Men's D-III Soccer

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It there a larger disparity (top to bottom) of play in D3 soccer or Div 1?

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D3

The top of D3 is lower level D1. 100's of colleges later, the bottom of D3 is barely soccer.

[Unregistered]

The bottom of D1 is barely soccer, too. The rosters are just taller and heavier on average than the bottom of D3. So does that make it worse because it's bad on a larger scale?

[Unregistered]

D3

The top of D3 is lower level D1. 100's of colleges later, the bottom of D3 is barely soccer.

You are quite wrong. The top 10 D3 schools would easily be in the top 25% of all D1 schools. Top 25 D3 schools would be in top half of D1. D1 soccer is very uneven, you have big football or basketball or baseball schools that have very poor soccer teams. Lower level D1 and D3 are both pretty bad.

[Unregistered]

The top 10 D3 schools would easily be in the top 25% of all D1 schools.

Wow, this is way off.

[Unregistered]

Wow, this is way off.

Here is the first-year class (with a local flavor) at a current DIII top 10 school. Are you saying that this would not be the sort of recruiting class that a top 25% DI school would have?

http://www.stlawu.edu/athletics/site...rclassof16.pdf

[Unregistered]

Here is the first-year class (with a local flavor) at a current DIII top 10 school. Are you saying that this would not be the sort of recruiting class that a top 25% DI school would have?

http://www.stlawu.edu/athletics/site...rclassof16.pdf

Wow. You were serious. I thought you would wake up and realize how ludicrous your statements were.

You would have had better luck suggesting that the top 10 D3 teams could compete with the lower end of D1. Many would debate that, but at least would be a more reasonable leap.

The SLU recruiting class looks nice. A lot of decent to very good D3s can put out lists like that with accolades and descriptions from the coach that sound superb. But this still is nowhere close to the recruiting classes that top 25 or even top 75 D1s bring in. Go read the bios for those classes. Read the bios for top 25 schools like Duke, UCLA, UVA, Maryland, etc and then look bios for schools like Lehigh, Bucknell and George Mason. By your suggestion SLU would be clearly superior to a team like UVM. Just not true and actually the reverse.

What is interesting is the size of class. 11 field players and 1 GK. Seems like a lot. But when you account for 1-2 ACL injuries, 2-3 kids not being as good as they sound and/or not being fit enough, and then 2-3 who lose interest for all the various reasons a kid can lose interest once in college for a couple of years, it is easy to see how as seniors maybe only 4-5 kids are still on the squad.

[Unregistered]

Wow. You were serious. I thought you would wake up and realize how ludicrous your statements were.

You would have had better luck suggesting that the top 10 D3 teams could compete with the lower end of D1. Many would debate that, but at least would be a more reasonable leap.

The SLU recruiting class looks nice. A lot of decent to very good D3s can put out lists like that with accolades and descriptions from the coach that sound superb. But this still is nowhere close to the recruiting classes that top 25 or even top 75 D1s bring in. Go read the bios for those classes. Read the bios for top 25 schools like Duke, UCLA, UVA, Maryland, etc and then look bios for schools like Lehigh, Bucknell and George Mason. By your suggestion SLU would be clearly superior to a team like UVM. Just not true and actually the reverse.

What is interesting is the size of class. 11 field players and 1 GK. Seems like a lot. But when you account for 1-2 ACL injuries, 2-3 kids not being as good as they sound and/or not being fit enough, and then 2-3 who lose interest for all the various reasons a kid can lose interest once in college for a couple of years, it is easy to see how as seniors maybe only 4-5 kids are still on the squad.

I agree that the SLU recruiting class looks nice, however it would be hard to argue that any would step on one of the top 25% of D1 teams and start or contribute. And before you take offense, I would argue that is is difficult for the majority of freshman recruits (certainly not all) to walk on to these D1 team and have a significant contribution. The fact is that a greater %tage of these players at the D1 level will never make a significant contribution in there 4 years. That's the risk each player takes and hopefully the school is a good academic fit.

For the SLU recruiting class, I am guessing that a greater %tage of this recruiting class will see playing time and contribute from day 1.

I think the argument of players D1 to D3 is nonsense. What's the purpose?

Shouldn't the hope be that 4 years later each student-athlete is happy or content with their original decision?

[Unregistered]

A cursory check of the UConn and BC rosters show three CT DAP players for UConn and two MA DAP players for BC. Foolhardy postings like yours are unwelcome despite every circus needing a clown.

Check the local ACC roster from last year and see how the former local DAP players are doing now. Check the other ACC rosters and UConn's and see how many Rev, Bolts, Seacoast players are filling up their rosters. The local ACC teams roster is filled with mostly non-Mass DAP players. Be wary of the D1 (especially high level) dream chase as it typically doesn't happen for Mass boys, DAP or not. Enjoy the circus. Signed the foolhardy clown who has been there and done that with 20 years of circus experience.

[Pitchrat]

Originally Posted by Unregistered
You can have them. Amherst and Tufts played one of the crappiest soccer games I've ever seen in my life on Saturday. Everything wrong with men's college soccer was on display.
Certainly not a pretty game. Field was an absolute mess after two days of rain and an earlier women's game. Both sides had plenty of trouble with footing and the team that made fewer mistakes was going to win on this day. Match should have been played on turf.




These are great posts. Well, not really. While the soccer may not have been what you think you, or your child, would want to play, I can assure you that the great majority, if not all, of those boys have a great potential to be your boss or the boss of your own child in the future. When they look back on their college soccer career they will see something very different than you do. They will see the time they had on a team, the travel with their teammates, and the plays, shots, saves, and defense that won games. While you might not see players who are going to play professional or international soccer, I see what playing sports is all about.

When we look at youth soccer (college included) there are two perspectives. One is the uptight (you will admit that I am right) perspective that is constantly wondering why the US is not a world-beater and how we can get there. They look at Division III soccer as the bastard child of a failing system. These viewers are the ultimate snobs who may or may not have actually made it during their own youth.

The other is the one probably represents greater than 99% of the rest of the interested population who views youth sports for what it is; great exercise, a social inlet, teamwork, and community (I can't believe I used that word). Sports is an educator of how to get along and build a project. There are so many great benefits of playing a sport that does not necessarily involve whether or not you played like Messi, Pele, or even Mia. For the great majority it does not even matter, ultimately, whether or not you played Division I, II, or III in college since years down the road you will realize that it was only part of what help you develop. For Amherst, Tufts, Williams, or Brandeis these kids see the game in a whole different perspective than the snobs who are posting against them and their play.

Now, with all that said, there is a need for critics and hard commentators in order for youth programs to become better, and for our national teams to improve. The difference between those who posted above and those who will get the job done, is that the latter might attend (or might not) Division III games and keep their mouths shut. If they like something they might grab it and develop it. If they don't then they will simply walk away quietly, and recognize it for what it is. These leaders are different than those who posted above, who will never be able to lead, develop, or create something so great since they still can't get beyond their own inadequacies as evidenced by the need to belittle youth soccer players...............but then again, this is just my opinion.......and I did play Division I college soccer and now recruit.

This is a great post. Every player should first of all choose the school that is the best fit for them, then choose the team that they can play on and contribute to. Finding that combination of school and team is the hard part. If it's a great school and a team that they fit on, what does division really matter? One of my players was of DII/DIII caliber. He chose a great DI school and plays club. Smart kid!

[Unregistered]

Originally Posted by Unregistered
You can have them. Amherst and Tufts played one of the crappiest soccer games I've ever seen in my life on Saturday. Everything wrong with men's college soccer was on display.
Certainly not a pretty game. Field was an absolute mess after two days of rain and an earlier women's game. Both sides had plenty of trouble with footing and the team that made fewer mistakes was going to win on this day. Match should have been played on turf.




These are great posts. Well, not really. While the soccer may not have been what you think you, or your child, would want to play, I can assure you that the great majority, if not all, of those boys have a great potential to be your boss or the boss of your own child in the future. When they look back on their college soccer career they will see something very different than you do. They will see the time they had on a team, the travel with their teammates, and the plays, shots, saves, and defense that won games. While you might not see players who are going to play professional or international soccer, I see what playing sports is all about.

When we look at youth soccer (college included) there are two perspectives. One is the uptight (you will admit that I am right) perspective that is constantly wondering why the US is not a world-beater and how we can get there. They look at Division III soccer as the bastard child of a failing system. These viewers are the ultimate snobs who may or may not have actually made it during their own youth.

The other is the one probably represents greater than 99% of the rest of the interested population who views youth sports for what it is; great exercise, a social inlet, teamwork, and community (I can't believe I used that word). Sports is an educator of how to get along and build a project. There are so many great benefits of playing a sport that does not necessarily involve whether or not you played like Messi, Pele, or even Mia. For the great majority it does not even matter, ultimately, whether or not you played Division I, II, or III in college since years down the road you will realize that it was only part of what help you develop. For Amherst, Tufts, Williams, or Brandeis these kids see the game in a whole different perspective than the snobs who are posting against them and their play.

Now, with all that said, there is a need for critics and hard commentators in order for youth programs to become better, and for our national teams to improve. The difference between those who posted above and those who will get the job done, is that the latter might attend (or might not) Division III games and keep their mouths shut. If they like something they might grab it and develop it. If they don't then they will simply walk away quietly, and recognize it for what it is. These leaders are different than those who posted above, who will never be able to lead, develop, or create something so great since they still can't get beyond their own inadequacies as evidenced by the need to belittle youth soccer players...............but then again, this is just my opinion.......and I did play Division I college soccer and now recruit.

Agree. Great post.

[Unregistered]

Disagree. Windbaggery from a pompous ass. But if a helter-skelter D-III scramble with 35 fouls and 4 yellow cards is your cup of Earl Grey tea, then so be it. ;)

[Unregistered]

Check the local ACC roster from last year and see how the former local DAP players are doing now. Check the other ACC rosters and UConn's and see how many Rev, Bolts, Seacoast players are filling up their rosters. The local ACC teams roster is filled with mostly non-Mass DAP players. Be wary of the D1 (especially high level) dream chase as it typically doesn't happen for Mass boys, DAP or not. Enjoy the circus. Signed the foolhardy clown who has been there and done that with 20 years of circus experience.

So you were proven wrong and now you are Mr. been-there-done-that; a bumbling buffoon till the end.

[Pitchrat]

Disagree. Windbaggery from a pompous ass. But if a helter-skelter D-III scramble with 35 fouls and 4 yellow cards is your cup of Earl Grey tea, then so be it. ;)

[COLOR="Blue"]Disagree. Windbaggery from a pompous ass.[/COLOR

[Unregistered]

Disagree. Windbaggery from a pompous ass. But if a helter-skelter D-III scramble with 35 fouls and 4 yellow cards is your cup of Earl Grey tea, then so be it. ;)

Different poster. So what kind of soccer do you appreciate, sir? Are you a fan of D1? And what is your point?