Realities of club soccer, would you do something different?

[Unregistered]

#1...Should have never come on TS.

A smart kid doesn't need soccer... you can go to a big FL university and only be out of pocket around $5k per year all in. Grades should come first. Soccer is fun, not a way of life. Too many adults forget that and ruin the sport for the kids playing. We can all name them.

[Unregistered]

A smart kid doesn't need soccer... you can go to a big FL university and only be out of pocket around $5k per year all in. Grades should come first. Soccer is fun, not a way of life. Too many adults forget that and ruin the sport for the kids playing. We can all name them.

Yeeessss!!!

[Unregistered]

That's what is pushing up their stats. Schools know what they're doing. It's all a numbers game. Same with pushing kids to apply - the more applications the lower their acceptance number are, making the school appear more exclusive. Some even give out free applications to top students like candy. If it's practically no cost to you and it's easy with the Common App, why not? May as well see what you can get.

Bingo

[Unregistered]

A smart kid doesn't need soccer... you can go to a big FL university and only be out of pocket around $5k per year all in. Grades should come first. Soccer is fun, not a way of life. Too many adults forget that and ruin the sport for the kids playing. We can all name them.

True, but a smart kid WITH soccer has a whole range of potential options that the smart kid without soccer doesn't have.

Grades should always come first, then if your kid is talented, hard working and loves to play soccer they can pursue that to create incredible opportunities beyond just attending a good college.

[Unregistered]

True, but a smart kid WITH soccer has a whole range of potential options that the smart kid without soccer doesn't have.

Grades should always come first, then if your kid is talented, hard working and loves to play soccer they can pursue that to create incredible opportunities beyond just attending a good college.

Not even "talented" Above average skill with a rocking high school resume, grades and scores gets you looked at by schools you probably didn't dream of.

[Unregistered]

Not even "talented" Above average skill with a rocking high school resume, grades and scores gets you looked at by schools you probably didn't dream of.

Making us think too hard.

[Unregistered]

True, but a smart kid WITH soccer has a whole range of potential options that the smart kid without soccer doesn't have.

Grades should always come first, then if your kid is talented, hard working and loves to play soccer they can pursue that to create incredible opportunities beyond just attending a good college.

Our kid was smart but more D2/D3 College Soccer potential. She got too caught trying to find the right opportunity in the southeast and in the end wished she had just focused on taking a SAT/ACT prep course, finding weekends to take the tests more than once, and visiting colleges for academics rather than the Soccer.

[Unregistered]

Our kid was smart but more D2/D3 College Soccer potential. She got too caught trying to find the right opportunity in the southeast and in the end wished she had just focused on taking a SAT/ACT prep course, finding weekends to take the tests more than once, and visiting colleges for academics rather than the Soccer.

Mine did not get his dream D3 school (a REALLY top school but he was a LBB - late Blooming Boy so his first year HS grades weren't the best) and team because his grades weren't high enough to get through admissions. The coach LOVED him but had no pull (told him to apply next year as a transfer if his freshman year GPA is good). Even in D1 coaches only have so much pull to get players in and will only use up a few chips each year with the admissions office. If you have the grades you have far more opportunities, with or without soccer. School work and test prep cannot be stressed enough.

[Unregistered]

Mine did not get his dream D3 school (a REALLY top school but he was a LBB - late Blooming Boy so his first year HS grades weren't the best) and team because his grades weren't high enough to get through admissions. The coach LOVED him but had no pull (told him to apply next year as a transfer if his freshman year GPA is good). Even in D1 coaches only have so much pull to get players in and will only use up a few chips each year with the admissions office. If you have the grades you have far more opportunities, with or without soccer. School work and test prep cannot be stressed enough.

Late blooming boys who make a few academic bad calls can ruin their chances. It is why UF has 20% more girls than boys as freshmen. Heck it even makes you wonder about that birth year advantage in Soccer also playing a role in academics. A kindergartener who is 8 months older than another would have a developmental early reading advantage and reap the rewards of being early advanced.

[Unregistered]

Late blooming boys who make a few academic bad calls can ruin their chances. It is why UF has 20% more girls than boys as freshmen. Heck it even makes you wonder about that birth year advantage in Soccer also playing a role in academics. A kindergartener who is 8 months older than another would have a developmental early reading advantage and reap the rewards of being early advanced.

Studies have shown that any academic advantage (if there is one) goes away by 2nd-3rd grade when everyone has reached a similar level with reading. I know this only because we had a boy born right before the cutoff date to start school and we debated whether or not to hold him back to give him more time to marinate. I grew up in the NE and there some parents actually "red shirt" their boys to give them what they think is an advantage in school and sports. If the kid isn't ready that's one thing. But to do it for some kind of nonexistent leg up is nonsense. We went ahead and admitted him regular timeline and he did just fine, despite being one of the youngest in the class.

[Unregistered]

Studies have shown that any academic advantage (if there is one) goes away by 2nd-3rd grade when everyone has reached a similar level with reading. I know this only because we had a boy born right before the cutoff date to start school and we debated whether or not to hold him back to give him more time to marinate. I grew up in the NE and there some parents actually "red shirt" their boys to give them what they think is an advantage in school and sports. If the kid isn't ready that's one thing. But to do it for some kind of nonexistent leg up is nonsense. We went ahead and admitted him regular timeline and he did just fine, despite being one of the youngest in the class.

Reading is developmental and through teaching clicks in at varying ages. Being behind in reading can hinder learning and confidence. Being the oldest kindergartener can give them a leg up although development of reading and maturity are different for each child.

[Unregistered]

No alum donations because putting money into the bank for k-12 will pay for the college.

[Unregistered]

Boys do not read as much as the girls. Twenty % more girls than boys attend UF as freshmen.

[Unregistered]

Boys do not read as much as the girls. Twenty % more girls than boys attend UF as freshmen.

750 white boys admitted as Freshman. Is that accurate? One of the states large universities only has room for 750 white boys?

What is the admittance breakdown by sex and race?

[Unregistered]

Studies have shown that any academic advantage (if there is one) goes away by 2nd-3rd grade when everyone has reached a similar level with reading. I know this only because we had a boy born right before the cutoff date to start school and we debated whether or not to hold him back to give him more time to marinate. I grew up in the NE and there some parents actually "red shirt" their boys to give them what they think is an advantage in school and sports. If the kid isn't ready that's one thing. But to do it for some kind of nonexistent leg up is nonsense. We went ahead and admitted him regular timeline and he did just fine, despite being one of the youngest in the class.

Serious question that I know I should not be asking at TS but here goes ...

My boy is a cutoff kid that was not held back. He is the youngest in his grade and will graduate high school age 17.5. He will have another year of eligibility to play DA should he want to. Question: can you play DA while in college, as long as you do not participate in college soccer? Question 2: would playing DA freshman year be preferable to playing (or rather not playing) college soccer as a freshman? Wouldn't a kid develop more in DA as a starter than watching seniors and juniors play in college? To any who provide a serious answer , thanks.