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College 2020 update - reality check

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    #31
    This is a good read with a number of points I had to look up to understand better. My D is graduating and going to UF instead accepting any of the D2 offers here in state. After much soul searching it made more sense to go to UF for free than play at a school she did not want to attend.
    Most of the FL D2 schools are private but they said her merit would cover most if not all of tuition and fees. One coach said is she committed at the camp she could choose which work study assignment to take to cover the small gap. They ranged from $15K to over $50K a year.
    After all the running around, going to UF or FSU, concentrating on school with no out of pocket seemed the better choice. For us, having a choice to play instead of needing to play was was the blessing rather than actually playing.
    We'll see what my son does with baseball in 3 years.

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      #32
      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
      In all these posts I see the same message over and over: save for college early, have your kid study their butts off, and if your child is not academically gifted help him/her chart a path to the many jobs which exist and pay well but don't require a four year degree. Save soccer for what it was meant - fun.
      No one realizes that until they have spent a lot of time, effort and money. Everyone thinks their kid is gifted early on, then blame the coaches or clubs when it turns out their not. Sure, lot of things wrong with FL youth soccer but if your kid is special; they will probably find their own with way.

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        #33
        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
        No one realizes that until they have spent a lot of time, effort and money. Everyone thinks their kid is gifted early on, then blame the coaches or clubs when it turns out their not. Sure, lot of things wrong with FL youth soccer but if your kid is special; they will probably find their own with way.
        Exactly - most won't get it until they're well into the recruiting process, or at a minimum well into the high school years (it isn't easy to bolster your GPA if you've been f-king around the first two years). By then a good deal of time and money has been spent pursuing something that may never happen. Middle school parents should be forced to take a "realities of college athletics" seminar. It's true or any sport, not just soccer. I can't tell you how many friends have wound up disappointed that their kids' baseball/football/fill in the blank sport didn't pan out like they'd hoped. Then again, if they knew the entire youth sports industry would probably shrink by at least half.

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          #34
          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
          I suppose my view stems from the what I perceive as a lack of protection in the regard of headcount vs equivalency sports. I view it as a loophole that the NCAA and colleges themselves can and do make the distinction between revenue and non revenue generating sports. I did not mean to imply Title 9 itself was a bad thing, just that it stops short in the regards to scholarships. Title 9 has the requirement that men and women receive scholarships proportional to their participation but lets the NCAA dictate the difference of a headcount vs. not.
          i think title IX is a fine thing IF college athletics were not a massive business. football and to a lesser extent basketball programs are revenue generating machines. they are huge businesses in which the employees are paid very little in relation to their productivity. to then attempt to lay in a layer of gender equality fails to understand the nature of the beast. my suggestion - pay them or send college football players to a minor league type system. college is for kids that want to stay 4 years and get an education. scholarships should be given only to kids that really want to attend a school for 4 years, not as a stopgap. This would RUIN college athletics as it currently exists, but i would argue that's a good thing. time to start over.

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            #35
            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
            i think title IX is a fine thing IF college athletics were not a massive business. football and to a lesser extent basketball programs are revenue generating machines. they are huge businesses in which the employees are paid very little in relation to their productivity. to then attempt to lay in a layer of gender equality fails to understand the nature of the beast. my suggestion - pay them or send college football players to a minor league type system. college is for kids that want to stay 4 years and get an education. scholarships should be given only to kids that really want to attend a school for 4 years, not as a stopgap. This would RUIN college athletics as it currently exists, but i would argue that's a good thing. time to start over.
            Well, some employees are paid very little. Nick Saban is going to make $8M this year. The players who generate the revenue to pay him $8M? They get paid nothing because college sports is all about the joy of the game.

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              #36
              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
              In all these posts I see the same message over and over: save for college early, have your kid study their butts off, and if your child is not academically gifted help him/her chart a path to the many jobs which exist and pay well but don't require a four year degree. Save soccer for what it was meant - fun.
              As they say, you don't know what you don't know. We started investing in Florida Prepaid immediately after each kids was born. That coupled with Bright Futures is a wonder gift from the state of Florida if your kid does what they need to be doing. If you mentioned soccer scholarship back then I probably would have laughed in you face.

              Still, the emotional investment in youth sports is gradual if you start early enough (tee ball, academy soccer, YMCA basketball) etc. Some kids a big and fast early and get all the profs early on. Others like mine are sold but not great but keep developing each year. Before you know it, your going to your first tournament and you are in hook, line and sinker.

              My daughter got her first coach inquiry after her team won their bracket at Disney Showcase when she was in 8th grade and asked our coach if she was in ODP. Guess what we did when the next ODP tryouts opened. Two years of that then NPL and soon after ECNL with a longer drive.

              Athletic scholarships used to be the path to making college affordable for families who couldn't afford it. Now you see families paying to send their kids to schools out state with out of pocket costs when because they want to "extend their playing career at the collegiate level".

              If any of my kids play in college, you will not see me paying for the privilege when they can go to school in Florida with Bright Futures and Florida Prepaid. They can play intramural or club sports for a few extra bucks unless Harvard or similar comes a calling. Then its a discussion.

              Comment


                #37
                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                Well, some employees are paid very little. Nick Saban is going to make $8M this year. The players who generate the revenue to pay him $8M? They get paid nothing because college sports is all about the joy of the game.

                I would argue they do get paid over $45,000 a year (out of state tuition) to play a sport.

                But.....I also think they SHOULD get paid for their image and use of their name on jerseys, video games etc.

                Comment


                  #38
                  Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                  This is a good read with a number of points I had to look up to understand better. My D is graduating and going to UF instead accepting any of the D2 offers here in state. After much soul searching it made more sense to go to UF for free than play at a school she did not want to attend.
                  Most of the FL D2 schools are private but they said her merit would cover most if not all of tuition and fees. One coach said is she committed at the camp she could choose which work study assignment to take to cover the small gap. They ranged from $15K to over $50K a year.
                  After all the running around, going to UF or FSU, concentrating on school with no out of pocket seemed the better choice. For us, having a choice to play instead of needing to play was was the blessing rather than actually playing.
                  We'll see what my son does with baseball in 3 years.
                  This post is almost exactly where we are in the process. My daughter is finishing junior year. She wants to stay in Florida to use her Bright Futures money and save the college fund for graduate/law school. Her reasoning, not mine, but it's smart. Law school tuition is the same in or out of state. She also wants to play soccer and went full speed into the D1 recruiting her freshman and sophomore years. It was somewhat successful. Cattle call at the showcases and tournaments. Multiple invites to camps and follow-ups. Out of state interest was more than in-state. A few verbals. Very competitive in Florida at D1, since there are not many good combos of high academics/high soccer. UF/FSU/UCF vs. FGCU/FAU/Stetson. As we discovered, being a D1 school has several layers. D1 is not the same everywhere. UF? Phenomenal like the pros. Stetson? Shared locker rooms for all sports and 1 field. And of those few choices, it was explicitly clear that soccer took priority over academics. You are being hired for a job, and that job is soccer. She also had several older club teammates that expressed a regret of playing D1, dropouts, transfers, etc, so the focus this year turned more to D2 schools. And in Florida, because there are no D3 programs, the choices are even more limited. Decent academics/good soccer like Tampa, Florida Southern, and Rollins, but no comparison in opportunities like at UF, FSU, UCF. So circling back to your post, my daughter is now being faced with a similar decision of playing at a D2 school with an equivalent full ride (academic + soccer) or going to one of the big 3 schools on a tuition scholarship and just playing club. The big decision becomes playing soccer at a small, Florida-known school or going to a major national university for academics only. It's a very big decision for a young adult.

                  I empathize with your family. I'm sure there were a lot of discussions, some tears, outbursts, and deep reflection. Thankfully, she was blessed with too many choices. Congrats on her picking a path and to you for providing her with that opportunity. Best of luck!

                  Comment


                    #39
                    ^^^ getting to that decision of walking away is a difficult one, but in the end it's the education that matters the most. Mine also walked because he just couldn't find the perfect combination of school (wanted a major that isn't offered everywhere) and soccer fit plus finances. If grad school is in the cards, as it is with many career paths, then a good undergrad program with minimal debt matters. He knew it was as the right decision but it was still a difficult one after playing since the age of 5. Fortunately his school has a great club team and he also coaches little kids locally. At some point you have to move on from highly competitive sports, but you can still keep the sport in your life.

                    Comment


                      #40
                      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                      ^^^ getting to that decision of walking away is a difficult one, but in the end it's the education that matters the most. Mine also walked because he just couldn't find the perfect combination of school (wanted a major that isn't offered everywhere) and soccer fit plus finances. If grad school is in the cards, as it is with many career paths, then a good undergrad program with minimal debt matters. He knew it was as the right decision but it was still a difficult one after playing since the age of 5. Fortunately his school has a great club team and he also coaches little kids locally. At some point you have to move on from highly competitive sports, but you can still keep the sport in your life.

                      College level soccer is a harder path for boys than it is for girls. USF, FIU, Rollins, FIT, FGCU and Stetson are the only choices I believe. Not having UF, FSU or UCF as a choice is a shame. No SEC mens' soccer at all.

                      For girls there are a lot more choices at different levels depending on your ability at major. One of the few advantages in a sport for women.

                      Best of luck to your son.

                      Comment


                        #41
                        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                        This post is almost exactly where we are in the process. My daughter is finishing junior year. She wants to stay in Florida to use her Bright Futures money and save the college fund for graduate/law school. Her reasoning, not mine, but it's smart. Law school tuition is the same in or out of state. She also wants to play soccer and went full speed into the D1 recruiting her freshman and sophomore years. It was somewhat successful. Cattle call at the showcases and tournaments. Multiple invites to camps and follow-ups. Out of state interest was more than in-state. A few verbals. Very competitive in Florida at D1, since there are not many good combos of high academics/high soccer. UF/FSU/UCF vs. FGCU/FAU/Stetson. As we discovered, being a D1 school has several layers. D1 is not the same everywhere. UF? Phenomenal like the pros. Stetson? Shared locker rooms for all sports and 1 field. And of those few choices, it was explicitly clear that soccer took priority over academics. You are being hired for a job, and that job is soccer. She also had several older club teammates that expressed a regret of playing D1, dropouts, transfers, etc, so the focus this year turned more to D2 schools. And in Florida, because there are no D3 programs, the choices are even more limited. Decent academics/good soccer like Tampa, Florida Southern, and Rollins, but no comparison in opportunities like at UF, FSU, UCF. So circling back to your post, my daughter is now being faced with a similar decision of playing at a D2 school with an equivalent full ride (academic + soccer) or going to one of the big 3 schools on a tuition scholarship and just playing club. The big decision becomes playing soccer at a small, Florida-known school or going to a major national university for academics only. It's a very big decision for a young adult.

                        I empathize with your family. I'm sure there were a lot of discussions, some tears, outbursts, and deep reflection. Thankfully, she was blessed with too many choices. Congrats on her picking a path and to you for providing her with that opportunity. Best of luck!

                        UF club soccer teams are pretty good. The roster is filled with club players who didn't play college for various reasons. They play teams from all over the country and have National Championships on their resume'. I would wager the level of play is better than State Cup. You occasionally hear of a unicorn sighting at some schools where a stand out club player got noticed by the main teams coach. Not sure if that is true, but its fun to think about.

                        Comment


                          #42
                          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                          College level soccer is a harder path for boys than it is for girls. USF, FIU, Rollins, FIT, FGCU and Stetson are the only choices I believe. Not having UF, FSU or UCF as a choice is a shame. No SEC mens' soccer at all.

                          For girls there are a lot more choices at different levels depending on your ability at major. One of the few advantages in a sport for women.

                          Best of luck to your son.
                          Yet even in FL the options are limited and the top programs have plenty of out of state players and even international ones competing for spots. If you're willing to go out of state there are many more options.

                          Comment


                            #43
                            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                            Yet even in FL the options are limited and the top programs have plenty of out of state players and even international ones competing for spots. If you're willing to go out of state there are many more options.
                            Yes, but therein lies the dilemma. Obviously to compete at any level, grades are key. In Florida, they reward those students with Bright Futures. That is a huge incentive to stay in-state. Even at private schools, if a player has the BF tuition grant, they can expect additional merit scholarships. When you run the numbers, the out of pocket at a D2 school is on par with the State Universities. With the exception of a few specialized majors, the academic to academic comparison seems to fall to the big schools. But add in the option for a student to play a sport at the D2 level and the pendulum swings that way. Not an easy choice for an 18 year old. Parents can only guide so much.

                            Comment


                              #44
                              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                              In all these posts I see the same message over and over: save for college early, have your kid study their butts off, and if your child is not academically gifted help him/her chart a path to the many jobs which exist and pay well but don't require a four year degree. Save soccer for what it was meant - fun.
                              In a way what we do as parents paying 1000's of dollars each year for our kids to play soccer is not much different than what those who were caught up in the recent college scandal. Sure we are not cheating the system like they did, but just playing it legally. We know our daughter's chances to get into a school are much better if they will play a sport in college so that justifies the money spent.

                              However, it is all part of a bigger problem with student loan system and unlimited amount of money available to college and universities via Uncle Sam. So schools keep raising the tuition because nobody worries about the cost because at least upfront they are not paying. Now schools are flooded with applicants, for many college may not have been the best fit, or many leave with somewhat useless degrees.

                              All this has made it so competitive and the club sports are there to reap in the money that we all gladly hand over. We are already at the point where ECNL/DA club/team fees are 3k-5K before you pay one penny in gas to go to the first practice. We are all jumping through hoops, but since all of us are doing it we are no better off than we were back in the days when kids played at local clubs and school ball.

                              Comment


                                #45
                                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                                In a way what we do as parents paying 1000's of dollars each year for our kids to play soccer is not much different than what those who were caught up in the recent college scandal. Sure we are not cheating the system like they did, but just playing it legally. We know our daughter's chances to get into a school are much better if they will play a sport in college so that justifies the money spent.

                                However, it is all part of a bigger problem with student loan system and unlimited amount of money available to college and universities via Uncle Sam. So schools keep raising the tuition because nobody worries about the cost because at least upfront they are not paying. Now schools are flooded with applicants, for many college may not have been the best fit, or many leave with somewhat useless degrees.

                                All this has made it so competitive and the club sports are there to reap in the money that we all gladly hand over. We are already at the point where ECNL/DA club/team fees are 3k-5K before you pay one penny in gas to go to the first practice. We are all jumping through hoops, but since all of us are doing it we are no better off than we were back in the days when kids played at local clubs and school ball.
                                I don't agree with all of what you said. Especially your first paragraph. HOWEVER you make some very solid points in the other paragraphs. Nice post!!!

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