to support its management and trainers.  The difference may seem small, but the impact can be seen throughout the program.

Most for-profit soccer clubs, in order to support their economic model, need to see immediate results.  This is usually defined as major tournament wins and statewide rakings.  There is a tremendous amount of pressure on its teams and its players to “produce wins”.  As such they tend to emphasize team results over player development.   In many clubs, players are replaced, become injured, or burn out with alarming frequency.  Some of the more intense youth soccer clubs turn players over with such regularity that teammates quickly become rivals, negatively impacting the team building aspect of the sport.

Although PFC teams strive to be among the best in the state, PFC trainer/coaches have more time and flexibility to develop players and teams.  We believe that player development, especially at the younger age groups, is the foundation upon which strong teams are built.  It is not unusual for a PFC team to take a year or two to get to the top flight of a regional league.  As long as the players are receiving the highest-quality training and remain committed to their personalized development plans, the PFC has the patience to allow the team to develop naturally.  We have found that concentrating on personalized player development before team development leads to lower burnout rates, fewer injuries, and produces a higher quality youth sporting experience.

The PFC is not restricted to using only a few in-house trainers.  It can pull professional trainers from a very deep pool of talent.  We have relationships with most of the regional training organizations and a solid list of independent trainers. 

Finally, the team is run by the parents, not by the training organization.  As such, the professional trainer/coach reports to the parents and is held accountable for providing a superior sporting experience for the entire team.