Top Drawer Player Rankings

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Do college coaches care about Top Drawer player rankings? Do they care and not admit it? Do they care more due to COVID?

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Do college coaches care about Top Drawer player rankings? Do they care and not admit it? Do they care more due to COVID?

They still need to see player play

But still better to be Ranked vs not ranked
- helps player email get noticed, so the coach will come see.them play
- more looks should create more demand and could increase offer
- protects coach from Varsity Blues suspicion
- looks great in Bio when announcing recruits

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Best ranking money can buy,still need to be seen by coaches and not worth the bother now with coronavirus.

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As you know, OP, if your player is ranked, it doesn't cost anything.

The first poster to respond got it right. Can't hurt; might get a little attention, though I don't think college coaches really pay attention to it.

My opinion, now that my son has wrapped up recruiting, is that unless you have a superstar (like, Gatorade Player from your state) then soccer recruiting is a little bit of a marketing job. Yes, your player has to have the talent, but you want to help them get noticed, and this is one thing that can help/can't hurt. You do probably need more serious accolades, but if your player has stars, they probably have them.

Good luck!

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the stars are largely a joke. There are fantastic players that have no problem getting seen and recruited with few stars and weaker ones with more. TD claims they have scouts everywhere evaluating players. Ask yourself how realistic that is for all the players out there. On top of it no one has been seen in months.

An above post is spot on about having to market yourself. To do that there isn't any one magic bullet but multiple points of promotion. If you want TD go ahead but don't count on it doing much. The heavy lifting is in researching programs that are a good fit, reaching out to them so they come see you. Even once that happens you have to keep up communication. Start to finish it's a long process.

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I would think college coaches are not recruiting from that site. knowing more than half are parents their kids on it.

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The idea of marketing has come up multiple times here, which makes total sense. Any marketing tips from those that have been through the process?

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Best ranking money can buy,still need to be seen by coaches and not worth the bother now with coronavirus.

How do you buy a ranking?

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the stars are largely a joke. There are fantastic players that have no problem getting seen and recruited with few stars and weaker ones with more. TD claims they have scouts everywhere evaluating players. Ask yourself how realistic that is for all the players out there. On top of it no one has been seen in months.

An above post is spot on about having to market yourself. To do that there isn't any one magic bullet but multiple points of promotion. If you want TD go ahead but don't count on it doing much. The heavy lifting is in researching programs that are a good fit, reaching out to them so they come see you. Even once that happens you have to keep up communication. Start to finish it's a long process.

I actually like the star system. While they completely miss some good players the ones they do rank are fairly accurate relative to each other. Grouping them in buckets of 3 or 4 stars also makes sense. No ranking system for youth kids will be accurate. Even the YNT National Training Center where they're comparing players on a regular basis make mistakes.

One issue with TDS ranking is that they're California centric and have less eyes (contacts) on east coast. That's evident where you see them value ODP which has some meaning in the west coast but is in complete disarray on the east coast.

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The idea of marketing has come up multiple times here, which makes total sense. Any marketing tips from those that have been through the process?

Doing up front work and targeting is so important. Start first with good academic/social school
fits first. If your student can't see themselves at a school or can never get in you're wasting everyone's time.
Go visit some local schools to see different campus environments (big vs small etc). Obviously then also think about location - most kids will go somewhere a half day's drive from home but some want further away.
Make a big list. Then overlay soccer fit in top of that. Spend time looking at where current players come from and who is playing. Does your player have a similar background? Is there a lot of turnover? Is the coach new? Might he be leaving soon?

Once it's time to reach out (timing varies boy v girl and level they are targeting) consider the intro letter like a job hunt target email. State why interested in program and school, what you can offer, qualifications/accolades. Also include a short video* upcoming game and showcase schedules and all contact info (players and current coaches). Keep at it. You may not get anywhere for awhile but get on their radar.

*video should be <3 min, 2 better. Highlight different situations and skills not just flashy moves. Don't bother with flashy graphics. Music is fine but don't pick something obnoxious. Some watch, some don't but always send. With Covid challenges I think more will be using it.

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The idea of marketing has come up multiple times here, which makes total sense. Any marketing tips from those that have been through the process?

Just make sure the various outlets, and coaches, know about what your player is doing.

Agree that TDS can't see every kid, so help them. I emailed them once my son's account was set up in 9th grade *only* with the teams he played on (one was a highly ranked u19 team he played on as a u15) and forgot about it. A few months later I checked back and was pleasantly surprised to see they awarded him with 3 stars.

If your player is featured in NESJ or other publication, make sure the college coaches they are in contact with know about it. Put together a resume that lists all awards and media mentions. Have a great highlight video. (Side note, I recently watched a couple of videos from really strong players I know in real life that were put together from some service. They are terrible! And sell the players short. I was really surprised, but from that small sample I would say put the videos together yourself, don't hire it out.

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TL/DR: don't wait for coaches etc to stumble on information about your player, tell them.

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How do you buy a ranking?

Parents of unranked kids are convinced it's true

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Doing up front work and targeting is so important. Start first with good academic/social school
fits first. If your student can't see themselves at a school or can never get in you're wasting everyone's time.
Go visit some local schools to see different campus environments (big vs small etc). Obviously then also think about location - most kids will go somewhere a half day's drive from home but some want further away.
Make a big list. Then overlay soccer fit in top of that. Spend time looking at where current players come from and who is playing. Does your player have a similar background? Is there a lot of turnover? Is the coach new? Might he be leaving soon?

Once it's time to reach out (timing varies boy v girl and level they are targeting) consider the intro letter like a job hunt target email. State why interested in program and school, what you can offer, qualifications/accolades. Also include a short video* upcoming game and showcase schedules and all contact info (players and current coaches). Keep at it. You may not get anywhere for awhile but get on their radar.

*video should be <3 min, 2 better. Highlight different situations and skills not just flashy moves. Don't bother with flashy graphics. Music is fine but don't pick something obnoxious. Some watch, some don't but always send. With Covid challenges I think more will be using it.

This is good advice, but brevity wins in this game. 1000s of kids email coaches at desirable programs. To break through email needs to communicate...

just 1 thing: I am worth your time

To actually accomplish that, the email must share 2 things, maybe 3:
1. I am capable of making your team better (or your opponents)
2. I have a sincere interest in your program (this is not a cut-paste)
3. I can get in. (needed for Ivy+, and D3 academics)

This is where badges, accolades come in handy. If email can communicate in one claim/link that player is worth it, then all you need to add is a single personalized phrase about connection to that school, and add contact info for your coach - this is where familiarity with league/team/coach helps.

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This is good advice, but brevity wins in this game. 1000s of kids email coaches at desirable programs. To break through email needs to communicate...

just 1 thing: I am worth your time

To actually accomplish that, the email must share 2 things, maybe 3:
1. I am capable of making your team better (or your opponents)
2. I have a sincere interest in your program (this is not a cut-paste)
3. I can get in. (needed for Ivy+, and D3 academics)

This is where badges, accolades come in handy. If email can communicate in one claim/link that player is worth it, then all you need to add is a single personalized phrase about connection to that school, and add contact info for your coach - this is where familiarity with league/team/coach helps.

op here and yes, of course be very brief. A few bullet points/sentences. Hit them hard with the best info first to get their attention.