All of it cost....way much!

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Ok, you lost your way along your journey with your kid. That happens and it sucks.

I really don't quite understand the "return on investment" concept you are all flustered about. Were you really, honestly, looking at the time and money spent on your child as some sort of investment or retirement vehicle. That's how its coming across and you are ridiculous.

If you didn't realize your kid wasn't going to be a baller by 12 you are the problem in this situation. If your kid was the s**t you would have known it then and the pathway would have been basically apparent. If you aren't invited to the "party" shortly after 12 you are just helping support the ballers. That's ok too. Does your kid really enjoy playing and a high level of competition? That's what matters.

All this nonsense about you could have saved your cash and played in cheaper or lower leagues is just a perspective, you are entitle to that. Just so you know, nobody cares about the other leagues (except the kids playing in them, sad fact) To put it in perspective, you ever take your kid to a real tryout somewhere? Well they mass the kids up, then they begin breaking them out, into maybe three groups via some activities (its interesting to watch the shuffling). The kids we know we will take, the kids we might take, and the kids that we aren't taking. So by 75% of the way through the practice/tryout, they have the kids they're taking, and they're being watched, the rest are there on the field, but are not being looked at any more. That's the other leagues. So keep driving on with the though you will get noticed in these other leagues, sorry for the reality check.

Yeah, you can play with a bunch of empty shirts and you will not develop, you rise to your competition. Maybe your kid would have fun at rec ball, or maybe your kid would rather scratch their eyes out than play with a bunch of untalented kids who cannot read the game, who knows, maybe they'd have fun and have done other activities, what happened already happened. It wasn't a financial investment. An investment of time having fun with your kid, yes, those are priceless.

The other nonsense about coaches "seeing a kid" is coming from people who really are out of touch with reality. If your kid is not in DA (for a boy, or ECNL for a girl) or in Prep, then their chance of getting seen by real colleges is basically nil. Get over it. Stop talking about that one unicorn that made it playing town rec. Those stories don't show all the networking and placement of that kid by their parents. They weren't playing in some sandlot in Granby and got discovered, that's being naïve and lazy, to be truthful.

For those who maybe are on the beginning of this journey with their kid and think D1 and a scholarship is there ("investment" people - its not), just do some simple research. Take a school you think your kid will play at (where you want them play) and take a look at their incoming freshman recruits. If your kid is not in that weight class, move on down the line. Take Wake Forest for example. Think your kid is going there? well, better be on the national team as a Uxx, or have a resume of DA or Prep. It is what it is. It is almost like people think its like winning the lottery, its not random - you don't get a chance because you bought a ticket (or played ball in high school), its calculated. If you know what the schools want, then you better be what they want. Wrap your head around that for a few minutes. Its just the truth.

What this means is at 12, 13, 14, 15 they need to be at the front and in the "pool". They need to be getting the call ups to camps or training, they need to be in front of decision makers and coaches now, at those ages, to even be on the radar. Don't hate the player, hate the game. Of course someone will bring out so-and-so who just appeared at 16. Maybe, but the other 1000 kids followed the path. Take your chance, be a unicorn, tell me how that works out for you.....

So, delusional person speaking of return on investment, how can you possibly correlate youth sports and an investment, they are mutually exclusive. That's like saying I bought a Prius and the climate didn't change. They have nothing to do with each other - you bought a car - there is global warming, one doesn't affect the other. (the batteries for the Prius's destroy the environment as much as the emissions, whatever we can split hairs about that).

Not OP, but you need to realize that everyone is different. some people have a very good handle on the game and where their kid fits. paying for exposure is ABSOLUTELY and investment for them.

[Unregistered]

Take a school you think your kid will play at (where you want them play) and take a look at their incoming freshman recruits. If your kid is not in that weight class, move on down the line.

Truth. Check out the Stanford incoming frosh. If u ain't getting USYNT call ups by 15 and/or playing U19 on an MLS squad by sophmore year (and oh btw probably pulling a 4.0 or greater) good luck. Wow.

[Unregistered]

Truth. Check out the Stanford incoming frosh. If u ain't getting USYNT call ups by 15 and/or playing U19 on an MLS squad by sophmore year (and oh btw probably pulling a 4.0 or greater) good luck. Wow.

Not true on the 4.0;) rest pretty accurate

[Unregistered]

Truth. Check out the Stanford incoming frosh. If u ain't getting USYNT call ups by 15 and/or playing U19 on an MLS squad by sophmore year (and oh btw probably pulling a 4.0 or greater) good luck. Wow.

Best thing you can do is have your kid look at schools they're interested in well before they start recruiting. As said, if they aren't in the same weight class scratch that school off the list (for soccer). Appropriate targeting is critical. If may mean having to compromise on something and then decisions have to be made as to what they're willing to give on and what they're not.

[Unregistered]

The youth soccer journey should not be measured by whether one gets a scholarship. That's idiotic.

As idiotic as people opting for clubs based solely on Won/Loss records or online postings of college postings that have a significantly questionable degree of accuracy and truthfulness.

As idiotic as believing that the club is the magic elixir to get your kid onto a college roster in the first place.

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As idiotic as people opting for clubs based solely on Won/Loss records or online postings of college postings that have a significantly questionable degree of accuracy and truthfulness.

As idiotic as believing that the club is the magic elixir to get your kid onto a college roster in the first place.

Try getting into a D1 college without a club behind you. Yea, that's what I thought..
Clubs vary widely: Consider-- Their ability to access to top showcases, ability to speak directly to college coaches, NT consideration, facilities, history...

[Unregistered]

Try getting into a D1 college without a club behind you. Yea, that's what I thought..
Clubs vary widely: Consider-- Their ability to access to top showcases, ability to speak directly to college coaches, NT consideration, facilities, history...

Not the poster but you don't' have to have a top club or top league (whatever you define that as) to play D1. Top D1 yes you need a resume. Lower level D1 not so much. There's a huge difference between the top of the ladder and the bottom.

[Unregistered]

Try getting into a D1 college without a club behind you. Yea, that's what I thought..
Clubs vary widely: Consider-- Their ability to access to top showcases, ability to speak directly to college coaches, NT consideration, facilities, history...

Conversely, try getting into a D1 college with a club behind you. You will get in, but, on the boys side it is not likely to get you much athletic money (if any at all). On the girls side, if your kid can play, it is harder, but it is definitely possible. You can say that the majority of D1 athletic money goes to ECNL or DA kids, but it is not because their clubs or coaches are terribly special .... it is because most of the best players actually play on these teams. I agree it will be a little more work for the kid to get notices, but top players can and will find a way and no coach will turn down these kids because they do not come with the pedigree of an ECNL or DA club. The better question is whether or not your kid is a top player regardless of where they play.

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Not the poster but you don't' have to have a top club or top league (whatever you define that as) to play D1. Top D1 yes you need a resume. Lower level D1 not so much. There's a huge difference between the top of the ladder and the bottom.

Have a look at NEC, MAAC or Patriot League rosters. Those are all mid major D1 schools. Have a look a their current rosters and let us know how many Lower level Club players you find?

No one argues that it can’t be done but it’s a big time long shot.

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Have a look at NEC, MAAC or Patriot League rosters. Those are all mid major D1 schools. Have a look a their current rosters and let us know how many Lower level Club players you find?

No one argues that it can’t be done but it’s a big time long shot.

The top leagues have a much higher percentage of top players. Many other gems are out there.

[Unregistered]

Have a look at NEC, MAAC or Patriot League rosters. Those are all mid major D1 schools. Have a look a their current rosters and let us know how many Lower level Club players you find?

No one argues that it can’t be done but it’s a big time long shot.

It's not a long shot but takes much more effort. The other difference is while a top team will have nearly it's entire roster committed to good programs, a lower level will have a handful. Also, some low level D1 programs are shi t.

[Unregistered]

Have a look at NEC, MAAC or Patriot League rosters. Those are all mid major D1 schools. Have a look a their current rosters and let us know how many Lower level Club players you find?

No one argues that it can’t be done but it’s a big time long shot.

I get its relative, but many of the kids are not particularly good players. They are a product of wealthier families who can pay to play and have decent grades.

becasue the range of playing abilities from top to bottom is so large and the top level is so small..you have a lot of mediocrity in the middle. Many are trying to use the league or team as that differentiating factor.

The best players will usually be found without too much probing because there really are not many of them.

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It's not a long shot but takes much more effort. The other difference is while a top team will have nearly it's entire roster committed to good programs, a lower level will have a handful. Also, some low level D1 programs are shi t.

You have to define good in soccer terms if you want to make this statement. I I dont agree with it. many of the school people site as good are good academically and pretty average at soccer.

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You have to define good in soccer terms if you want to make this statement. I I dont agree with it. many of the school people site as good are good academically and pretty average at soccer.

Soccer only. Most parents only care about the academics, as they should. But some parents (and players) obsess about the D1 label and will allow compromises to be made for it. That is foolish. Some D1 really is not very good and some are better off doing high level D3 than low level D1.

[Unregistered]

Soccer only. Most parents only care about the academics, as they should. But some parents (and players) obsess about the D1 label and will allow compromises to be made for it. That is foolish. Some D1 really is not very good and some are better off doing high level D3 than low level D1.

You cannot make that statement for them. All I will say that IF i was being really strict, i would struggle to come up with 15 TOP level soccer schools who year in year out have success and recruit top level players. If you tell me your kid is going to one of these programs, i will assume she is a top lvel player or has the tools to become one.

The rest, sure some kids are very good, but many are pretty average. The youth NTs are not the b-all end all, but at the most recent 18/19/20 camps 27 of the 75 or so kids were committed to or attending one of 3 Schools !!

The academic argument is a hard one to make because its nuanced. A forum cannot do it justice. Ill just say that any school you are going to play soccer at for money , EXPECTS you to be prepared to play at your highest level and studies are NOT an excuse. you cannot say much more because $$ are an issue for many. along with many other factors. in the ideal world opportunity meets ability and budget.