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Post by soccerfutbolfam on Jun 7, 2017 7:25:28 GMT -5
My kid is a Cl1/2 player. not the best but definitely has the ability to help any team. My reality is this - the chances of a college scholarship are limited. We all know that. It seems that DA/ECNL are creating a stir and more/more good players will actually be pushed down and more elite pushed to the top for college coaches to see them. So, I'll probably spend $6-$10k over his high school years playing soccer. He loves soccer. But, that's a big investment not to see any payoff for college (ok, beyond his character, etc that you could argue for anyone) Anyway, I just saw this on that 'other' board and am curious. After experiencing club ball at a few locations I know - there is no perfect scenario. This almost seems too good to be true - but I am intrigued and wonder if a small club and receiving back my investment while my kid gets to play the sport he loves doesn't make the best sense. Maybe I'm missing something. Can anyone on here fill me in on their thoughts and if they have heard anything about this? here is the link they provided bit.ly/2qKaV2e
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Post by alacrity174 on Jun 7, 2017 8:23:25 GMT -5
Here is my take on this, club soccer should be for the child to enjoy and learn abou the game of soccer and also some life lessons. The cost of this is whatever the next 4 years of club & H/S soccer costs. Regarding getting money for college, each Div 1 school has 9.6 scholarships to divide how they see fit, the majority of players get little to no scholarship money in state. If you go out of state you may get some but don't bank on anything above $4k.
In short youth soccer is for fun, college is for an education and do not expect any financial remuneration for playing soccer. If you want cash for college swap to Football or baseball here in the south.
This is only applicable to boys, girls soccer is a totally different animal.
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Post by allthingsoccer on Jun 7, 2017 10:38:21 GMT -5
Personally, I think the mind set is all wrong. "But, that's a big investment not to see any payoff for college"- So your thinking by allowing your kid to play, you want some sort of return off your investment?? I'm sorry but i dont agree this at all. This is what adds additional pressure and one of the reasons why kids drop out of soccer around 16. Kids should play soccer because its fun and life lessons learned are priceless. We spend 3-5K a year. not expecting anything other than our son to have fun, make friends and enjoy the ride. If it takes him somewhere then great. If it doesnt, then great. As to the link you posted... All in is a new club and they will do anything to draw in players and money. Might want to understand a little better before diving in. Sorry if this reply seems a little harsh but I personally think this is the wrong mind set and add way tooooo much pressure. Let him play for the fun of it and you enjoy the fact that he/she is happy. This to me you is worth any amount of money (within reason..lol) Some interesting stats...2015 Here are the odds of even playing soccer in College let alone getting into College. Also, C1/C2 is 5th/6th level soccer. I'm not sure you are being realistic. Yes some could go to college playing C1 ball but very low chance. 417,419 High School Players 37,890 College Players 9.1% Go to college to play soccer. 1.4% to NCAA D1 1.4% to NCAA D2 2.8% to NCAA D3 (no scholarship funding) Other 6.5% to smaller colleges (no scholarship funding) www.scholarshipstats.com/soccer.html
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Post by spectator on Jun 7, 2017 11:58:26 GMT -5
Personally, I think the mind set is all wrong. "But, that's a big investment not to see any payoff for college"- So your thinking by allowing your kid to play, you want some sort of return off your investment?? I'm sorry but i dont agree this at all. This is what adds additional pressure and one of the reasons why kids drop out of soccer around 16. Kids should play soccer because its fun and life lessons learned are priceless. We spend 3-5K a year. not expecting anything other than our son to have fun, make friends and enjoy the ride. If it takes him somewhere then great. If it doesnt, then great. As to the link you posted... All in is a new club and they will do anything to draw in players and money. Might want to understand a little better before diving in. Sorry if this reply seems a little harsh but I personally think this is the wrong mind set and add way tooooo much pressure. Let him play for the fun of it and you enjoy the fact that he/she is happy. This to me you is worth any amount of money (within reason..lol) Some interesting stats...2015 Here are the odds of even playing soccer in College let alone getting into College. Also, C1/C2 is 5th/6th level soccer. I'm not sure you are being realistic. Yes some could go to college playing C1 ball but very low chance. 417,419 High School Players 37,890 College Players 9.1% Go to college to play soccer. 1.4% to NCAA D1 1.4% to NCAA D2 2.8% to NCAA D3 (no scholarship funding) Other 6.5% to smaller colleges (no scholarship funding) www.scholarshipstats.com/soccer.htmlI'm going to flip this ^^^ view on you You never need to rule out playing soccer in college based on your kid’s current club level. A wise coach once told us if a kid wants to play soccer in college, there’s a school that will be a fit for him or her –but make sure it’s a fit for him or her academically and socially as well. Because soccer won’t be the career choice for 99.99% of kids playing today and any parent thinking their kid will play professionally may well be delusional. Here’s a good example of how a kid can play in college – good friend of ours has never played above Athena B in her life. But she’s got skills and drive and desire and found a small D3 school where she can play college soccer and then transfer to a large school to complete her degree – she wants to be a vet. D3 doesn’t have athletic money but her grades are getting her quite a bit. (Side note NAIA schools have TONS Of money to give atheletes and they are often overlooked by the college seeking parent snobs who think D1 or nothing.) Anyway – for our friend this is great for her both athletically in that she loves the game and academically – she will benefit from smaller classes, can be a scholar/athlete and have the GPA to transfer into a good vet school – which from what I’ve heard is very very hard to get into so a high GPA undergrad plus playing a college sport will be a great asset when her application is reviewed. Where people get all bent out of shape is thinking their kid will get a full ride to a power D1 school and be part of a national championship run, be recruited to play for the national team or professionally. And it’s different for boys than girls – girls have more opportunities for soccer because larger schools have other mens sports that their scholarships are geared toward – football, basketball, baseball, etc. But there are opportunities for boys to play in college – just look at the schools and make sure they are good fits for the skill and grades the kid has. Regarding club level – we personally know girls who are on ECNL and high performing RPL teams that have zero college looks going into their senior year. Being at the high profile event isn’t enough – you have to be memorable to the scores of coaches there and have a manager/coach who provides these college coaches your contact information to begin the dialogue. But that’s not the only way to get in front of coaches. Go to the specific school’s ID camps (research first – visit if possible before going to the camp – that way the coach knows you are really interested and you’re more likely to get a good look at the camp versus the kids who sign up, pay and show up. Have your player start emailing coaches of schools they are interested in – especially before tournaments or send your schedule when you are playing near these schools. You can send video – coaches prefer small files not links to youtube. But - at the end of the day, we as parents need to remember that it's their lives not ours. The kids should play the game because they love it and want to. Grades always come first. If they are fortunate enough to find a school they want to attend and graduate from AND play this game, that's a gift. But there are schools for kids - not of every level obviously - but if a kid has skills, desire, and the drive to find a fit where they can attend school and play for that school - it is possible! They hype is taht DA is the path to the pros and National team; ECNL gets all the college looks and RPL also has opportunities but a C1/Athena A and C2/Athena B kid can find a fit, too.
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Post by allthingsoccer on Jun 7, 2017 13:55:53 GMT -5
Yes very good view point. You dont have to play at those levels in order to go to college for soccer. It is a different path for sure and you are correct that NAIA schools are a great option, almost a hidden gem. I also think the landscape is changing so C1/C2 is a little different now or will be.
I was just taken back by the question in ref to getting a return on investment.
Never give up on a dream.
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Post by spectator on Jun 7, 2017 15:38:08 GMT -5
I was just taken back by the question in ref to getting a return on investment. FYI - I was as well. Youth sports is not an investment portfolio. I'm sure even kids who get 'full rides' to colleges have parents who have spent about as much over the years on fees, tournaments, gear, food, etc. The ROI for youth soccer is if your kid enjoys the game, gets to play at the highest level they can and gets to play after high school if they can.
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Post by soccerfutbolfam on Jun 8, 2017 9:44:21 GMT -5
I was just taken back by the question in ref to getting a return on investment. FYI - I was as well. Youth sports is not an investment portfolio. I'm sure even kids who get 'full rides' to colleges have parents who have spent about as much over the years on fees, tournaments, gear, food, etc. The ROI for youth soccer is if your kid enjoys the game, gets to play at the highest level they can and gets to play after high school if they can. You are both right - I definitely used the incorrect wording there. Not looking for a 'ROI' except I do have an expectation that I will have an ROI in services I pay for. Some coaches do and others do not. There are some great kids playing soccer. You are all definitely paying and playing at a higher level... $6-$10k is a LOT for 'fun'.... and I get it. The higher level the play...the more. For us, we are not made of money so definitely exploring options for my kids and their passions has to have checks/balances. We can't just pour out money and I don't think most parents can. (and I don't just have kids in soccer - have kids doing things all over this state, so it's a big chess game on levels you may or may not be able to conceive of and definitely can't without me telling you more and 'outing' myself and I don't want to do that here...I think there are just as many people on this board as the other who are just looking for a fight" So, I should have kept it simple and stated - 'what do you think about this program for scholarships' (please note, I did not ask about your opinion for the club - that's all on me as the parent to decide) - which seems to be money earned just for playing soccer. But again, my question is 'what do you think' and have you heard about it. I have to admit, I am taken back by your response that this is a small club and will do what they can. Every club will. I kind of think this - if it is really only about your kid loving the sport and having fun - why not just get all of the top players, form a fantastical rec team, pay lower fees AND kick some soccer butt while also reaching out to Coaches at colleges. So, I agree and disagree with your logic and really try to hold my tongue on this forum because I get it - you all have kids at elite levels. But please don't tell me it's just about fun and you aren't hoping to get noticed by a college coach. If you really aren't and you really have that kind of money to just throw around for your kid to have fun then maybe just maybe you should consider that others do not and do have to pinch every stinking penny just to play somewhere and hopefully help their kid in college. And yes, College is to expand the child's education beyond high school. Admittedly, those with leadership credits, volunteer work and sports will outshine kids with just academics. Colleges want more kids who have experience in and out of the class room.
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Post by spectator on Jun 8, 2017 10:50:41 GMT -5
FYI - I was as well. Youth sports is not an investment portfolio. I'm sure even kids who get 'full rides' to colleges have parents who have spent about as much over the years on fees, tournaments, gear, food, etc. The ROI for youth soccer is if your kid enjoys the game, gets to play at the highest level they can and gets to play after high school if they can. You are both right - I definitely used the incorrect wording there. Not looking for a 'ROI' except I do have an expectation that I will have an ROI in services I pay for. Some coaches do and others do not. There are some great kids playing soccer. You are all definitely paying and playing at a higher level... $6-$10k is a LOT for 'fun'.... and I get it. The higher level the play...the more. For us, we are not made of money so definitely exploring options for my kids and their passions has to have checks/balances. We can't just pour out money and I don't think most parents can. (and I don't just have kids in soccer - have kids doing things all over this state, so it's a big chess game on levels you may or may not be able to conceive of and definitely can't without me telling you more and 'outing' myself and I don't want to do that here...I think there are just as many people on this board as the other who are just looking for a fight" So, I should have kept it simple and stated - 'what do you think about this program for scholarships' (please note, I did not ask about your opinion for the club - that's all on me as the parent to decide) - which seems to be money earned just for playing soccer. But again, my question is 'what do you think' and have you heard about it. I have to admit, I am taken back by your response that this is a small club and will do what they can. Every club will. I kind of think this - if it is really only about your kid loving the sport and having fun - why not just get all of the top players, form a fantastical rec team, pay lower fees AND kick some soccer butt while also reaching out to Coaches at colleges. So, I agree and disagree with your logic and really try to hold my tongue on this forum because I get it - you all have kids at elite levels. But please don't tell me it's just about fun and you aren't hoping to get noticed by a college coach. If you really aren't and you really have that kind of money to just throw around for your kid to have fun then maybe just maybe you should consider that others do not and do have to pinch every stinking penny just to play somewhere and hopefully help their kid in college. And yes, College is to expand the child's education beyond high school. Admittedly, those with leadership credits, volunteer work and sports will outshine kids with just academics. Colleges want more kids who have experience in and out of the class room. Did you not read my first response about levels and college looks? My point was not only the 'elite' teams players get looks - some have nothing now as they head into senior year. Players from Classic 2 and Athena B teams are headed to play college ball in fall. It has nothing to do with club or level and everything to do with being realistic and finding your fit. And no, not 'all' here have kids at elite levels.
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Post by soccerfutbolfam on Jun 8, 2017 10:57:33 GMT -5
You are both right - I definitely used the incorrect wording there. Not looking for a 'ROI' except I do have an expectation that I will have an ROI in services I pay for. Some coaches do and others do not. There are some great kids playing soccer. You are all definitely paying and playing at a higher level... $6-$10k is a LOT for 'fun'.... and I get it. The higher level the play...the more. For us, we are not made of money so definitely exploring options for my kids and their passions has to have checks/balances. We can't just pour out money and I don't think most parents can. (and I don't just have kids in soccer - have kids doing things all over this state, so it's a big chess game on levels you may or may not be able to conceive of and definitely can't without me telling you more and 'outing' myself and I don't want to do that here...I think there are just as many people on this board as the other who are just looking for a fight" So, I should have kept it simple and stated - 'what do you think about this program for scholarships' (please note, I did not ask about your opinion for the club - that's all on me as the parent to decide) - which seems to be money earned just for playing soccer. But again, my question is 'what do you think' and have you heard about it. I have to admit, I am taken back by your response that this is a small club and will do what they can. Every club will. I kind of think this - if it is really only about your kid loving the sport and having fun - why not just get all of the top players, form a fantastical rec team, pay lower fees AND kick some soccer butt while also reaching out to Coaches at colleges. So, I agree and disagree with your logic and really try to hold my tongue on this forum because I get it - you all have kids at elite levels. But please don't tell me it's just about fun and you aren't hoping to get noticed by a college coach. If you really aren't and you really have that kind of money to just throw around for your kid to have fun then maybe just maybe you should consider that others do not and do have to pinch every stinking penny just to play somewhere and hopefully help their kid in college. And yes, College is to expand the child's education beyond high school. Admittedly, those with leadership credits, volunteer work and sports will outshine kids with just academics. Colleges want more kids who have experience in and out of the class room. Did you not read my first response about levels and college looks? My point was not only the 'elite' teams players get looks - some have nothing now as they head into senior year. Players from Classic 2 and Athena B teams are headed to play college ball in fall. It has nothing to do with club or level and everything to do with being realistic and finding your fit. And no, not 'all' here have kids at elite levels. Yes, I read your post and I agree wholeheartedly. It isn't just 'elite'. I was taken back by the whole slamming another club thought process. Not by you. This program doesn't seem to be made up on what level you play, just about giving back to the kids/family for college. I would still like to know - do you or anyone else have any knoweldge of this? If it really is about what it says, why don't more clubs have something like this? I mean, if we're all going to invest in 'fun' why not invest somewhere that not only gives our kids a chance to have fun, grow their character AND help parents with college? spectator
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Post by allthingsoccer on Jun 8, 2017 11:30:59 GMT -5
What comments in this topic slammed a club. I mentioned your link for All In Academy. All I said was a draw for more players and money, which it is. They have to do something different to bring in the players. More players = more $ for club = more resources to develop players. By no means was it a slamming. Keep in mind, this is a business. I would contact the club and ask them directly. You can also look at acesnation.org which seems to be the main engine behind this program. Mark MacKain does has a great track record of helping kids get to College. This does seem on the surface a pretty interesting program and would for sure warrant direct contact to find more details.
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Post by soccerfutbolfam on Jun 8, 2017 15:24:59 GMT -5
What comments in this topic slammed a club. I mentioned your link for All In Academy. All I said was a draw for more players and money, which it is. They have to do something different to bring in the players. More players = more $ for club = more resources to develop players. By no means was it a slamming. Keep in mind, this is a business. I would contact the club and ask them directly. You can also look at acesnation.org which seems to be the main engine behind this program. Mark MacKain does has a great track record of helping kids get to College. This does seem on the surface a pretty interesting program and would for sure warrant direct contact to find more details. allthingsoccer - your comment - "All in is a new club and they will do anything to draw in players and money. Might want to understand a little better before diving in. " is a comment about the club. My question was about the program with the scholarship. Any club (new or old) will do anything to draw in players and money. By stating that after All-In (or any club) you are making it sound like they are unlike any other club or worse than. Though, since I can't hear your voice in this, I don't know and unfortunately, see the worst in your statement especially when followed by "Might want to understand...... before diving in." I wanted information on the program. Not the club. I can find that on my own without someone else telling me a club will do anything to bring in money. Thanks for following up with the individual information for "Mark MacKain does has a great track record of helping kids get to College. "
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Post by upper90magazine on Jun 8, 2017 16:24:46 GMT -5
If you are looking for your young player to grow with potential to play beyond his or her youth, my personal view is to get them with a personal trainer. They can play with any club as long as they are seeing a personal trainer. The personal trainer, if effective, will be able to help you and your young player see if there are opportunities beyond club. Some clubs offer more exposure, certainly, but at the end of the day colleges will be looking at ID camps more or less and not the history of the player. There are exceptions, this is not a one size fits all conversation. But based on the level of play of your youth player which you stated, I think any club with a personal trainer can help you just as much if the goal is college soccer. We had a nice article on the importance of personal trainers in our Georgia Edition of Upper90 Magazine a couple of months ago. Take a look and see if you feel any of this is applicable: upper90magazine.com/Digital-Magazine/GA/Volume1-Edition2/#?page=26There is also a section in our magazine called Collegiate Corner with the College Soccer GURU Rob King out of Georgia. He is a wealth of knowledge and can give great advice: upper90magazine.com/blog/2017/06/05/know-the-abcs-of-playing-college-soccer/Other than that, I agree with most people here...just let the young player have fun playing soccer. Its a great sport and very exciting. If we press too much of our goals for them on them, then end results can only be disappointment. Make sure you know what your young player wants and fuel that passion.
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Post by soccerparent02 on Jun 8, 2017 23:05:00 GMT -5
What comments in this topic slammed a club. I mentioned your link for All In Academy. All I said was a draw for more players and money, which it is. They have to do something different to bring in the players. More players = more $ for club = more resources to develop players. By no means was it a slamming. Keep in mind, this is a business. I would contact the club and ask them directly. You can also look at acesnation.org which seems to be the main engine behind this program. Mark MacKain does has a great track record of helping kids get to College. This does seem on the surface a pretty interesting program and would for sure warrant direct contact to find more details.
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Post by soccerparent02 on Jun 8, 2017 23:10:09 GMT -5
Please understand that college coaches don't go to high school games. They also don't go to lower level team games. They go to large events (State Cup), major showcases (Disney), ODP Region Events, etc. At these venues college coaches can see the best players from multiple ages all at the same time and location. Perhaps if a player is seen at one of these events, a coach may come see them at another single game. This is just how it is.
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Post by allthingsoccer on Jun 9, 2017 9:56:12 GMT -5
soccerfutbolfam- I'm sorry you took it that way. It was a comment about the program but was not slamming. ALL clubs are looking for that "it" factor to bring in more "paying" customers and this is pretty much a known thing. My comment "Might want to understand...... before diving in", was basically saying contact them to find more about the program.
As any business new or old needs to find something that will draw more paying customers. I think the concept is interesting. You pay your fees but you have a chance to "earn" points for scholarship money. Like I said before, "Might want to understand...... before diving in" was referring to the program not the club.
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