2011 Boys Soccer Verbal Commitments

[Unregistered]

Well said

Let's put all the bluster, hyperbole, and blowhards aside.

The route these boys took to get where they are today is the least significant part of the discussion.

The ones who played their club ball on a DAP team did so because they could manage the schedule, and decided they wanted to play and train with and against better competition. They made their choices about what college or university was best for them, and presumably, they are happy.

The ones who chose to play on non DAP teams did so because they felt it was the right choice for them, whether it was because they wanted to do other things, liked their team/coach, didn't want to train or travel as extensively, or whatever their resons were. Similarly, these boys also made their choices about what college or university was best for them, and presumably, they are happy.

Why is this not enough?

We have people on a personal crusade against the DAP route. And we have people justifying their participation in DAP. Apart from the two idiots on the extreme sides of this discussion on this forum, the rest of us don't care a lick what boy played in what league. I think the majority of us are happy for all of them for surviving the grueling ane emotional process of identifying, visiting, applying, and selecting the right school for them. And if that wasn't stressful enough, they then have to assimilate themselves into a totally new living arrangement, adapt to living on their own (those that didn't live at a boarding school), deal with choosing classes, AND try and adapt to the more physical college game where they are back to being one to four years younger (and less developed) than the men they are playing with and against.

And when I look at the list of boys above, I see first and second team selections, I see boys who have stayed close to home and gone far away, I see boys who have started or played in all games, most games, a significant number of games, contributing to whatever success the team experienced. The only thing I can think when I see that is "Well Done - Congratulations". How any of you can't respect their achievements and continue to harp on and on about whether they played on a DAP team or not, why the played on a DAP or didn't, and who is better off, is completely off base.

This is the BEST post I've seen on this discussion so far. It is EXACTLY right. The majority of us are in the middle and the outlyers are the nuts who are either rabidly pro or con DAP or non-DAP. Thanks for saying so well what MOST of us believe.

[Unregistered]

Let's put all the bluster, hyperbole, and blowhards aside.

The route these boys took to get where they are today is the least significant part of the discussion.

The ones who played their club ball on a DAP team did so because they could manage the schedule, and decided they wanted to play and train with and against better competition. They made their choices about what college or university was best for them, and presumably, they are happy.

The ones who chose to play on non DAP teams did so because they felt it was the right choice for them, whether it was because they wanted to do other things, liked their team/coach, didn't want to train or travel as extensively, or whatever their resons were. Similarly, these boys also made their choices about what college or university was best for them, and presumably, they are happy.

Why is this not enough?

We have people on a personal crusade against the DAP route. And we have people justifying their participation in DAP. Apart from the two idiots on the extreme sides of this discussion on this forum, the rest of us don't care a lick what boy played in what league. I think the majority of us are happy for all of them for surviving the grueling ane emotional process of identifying, visiting, applying, and selecting the right school for them. And if that wasn't stressful enough, they then have to assimilate themselves into a totally new living arrangement, adapt to living on their own (those that didn't live at a boarding school), deal with choosing classes, AND try and adapt to the more physical college game where they are back to being one to four years younger (and less developed) than the men they are playing with and against.

And when I look at the list of boys above, I see first and second team selections, I see boys who have stayed close to home and gone far away, I see boys who have started or played in all games, most games, a significant number of games, contributing to whatever success the team experienced. The only thing I can think when I see that is "Well Done - Congratulations". How any of you can't respect their achievements and continue to harp on and on about whether they played on a DAP team or not, why the played on a DAP or didn't, and who is better off, is completely off base.

"Bravo" well stated.

[Unregistered]

Hey, maybe you can resolve the NBA collective bargaining agreement impasse! Very good post.

As one of the alleged "idiots," you helped me clarify one of my own points. Some players aren't just settling for non-DAP, and indeed for some kids the non-DAP route is their only route and works just fine for them. It is the path that increases THEIR particular chances and allows exposure in their cases. And I fully agree with what I think is one of your main points.....if we could all stand back far enough, almost all the paths that each kid takes make complete sense. There are many ways to arrive at final destinations.

And for the record, again, I am not anti-DAP. I recognize that there are players for whom DAP is ideal and that the training/competition is superior. My kid almost certainly would never have made a DAP team, and if he did he almost certainly would not have garnered any particular exposure as a bottom 3rd player on a DAP squad. He found his own route which ended up working out quite well for him. I chafe against the attitude expressed by some of the proponents here and the repetitive convoluted and contradictory defenses. That's where I have a problem. And I also think it is a disservice to create an impression for others with kids about to tackle the very difficult and anxiety-provoking college search process that there is a mighty trend out there with DAP dominating all of the college slots, even at the D3 level, and that they better catch the wave if they want to have any decent chance of hooking on because the trend is only going to get worse. That indeed IMHO is a huge disservice and irresponsible distortion. The list of players above instead shows that more than 90% of the slots in D3 are filled by means other than DAP.

[Unregistered]

Hey, maybe you can resolve the NBA collective bargaining agreement impasse! Very good post.

As one of the alleged "idiots," you helped me clarify one of my own points. Some players aren't just settling for non-DAP, and indeed for some kids the non-DAP route is their only route and works just fine for them. It is the path that increases THEIR particular chances and allows exposure in their cases. And I fully agree with what I think is one of your main points.....if we could all stand back far enough, almost all the paths that each kid takes make complete sense. There are many ways to arrive at final destinations.

And for the record, again, I am not anti-DAP. I recognize that there are players for whom DAP is ideal and that the training/competition is superior. My kid almost certainly would never have made a DAP team, and if he did he almost certainly would not have garnered any particular exposure as a bottom 3rd player on a DAP squad. He found his own route which ended up working out quite well for him. I chafe against the attitude expressed by some of the proponents here and the repetitive convoluted and contradictory defenses. That's where I have a problem. And I also think it is a disservice to create an impression for others with kids about to tackle the very difficult and anxiety-provoking college search process that there is a mighty trend out there with DAP dominating all of the college slots, even at the D3 level, and that they better catch the wave if they want to have any decent chance of hooking on because the trend is only going to get worse. That indeed IMHO is a huge disservice and irresponsible distortion. The list of players above instead shows that more than 90% of the slots in D3 are filled by means other than DAP.

I think that there is no right or wrong and like you say somehow they find their own route. That's a good mantra to have. With us, it was DAP, but we didn't consider it life or death to be in the program. He took care of business in the classroom and worked his tail off on the fields. I will add that if you are so hell bent on using soccer as a golden ticket to college, you miss an awful lot. You are so focused on the end result, that you miss the experience along the way. There were kids on my son's team that were so worried about the college coaches watching them that they weren't focusing on the game or the team. But that still doesn't mean things are going to go your way! He really did his research on the schools and didn't go into visits blindly. He also did his homework on the soccer teams, coaches, style, etc. I think he had a pretty good idea of where he would fit in. He took full advantage of the official visits and interviews. While there, he went to practices and definitely watched some games. He applied to his choices, half were Div 1 and the other Div 3 and was accepted to them all. He already had relationships with the coaches before applying. We, as a family, thought long and hard about the choices and what each one meant not only academically and athletically, but financially. In the end, he had to make a very difficult choice, but made it. We had to think about the whole experience and not just stepping on the soccer field. I will tell you that while some people applauded his decision, many thought he was nuts. My only concern is what my son thinks. I hope everyone enjoyed their Freshman season as much as he did.

[Unregistered]

I think that there is no right or wrong and like you say somehow they find their own route. That's a good mantra to have. With us, it was DAP, but we didn't consider it life or death to be in the program. He took care of business in the classroom and worked his tail off on the fields. I will add that if you are so hell bent on using soccer as a golden ticket to college, you miss an awful lot. You are so focused on the end result, that you miss the experience along the way. There were kids on my son's team that were so worried about the college coaches watching them that they weren't focusing on the game or the team. But that still doesn't mean things are going to go your way! He really did his research on the schools and didn't go into visits blindly. He also did his homework on the soccer teams, coaches, style, etc. I think he had a pretty good idea of where he would fit in. He took full advantage of the official visits and interviews. While there, he went to practices and definitely watched some games. He applied to his choices, half were Div 1 and the other Div 3 and was accepted to them all. He already had relationships with the coaches before applying. We, as a family, thought long and hard about the choices and what each one meant not only academically and athletically, but financially. In the end, he had to make a very difficult choice, but made it. We had to think about the whole experience and not just stepping on the soccer field. I will tell you that while some people applauded his decision, many thought he was nuts. My only concern is what my son thinks. I hope everyone enjoyed their Freshman season as much as he did.

Thanks. Good post. Would be interesting for you to say why some applauded and some thought he was nuts (without revealing schools per se).

In our case, and I am the "idiot" by the way, my son worked his butt off in school, pushed himself to his limits academically, and always practiced and played as hard as he could on the field. He is in love with soccer as much as almost any kid I know, both DAP and non-DAP, and yet he knows the end with soccer is coming...if not before college then certainly after. He identified schools that he wanted to go to with or without soccer. Some were D1s which were mostly safeties and where he would not have played soccer and then a number of D3s, some of which where he/we thought he could play and probably some where he would not. He also got into every school except for one of the very top NESCACs, including multiple NESCACs and some other very good LACs around the country. He did not pursue any recruiting until he had picked his list of schools. He had no contact with coaches before applying. Once he did contact coaches, a couple were very interested, a few were interested, and a couple were not very interested but would have invited him to "try out" along with another 20-25 kids beyond "the recruits." Not one coach saw him play in person. He had the good fortune to choose between some great choices, narrowed it down to 2 schools where he re-visited and did overnights and met with the coaches, and made a tough decision that came down to the wire (in Regular Decision process). He could not have had a better experience so far in terms of soccer and overall college life, and I can't wait to see him later this week.

[Unregistered]

Thanks. Good post. Would be interesting for you to say why some applauded and some thought he was nuts (without revealing schools per se).

In our case, and I am the "idiot" by the way, my son worked his butt off in school, pushed himself to his limits academically, and always practiced and played as hard as he could on the field. He is in love with soccer as much as almost any kid I know, both DAP and non-DAP, and yet he knows the end with soccer is coming...if not before college then certainly after. He identified schools that he wanted to go to with or without soccer. Some were D1s which were mostly safeties and where he would not have played soccer and then a number of D3s, some of which where he/we thought he could play and probably some where he would not. He also got into every school except for one of the very top NESCACs, including multiple NESCACs and some other very good LACs around the country. He did not pursue any recruiting until he had picked his list of schools. He had no contact with coaches before applying. Once he did contact coaches, a couple were very interested, a few were interested, and a couple were not very interested but would have invited him to "try out" along with another 20-25 kids beyond "the recruits." Not one coach saw him play in person. He had the good fortune to choose between some great choices, narrowed it down to 2 schools where he re-visited and did overnights and met with the coaches, and made a tough decision that came down to the wire (in Regular Decision process). He could not have had a better experience so far in terms of soccer and overall college life, and I can't wait to see him later this week.

They thought he was nuts for walking away from the Div 1 schools....while admitting that the Div 3 choices were awesome. You gotta do what you gotta do. Good for your son, he certainly has is act together. So here you have it folks, two kids coming at it from two entirely different angles, each making it work. Don't kid yourself. The whole college process is stressful for everyone, but can be very rewarding watching your child go through this and making a decision. You also bring up an excellent point. All my children said the same thing about the preseason. You are recruited, but shocked to see how many players are there in preseason.

[Unregistered]

They thought he was nuts for walking away from the Div 1 schools....while admitting that the Div 3 choices were awesome. You gotta do what you gotta do. Good for your son, he certainly has is act together. So here you have it folks, two kids coming at it from two entirely different angles, each making it work. Don't kid yourself. The whole college process is stressful for everyone, but can be very rewarding watching your child go through this and making a decision. You also bring up an excellent point. All my children said the same thing about the preseason. You are recruited, but shocked to see how many players are there in preseason.

Agreed. Just because kids can get to college soccer in different ways and via different paths, there should be no confusion about the level of commitment required before you show up and once there. Even if you are one of the so-called "top recruits" at even a D3 college, you will be sorely disappointed if you do not show up in very good to superb condition. In most instances there is heavy competition for playing time, and while reputation might help you out for a couple of days, the coaches are going to play whoever they believe can help them the most. I would say that almost every position is double-booked and some triple-booked. There are upperclassmen ahead of you, and there will be more stud freshmen coming in the years after you. The season itself is very time-consuming and there are significant off-season demands.

[Unregistered]

lol, the people who are saying DAP players that go on to D3 schools are stupid.

DAP was created to IMPROVE soccer development in the USA and for the betterment of the National Team. If all these DAP players end up going to D3 school, it's basically screwing up the entire philosophy of DAP.

DAP was meant to create a greater pool of national level players, not get people into D3 schools.

This is the reason why soccer sucks in the USA and will always suck if that's the mentality of soccer players in the USA.

Don't blame America for not being able to produce quality players; blame kids that take the DAP route to D3 schools instead of not joining DAP to let "better" players with less opportunities to have a chance at a D1 school and thus play for the national team.

[Unregistered]

Agreed. Just because kids can get to college soccer in different ways and via different paths, there should be no confusion about the level of commitment required before you show up and once there. Even if you are one of the so-called "top recruits" at even a D3 college, you will be sorely disappointed if you do not show up in very good to superb condition. In most instances there is heavy competition for playing time, and while reputation might help you out for a couple of days, the coaches are going to play whoever they believe can help them the most. I would say that almost every position is double-booked and some triple-booked. There are upperclassmen ahead of you, and there will be more stud freshmen coming in the years after you. The season itself is very time-consuming and there are significant off-season demands.

Again, DAP was NOT meant to produce players for D3 schools. They can't they just join a good club team if they wanted to play at a D3 college?

In my opinion, it's rather stupid to allow DAP players to do this. Obviously, not ALL DAP players are doing this, but it seems to be the occurrence in New England.

[Unregistered]

lol, the people who are saying DAP players that go on to D3 schools are stupid.

DAP was created to IMPROVE soccer development in the USA and for the betterment of the National Team. If all these DAP players end up going to D3 school, it's basically screwing up the entire philosophy of DAP.

DAP was meant to create a greater pool of national level players, not get people into D3 schools.

This is the reason why soccer sucks in the USA and will always suck if that's the mentality of soccer players in the USA.

Don't blame America for not being able to produce quality players; blame kids that take the DAP route to D3 schools instead of not joining DAP to let "better" players with less opportunities to have a chance at a D1 school and thus play for the national team.

Clearly, not ALL DAP players are D1-worthy. From any given DAP team, very few will go straight to the professional ranks, some will go D1, and some will go D3. Only the players who are in the first two groups (professional ranks and D1) are likely going to be USMNT candidates. Those in the D3 group aren't perverting the mission of the DAP. They just aren't necessarily strong enough to be in the other two groups, and that's okay. Until we're ready to go the residential route for only those in the upper echelons of the DAP, the current model is the next best thing. The level of play is step up from USYSA competition. Is it a big enough step up? Time will tell, but it's at least a step in the right direction.

[Unregistered]

Question for the DAP aficionados out there....

New England clearly is unique in some regards, given both the high concentration of elite boarding/prep schools and elite colleges and universities. I am curious if there are other DAP teams in other regions that have such a high concentration of elite education kids with elite academic aspirations, or are the MA teams, and especially the Bolts, unique in this way? Certainly there are other areas with numerous elite prep schools. NYC area comes to mind, as do Maryland/DC/Northern VA and Charlotte, NC areas, and I'm sure there are at least several others blessed with both the prep schools and upper-tier colleges and universities. In other words, do you think there are other DAP teams out of region that have a high percentage of D3 placements?

[Unregistered]

Question for the DAP aficionados out there....

New England clearly is unique in some regards, given both the high concentration of elite boarding/prep schools and elite colleges and universities. I am curious if there are other DAP teams in other regions that have such a high concentration of elite education kids with elite academic aspirations, or are the MA teams, and especially the Bolts, unique in this way? Certainly there are other areas with numerous elite prep schools. NYC area comes to mind, as do Maryland/DC/Northern VA and Charlotte, NC areas, and I'm sure there are at least several others blessed with both the prep schools and upper-tier colleges and universities. In other words, do you think there are other DAP teams out of region that have a high percentage of D3 placements?

I've lived out west and in the sunbelt states, and D3s just aren't as salient an option as they are in the northeast and upper midwest. You hit the nail on the head as to why there are so many D3 placements in new england: the concentration of D3 schools is high here, so the number of placements is also high. New england values the D3 education, so high achievers (on the field and in the classroom) also value D3 education. If every DAP player in new england had their sights set on D3, then there would be a problem. But the select few DAP players who are D1-worthy are getting the best soccer experience they can in the area.

[Unregistered]

Clearly, not ALL DAP players are D1-worthy. From any given DAP team, very few will go straight to the professional ranks, some will go D1, and some will go D3. Only the players who are in the first two groups (professional ranks and D1) are likely going to be USMNT candidates. Those in the D3 group aren't perverting the mission of the DAP. They just aren't necessarily strong enough to be in the other two groups, and that's okay. Until we're ready to go the residential route for only those in the upper echelons of the DAP, the current model is the next best thing. The level of play is step up from USYSA competition. Is it a big enough step up? Time will tell, but it's at least a step in the right direction.

The majority of the players that we know didn't chose to play DAP as a route to Div 3. They all had schools in different divisions they were looking at. They did the things they had to do to get into their choices. Some went Div 1 and some Div 3, but college decisions were done at the end of the journey, not the beginning. Some got to the end and said this is the school I want to go to, plain and simple. How would you know that two or three years ago when they started off in the process? Do some kids know right from the beginning that they wanted Div 3? Probably, but I don't think that is the case with most and certainly wasn't the case with us. As I said in another of my posts, we really needed to weigh in other factors. The cost of higher education is just crazy, for instance. There are not a lot of full boats for soccer these days and you have to ultimately weigh your options. The div 1 schools that were offering him a spot had us fill out abbreviated financial forms very early on. We already knew whether we were going to be able to swing their offer or not. Coaches are trying to get as many recruits as they can on their allowances. Some get a bunch of money but there isn't as much cash out there as people make it seem.

[Unregistered]

lol, the people who are saying DAP players that go on to D3 schools are stupid.

DAP was created to IMPROVE soccer development in the USA and for the betterment of the National Team. If all these DAP players end up going to D3 school, it's basically screwing up the entire philosophy of DAP.

DAP was meant to create a greater pool of national level players, not get people into D3 schools.

This is the reason why soccer sucks in the USA and will always suck if that's the mentality of soccer players in the USA.

Don't blame America for not being able to produce quality players; blame kids that take the DAP route to D3 schools instead of not joining DAP to let "better" players with less opportunities to have a chance at a D1 school and thus play for the national team.

For the 432nd time, it was the college coaches who realized that DAp could be a one stop shop for recruiting since they realized that most of the better players were playing in one place. It certainly is more efficient than travelling all over the place hoping to see one or two good players in a game.

If the players/families then realize that this is where the college coaches are a going, and their goal is to be exposed to them, there isn't a single negative to playing there.

And you should take in a few DIII games. You'll be suprised at how good the players and teams can be.

[Unregistered]

For the 432nd time, it was the college coaches who realized that DAp could be a one stop shop for recruiting since they realized that most of the better players were playing in one place. It certainly is more efficient than travelling all over the place hoping to see one or two good players in a game.

If the players/families then realize that this is where the college coaches are a going, and their goal is to be exposed to them, there isn't a single negative to playing there.

And you should take in a few DIII games. You'll be suprised at how good the players and teams can be.

There's one other point I would make here and that's that players also contact college programs letting them know their interest in the program, something about themselves, and that I will be playing in this showcase at such and such a time. There is nothing different here than what is done with any other club program, regardless of level.