Is the NAL league good enough to play college soccer?

[Guest]

This is helpful. Prep School + NAL would open different doors since for these players would be harder to play MLS since they have to play for their school. But for a player that plays HS+ NAL the options would be limited ?

As someone mentioned above, look at college rosters. Take a sampling from all over. It's an exercise anyone who is looking to play in college should be doing anyway.

To answer your question, public HS + NAL = "not bloody likely", but nothing is impossible.

[Guest]

I think it's important to draw a distinction here between NAL Boys and NAL Girls. This being TS, I'm guessing the OP is talking about girls. NAL Boys is a true 2nd tier league, especially in the Northeast, with many talented players. NAL Girls is stuck in the 2nd tier mixer on the girls side and depending on who you ask could be as low as the 6th best league for recruiting after ECNL, GA, ECRL1, ECRL2, DPL. Even NAL people wouldn't argue it's higher than 3rd best, and that would just be inviting a firestorm.

Great point; I assumed they were talking about girls.

[Guest]

I think it's important to draw a distinction here between NAL Boys and NAL Girls. This being TS, I'm guessing the OP is talking about girls. NAL Boys is a true 2nd tier league, especially in the Northeast, with many talented players. NAL Girls is stuck in the 2nd tier mixer on the girls side and depending on who you ask could be as low as the 6th best league for recruiting after ECNL, GA, ECRL1, ECRL2, DPL. Even NAL people wouldn't argue it's higher than 3rd best, and that would just be inviting a firestorm.

NAL Boys

[Guest]

The other point is that people need to think more in terms of probabilities and less in terms of absolutes. And don't place too much weight on idiosyncratic 'evidence' from other kids' outcomes, where you don't understand the situation.

All else equal, your chances of playing college soccer increase as you go up in league competitiveness.

Of course all else is never equal, so then you adjust for your particular situation.

[Guest]

NAL Boys

Got it.

I posted a couple of comments, so completely disregard them LOL

[Guest]

Got it.

I posted a couple of comments, so completely disregard them LOL

Your input on the girls is also valuable to help me understand the overall weight of this league for both sides

[Guest]

Thanks for a Great answer, but would a D1 program recruit from this league?

Extremely unlikely. Only 4% of D1 players are recruited from non ECNL and GA programs. If your aspirations are to play D1 and you’re not on an ECNL team, you’d better get moving.

[Guest]

Go to college for your the career you would like to pursue, not for soccer.

[Guest]

Extremely unlikely. Only 4% of D1 players are recruited from non ECNL and GA programs. If your aspirations are to play D1 and you’re not on an ECNL team, you’d better get moving.

Forget about girls, OP wants to know about boys.

One thing to do is look at college recruitment destinations of kids in the current NAL club, that could give some sense of possibilities. Obviously things vary year to year and player to player, but it could help establish expectations.

[Guest]

Forget about girls, OP wants to know about boys.

One thing to do is look at college recruitment destinations of kids in the current NAL club, that could give some sense of possibilities. Obviously things vary year to year and player to player, but it could help establish expectations.

NAL is a new league. This will be the first year that any college recruits come from NAL. Even looking at the destinations for this year's graduating seniors may not be that helpful as it is just the first year and there isn't any track record yet. Looking at boys college recruitment requires a different analysis than girls in general. I don't know the total number of openings D1-D3 compared to girls off hand, but there is less scholarship money available for boys soccer players at many schools because of Title IX and all of the mens scholarships that get eaten up by the football programs at those schools. There is also an influx of foreign players playing mens college soccer. So while NAL is a stronger league on the boys side, it may not have the same impact as the 2nd tier league on the girls side.

[Guest]

NAL is a new league. This will be the first year that any college recruits come from NAL. Even looking at the destinations for this year's graduating seniors may not be that helpful as it is just the first year and there isn't any track record yet...

Yes, it's all guesstimates. But presumably this is not the first year for your club. Looking at their previous placement for the respective (first/second) team will give you a sense of how the club is connected to colleges (irrespective of the shifting alphabet soup of leagues). Then adjust those expectations as needed if you think your own boy is in a stronger/weaker environment.

But, as has been said over and over and over again, choosing a team based on college placement prospects does not seem very wise.