It's about this time every year when the questions come pouring in. Be it at my kids' soccer practices or via the phone in the office, people are always searching for answers.

The questions involve a variety of topics, but there seem to be a few that just about everyone asks. The last two years, parents of youth soccer players have been pleading to bring some of these questions to light.

Well, they've won. After a month of being stopped at the store, called on the phone or even having people stop by the house, I have relented.

Let's put forth the most asked questions followed by my feelings on the issue. The top question: Because someone is a paid coach or trainer, does that make him or her a better coach?

My answer: Not in the slightest. In fact, to be honest, a great deal of the volunteer coaches from days gone by were every bit as qualified and in most cases more successful. In addition, paid coaches have about half the passion a volunteer coach does. If you pay people to be coaches or trainers, they are out there because it's their job. And as is the case with any job, when the day is done, it's time to get out of there and head home. Before coaches were paid, they were out there because they wanted to be, and it showed with the fire they brought to the team.

That's not to say there are not some wonderful trainers out there. John Doyle, the former San Jose Earthquakes star, is the first who comes to mind. Doyle does a fantastic job with the kids of all ages. But the fact is, Doyle is one of the few trainers out there who has the best interests of the kids in mind.

But even if there were no paid coaches, most of these people who are currently paid, would still be coaching. Most were coaching for free before someone got the idea to pay them. I guarantee 70-80 percent of them would still be involved in coaching soccer if they weren't getting paid. But can you blame them for taking the money if people are willing to throw it at them?

Question: How does it work that some of the teams in the Pleasanton girls program have hardly any girls from Pleasanton on the team?

My answer: Oh, this is the beauty of soccer in this day and age. If you're a parent and you're unhappy with the status quo for your child, you can basically sell him or her to the highest bidder. In other words, shop your son or daughter around until you find what you think is the best place. In some cases, entire teams have changed cities. What a tremendous lesson the adults are teaching their kids. "It's OK honey, if you won't start for this team, Mommy and Daddy will find a team where you can be the star." Question: If that's the case, then how is that beneficial to the younger kids in the city?

My answer: It's not. Not even close. In the past, when teams were made up of players just from one city, 16 to 18 players comprised the competitive (Al Caffodio) teams. Now, one year, you might have 10 to 12 players from Pleasanton and the next year, a whole new team comes in, shutting out the local girls.

Take the Pleasanton Rage under-17 team. The team won the national title this summer, but had only a couple of players from Pleasanton on the team after moving over from San Ramon. There are at least 14 spots that should have gone to girls from Pleasanton. Why isn't it the goal for a program that carries the Pleasanton banner to develop Pleasanton players? You can't say a team of just Pleasanton players wouldn't be competitive.

If these coaches are so good that they're worth paying, let them develop a team of Pleasanton girls and make them successful. National titles are meaningless if there's just a couple of Pleasanton girls on the team. Take what you have in the city and work with that talent. The city's fields and services should be used for the people of the city, plain and simple. Anything else is a joke. Question: It just seems like so many of the organizations are not in it for the kids anymore. What do you think?

My answer: In some cases I would agree. But for every person who is in it for himself, there are 8 to 10 people who have good intentions. Take a look at all the recreational (house league) coaches who are out there putting in time to make sure the majority of the kids have a coach. But ask most of these recreational coaches if they think their Board of Directors are supportive, and about 80 percent will laugh. It's a time right now where the majority of the effort for each club goes into supporting a minority of the players.

Question: If you write a column about these issues, aren't you concerned about the ramifications it might have on your kids?

My answer: I get this as much as the first question. Sure, I'm concerned. In fact, I have stewed longer over this column than anything else I have written in my 10 years in the business. My oldest daughter is currently on a Pleasanton Rage Flight team, and sure, I worry about what this may mean for her. Her team works with a paid trainer twice a month. But how petty would someone be to take out their feelings for me on my daughter? And if she eventually is good enough to work her way up the ladder, I will be a supportive parent for whatever team she's on. But at the same time, I would be remiss in my job if I didn't bring to light points of concern for a great many soccer parents in the Valley. I talked with her and she understands and supports me.

Finally, the question everyone seems to have the most trouble with -- who's to blame for all this?

My answer: That's the tough one, but someone had to make to the initial decision to pay someone to be a club trainer. Once that door was open, then it led to more paid trainers and then to paid coaches. It's gotten out of control, and to be honest, I think it will get worse before it gets better.

There may be a light at the end of the tunnel, however. It seems that more and more, I'm starting to hear just how fed up people are getting with the way the clubs are being run or with the paid positions. Hopefully those in a position of influence within the local clubs will see the light and return the Tri-Valley soccer clubs to the way they used to be.

The days where the kids from Dublin battled with the kids from Pleasanton, Livermore and the San Ramon Valley were exciting and produced great rivalries. There was no shortage of kids earning college scholarships back then, and there would still be a ton if the clubs were city-exclusive again.

Dennis Miller can be reached at (925) 416-4835 or at drmiller@angnewspapers.com