Noticed their website (http://chesapeakeathletic.org) is coming up blank when I access it. Never exactly a good sign. Just wondering if they are going to be back next year. I promised myself I'd make it to at least two of their games this year.
I've seen them on various lists of teams that are expected to be around next year. Many PDL clubs let their website go to pieces in the off-season, so the lack of one isn't necessarily a death-watch.
Who cares? What a terribly unorganized franchise. They waste too many talented players in the area because the good ones hate playing for them and therefore later choose to eventually not play. Look at the team they had 2 years ago, it was stacked and they were bad. Last year, they had some talent, but most of the good players stopped playing because it was so poorly run.
Don't complain, they're the only team in the state. They may learn how to deal with people better or others may take a larger role in the team and it will evolve into something bigger. For now, it's better than nothing. Certainly the youth system is a boon for the area if nothing else.
Chesapeake Athletic will be back next year. The company that hosted the website unexpectedly went out of business in mid-december and we took the opportunity to revamp the website design and get a new url www.CAdragons.com. The new site will be up by Jan 8. There will be significant changes made this season. A new marketing company will be introduced by the end of Jan. to help our overall gameday presentation and sponsorship recruitment, day and overnight camps will be offered so the PDL players can stay together and train on a regular basis, and a larger operations staff will be in place. The addition of Y-League teams in 2001 was a positive step for the club but it also stretched our operational capabilities and we did not perform up to the standards we achieved our first year when our peers placed us in the top 10 for overall operation and organization. As for the PDL team performance, we certainly want to win, however, as a developmental team, we place higher priority on preparing players to perform better when they return to their college teams or go professional. As our core players are able to sustain a more stable training schedule than the past two years, you will see better team results. We are looking forward to the '03 season!
YES I totally agree, this is a horrible organization. Two years ago they had access to a tremendous talent pool and didn't handle it properly and now none of the top players will play for them. They could have the UMD core players on their squad now and be competing for the PDL title instead of rarely even being competitve. Without coaching/staff changes the Dragons will continue to drag on the bottom of the league.
At least Md. still has a PDL team. So I give them credit for staying alive in a fast growing new league. Perhaps mistakes were made along the way, for whatever reasons, coaching-staff, league, budgets, growth etc. but don't give up on them yet. I think many said much of the same about the UMD coach for the last few years, but give them one good run this year and everyone forgets the bad times. As far as the talent pool around the area, it is still there, with or without the core players from UMD. So lets be thankful there is something to look forward to this summer in the Dc area. Take a look at some of rostered players from last year, there was some good talent that have gone on to higher levels of play. It's early for the upcoming season yet, lets see what they have to offer in the next three months. Throw a Freddie Adu, perhaps a Matt Oliver, or a few local high profile names into the mix to go along with their new marketing program and let the games begin.
Thanks for providing the new URL!! Good news about the changes in the organization. Hope you have a successful 03.
i, too, say thanks for providing the new URL, along with the information that it'll be up by 1/9.... well, as of today, 1/11, i still can't access it. lets hope that's not an indication of the significant changes planned for the dragons organization this year.
website Sorry folks. We're having to add some additional items that have delayed the site launch. Hopefully, we'll be up no later than Fri 1/17.
Ditto the other remarks posted. 1/16 and its not working yet. I'll keep my eyes open though. Wondering if they are still going to continue playing at Bowie State.
some further thoughts on chesapeake athletic... a lot of negative stuff has appeared on this thread about the organization and its prospects for the season upcoming. well i for one sincerely hope the necessary changes are made as mentioned earlier on this board. the dragons provide an excellent opportunity to see some top college talent in the washington area and, in addition to providing that for the fans, they offer a tremendous opportunity for many of those players to continue developing during the college "off-season". i guess all that's obvious...until you realize just a couple years ago, nothing like that existed here. so i think lincoln phillips and his family ought to be commended, and supported, for making the necessary commitments to make all this happen. that said, from what i have observed and heard about the organization, there clearly needs to be some fundamental changes made quickly if there is to be long-term viability. first and foremost, there simply has to be some kind of exposure and media coverage to make people aware the team even exists! there must be some way to reliably let fans know when and where games will be played. (including simple directions on how to find the field). and there must be some way for fans to get results and find out what the standings are. one of the most frustrating things for a true fan is to simply not be able to get the results quickly after a game has been played. in the case of the dragons the past two years, it has been virtually impossible to get results or standings...even on the dragons own website. perhaps it will take something more than an occasional call to the sports desk of the local paper/papers. i think there needs to be some kind of higher-level meeting with editors PRIOR to the season beginning to outline what the objectives are and then to faithfully provide the information. with all the other obscure stuff that appears regularly in the sports sections of the paper, it's difficult to imagine they wouldn't welcome the coverage possibility. there certainly is enough soccer enthusiasm in the washington area to develop a solid and committed following...if only fans knew what was being offered. and what CAN be offered is quite good indeed. if a solid effort is made to tap into the collegiate talent in this area, the dragons team could be impressive. i know players are available from maryland, american, georgetown, george mason, towson, uva, old dominion, william and mary, and u of n. carolina, to name a few. amazing talent potential IF the organization can provide assurances that the team will be run with DISCIPLINE. even though they have amateur status, there's no reason the organization shouldn't be run professionally. very basic stuff...players have to come to practice in order to play. quality performance and effort should be rewarded. basic stuff that has been sorely lacking thus far. everything is there and in place to put together a tremendous team that should compete immediately for a championship....AND provide great developmental opportunities for all the players. i just hope those in charge recognize that and make it happen. if so, they will be supported and rewarded! best of luck
Amen. As for your other comments: it's easy to sit back and say what ought to be done but, with the exception of team discipline, all your ideas require additional time or money. The old web site had a way to contact them if you wanted to volunteer. I'm sure the new one will as well.
gee, annapolis, you're sounding a bit defensive. i offer my thoughts in a constructive way. about soccer. about the organization. nothing personal. it seems to me that's what boards like this should be all about. in fact, if you read carefully, you'll note i am not one of those who simply complain about what a horrible organization chesapeake is, or opine that it had no future. in fact, i'm very enthusiastic about the prospects and, as i did point out, i am very much appreciative of the efforts by mr. phillips to create the organization and move it forward. that doesn't mean i agree entirely with the way some aspects of the effort have been handled. and it doesn't mean there isn't room for major improvement. so why not throw those thoughts out there and let them be considered by anyone interested. even those who truly "sit back and say what ought to be done", without any meaningful suggestions or message of support. i do believe the lack of adequate marketing and promotion (and therefore, media coverage) is a significant problem that must be overcome to really be successful in growing the organization. contrary to what you seem to believe, however, it does not take a great deal of money. time and focused effort, yes. but, presumably, if one is interested enough to take on this type of venture, there is an implicit understanding it will require considerable time and effort to succeed. it also doesn't involve a lot of additional expense to run the team in a professional manner. as someone mentioned earlier in this thread, top talent simply won't buy into it and play unless the practices, the staff, the players, the entire organization is run in a disciplined way. you can't have practices degenerate into something akin to pickup games with revolving groups of players showing up whenver they feel like it. or, worse yet, showing up and being inserted into games after not even attending the practices. long term, that simply won't work if the idea is to attract and hold the top talent in the area. the good news, however, is that all these things are easily addressed if the mindset is right....and a pool of incredible talent remains available in our area. at this point it'll probably take a bit of "recruiting" effort, though, to bring them back into the fold. but if it can be done....what a treat it'll be for washington area soccer fans for months and years to come.
Not that it's really important but it would be nice if this team could decide on ONE name to use. Are they Chesapeake Athletic? or Chesapeake Bay Athletic? or Chesapeake Athletic Dragons? or Chesapeake Bay Dragons? or even Chesapeake Bay Athletic Dragons?
Change it Since this organization has had such a poor reputation perhaps a total name change would be in order.
Re: Change it terp fan, i've read many of your posts on a variety of topics and you appear to be a reasonably well-informed and enthusiastic soccer fan. it puzzles me, then, where the unrelenting, over-the-top negativity comes from regarding the chesapeake dragons. were you personally damaged by the organization, somehow? i think most people, including the organizers, would agree the startup process has been a bumpy one and there is considerable room for progress. but that's not unusual or totally unexpected in a new organization of any kind. the fact of the matter is lincoln phillips and his support staff started with nothing just two seasons ago and built the team into a legitimate participant in the usl's pdl structure. the problems associated with that startup; organizing, developing, coordinating and funding everything from training and travel logistics to providing of a game-day mascot must have been enormous. obviously, there have been problems, particularly with management of the players. however, i totally disagree with your rather sarcastic remark that the organization's reputation is so bad that a "total name change" is in order. why don't you think of some positive and helpful suggestions that might improve the organization for players and fans alike? who knows? you might discover it's even more enjoyable than perching on a faraway branch and sniping at those trying to create something worthwhile! just a thought...
Re: Re: Change it Fair enough, I based most of my comments on the first year of operation and things may have improved. I will reserve comment in the future until I have observed the "new" operation. Best of luck with it and I hope the club can attaract many of the top college players so they can put the best possible product on the field.
Chesapeake Schedule is out! Posted on www.CAdragons.com Chesapeake Athletic Dragons 2003 PDL Schedule Announced: Chesapeake Athletic unveiled their Premier Development League Schedule today. Once again, 18 games will make up the regular season and among the highlighted matches will be the season and home opener on May 11 vs. Williamsburg Legacy and a 4th of July clash with The Northern Virginia Royals of the Pro Select League for a rare night game. The 4th of July match will also be played at a location to be announced shortly. All other home games will be at Bowie State University in Bowie, MD. Individual ticket prices are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Season passes are $25 and includes a t-shirt. Tickets can be purchased through the Dragons website www.CAdragons.com or at the gate. Game-specific promotional information will also be added throughout the season. Home Games Sun May 11 vs. Williamsburg 2 pm (OC) Sun May 25 vs. West Virginia 2 pm (OC) Sat May 31 vs. Greenville 6 pm Sun June 1 vs. Wilmington 2 pm (PS) Sat June 14 vs. Richmond 5:30 pm Sun June 15 vs. Raleigh 2 pm Sun June 22 vs. Richmond 4 pm Sat June 28 vs. Carolina 5:30 pm (PS) Fri July 4 vs. No. Virginia 7:30 pm (PS) Sun July 13 vs. Williamsburg 2 pm Away Games Fri May 16 vs. Raleigh 7 pm (OC) Sat May 17 vs. Greenville 7:30 pm (OC) Fri June 6 vs. Raleigh 7 pm Sat June 7 vs. Greenville 7:30 pm Fri June 27 vs. Williamsburg 8 pm Sat July 12 vs. No. Virginia 7:30 pm (PS) Sat July 19 vs. Richmond 2:30 pm Sun July 20 vs. West Virginia 2 pm (OC) U.S. Open Cup (PS) Pro Select League Opponent Home Games- Bowie State University
Re: Re: Change it that is a great post.... agreed with all aspects One other point- the D in PDL is Development. That's what the league is all about, not wins and losses, and from all accounts I've witnessed and discussions I've personally had, the team and the staff are committed to playing soccer skillfully. The organizations's goal is to provide an opportunity to allow the players to grow, while providing a product worthy of the community's support. This is mostly a volunteer effort at this time, the club is still in its infancy stage, and deserves more time (and more informed, constructive criticism) before being discarded and labeled as a failure. TerpFan, Stop player-hating with people who are actually trying to make a difference in the US soccer landscape (as opposed to playing internet soccer expert). And, one more thing...FEAR THE TURTLE (hoops that is. With soccer, I prefer a team that actually tries to pass once in awhile)
When Chesapeake first started, the Germantown Complex was actually our 1st choice. However, they claimed that minor league soccer could not be played at the complex on a regular basis per their agreement with the community. A couple of weeks later they announced the Maryland Pride (W-league) will play their regular season games at the Complex stadium field. Bowie State's Athletic Department was one of the few who recognized the program's potential and eagerly welcomed us. Now our PDL and Y League teams practice and play at Bowie State. In the near future, after school programs will be added to the campus. A very good working relationship has developed with Chesapeake leaving small "legacy" items after each season. After season 1, we donated our PA system. After season 2,we left a refurbished practice field for the school's football team. This year we are going to refurbish a 3rd field and hopefully fix the varsity locker rooms with the help from some local business sponsorship.
Sound like a good reason to be there. I noticed that the webpage says that ticlets can be purchased there, but the link does not work. Any idea when it will be up?