DAP value for 2011 players

[Unregistered]

Is there any value for 2011 players trying out for DAP teams? It seems to me that by next winter/ spring, coaches have moved on to the next recruiting class and that players have already been accepted and possibly sent in an admission deposit to their school. Would the timeline for D3 schools still be looking next spring?
thanks

[Unregistered]

Is there any value for 2011 players trying out for DAP teams? It seems to me that by next winter/ spring, coaches have moved on to the next recruiting class and that players have already been accepted and possibly sent in an admission deposit to their school. Would the timeline for D3 schools still be looking next spring?
thanks

There are still coaches attending U18 games. If you contact coaches ahead of time to see you play, they'll stay since the U16's & U18's usually play back to back.


This is a good message to you DAP haters: don't wait too long to get on board. Get in early for maximum exposure. After all, your peers are......

[Unregistered]

There are still coaches attending U18 games. If you contact coaches ahead of time to see you play, they'll stay since the U16's & U18's usually play back to back.


This is a good message to you DAP haters: don't wait too long to get on board. Get in early for maximum exposure. After all, your peers are......

Our experience is this - even the college coaches who offer an early comittment this summer tell you that they expect you to be in top shape when you get to school. They expect you to be playing at the highest level possible. If you are playing on a DAP team, they expect you stay there. Anyone else out there have this situation?

[Unregistered]

OP here: My post was for a current non-DAP player. Does it make sense for a 2011 to tryout, given the recruiting timeline?

[Unregistered]

OP here: My post was for a current non-DAP player. Does it make sense for a 2011 to tryout, given the recruiting timeline?

Yes it does. It will give your son the most exposure to the best coaches in the shortest period of time. As one of the replies indicated, if you are in touch with the coaches of the schools he wants to attend, let the coaches know he's on the U18 and still not committed, he'll be good to go.

It would have been better if you were on a DAP this year though. Would have given him a year of great exposure......

[Unregistered]

US soccer needs to put in a u17 age bracket for DAP. It is the most important year for recruiting and all these kids compete with u18s for a spot to be seen by college coaches. Look at the rosters and see how few juniors are on these teams and getting good playing time.

[Unregistered]

US soccer needs to put in a u17 age bracket for DAP. It is the most important year for recruiting and all these kids compete with u18s for a spot to be seen by college coaches. Look at the rosters and see how few juniors are on these teams and getting good playing time.

No, actually they don't. It works by birth year, not the silly August 1 cut-off. Juniors are on both the U16 and U18 teams. And the coaches are more concerned with graduation year.

[Unregistered]

US soccer needs to put in a u17 age bracket for DAP. It is the most important year for recruiting and all these kids compete with u18s for a spot to be seen by college coaches. Look at the rosters and see how few juniors are on these teams and getting good playing time.

The reason US Soccer started the DAP was not to produce a recruiting format for players, but to produce players that can play at a national/international level. The recruiting aspect of the DAP is a parental issue, not a US Soccer issue.

[Unregistered]

The reason US Soccer started the DAP was not to produce a recruiting format for players, but to produce players that can play at a national/international level. The recruiting aspect of the DAP is a parental issue, not a US Soccer issue.

It's not a parental issue: It's a college coach issue. The coaches of colleges realized that most of the best kids at recruiting eligible ages were concentrated in the DAP, and they began focusing on DAP events to see more of the better players in one place.

[Unregistered]

It's not a parental issue: It's a college coach issue. The coaches of colleges realized that most of the best kids at recruiting eligible ages were concentrated in the DAP, and they began focusing on DAP events to see more of the better players in one place.

I don't think it was a college coach who posted "US soccer needs to put in a u17 age bracket for DAP. It is the most important year for recruiting and all these kids compete with u18s for a spot to be seen by college coaches."

[Unregistered]

Is there any value for 2011 players trying out for DAP teams? It seems to me that by next winter/ spring, coaches have moved on to the next recruiting class and that players have already been accepted and possibly sent in an admission deposit to their school. Would the timeline for D3 schools still be looking next spring?
thanks

You certainly would be able to impress some D3 coaches via email that your son was playing DAP, or on your visit, but at some point the "rubber has to meet the road," right? Or will we have college freshmen still looking to transfer to a place to play to soccer if things don't work out. When is the right time to give in and accept reality?