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    The College Recruitment Process

    What do you think is the right age to discuss college options with a young athlete? What advice would you give a Freshman about the recruiting process (if you've endured it or are currently in the midst of it)? Do you think ID camps are worth the fees? Do you think social media and/or recruitment websites help? Do you think your club or school has the connections to make calls to coaches on behalf of your child?

    #2
    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
    What do you think is the right age to discuss college options with a young athlete? What advice would you give a Freshman about the recruiting process (if you've endured it or are currently in the midst of it)? Do you think ID camps are worth the fees? Do you think social media and/or recruitment websites help? Do you think your club or school has the connections to make calls to coaches on behalf of your child?
    My daughter is in middle school. So I would be curious in the responses as well. I know she is too young now, but for the future. Thanks.

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
      What do you think is the right age to discuss college options with a young athlete? What advice would you give a Freshman about the recruiting process (if you've endured it or are currently in the midst of it)? Do you think ID camps are worth the fees? Do you think social media and/or recruitment websites help? Do you think your club or school has the connections to make calls to coaches on behalf of your child?
      I think it depends on the level of player and the level of school, both athletically and academically, that she is interested in or that you see fit (as her parent). What's most important is that both parents and player are realistic in their ability.

      I have a 9th grader now and we started talking about it last year. She's been invited to and attended a few events that identify her as a stronger player (id2, NTC) so we started poking around a bit...what she might be interested in studying based on her interests in school, what she gravitates to in her spare time and her personality. She started getting invited to ID camps/clinics from some lower level P5s and a bunch of mid majors, which is probably the level where she'd be most successful based on her current ability and level of committment. We talked about the importance of climate and distance from home and started looking at some of the current rosters of schools that seemed to fit her academic level, to see what level of player was most predominant.


      Having gone through this with my older kid-no, I don't think recruitment websites help if you are looking at anything other than average D3. Some of the D3 programs with incredibly strong academics should be viewed the same you would a D1 that your kid is interested in.

      Your club/coach are a very important piece of the puzzle. If they don't have relationships or a strong record of college placement, it does make the process harder.

      When people say college coaches don't care what league your kid plays in, don't believe it, they do. That doesn't mean that it's impossible to land a spot at a good school if you don't play in a supposed "top league", but again, it makes it harder. Coaches have a limited budget, so they're not able to go to every DA event, ECNL event, top level mixed tourneys (PDA, Jeff Cup), ODP Interregional, etc. And the events they do attend, they are there to see specific kids who either impressed with resume, recommendation, reel or in person at an ID clinic at the school.

      Advice I'd give a Freshman? Unless you are a top level NT player, this process is going to be a roller coaster. BE REALISTIC about both academic and athletic ability and how much of a committment you're willing to make to succeed in both. Have fun, enjoy the ride...as stressful as it is, it's one of the most exciting times of a young adult's life!

      Comment


        #4
        Definitely start talking about it in late middle school. That does not mean you start seriously recruiting then but merely that if college soccer is a goal you start planning so work towards that goal. Maybe they need to move clubs/leagues to get more exposure and better college-ready training? Logistically just getting out to look at schools can become problematic with busy school and sports schedules. If your players wants to look further from home it gets complicated and costly with flights. Start local on school days off or when attending tournaments to take some tours of different types of schools - big v small, urban v suburban v rural. They don't have to necessarily be schools of interest but just to give kids a flavor of things to consider. The other thing to consider is what level of play. Top D1 is very different from low level D1; D3 is a different more balanced commitment, D1 is a job. Take a close look at rosters at schools of interest. If a roster is chock full of NT camp kids and you're not? Move on, you've probably got no shot. Family finances should be considered as well. Dont' go in assuming you'll get any money at all. Assume none and if you do the bonus win. Most importantly consider academic fit. You want your student to be challenged but no struggling. In the end this matters more than anything else - by junior year many kids aren't even playing any longer. They get cut, injured, quit, move towards a career. The key message to your kids from 8th grade on is GRADES MATTER. A good player with good grades will have many more options than a kid with mediocre grades. Coaches prefer not to have to go to bat for academically challenged kids unless they're super studs. With D they really have no sway at all with admissions. Keep your grades up, study hard for SAT/ACT. It matters

        Girls generally recruit a full year earlier than boys but new NCAA rules are trying to put an end to that. There's still loopholes in the process, however, and it's likely more rules will be coming in the next year. A few NT studs will get recruited in 8th/early 9th grade but they're the exception. For most girls sophomore year is the busy year. For boys it's as a junior.

        As for ID events? The reality is you'll have to go. Most kids won't get recruited from a coach watching them for 20 minutes at a showcase. They want to see you at length. Your kids will get loads of invites to ID events but most of them are mass emails and it's tough to gauge real interest. That's where your player picks up the phone (coaches can't call them but they can call coaches) or you use your club as a conduit. The large multi school ID events seem more efficient but they're largely attended by assistant coaches and it's tough to stand out. Maybe do one to get your feet wet, see what the competition is like. Save your $ for the on campus ones so your player can spend time with coaching staff, spend time on campus etc

        Comment


          #5
          make sure you understand the credentials of those giving you all this advice. Everyone is an expert in their own mind.

          Comment


            #6
            Didn't start this thread for advise per se...mostly to start a conversation as a lot of us are venturing down this path or have done so and can share some experiences. I was hoping this thread would be more enticing to parents who care more so about the end game for their kids than bashing each others clubs, teams, and leagues.

            Comment


              #7
              An important part of the process is determining what level your player is and being realistic. Same with academics. Sure we'd all love our kids to play at Stanford or Duke. Take a look at the academics required and soccer chops of their rosters and you'll quickly see that won't happen. Talk with your club about what types of programs are appropriate to target but back it up with your own research (post above is good about looking at bios of current rostered players). If you target soccer and academics well you should find success. If you overhshoot on either or both you're much more likely to be disappointed and then left scrambling once you realize you weren't realistic

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                Didn't start this thread for advise per se...mostly to start a conversation as a lot of us are venturing down this path or have done so and can share some experiences. I was hoping this thread would be more enticing to parents who care more so about the end game for their kids than bashing each others clubs, teams, and leagues.
                I understand that, but unless someone actually tells you about themselves, their child and many other things, their experiences are hard to place in context.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                  An important part of the process is determining what level your player is and being realistic. Same with academics. Sure we'd all love our kids to play at Stanford or Duke. Take a look at the academics required and soccer chops of their rosters and you'll quickly see that won't happen. Talk with your club about what types of programs are appropriate to target but back it up with your own research (post above is good about looking at bios of current rostered players). If you target soccer and academics well you should find success. If you overhshoot on either or both you're much more likely to be disappointed and then left scrambling once you realize you weren't realistic
                  Soccer bios ? Why? you have no idea of the financial background of the family. No idea of the considerations that went into their decisions. Im not trying to be difficult, just point out that this is a very hard place to have discussions of this type because you need to actually TRUST and KNOW the source of the information.

                  That wont happen here

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                    Soccer bios ? Why? you have no idea of the financial background of the family. No idea of the considerations that went into their decisions. Im not trying to be difficult, just point out that this is a very hard place to have discussions of this type because you need to actually TRUST and KNOW the source of the information.

                    That wont happen here
                    Geez, you seem hell bent on shutting down this conversation before it even gets started!
                    This is just for sharing information, something I wish I had sought out prior to my older kid's recruiting process, which was brutal because we went in blindly. Some people said-"your kid will cry a river of tears by the time her recruiting process is done", mine cried an ocean! My only agenda is to try and spare someone else's kid a little heartache.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                      An important part of the process is determining what level your player is and being realistic. Same with academics. Sure we'd all love our kids to play at Stanford or Duke. Take a look at the academics required and soccer chops of their rosters and you'll quickly see that won't happen. Talk with your club about what types of programs are appropriate to target but back it up with your own research (post above is good about looking at bios of current rostered players). If you target soccer and academics well you should find success. If you overhshoot on either or both you're much more likely to be disappointed and then left scrambling once you realize you weren't realistic
                      We would not all love our kids to play at Stanford or Duke. That could be a terrible fit for some kids. What if you want to be an engineering or science major? What if you can't be that far away for any number of reasons. What is a great fit for one player would make no sense for another.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        There is always one. Lets continue the conversation and put the negative aside.

                        I am just at the beginning stages myself. We have only visited two ID camps, one where we were asked by the school to attend and another we attended based on the email solicit we received. I feel they are terribly overpriced to attend them too early. My daughter was an 8th grader last year, so we will definitely try to pair down which schools she is attracted to based on her research. Though she plays in the DA, my focus has always been academics. So though her dream is to play D1 soccer, I want her to attend a school that caters more to what she intends to major in.

                        I have set her up with a YouTube account specifically for her recruitment videos and also on a college recruitment site.

                        Once the spring season begins we will discuss visiting the colleges she has been researching and possibly a few ID camps.

                        Though I don't think she'd have a problem getting an athletic scholarship in some form or another, I am very realistic about how university/college money is broken down and divided amongst other sports and how money for largely popular women's programs is just not going to cut it for our family's financial need.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                          Soccer bios ? Why? you have no idea of the financial background of the family. No idea of the considerations that went into their decisions. Im not trying to be difficult, just point out that this is a very hard place to have discussions of this type because you need to actually TRUST and KNOW the source of the information.

                          That wont happen here
                          Most colleges list what clubs or leagues players were in, accolades etc. As someone said if a program has All Americans and NT players but your kid plays in the EDP 2nd division? Of course there's a host of things that go into the decision process but you need to start from a realistic base. Even clubs aren't always great for advise as they sometimes tell you what you want to hear. A good club steers you in the right direction. Not sure if your club is? Take a look at their history of placements and how many of those kids are playing in college. Lots of clubs can get kids on lists but you want a club that prepares your kid to PLAY. Good targeting leads to better outcomes.

                          Advice? People can take it or leave it. TS is mostly entertainment but sometimes there are useful bits of information. I haven't seen too much on here yet that's completely out of whack with our experiences with two college players.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                            There is always one. Lets continue the conversation and put the negative aside.

                            I am just at the beginning stages myself. We have only visited two ID camps, one where we were asked by the school to attend and another we attended based on the email solicit we received. I feel they are terribly overpriced to attend them too early. My daughter was an 8th grader last year, so we will definitely try to pair down which schools she is attracted to based on her research. Though she plays in the DA, my focus has always been academics. So though her dream is to play D1 soccer, I want her to attend a school that caters more to what she intends to major in.

                            I have set her up with a YouTube account specifically for her recruitment videos and also on a college recruitment site.

                            Once the spring season begins we will discuss visiting the colleges she has been researching and possibly a few ID camps.

                            Though I don't think she'd have a problem getting an athletic scholarship in some form or another, I am very realistic about how university/college money is broken down and divided amongst other sports and how money for largely popular women's programs is just not going to cut it for our family's financial need.

                            You guys crack me up. Its not negativity. my kid is at a top 10 soccer school playing minutes as a freshman. Academically the school is top 30. The recruiting process could not have been easier.

                            - never go to ID camps, complete waste of money
                            - no one cares about you tube videos
                            - find a club with respected leadership

                            Is that helpful ?

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                              Most colleges list what clubs or leagues players were in, accolades etc. As someone said if a program has All Americans and NT players but your kid plays in the EDP 2nd division? Of course there's a host of things that go into the decision process but you need to start from a realistic base. Even clubs aren't always great for advise as they sometimes tell you what you want to hear. A good club steers you in the right direction. Not sure if your club is? Take a look at their history of placements and how many of those kids are playing in college. Lots of clubs can get kids on lists but you want a club that prepares your kid to PLAY. Good targeting leads to better outcomes.

                              Advice? People can take it or leave it. TS is mostly entertainment but sometimes there are useful bits of information. I haven't seen too much on here yet that's completely out of whack with our experiences with two college players.
                              and how is that relevant to your case ? How do you need advice to have a realistic perception of where your kids ability, drive and ambitions intersect with her ability to meet them? that is called parenting. Or yours to financially provide them without a sport? thats called reality. Stuff that only you can know.

                              lists of placements reflect many things that are clearly not disclosed. two college players of what standard? thats the point.

                              Comment

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