Typical commitment timeline for D2 or D3?

[Unregistered]

I don't think many coaches intentionally do what you're saying. Soccer coaches don't hold that much sway with many admissions departments - not just Ivies - so if they're going to really push for a bottom-of-the-standards player they will do it judiciously. It also doesn't help that recruiting, especially for girls, is happening earlier and earlier. Keeping a near perfect GPA isn't nearly as easy by fall of Senior year as it was as a freshman. Didn't get into AP course and have near perfect test scores? Good luck getting put into the accepted pile at the uber elite schools.

Shows how little you know. In D1 if they actually want you (as opposed to being a walk on) and you can fog the mirror academically you are in. That is what is known as being an academic concession. The real issue is whether or not you really want your kid to be in that situation because by definition they are probably in over their heads.

Just so everyone else knows the reason the fool Perspective doesn't know any of this is because his kid personified what a poser is and didn't get anywhere close to sniffing distance to a scholarship offer but hey if Perspective wants to keep singing his tired old song why should anyone other than the Stars or Breakers want to stop him. He's actually good for all of the other club's bottom lines. He's already made the Stars and Breakers the laughing stocks of Mass soccer with his antics and anyone who actually stupid enough to follow his insane opinions deserves what they get. Following his advice is just going to screw up a kid's options for them and land them on some D3 roster. Maybe that was his goal but everyone but him knows that isn't what the real goal is for 99.9% of club soccer parents. So let him carry on, the more he does the more attractive the other options are to the parents who are sane about what they are doing. So P, have a glorious meltdown while the rest of us laugh are arses off at you.

Jump fishy

[Unregistered]

Would you please stop? I am the OP of the original thread and had a legitimate question about d2 and d3 timelines. I don't know who you are accusing or talking to but I appreciated the information I received thus far although we are not interested in Ivies at this point.

Thank you.

[Unregistered]

Shows how little you know. In D1 if they actually want you (as opposed to being a walk on) and you can fog the mirror academically you are in. That is what is known as being an academic concession. The real issue is whether or not you really want your kid to be in that situation because by definition they are probably in over their heads.

Just so everyone else knows the reason the fool Perspective doesn't know any of this is because his kid personified what a poser is and didn't get anywhere close to sniffing distance to a scholarship offer but hey if Perspective wants to keep singing his tired old song why should anyone other than the Stars or Breakers want to stop him. He's actually good for all of the other club's bottom lines. He's already made the Stars and Breakers the laughing stocks of Mass soccer with his antics and anyone who actually stupid enough to follow his insane opinions deserves what they get. Following his advice is just going to screw up a kid's options for them and land them on some D3 roster. Maybe that was his goal but everyone but him knows that isn't what the real goal is for 99.9% of club soccer parents. So let him carry on, the more he does the more attractive the other options are to the parents who are sane about what they are doing. So P, have a glorious meltdown while the rest of us laugh are arses off at you.

Jump fishy

Thank goodness you have finally owned your little "jump fishy" routine, BTDT. How mature!

As for the rest, keep on lying my friend. I don't advise anyone. If anyone with a kid with D1 talent did seek my counsel I think you would find my input pretty non-bizarre. The only parental decision I comment is yours, because you have more than earned that with your constant preaching about what everyone else should. You're a joke. Plain and simple.

[Unregistered]

Shows how little you know. In D1 if they actually want you (as opposed to being a walk on) and you can fog the mirror academically you are in. That is what is known as being an academic concession.

Mr. know it all is wrong again. Many schools have academic minimums. The NCAA has minimums. Ivies have tougher minimums. Service academies have higher standards also.

Maybe FDU has no standards.

[Unregistered]

..... Following his advice is just going to screw up a kid's options for them and land them on some D3 roster. Maybe that was his goal but everyone but him knows that isn't what the real goal is for 99.9% of club soccer parents. ........

Maybe a large portion of club soccer parents start out thinking D1, but by U14, unless the child is on a top team, D1 is only a fantasy for most club players.

I hate to come to P's support (P is perhaps just a tad obsessed) but this poster is distorting P's message. I think his message is: "A D1 scholarship or bust is not necessarily the right path for everyone. For some, D1 is fine. For others, there are good alternatives outside D1. Everyone's situation is different (soccer ability, grades, SATs, academic interests, desire for different types of colleges and college experiences, family factors, financial factors, etc.) so there is no one size fits all answer."

[Unregistered]

Just was reading through these and it seems like some like to knock d3 sarcastically.

Like some other (normal) families , our kid hasn't decided whether to go the d1 or high academic d3 route. His grades are good and soccer would qualify for many schools in either division. Not all kids who play good soccer have weak grades. In that case when you are making the decision and the kid loves to play it may just be that he and would prefer to put academics first ( and academic scholarships are often more money then soccer scholarships anyway).

It's not so clear cut. Nothing wrong with going to a strong academic school and playing soccer , or going to a d1 school with potentially less academic focus. Just a matter of choice , and going through this now they can both be good options.

[Unregistered]

Check out the Patriot League for some good academics coupled with D1 soccer.

[Unregistered]

Also interested in timelines and experience with D2 and D3. Can anyone else contribute to that theme? My player is not a d1 candidate for soccer and right now wants to play in college (although that may change by the time she is a senior). We reached out and heard back with positive feedback from a D2 coach who wants her to attend camp. She is only a freshman and wondering what others experiences were.

Thank you.

[Unregistered]

Also interested in timelines and experience with D2 and D3. Can anyone else contribute to that theme? My player is not a d1 candidate for soccer and right now wants to play in college (although that may change by the time she is a senior). We reached out and heard back with positive feedback from a D2 coach who wants her to attend camp. She is only a freshman and wondering what others experiences were.

Thank you.

My daughter's experience was strictly D3.

She was very organized and methodical. She started by making a list of all the schools she was potentially interested in. She had some academic data points to help guide the process, but there was initially a very broad range of schools. In the summer before her junior year she sent letters of interest along with a resume (soccer with a little academics mixed in) and a dvd of her playing. She began visiting some schools that summer and also fall of junior year. She would ask to meet with the coach and generally they were willing, particularly in the summer. We attended some college games and would say hello to the coach after the game. The search began to narrow as some schools did not show interest and her academic data points increased. She kept the college coaches informed of her academic progress (SATs, AP courses) and her high school and then club spring schedule. A number of coaches did see her play her junior spring. By the summer before her senior year she narrowed her search to about 8 schools. She visited all of them again that summer and met with each coach. I think she got about 5 or 6 invites for official visits in the fall. She went on most, but not all of them. At the end of the visit there was a meeting with the coach where an offer of coach's support of various kinds were made. She did not jump at any offer. In fact she eliminated one of her top choices after the official visit. (She did not like the dynamics of team.) She then narrowed it down to three schools. Each coach promised coach's support if she applied early. At two of the school the meaning of coach's support was fairly clear, as we asked direct questions. At the third school the coach was less forthcoming (whether or not the coach really knew is an open question). She applied early and was accepted and is enjoying herself.

Club coach was useless in the process. Have friends who went through it a few years earlier and learned from them. Did some reading.

Just one girl's D3 story.

[Unregistered]

My daughter's experience was strictly D3.

She was very organized and methodical. She started by making a list of all the schools she was potentially interested in. She had some academic data points to help guide the process, but there was initially a very broad range of schools. In the summer before her junior year she sent letters of interest along with a resume (soccer with a little academics mixed in) and a dvd of her playing. She began visiting some schools that summer and also fall of junior year. She would ask to meet with the coach and generally they were willing, particularly in the summer. We attended some college games and would say hello to the coach after the game. The search began to narrow as some schools did not show interest and her academic data points increased. She kept the college coaches informed of her academic progress (SATs, AP courses) and her high school and then club spring schedule. A number of coaches did see her play her junior spring. By the summer before her senior year she narrowed her search to about 8 schools. She visited all of them again that summer and met with each coach. I think she got about 5 or 6 invites for official visits in the fall. She went on most, but not all of them. At the end of the visit there was a meeting with the coach where an offer of coach's support of various kinds were made. She did not jump at any offer. In fact she eliminated one of her top choices after the official visit. (She did not like the dynamics of team.) She then narrowed it down to three schools. Each coach promised coach's support if she applied early. At two of the school the meaning of coach's support was fairly clear, as we asked direct questions. At the third school the coach was less forthcoming (whether or not the coach really knew is an open question). She applied early and was accepted and is enjoying herself.

Club coach was useless in the process. Have friends who went through it a few years earlier and learned from them. Did some reading.

Just one girl's D3 story.

I would add on our experience our daughter had a very strong indication during spring of her junior year and knew in early July that she had coach support. To be sure we were hearing things correctly we had the college counselor reach out to the admissions office to confirm that support was legit.

Our daughter was also torn by "I'm supposed to go d1 but liking the academics and feel of the smaller school". NLI day was a drag while others were signing. Now, after two seasons, she could not be happier with her choice and feels like she is doing good things in the classroom and on campus, and soccer is just one part of who she is and not defining her anymore as she felt it had become.

[Yablu]

Our Experience

My D will be a Freshman in the Patriot league next year. She is NOT playing soccer, she was awarded an athletic scholarship in another sport. Patriot League is D1 (has scholarships), but as a conference all schools agree to maintain academic standards, so kind of D3-ish since coach needs an admissions read before they can make an offer. D pursued a few D3 Schools via email, soccer camps, tournament view by coaches, etc. Essentially we missed the boat on soccer because she played 3-sports. We didn't know process. This is what we learned:

1. Start no later than Freshman Year - D should reach out, and let coaches know she is interested, where she plays, and get in their pipeline. Camps and tourneys will follow summer before Sophomore and Junior year

2. Exposure is critical - Find out what tournaments the coaches attend, and make sure she is on a team that plays those tournaments. Sad to report that the regional "Showcase" tourneys that most NEP and MAPLE teams play are not visited by coaches from highly desirable/branded Schools. There are some exceptions but want to set expectations.

3. Academics Matter - In desirable D3 schools (e.g. Williams, Amherst) the higher the academic fit, the less influence coach has to spend - and they only have so much. You are seeking and need to know if the coach is "Supporting" your D's application. Most will demand Early Action in return for support. Taking SATs early is common and helps gauge academic fit. Only your best scores count in the end, so don't worry about early low scores. Know that a "Likely Letter" is non-binding.

4. Camps Help - Attend Fresh/Soph year, and Junior Fall as avail. Summer after Junior year is too late.

5. Keep Communication Open - Periodic (short) updates to coaches on your academic and athletic status let them know you are serious. D3 Coaches focus their energy on the best they can get. They know they can't get the best, so make sure they know they can get you.

6. She's gotta do it - Coaches are recruiting the student athlete. They are not recruiting the parent. Parents that initiate first communication will raise flags.

[Unregistered]

I would add on our experience our daughter had a very strong indication during spring of her junior year and knew in early July that she had coach support. To be sure we were hearing things correctly we had the college counselor reach out to the admissions office to confirm that support was legit.

Our daughter was also torn by "I'm supposed to go d1 but liking the academics and feel of the smaller school". NLI day was a drag while others were signing. Now, after two seasons, she could not be happier with her choice and feels like she is doing good things in the classroom and on campus, and soccer is just one part of who she is and not defining her anymore as she felt it had become.

Congrats to your daughter. Glad it is working out for her.

Curious. It sounds like your daughter focused on one school. How early did that happen? Was there any dance of "if you like me I will like you"? Did she apply early? (We hear that many D3 coaches want the recruit to apply early if they want support. Was that true for your daughter?) It sounds like your daughter got coach's support on the early side; as a recruit would you describe her as a likely impact player? After two seasons would you now describe her as an impact player on her college team?

Thank you in advance.

[Unregistered]

This thread is beyond tedious. Imagine someone patting another parent on the back because their daughter has an "academic focus". Gee, what wonder what their message is to the all the parents with kids who aren't great students.. go f*** yourself??

[Unregistered]

This thread is beyond tedious. Imagine someone patting another parent on the back because their daughter has an "academic focus". Gee, what wonder what their message is to the all the parents with kids who aren't great students.. go f*** yourself??

If it is tedious to you then do not read it. I did not see much of "patting on the back" for an "academic focus". This is one thread which seems to have some useful information.

[Unregistered]

This thread is beyond tedious. Imagine someone patting another parent on the back because their daughter has an "academic focus". Gee, what wonder what their message is to the all the parents with kids who aren't great students.. go f*** yourself??

Thanks DBDB. Now, what was wrong with Stonehill?