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I work college soccer, and I agree with Rutledge on what happens if you don't have camps. Now, soccer is starting to transition to camps because soccer can't find enough refs, but at these camps we get paid to work. The thing is soccer pays so well, if you tried to get people to try out for anything other than MLS or the minor professional leagues without any payment, people wouldn't go. We still have siblings and family members who get the call for games they aren't ready for, but I've learned to accept that that is going to happen from sports to business to politics to whatever.
The nepotism: As a guy in my mid-20s, the only thing that irks me is when I meet a guy my age who doesn't realize he is in the G-League or on a D1 staff is because of "Daddy". A guy who's been reffing for 3 years is in the D2 National Tournament? What's his last name? Oh yeah, of course. But when that guy has the gall to start talking to me about "Staying hungry" and "Trusting the system"? Take a long walk on a short pier, buddy. You've no idea what you're talking about.
But I agree with Rutledge's overall question: What's the solution? I hate camps, but what do we switch to? Game-film? I got a buddy who paid $525 to have a D1 Women's supervisor rate his film. Would I do that? Maybe, I don't know.
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