Simple Question- GK

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It took exactly 7 posts for the TBU mafia to pat themselves on their back. It was a thread that made no mention of geography, specific club or league affiliation, or specific college information. Yet, you narcissists continue to interject your club into every possible thread spouting about commitments. We get it, some of your players play at the next level. Congrats to them on their hard work and success. Believe it or not, there is soccer being played beyond your complexes. Thanks for submarining another thread.

Actually this hater brought it up (maybe it was you?):

"Excellent point. I believe TBU has only had ECNL for 4 years, so neither of the current top leagues were options. ECNL may have been initiated her senior year of HS, but she was probably committed before that (I’m sure some TBU whack job will use this as an excuse to bring up their ‘phenomenal’ history of getting players recruited. We get it, you’re awesome)."

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KM from TBU at UF. Senior this year

Incorrect. This was the post that brought it up (maybe it was you?).

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Back on topic...

1. Exposure is always key to these things. The more exposure to the programs that your player may want to attend the better their chances are. Look for ways to get that exposure whether it is through a particular league, contacting the schools, attending camps...you need to get yourself in front of teams you may want to play for.

2. Make sure the player is putting in the work. It will benefit the player to contact the coach, send highlights and game film. Let them know that you will be playing or guest playing in a showcase close to their area.

3. Make the grade, if they like you as a player and feel they can get you to school and not have to spend money on you because of your great academics then your chances improve.

I also want to echo something another person mentioned on here about playing High School or on a poor team. This is actually great for development. I've seen Goal Keepers play on very good teams and get such limited work during games, that they actually start to get stagnant in their development.

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Parent of 2 GK here -

- You want them in the net as much as possible. That means at least 50/50 time. I don't care how good the GK training is at a club, if your GK is sitting they won't improve at the same rate. So if you're considering a program where it's only 1 GK you better be 110% that one GK is your kid.

- There's a lot to be said for HS all because you'll see/experience everything. I found mine were less challenged in top club play because their teammates made fewer mistakes.

- Go to a club that has top notch GK training. it might not always be a "top" club. If that's not possible seek out supplemental training with a great trainer. They're around, ask.

- If your GK is a basketball player have them keep it up. It's great for GKs

- Getting recruited for a GK is a bit of a nightmare. You have to have a very broad list vs field players. Programs are usually only taking on one GK in any year, if even that (many only carry 3). Then you have to be of interest to them AND you're fighting for the spot with ten other GKs they're looking at. If you only a want a limited set of schools you're very likely to be disappointed. don't bother with a program that has 4+ (some do). Most likely you'll never play.

- Like field players, take a look at the resumes of GKs to see if you even have a shot. Even smaller programs are taking NT players from other countries. The competition is crazy.

- If you're not in a top league with great exposure you can still get recruited via ID events. Pick and chose them carefully for ones you have a realistic shot at. Send a video, have your coach call them, make contact yourself to indicate interest. Schools are always looking for top GKs but as I said its very different than with field player competition. You have to win that one spot. Field players have to win one of 5-8 spots.

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I'd like to know of any NPL keeper boy or girl that got on to a major conference D1 team in the last 5 years.

For most players the goal/realistic scenario is not "top" D1. There are over 200 men's D1 programs out there; about 300 women's. Nor should D2 or D3 be ignored. If you want top D1 for men then you pretty much have to be in DA. women's top 50 then GDA or ECNL. But if you're not gunning for a top 50 program it's much less of necessity.

Many kids, especially freshmen, dream of D1 then as time goes on they see it isn't a realistic target for them. Also many decide they don't want the D1 grind as they learn more about what is required. OP should have his GK investigate what D1 really means, look at rosters of schools he's interested in, go visit a variety of schools to compare rural vs urban, big vs small etc (which is an important step for any student, athlete or not). Freshman year is the perfect time to start. This summer might not be a bad idea to go to at least one ID event just to get his feet wet and see what it's like - preferably at a school where he's less interested in in case it doesn't go well. Then he'll be better prepared for when the rubber hits the road.

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I have a simple question-My child has dreams of being a D1 GK at a Non FL school; and as any proud parent- I believe he has the ability to get there. He's currently a Fresh in HS. Is it better for him to share 50% GK responsibilities at DA/ECNL level or be the sole keeper at an NPL level?

I think field players should go up to DA/ENCL, but keepers only getting half playing will suffer. But I'm open to being wrong... Thoughts??

GK coach here. Let me dispel some of the myths here. 1) your child does not need to play ecnl or da . 2) colleges don't care about what league they played in. either you can play or you can't. 3) goal keepers only playing 1/2 of a game does nothing for there development. 4) these parents on here talk about exposure, yet they are paying 1000's of $$$$ per year for exposure. 5) if you are at a proper club your doc can help with exposure getting he or she into these schools for try outs 6) make sure your child is at a club with a proper gk coach. (if you have this, they are more valuable then anything else. It's a specialized position). 7) don't limit your i.d. camps to just the schools they hope to go.

too many parents care about leagues. da isn't any better then ecnl, or fspl. npl, etc at the end of the day each league has there strong teams and there weak teams. No college coach is going to any individual game to watch a kid. they show up to the high level show case tournaments. da, ecnl, Disney, casl, Jefferson, img cup etc,. this is where you will get the greatest bang for the $$$

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GK coach here. Let me dispel some of the myths here. 1) your child does not need to play ecnl or da . 2) colleges don't care about what league they played in. either you can play or you can't. 3) goal keepers only playing 1/2 of a game does nothing for there development. 4) these parents on here talk about exposure, yet they are paying 1000's of $$$$ per year for exposure. 5) if you are at a proper club your doc can help with exposure getting he or she into these schools for try outs 6) make sure your child is at a club with a proper gk coach. (if you have this, they are more valuable then anything else. It's a specialized position). 7) don't limit your i.d. camps to just the schools they hope to go.

too many parents care about leagues. da isn't any better then ecnl, or fspl. npl, etc at the end of the day each league has there strong teams and there weak teams. No college coach is going to any individual game to watch a kid. they show up to the high level show case tournaments. da, ecnl, Disney, casl, Jefferson, img cup etc,. this is where you will get the greatest bang for the $$$

Everything is spot on except point two. As another said if your kid isn't playing at all because the other GK gets all the time your won't get better. So 50/50 is better than 100/0 if you're the 0. Only DA seems to do 100/0. Yes that's what it will be like in college. But you'll never get to college if you're the back up who never plays. You need to PLAY.

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Fellow GK dad here... 2 former D1 college keepers told us that time in goal is the most critical thing to develop skills. DA/ECNL might be best for exposure (although other options do exist) but at his age, playing time might be more important. Good luck!

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KM from TBU at UF. Senior this year

This GK had a very unique situation. She played on a team that won State, Regional and National championships but not ECNL or DA. By the time you have won at all those levels your GK has had a ton of exposure.

It is a whole different story if your GK is on a NPL or FSPL team that gets eliminated in the Round of 8 of State Cup. If so, you had better sign up for a lot of showcases and ID camps, etc. to some exposure.

CASL is very good for a GK because the Friday before the showcase they have a dedicated half day session that is dedicated to GKs. A ton of college coaches come to the GK session and then if they like what they see they may come to some of your games over the weekend.

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GK coach here. Let me dispel some of the myths here. 1) your child does not need to play ecnl or da . 2) colleges don't care about what league they played in. either you can play or you can't. 3) goal keepers only playing 1/2 of a game does nothing for there development. 4) these parents on here talk about exposure, yet they are paying 1000's of $$$$ per year for exposure. 5) if you are at a proper club your doc can help with exposure getting he or she into these schools for try outs 6) make sure your child is at a club with a proper gk coach. (if you have this, they are more valuable then anything else. It's a specialized position). 7) don't limit your i.d. camps to just the schools they hope to go.

too many parents care about leagues. da isn't any better then ecnl, or fspl. npl, etc at the end of the day each league has there strong teams and there weak teams. No college coach is going to any individual game to watch a kid. they show up to the high level show case tournaments. da, ecnl, Disney, casl, Jefferson, img cup etc,. this is where you will get the greatest bang for the $$$

"No college coach is going to any individual game to watch a kid"????? Are you kidding me??

College coaches go to individual games all the time to watch a single kid - typically at a showcase, but often times at league games or even practices where scrimmages are set up so that one particular kid can be seen (usually a player they have their eye on or have seen before), and in the process it allows them to notice other players as well. Top colleges scout individual players all the time, especially for a position as important and specialized as a goalkeeper.

If you are indeed a "GK Coach" as you claim to be, you might want to put in a little more work, because your competition certainly is.

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GK coach here. Let me dispel some of the myths here. 1) your child does not need to play ecnl or da . 2) colleges don't care about what league they played in. either you can play or you can't. 3) goal keepers only playing 1/2 of a game does nothing for there development. 4) these parents on here talk about exposure, yet they are paying 1000's of $$$$ per year for exposure. 5) if you are at a proper club your doc can help with exposure getting he or she into these schools for try outs 6) make sure your child is at a club with a proper gk coach. (if you have this, they are more valuable then anything else. It's a specialized position). 7) don't limit your i.d. camps to just the schools they hope to go.

too many parents care about leagues. da isn't any better then ecnl, or fspl. npl, etc at the end of the day each league has there strong teams and there weak teams. No college coach is going to any individual game to watch a kid. they show up to the high level show case tournaments. da, ecnl, Disney, casl, Jefferson, img cup etc,. this is where you will get the greatest bang for the $$$

I agree with everything you said except this

your child does not need to play ecnl or da

they show up to the high level show case tournaments. da, ecnl, Disney, casl, Jefferson, img cup etc,

Maybe things have changed this year but NPL has a National Tournament but on the State level there were no coaches at our NPL events except local small colleges wherever the tournament was set up. ECNL and GDA have multiple national events that are stacked with coaches. I only disagree in the sense of exposure. If you are at more events with a larger number of coaches it increases the likelihood that you can get a coach come see you play.

Again I agree with your assessment minus the importance of leagues.

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Simple Question-GK

GK coach here. Let me dispel some of the myths here. 1) your child does not need to play ecnl or da . 2) colleges don't care about what league they played in. either you can play or you can't. 3) goal keepers only playing 1/2 of a game does nothing for there development. 4) these parents on here talk about exposure, yet they are paying 1000's of $$$$ per year for exposure. 5) if you are at a proper club your doc can help with exposure getting he or she into these schools for try outs 6) make sure your child is at a club with a proper gk coach. (if you have this, they are more valuable then anything else. It's a specialized position). 7) don't limit your i.d. camps to just the schools they hope to go.

too many parents care about leagues. da isn't any better then ecnl, or fspl. npl, etc at the end of the day each league has there strong teams and there weak teams. No college coach is going to any individual game to watch a kid. they show up to the high level show case tournaments. da, ecnl, Disney, casl, Jefferson, img cup etc,. this is where you will get the greatest bang for the $$$

I would be really surprised if this poster was a real GK coach or a GK coach with any experience yet.

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I would be really surprised if this poster was a real GK coach or a GK coach with any experience yet.

No, I think he's a coach, but I think he has always been a coach in a large market and might not have participated in some of the leagues he mentions. I don't think he realizes how hard it is to get noticed if you're in Gainesville playing NPL or Vero Beach playing FSPL. It's a way different adventure for those players vs someone living in a neighborhood right next to Ed Radice Park.

Just to be clear my daughter played NPL/FSPL her whole career and was a guest player to Jax and OC for 1 season each. It doesn't matter if you are discussing exposure or competition there is no comparison between ECNL/DA vs NPL/FSPL. There are some bad teams in ECNL/DA but they would be competitive in those other leagues. Not many teams in FSPL/NPL could play consistently against TopHat, any of the Fire's, Alabama, etc. Most clubs in those leagues are not consistent winners in all age groups either. For exposure there is no comparison. Their regular season events have a number of college coaches from schools all over the country. Never saw that at NPL/FSPL games.

As a sidenote my dumb ass daughter was approached by Vanderbilt. She didn't know who they were so she told the coach she was not interested in going to a D2 school. No coming back from that.

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"No college coach is going to any individual game to watch a kid"????? Are you kidding me??

College coaches go to individual games all the time to watch a single kid - typically at a showcase, but often times at league games or even practices where scrimmages are set up so that one particular kid can be seen (usually a player they have their eye on or have seen before), and in the process it allows them to notice other players as well. Top colleges scout individual players all the time, especially for a position as important and specialized as a goalkeeper.

If you are indeed a "GK Coach" as you claim to be, you might want to put in a little more work, because your competition certainly is.

Apparently you are not smart enough to follow what I was saying. No college coach will come to a league game to watch a player. I'll explain more since you are narrow minded. A college coach wants to watch player x play. player x is playing in a league and contacted the coach when there next game is. that coach will either ask for video of the player or ask for the entire schedule and will see that player play at a high level tournament. coaches don't have a budget to fly around the country to watch a single player here and there. the only one's that may even get that type of attention our national team players. you see you are just a typical small minded parent that has no clue how the system really works.

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No, I think he's a coach, but I think he has always been a coach in a large market and might not have participated in some of the leagues he mentions. I don't think he realizes how hard it is to get noticed if you're in Gainesville playing NPL or Vero Beach playing FSPL. It's a way different adventure for those players vs someone living in a neighborhood right next to Ed Radice Park.

Just to be clear my daughter played NPL/FSPL her whole career and was a guest player to Jax and OC for 1 season each. It doesn't matter if you are discussing exposure or competition there is no comparison between ECNL/DA vs NPL/FSPL. There are some bad teams in ECNL/DA but they would be competitive in those other leagues. Not many teams in FSPL/NPL could play consistently against TopHat, any of the Fire's, Alabama, etc. Most clubs in those leagues are not consistent winners in all age groups either. For exposure there is no comparison. Their regular season events have a number of college coaches from schools all over the country. Never saw that at NPL/FSPL games.

As a sidenote my dumb ass daughter was approached by Vanderbilt. She didn't know who they were so she told the coach she was not interested in going to a D2 school. No coming back from that.

Side note: my kid didn't proof read his supplemental college essays, so college x wasn't really appreciative of his raving about college y. No coming back from that either :)

Anyway, as a parent of a GK and a field player I'd say the league is less critical for GK's. Yes you will have to work harder to get exposure but it can be done. That said NPL is about as low as you can go. Coaches are looking for good GKs. They're only going to take one at a time. They know with the 7 new field players (on average each year) a few won't work out. They don't have room for error with GK's. So if you're really good, they'll want to watch you.