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Post by Futsal Gawdess on Mar 27, 2019 11:32:13 GMT -5
As much as some of us may hope, pray and dream about our kids going “Pro”, we can all agree that statistics point to most of our kids topping out at the college level. Unless you have $500k+, the recent college admissions scandal has shown just how difficult the journey to get into college can be. Now, even that is no long a slam dunk, especially if you play HS/Club soccer. I believe the last stat I remember says something like less than 6% of boys and 7% of girls will move on from HS/Club ball to actually play in college(NCAA Div. I, II, III). As we all navigate the soccer landscape of getting our kids in as a College Soccer Player, one thing my experience has taught me is that there is no one good source for info on what to do and what not to do to maximize the chances your kid lands at the best college for that kid. There is the mom & dad network, but you have to know what to ask and more important parents willing to provide answers. I propose we start a Q & A discussion on our collective experiences in an effort to share and help others. I will start with a series of questions, in the hopes that others with more experience will chime in and iron out better answers and suggestions. I will start by saying the process starts much earlier now. If you wait till your junior year of HS it might actually be too late, especially on the girls side. Parents, we need to become pseudo-agents for our kids to help them show well. There is a timeline of things you should do as a freshman, sophomore, junior and a senior to make sure you're on track to maximize your chances of being offered a good and apropos soccer scholarship. Remember there are different options and accompanying requirements for NCAA div. 1 offers 9.9/team; div. 2 offers 9/team; div. 3 doesn’t officially offer athletic scholarship but can offer academic scholarships; NAIA offers 12/team and of course JUCO offers 18/team;You need video, stats and a soccer resume. Create a Player Profile that summarizes the player – Sample: bit.ly/2WsdUNa To start the conversation, here are some questions I wish I'd known earlier: Grades, PSAT, SAT, ACT? Create a college timeline? Showcases and College ID Camps? Should I call, text, email or visit a coach? What is the clearinghouse for the NCAA/NAIA? Soccer resume & profile, what should be included? Registration with NCAA/NAIA, creation of profiles? Should you pay a coach, oops I mean use a recruiter? What classes should I be taking to meet NCAA eligibility rules? What should you be doing during 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year of High School? How many scholarships are available in college(div 1, div 2, div 3, NAIA, JUCO)? Feel free to chime in with your opinions, ideas, suggestions and experiences...FG
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Post by Goalkeeper Dad on Mar 27, 2019 12:24:09 GMT -5
As much as some of us may hope, pray and dream about our kids going “Pro”, we can all agree that statistics point to most of our kids topping out at the college level. Unless you have $500k+, the recent college admissions scandal has shown just how difficult the journey to get into college can be. Now, even that is no long a slam dunk, especially if you play HS/Club soccer. I believe the last stat I remember says something like less than 6% of boys and 7% of girls will move on from HS/Club ball to actually play in college(NCAA Div. I, II, III). As we all navigate the soccer landscape of getting our kids in as a College Soccer Player, one thing my experience has taught me is that there is no one good source for info on what to do and what not to do to maximize the chances your kid lands at the best college for that kid. There is the mom & dad network, but you have to know what to ask and more important parents willing to provide answers. I propose we start a Q & A discussion on our collective experiences in an effort to share and help others. I will start with a series of questions, in the hopes that others with more experience will chime in and iron out better answers and suggestions. I will start by saying the process starts much earlier now. If you wait till your junior year of HS it might actually be too late, especially on the girls side. Parents, we need to become pseudo-agents for our kids to help them show well. There is a timeline of things you should do as a freshman, sophomore, junior and a senior to make sure you're on track to maximize your chances of being offered a good and apropos soccer scholarship. Remember there are different options and accompanying requirements for NCAA div. 1 offers 9.9/team; div. 2 offers 9/team; div. 3 doesn’t officially offer athletic scholarship but can offer academic scholarships; NAIA offers 12/team and of course JUCO offers 18/team;You need video, stats and a soccer resume. Create a Player Profile that summarizes the player – Sample: bit.ly/2WsdUNa To start the conversation, here are some questions I wish I'd known earlier: Grades, PSAT, SAT, ACT? Create a college timeline? Showcases and College ID Camps? Should I call, text, email or visit a coach? What is the clearinghouse for the NCAA/NAIA? Soccer resume & profile, what should be included? Registration with NCAA/NAIA, creation of profiles? Should you pay a coach, oops I mean use a recruiter? What classes should I be taking to meet NCAA eligibility rules? What should you be doing during 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year of High School? How many scholarships are available in college(div 1, div 2, div 3, NAIA, JUCO)? Feel free to chime in with your opinions, ideas, suggestions and experiences...FG Note: FG this is a great idea. Thank you so much for taking the lead on this project. I know for a fact I would be extremely interested in hearing about this. My daughter is in 9th grade and we just started the process this year to look at colleges and start a website for her. I would also like to add when making a video what should be included and for what time frame. My daughter is a goalie so what would make a great video based on her position. We have only Google some of the answers for these questions but to hear it from parents/kids or coaches would be so much more helpful to people just starting the journey
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Post by Futsal Gawdess on Mar 27, 2019 13:41:53 GMT -5
With goalies it's difficult to get loads of in-game footage. There are only so many goal-kicks, punts and missed opportunities that you can string together to create some real content. I asked the question of a friend who's son is playing in college and he suggested that you get video of the warm-ups, where her teammates are warming up with shots on goal. Colleges understand the limitation of her position so they'll accept using warm-ups in addition to the limited in-game video you can collate. Also, make sure you add in video showing her using her feet to clear balls, one on one with forwards etc. Finally, make sure you record any opportunity with PKs, the more the better. Shows her range of skills. Good luck...FG
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Post by soccerworld1974 on Mar 27, 2019 14:43:33 GMT -5
Only advice I can give having to kids graduate and both in college who played is he need to market the heck out of your kid to those schools with emails, video, Etc. With all the various leagues, there's only so much that the coaches can do and unless they are highly connected which not all are, you're doing most of the legwork in regards to getting that coach to come see that player.
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Post by soccergurl on Mar 27, 2019 14:51:33 GMT -5
Thanks for putting this post up. I will be getting into the whole soccer and college soon. Now I understand the number of scholarships for each team but how many are normally on a team? Thank you.
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Post by Goalkeeper Dad on Mar 27, 2019 14:58:37 GMT -5
With goalies it's difficult to get loads of in-game footage. There are only so many goal-kicks, punts and missed opportunities that you can string together to create some real content. I asked the question of a friend who's son is playing in college and he suggested that you get video of the warm-ups, where her teammates are warming up with shots on goal. Colleges understand the limitation of her position so they'll accept using warm-ups in addition to the limited in-game video you can collate. Also, make sure you add in video showing her using her feet to clear balls, one on one with forwards etc. Finally, make sure you record any opportunity with PKs, the more the better. Shows her range of skills. Good luck...FG Thank you I owe you big time
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Post by Futsal Gawdess on Mar 27, 2019 15:01:04 GMT -5
Thanks for putting this post up. I will be getting into the whole soccer and college soon. Now I understand the number of scholarships for each team but how many are normally on a team? Thank you. My experience is they average between 28 - 30 players. Except with JUCO, where they average about 20...FG
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Post by paterfamilias on Mar 27, 2019 15:53:39 GMT -5
My other advice on your list is this:
Be prepared if your child decides that college soccer is not for them. Make sure they are following their own dream and not trying to make their parents happy.
I've known too.many kids who play for a year in school and just stop.
My own daughter had an amazing experience at Top hat on one of their gold teams before ecnl. All her teammates got D1 scholarships to great schools (Sanford, Samford, both USCs, etc.). But she decided it was not for her. That was hard, but ultimately it is great.
At that age there is a lot of uncertainty ahead. It's ok to get off the merry go round if they choose. Youth soccer is about the experience and the character building.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Mar 31, 2019 13:15:17 GMT -5
This would be great! I have a friend that has a daughter in 9th grade and is on a really strong NPL team. She has asked me what she should be looking to do in order to get her daughter a college scholarship. Her biggest question is:
1) Should she move to an ECNL team?
She is being told by another parent that you have you be DA or ECNL to have a chance at getting into a D1 scholarship.
I, on the other hand, don't believe that to be true.. and have been told otherwise by some club coaches I know. I would like to hear what others think about getting into D1 schools if you're not in those leagues.
1) Is it truly much harder to do if you are not on a club ECNL/DA level? 2) Are there steps to mitigate the difference from NPL to ECNL? 3) Do D1 mostly only go to ECNL/DA showcases to look at talent? 4) Do college ID camps make up for not being at top-level showcases?
I'm sure there are other questions i would like to ask, but this is a starting point if anyone that has knowledge is willing to help those of us trying to gather this sort of intel.
Thanks!
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Post by SoccerMom on Mar 31, 2019 16:58:52 GMT -5
First things first....
NCAA has once again changed the rules effective tomorrow. I will find a link to them, but a parent told me that there shall be no contact about a player even thru a coach until your junior year.
Don't quote me on this
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Post by ihave3girlz on Mar 31, 2019 18:28:09 GMT -5
First things first.... NCCA has once again changed the rules effective tomorrow. I will find a link to them, but a parent told me that there shall be no contact about a player even thru a coach until your junior year. Don't quote me on this Sorry to quote 🤣 but I have noticed recently TH had several 04 girls committ. How could that even be possible if contact isn’t allowed until junior year 🤷♀️
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Post by atv on Mar 31, 2019 18:39:13 GMT -5
Not just Tophat. Several 05, 04, 03 girls committed in the last several weeks from clubs all over the Southeast. Apparently, no contact does not mean they cannot make an early commitment. I think verbal offers were extended through coaches.
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MAP1
Jr. Academy
Posts: 36
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Post by MAP1 on Mar 31, 2019 20:02:34 GMT -5
When “marketing”, reach out to those colleges and let them know when you play. ( college showcases, large tournaments) I was told more than anything make sure the college has what your kid is interested in pursuing for degree, and is the school a good fit for everyone involved. Coaches cannot reach out until later but you as a parent or the player always can. I have really enjoyed this thread. Great insight!
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Post by soccermaxx72 on Mar 31, 2019 21:02:44 GMT -5
This would be great! I have a friend that has a daughter in 9th grade and is on a really strong NPL team. She has asked me what she should be looking to do in order to get her daughter a college scholarship. Her biggest question is: 1) Should she move to an ECNL team? She is being told by another parent that you have you be DA or ECNL to have a chance at getting into a D1 scholarship. I, on the other hand, don't believe that to be true.. and have been told otherwise by some club coaches I know. I would like to hear what others think about getting into D1 schools if you're not in those leagues. 1) Is it truly much harder to do if you are not on a club ECNL/DA level? 2) Are there steps to mitigate the difference from NPL to ECNL? 3) Do D1 mostly only go to ECNL/DA showcases to look at talent? 4) Do college ID camps make up for not being at top-level showcases? I'm sure there are other questions i would like to ask, but this is a starting point if anyone that has knowledge is willing to help those of us trying to gather this sort of intel. Thanks! As an example, sign up for Penn State Summer College ID camp and their website asks players to identify themselves click the box: DA, ECNL or other and no write in to explain other. That answers the question
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Post by SoccerMom on Mar 31, 2019 21:18:48 GMT -5
First things first.... NCCA has once again changed the rules effective tomorrow. I will find a link to them, but a parent told me that there shall be no contact about a player even thru a coach until your junior year. Don't quote me on this Sorry to quote 🤣 but I have noticed recently TH had several 04 girls committ. How could that even be possible if contact isn’t allowed until junior year 🤷♀️ Yes they wanted to beat the deadline...as I stated, the new rules start tomorrow April 1st
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Post by SoccerMom on Mar 31, 2019 21:26:48 GMT -5
I haven't seen the new rule myself. They changed them last year to not be able to contact players until their junior year, but they still found a way to go around it.
Someone told me that the new rule states there is zero contact, but again I haven't seen it. I will ask the person that told me about it to send me the link of where they saw it and post it here.
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Post by footy on Mar 31, 2019 21:54:44 GMT -5
1. Gather as much info as you can from the web, other players/parents, coaches etc. The free articles at ncsasports.org and other sites are great. Parents of kids who have just gone through the process are a wealth of information. 2. You can pay for a service such as NCSA or Captain U to help with recruiting but many players do fine on their own. These services can match your player with schools that have a need for that position. They can be useful for making sure you are exploring all possibilities if you find your junior or senior HS kid without many options especially now that the recruiting timeline has been shortened. You can have free profiles on many of these sites too. 3. A soccer resume and video are helpful to get coaches to come out, but many kids I know never used either one. Our team's kids used professional video from tournaments and showcases if they had video at all. They posted the video clips and entire games (sometimes coaches want to see the whole thing) to YouTube then sent the unlisted links to coaches. 4. Players are being watched during warm-ups, half-time, and after games in addition to during games. I know a few goalkeepers and field players who were recruited based on their pre-game warm-ups. 5. Watch your attitude on and off the field and on social media. This goes for players and parents. Coaches are Googling you. 6. Check out college athlete groups on Facebook. There's a closed group called Parents of College Athletes that I have found to be very informative. NCSA has a public group called The Parent College Athletic Recruiting Community. 7. Consider ID camps at the schools your kid is interested in. Start this by 9th or 10th grade if possible. They have these ID camps or clinics during the summer but also often around winter vacation or spring break. 8. Fill out the Recruit Questionnaire on all the college web sites. This will get your kid onto their mailing list and you can share GPA/test score/video/upcoming tournaments if you want. Since there are rules on the timing of when coaches can contact kids, this can get your kid some exposure earlier in the process. 9. There are enough college spots to go around for any player who wants to play. The trick is finding the sweet spot where the school of interest intersects with the team of interest, desired location, and financial picture. Make that Venn diagram and find the school that is the best fit. 10. Be realistic. This is a link to a great reference that shows our kids' odds of playing in college as well as getting an athletic scholarship. Good luck! www.scholarshipstats.com/soccer.html. *** ***I'm cutting and pasting some of the info below but the formatting doesn't translate well. Keep in mind that NCAA Division III, NAIA, and NJCAA (Junior College) schools may give scholarships well above what's listed below for soccer for NCAA D1 and D2 schools. Odds of a High School Soccer Player competing in College: Men Women Number of US High School Soccer Players 456,362 390,482 Number of College Soccer Players (see table below) 39,858 39,204 % of US High School Soccer Players competing at any College Level 7.5% 9.4% % of US High School Soccer Players Competing at NCAA I Schools 1.0% 2.1% Odds of a US HS Soccer Player making an NCAA or NAIA Roster 18:1 13:1 Odds of a US High School Soccer Player making an NCAA I Roster 99:1 46:1 * Foreign Student Athletes competing in NCAA Soccer: Men Women 2018 NCAA I Teams 16.0% 6.2% NCAA II Teams 20.7% 5.1% NCAA III Teams 2.8% 0.4% Foreign student athletes are not included in the US High School participants base so our odds of a US High School player competing at the college level are adjusted to reflect this factor. % of NCAA Soccer players who competed on a club / travel team in High School: NCAA College Soccer Players (All Divisions) Men Women Played on Club/Travel team in High School 93% 95% Played on High School team 93% 96% The vast majority of NCAA soccer players participated on both school and club / travel teams during High School. Source: NCAA Goals Study Weekly Time Commitment for NCAA Soccer Players: Athletic Academic Total Hours Average Weekly Hours (In-Season) Hours * Hours * per Week : NCAA I - Men 29 37 66 NCAA I - Women 31 40 71 NCAA II - Men 27 37 64 NCAA II - Women 28 42 70 NCAA III - Men 27 41 68 NCAA III - Women 27 45 72 Average 28 41 69 * If you want to play college soccer expect the athletic commitment to require nearly as much time as the academic work load - basically 2 full-time jobs! And contrary to popular belief, Division III soccer requires virtually the same commitment of weekly hours as Division I. Developing efficient time management skills is key to becoming a successful student-athlete. Source: NCAA Goals Study Athletic Scholarship Averages for NCAA I Soccer teams: Men's NCAA I Soccer Teams Average Low High Scholarships awarded per team 21 12 30 Average Scholarship per team $ 15,008 $ 5,809 $ 31,062 Women's NCAA I Soccer Teams Average Low High Scholarships awarded per team 25 17 33 Average Scholarship per team $ 17,766 $ 6,220 $ 31,363 2018 These are the results of our survey of NCAA I schools that sponsored varsity soccer teams during their 2016 fiscal years. Number of scholarships awarded is per team, so for 4 year schools typically only 25% or so will be available for the incoming athletes. 1,690 Schools sponsored varsity Soccer Programs in 2017-18: Scholarship Average Athletic # of # of teams Total Athletes Average team size limit per team Scholarship * Division Schools Men's Women's Men Women Men's Women's Men Women Men Women NCAA I 335 204 333 5,926 9,383 29 28 9.9 14 16,199 17,121 NCAA II 267 213 265 6,575 7,244 31 27 9 9.9 6,364 7,756 NCAA III 447 416 441 12,119 10,869 29 25 - - - - NAIA 196 188 189 5,672 4,632 30 25 12 12 6,539 7,011 Other 4 year 76 73 47 1,508 877 21 19 - - 622 797 NJCAA 242 223 193 5,174 3,665 23 19 24 24 1,771 2,129 Other 2 year 127 103 123 2,884 2,534 28 21 n/a n/a 243 336 ***Soccer 2018 *** Totals 1,690 1,420 1,591 39,858 39,204 28 25 5,303 5,830 Soccer is an equivalency sport for NCAA limits, so partial scholarships can be awarded as long as the combined equivalent awards do not exceed the limit. For example, an NCAA Division I school can award 28 female soccer players each a 1/2 equivalent scholarship and still meet the limit of 14 per team. For more information see our page on scholarship limits. Do the Math! NCAA Division I men's Soccer teams have an average roster size of 29 players but only a maximum of 9.9 athletic scholarships to award per team. This means the average award covers only about 1/3 of a typical athlete's annual college costs - and this assumes the sport is fully funded at the sponsoring school. * Average Athletic Scholarship is the average amount of athletically related student aid per athlete for ALL varsity sports sponsored by the specific school. Some athletes receive full awards, some receive partial and many receive none. Additionally some sports within a school may be fully funded, some partially and some sports provide no athletic scholarships. Private schools generally have higher tuition than public schools and the average award will reflect this.
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Post by SoccerMom on Mar 31, 2019 22:18:32 GMT -5
The only thing I was able to find about it being illegal applies only to softball at this time. Here are the D1 rules that took effect last year:
Official visits: Recruits can now start taking official visits starting September 1 of their junior year of high school. In the past, official visits weren't permitted until the athlete's senior year of high school, so this rule is actually bumping them up!
Camps and clinics: Recruits and college coaches are not allowed to have any recruiting conversations during camps prior to September 1 of the athlete's junior year of high school. Previously, there weren't really any rules that prevented coaches from talking about recruiting to underclassmen during camps. In fact, it had become common practice for college coaches to extend verbal scholarship offers to top recruits during camps.
Unofficial visits: College athletic departments-this includes college coaches-are not allowed to be involved in a recruit's unofficial visits. Quick refresher: Unofficial visits are any campus visits paid for entirely by the recruit's family. Before the rule change, unofficial visits were an easy way for underclassmen to visit a college camps, meet with the coach and get an early verbal offer. However, if athletes want to take unofficial visits now, they cannot schedule them with the coach-they should treat the unofficial visit just like any other student would. If the recruit happens to bump into the coach on campus, they can't have any recruiting conversations at that time.
D1 softball only: Softball took the new rules to the next level by making it illegal for college coaches to have recruiting conversations or send recruiting messages through an athlete's club/high school coach or other third party. In the past, coaches and athletes took advantage of a loophole in the rules by having recruits' current coaches reach out to college coaches on their behalf. With the new rule, no one can reach out to college coaches on a recruit's behalf before September 1 of their junior year of high school.
How will the new rules impact your recruiting process?
The new rules will have an impact on your recruiting process if you are looking to play at the Division 1 level. The rules will make it essential that you complete all your research and recruiting groundwork during your freshman and sophomore years in high school. Additionally, keep in mind that recruiting messages may not be sent from a college coach through a high school or select coach to a recruit prior to September 1, of your junior year. That would also be a violation of this new rule.
On September 1 of your junior year, you will need to be ready to hit the ground running. Having your target schools identified and researched will put you a step ahead of your competition. It will make it easier to develop relationships with college coaches, pick the right camps to attend and schedule the appropriate official and unofficial visits.
With the exception of lacrosse and softball, all athletes looking to play in college should still be proactive in reaching out to college coaches. Athletes can always email, text or call college coaches. It’s a great way to get on their radar (as long as you don’t overdo it), just don’t expect a response.
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Post by soccerlegacy on Apr 1, 2019 8:25:26 GMT -5
Does anyone have specific answers to my 4 questions? I'll post then again so you dont have to scroll up to look for them. 1) Should she (9th grade NPL player) move to an ECNL team? She is being told by another parent that you have you be DA or ECNL to have a chance at getting into a D1 scholarship. I, on the other hand, don't believe that to be true.. and have been told otherwise by some club coaches I know. I would like to hear what others think about getting into D1 schools if you're not in those leagues. 1) Is it truly much harder to do if you are not on a club ECNL/DA level? 2) Are there steps to mitigate the difference from NPL to ECNL? 3) Do D1 mostly only go to ECNL/DA showcases to look at talent? 4) Do college ID camps make up for not being at top-level showcases? I'm sure there are other questions i would like to ask, but this is a starting point if anyone that has knowledge is willing to help those of us trying to gather this sort of intel. Read more: gasoccerforum.com/thread/3835/college-soccer-scholarship#ixzz5jqkDKiqc
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Post by oraclesfriend on Apr 1, 2019 9:50:04 GMT -5
Does anyone have specific answers to my 4 questions? I'll post then again so you dont have to scroll up to look for them. 1) Should she (9th grade NPL player) move to an ECNL team? She is being told by another parent that you have you be DA or ECNL to have a chance at getting into a D1 scholarship. I, on the other hand, don't believe that to be true.. and have been told otherwise by some club coaches I know. I would like to hear what others think about getting into D1 schools if you're not in those leagues. 1) Is it truly much harder to do if you are not on a club ECNL/DA level? 2) Are there steps to mitigate the difference from NPL to ECNL? 3) Do D1 mostly only go to ECNL/DA showcases to look at talent? 4) Do college ID camps make up for not being at top-level showcases? I'm sure there are other questions i would like to ask, but this is a starting point if anyone that has knowledge is willing to help those of us trying to gather this sort of intel. Read more: gasoccerforum.com/thread/3835/college-soccer-scholarship#ixzz5jqkDKiqcI cannot answer any of your questions from the personal experience of an older athlete but I have some experience from camps that will give you an idea. Plus I think there are some specifics that also could help your friend. You do not have to be DA or ECNL to get a D1 scholarship, but it does help your exposure. There are plenty of NPL kids on college rosters currently. The landscape is ever-changing though and looking at the past does not mean the future is going to be the same. DA kids can only be college freshman today since we are only in the second year of it. One of our daughters is currently NPL so we are looking at the same issues as your friend. She went to 3 college ID camps over the winter. UGA (which she just went to for the experience...no desire to attend there) did not separate the NPL girls from the ECNL or DA girls. Clemson kept the DA girls on the top field and the ECNL and other girls on the second field. The other camp had multiple coaches at it and had D1, D2 and D3 schools. She was sent info from a D1 school inviting her to their camp (they did not send this invite to everyone). So...I think it is EASIER to get looks if you are DA or ECNL. You CAN mitigate the difference by doing heavy marketing of yourself and doing showcases that many college coaches attend like Jeff Cup and Disney in the east and Surf Cup in the west (not sure where this friend lives). If you look carefully at the different brackets at Jeff Cup and Disney there are many NPL teams in the high brackets and there are ECNL teams in the lowest brackets (especially true at Jeff Cup). I would say move to ECNL if the desired ECNL team itself is strong. I am not sure that moving would be best if the team is weaker than her current team. If she loves her current team and coach and the team is strong against NPL and does well against ECNL in showcases like Disney, etc then I don't believe it benefits her to move. ID camps are a good place to showcase her talents. There are others with more experience that can answer for you with their own experience. Also if her current club has a DA or ECNL team at it then guest playing on that team for showcases would also increase her exposure.
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Post by ihave3girlz on Apr 1, 2019 9:55:32 GMT -5
Regarding the new recruiting rules...I got this from a very reliable source...
They haven't even voted on it yet (probably will April 19) and then they also aren't sure when it will start....they are thinking if it does it will be May 1. So you can spread that word! One of my good friends is on the committee voting on it and he's going to keep me posted as things progress.
Young kids are committing to top schools in the nation early but the hope is that these new rules will finally slow it down because it's really going to limit the contact kids can have with coaches until junior year! As of right now, a freshman can call a college coach and they can answer to talk about recruiting and therefore kids can commit. I think if and when this new rule start it should finally slow things down!
I would say most d1 schools are getting commitments from sophomores and junior right now but you always have the UCLA's, UNC's, Florida State's, etc who are top programs getting kids from the national team at a young age!
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Post by atlfutboldad on Apr 1, 2019 11:46:39 GMT -5
Who does the change really benefit? What's the actual rationale for the change?
Schools that are not perennial top 25 schools? College commitments are non-binding. What does it matter if some Tophat girls commit as freshmen? Are they trying to protect kids from freshmen offers being rescinded as other kids develop and pass them?
It'll definitely make for a more stressful junior year for top players.
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Post by atv on Apr 1, 2019 12:02:41 GMT -5
Who does the change really benefit? What's the actual rationale for the change? Schools that are not perennial top 25 schools? College commitments are non-binding. What does it matter if some Tophat girls commit as freshmen? Are they trying to protect kids from freshmen offers being rescinded as other kids develop and pass them? It'll definitely make for a more stressful junior year for top players. This actually happened to my niece in softball. Committed as a freshman to GA Tech. Junior year the offer was rescinded because of a coaching change. She ended up later committting to a less prestigious Div 1 school.
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Post by Futsal Gawdess on Apr 1, 2019 12:30:28 GMT -5
I cannot answer any of your questions from the personal experience of an older athlete but I have some experience from camps that will give you an idea. Plus I think there are some specifics that also could help your friend. You do not have to be DA or ECNL to get a D1 scholarship, but it does help your exposure. There are plenty of NPL kids on college rosters currently. The landscape is ever-changing though and looking at the past does not mean the future is going to be the same. DA kids can only be college freshman today since we are only in the second year of it. One of our daughters is currently NPL so we are looking at the same issues as your friend. She went to 3 college ID camps over the winter. UGA (which she just went to for the experience...no desire to attend there) did not separate the NPL girls from the ECNL or DA girls. Clemson kept the DA girls on the top field and the ECNL and other girls on the second field. The other camp had multiple coaches at it and had D1, D2 and D3 schools. She was sent info from a D1 school inviting her to their camp (they did not send this invite to everyone). So...I think it is EASIER to get looks if you are DA or ECNL. You CAN mitigate the difference by doing heavy marketing of yourself and doing showcases that many college coaches attend like Jeff Cup and Disney in the east and Surf Cup in the west (not sure where this friend lives). If you look carefully at the different brackets at Jeff Cup and Disney there are many NPL teams in the high brackets and there are ECNL teams in the lowest brackets (especially true at Jeff Cup). I would say move to ECNL if the desired ECNL team itself is strong. I am not sure that moving would be best if the team is weaker than her current team. If she loves her current team and coach and the team is strong against NPL and does well against ECNL in showcases like Disney, etc then I don't believe it benefits her to move. ID camps are a good place to showcase her talents. There are others with more experience that can answer for you with their own experience. Also if her current club has a DA or ECNL team at it then guest playing on that team for showcases would also increase her exposure. I concur with pretty much everything oraclesfriend said here. The key thing you want to do is get her good quality exposure to college coaches. They have limited budgets for recruiting and travel, so you want to go and spend on showcases and sessions that will maximize her exposure. I personally believe unless you've done this before, have someone to guide you step by step, going the route of DA/ECNL is the way to go. I'd like to reiterate, you do not have to the DA/ECNL route to get recruited but it sure doesn't hurt her chances...FG
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Post by soccerparent02 on Apr 1, 2019 14:32:37 GMT -5
We are in this process now. Our player plays in a top alphabet league getting great exposure. However, let me stress that this gets exposure, the alphabet that gets more exposure for our player is SAT, ACT and GPA along with the rigor of the high school transcript. Talk to any college coach, they will tell you the same. Often because of budgets, the coach uses academic money combined with soccer scholarship if available.
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Post by Strikermom on Apr 1, 2019 19:50:15 GMT -5
Daughter going to DII school in the fall to play. Chose it because of academics. D1 was not on her radar because seriously wants to pursue nursing and not be held to D1 athletic commitment... because it is. What worked for her was seriously the SINC profile for tournaments and teaching out Tony he coaches listed that would be in attendance. Paid the monthly fee so we could add video, pics etc. They came and sought her out. On Athena A saw little interest moved to NPL junior year and after returning from ACL tear at State Cup got lots of interest. 12th grade moved to ECNL composite and coach got the schools out. Went to her top pick school for their specific ID camp and rest is history. There is not that much money really. Luckily we are receiving the Zell Hope which pays for tuition, and a little $$ from soccer but will have to find the rest. Academic program first and foremost. Clearinghouse is a must, cannot sign an NLI without it. Girls need competitive academic scores all around.
Hope that helps .
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Post by fridge on Apr 2, 2019 11:14:25 GMT -5
This would be great! I have a friend that has a daughter in 9th grade and is on a really strong NPL team. She has asked me what she should be looking to do in order to get her daughter a college scholarship. Her biggest question is: 1) Should she move to an ECNL team? She is being told by another parent that you have you be DA or ECNL to have a chance at getting into a D1 scholarship. I, on the other hand, don't believe that to be true.. and have been told otherwise by some club coaches I know. I would like to hear what others think about getting into D1 schools if you're not in those leagues. 1) Is it truly much harder to do if you are not on a club ECNL/DA level? 2) Are there steps to mitigate the difference from NPL to ECNL? 3) Do D1 mostly only go to ECNL/DA showcases to look at talent? 4) Do college ID camps make up for not being at top-level showcases? I'm sure there are other questions i would like to ask, but this is a starting point if anyone that has knowledge is willing to help those of us trying to gather this sort of intel. Thanks! I agree w/ what Oracles Friend posted, but figured I'd extrapolate a bit to give some insight from what I learned from a high level D1 coach who happened to sit next to me at the bar during a showcase and indulged me. In sum, she said, put yourself in a D1 college soccer coach's shoes. She has limited time and resources to recruit while she is juggling 1000 other balls. She gets hundreds (if not thousands of emails a week) from national team kids down to recreational kids who have no business emailing her. Further, for every position on the D1 team, there are dozens of kids who could fill the position. (There are thousands of 3 and 4 star rated players.) So, how does she prioritize who to focus in on? First, it would be the league the kid plays in. The higher the level (and like it or not, that is DA or ECNL right now), it gives the kid credibility. If a kid is not in these leagues, in reviewing 1000 emails its easy to simply overlook or move on as the coach may wonder "why is the kid not in the highest leagues.") Second, given the coach is attending more DA and ECNL events, they will have the opportunity without any extra effort to see a kid play 3 times in a weekend and perhaps 9-12 times over the year. So, even if the kid is a "borderline" kid, if the coach is at the event, she likely will shoot over and watch the kid play. If the borderline kid looks good, they will get another look. On the other hand, the borderline kid is in a league the D1 coach won't easily or frequently see play, the kid may not get that look--or if the kid is unimpressive in the 30 minute window the coach watches, game over. Another thing the coaches will highlight is ODP, NTC and national team invites. They are other "prongs of credibility" in the process. In effect, if a kid is not in an area to play DA or ECNL, they need to improve their resume with things like ODP, etc. Meanwhile, these things can "ratify" what the coach sees watching a kid (e.g. "I think the kid looks pretty good and she made ODP region so she must be solid.) Bottom line, the more looks the kid gets by the more coaches, the more opportunities (including that schools ID camps). If 1000 coaches see the kid play 10 games, the numbers are really good. If 2 coaches see the kid play 1 game, the odds are not very good. While there is no one path, there are ways to increase your kid's odds of many and frequent looks and that should be the strategy.
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Post by docnfulton on Apr 8, 2019 16:10:55 GMT -5
Different point to make, take this for what it's worth. Be creative to prepare your son or daughter for adversity. Players head to universities with their scholarship in hand, many are unprepared for what they walk into. Most will not have meaningful minutes until they are juniors or seniors if that. Obviously not all, but most. Rosters have grown in international players, and that trend will only continue.
on recruiting side, budgets are small and not growing at universities for their recruiting so the more creative you can be individually the better. Your player should be looking to attend 1-2 summer camps at universities that are in their wheelhouse as well as allow them to figure out what kind of school they woul want to go to. Big school vs small. Top D1, struggling D1, D2. These camps get your player in front of assistant coaches and other school coaches who can give them realistic feedback and help them network.
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Post by soccerg4 on Apr 8, 2019 22:21:22 GMT -5
As much as some of us may hope, pray and dream about our kids going “Pro”, we can all agree that statistics point to most of our kids topping out at the college level. Unless you have $500k+, the recent college admissions scandal has shown just how difficult the journey to get into college can be. Now, even that is no long a slam dunk, especially if you play HS/Club soccer. I believe the last stat I remember says something like less than 6% of boys and 7% of girls will move on from HS/Club ball to actually play in college(NCAA Div. I, II, III). As we all navigate the soccer landscape of getting our kids in as a College Soccer Player, one thing my experience has taught me is that there is no one good source for info on what to do and what not to do to maximize the chances your kid lands at the best college for that kid. There is the mom & dad network, but you have to know what to ask and more important parents willing to provide answers. I propose we start a Q & A discussion on our collective experiences in an effort to share and help others. I will start with a series of questions, in the hopes that others with more experience will chime in and iron out better answers and suggestions. I will start by saying the process starts much earlier now. If you wait till your junior year of HS it might actually be too late, especially on the girls side. Parents, we need to become pseudo-agents for our kids to help them show well. There is a timeline of things you should do as a freshman, sophomore, junior and a senior to make sure you're on track to maximize your chances of being offered a good and apropos soccer scholarship. Remember there are different options and accompanying requirements for NCAA div. 1 offers 9.9/team; div. 2 offers 9/team; div. 3 doesn’t officially offer athletic scholarship but can offer academic scholarships; NAIA offers 12/team and of course JUCO offers 18/team;You need video, stats and a soccer resume. Create a Player Profile that summarizes the player – Sample: bit.ly/2WsdUNa To start the conversation, here are some questions I wish I'd known earlier: Grades, PSAT, SAT, ACT? Create a college timeline? Showcases and College ID Camps? Should I call, text, email or visit a coach? What is the clearinghouse for the NCAA/NAIA? Soccer resume & profile, what should be included? Registration with NCAA/NAIA, creation of profiles? Should you pay a coach, oops I mean use a recruiter? What classes should I be taking to meet NCAA eligibility rules? What should you be doing during 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year of High School? How many scholarships are available in college(div 1, div 2, div 3, NAIA, JUCO)? Feel free to chime in with your opinions, ideas, suggestions and experiences...FG
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Post by soccerg4 on Apr 8, 2019 22:21:36 GMT -5
As much as some of us may hope, pray and dream about our kids going “Pro”, we can all agree that statistics point to most of our kids topping out at the college level. Unless you have $500k+, the recent college admissions scandal has shown just how difficult the journey to get into college can be. Now, even that is no long a slam dunk, especially if you play HS/Club soccer. I believe the last stat I remember says something like less than 6% of boys and 7% of girls will move on from HS/Club ball to actually play in college(NCAA Div. I, II, III). As we all navigate the soccer landscape of getting our kids in as a College Soccer Player, one thing my experience has taught me is that there is no one good source for info on what to do and what not to do to maximize the chances your kid lands at the best college for that kid. There is the mom & dad network, but you have to know what to ask and more important parents willing to provide answers. I propose we start a Q & A discussion on our collective experiences in an effort to share and help others. I will start with a series of questions, in the hopes that others with more experience will chime in and iron out better answers and suggestions. I will start by saying the process starts much earlier now. If you wait till your junior year of HS it might actually be too late, especially on the girls side. Parents, we need to become pseudo-agents for our kids to help them show well. There is a timeline of things you should do as a freshman, sophomore, junior and a senior to make sure you're on track to maximize your chances of being offered a good and apropos soccer scholarship. Remember there are different options and accompanying requirements for NCAA div. 1 offers 9.9/team; div. 2 offers 9/team; div. 3 doesn’t officially offer athletic scholarship but can offer academic scholarships; NAIA offers 12/team and of course JUCO offers 18/team;You need video, stats and a soccer resume. Create a Player Profile that summarizes the player – Sample: bit.ly/2WsdUNa To start the conversation, here are some questions I wish I'd known earlier: Grades, PSAT, SAT, ACT? Create a college timeline? Showcases and College ID Camps? Should I call, text, email or visit a coach? What is the clearinghouse for the NCAA/NAIA? Soccer resume & profile, what should be included? Registration with NCAA/NAIA, creation of profiles? Should you pay a coach, oops I mean use a recruiter? What classes should I be taking to meet NCAA eligibility rules? What should you be doing during 1st/2nd/3rd/4th year of High School? How many scholarships are available in college(div 1, div 2, div 3, NAIA, JUCO)? Feel free to chime in with your opinions, ideas, suggestions and experiences...FG
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