DAP worth the drive?

[Unregistered]

It is a one year commitment. My son does DAP. Has been a wonderful experience for him so far. Is it a pain getting there three times a week...yes, but he has gotten some of the best training around and you can't put a value on the exposure he's gotten. As with club soccer you are going to have your ups and downs. Just simply find the best fit for your child. Right now my best fit is DAP for my child and I'm willing to do what it takes to get him where he wants to go with soccer. As long as grades are good….I’ll drive however far it takes. It is putting miles on my car and filling up often, but I’m willing to make that sacrifice. We have had some great experiences in club soccer and some bad.
Your kids can't succeed in life if you first don't let your kids fail.

Yeah, my kid made the Revs which is free (but the gas and maintenance will cost me $2500). I guess it wasn't free, I might even need to buy a more reliable car

[Unregistered]

We have been in your situation

We have just done a spell in your proposed situation. My son is one of several on his team who is driving 2 plus hours to practice. As others have said it depends - how important is soccer to the family? (And not just your son - as it is a family commitment.) There is no doubt the soccer is better than any club around us. He loves practice and being part of the team. He loves playing with a group of guys who can really control the ball and are smart in their play. College coaches love it. I have done the driving, so for the most part it hasn't impacted his school work. If my son continues, he has several options with D1 colleges. BUT it has taken a toll on our family life. His high school coach is an incredible man and role model for our son. So we are struggling with the decision of continuing. Son is not the top player for the position he wants to play. (DAP Coach told him he would be a starter for a defensive position, but he doesn't want it.) From what I know of others that drive as far - the ones that have stuck it out are the top-top players (national pool, full scholarships to top D1). But I have heard mumbling from them. " Is it worth it?" will depend on your situation. As with most things in life, figure out your priorities and realize you will probably not get to have it all.

To the original poster who asked the question. The above response is very accurate. We were once in your position (4 straight years as the DAP teams offered a spot every year---"just go to the tryout we already have a spot waiting for you on the roster"). We had the long drive 90 minutes or more each way---both our son and we decided no, its not worth it. He was (still is) a terrific student thus school always comes first and spending such an inordinate amount of time 3 or 4 times a week would likely negatively impact his high school studies. he was already on a top Club team with other top very good players and a great coach, and he wanted no part of attending a large university, thus D1 wasn't the goal. Getting into the college he wanted and playing soccer while attending was the goal. He told the D1 recruiters, yes they still recruited him and others on his Club team--no thank you. He got into the college of his choice (d3) and has been a starter since he stepped onto campus. He was never under the allusion of getting a full or half D1 scholarship because there are very few of those on the Men's side in college. However, if that is your goal, then you absolutely need to play DAP to attain that goal. However, if getting recruited and playing college soccer at the D2 or D3 college of your choice is the goal, then you don't have to play DAP. You can play at a top Club, but you better be an impact player on that team and you better be an impact player on the field when the college coaches watch you play. If you want to go D1, then play DAP. If the commute was only 30 minutes then why wouldn't you play DAP. If our commute would have been only 30 minutes each way, then I have no doubt my son would have signed on for DAP so he could compete against the best competition even though he didn't want D1, but given the lengthy commute it was never in the cards, and that was when you could play high school and he LOVED playing for his high school team. Never an easy decision, but know the ultimate goal and the bottom line is let him have fun. Good luck with your decision.

[Unregistered]

To the original poster who asked the question. The above response is very accurate. We were once in your position (4 straight years as the DAP teams offered a spot every year---"just go to the tryout we already have a spot waiting for you on the roster"). We had the long drive 90 minutes or more each way---both our son and we decided no, its not worth it. He was (still is) a terrific student thus school always comes first and spending such an inordinate amount of time 3 or 4 times a week would likely negatively impact his high school studies. he was already on a top Club team with other top very good players and a great coach, and he wanted no part of attending a large university, thus D1 wasn't the goal. Getting into the college he wanted and playing soccer while attending was the goal. He told the D1 recruiters, yes they still recruited him and others on his Club team--no thank you. He got into the college of his choice (d3) and has been a starter since he stepped onto campus. He was never under the allusion of getting a full or half D1 scholarship because there are very few of those on the Men's side in college. However, if that is your goal, then you absolutely need to play DAP to attain that goal. However, if getting recruited and playing college soccer at the D2 or D3 college of your choice is the goal, then you don't have to play DAP. You can play at a top Club, but you better be an impact player on that team and you better be an impact player on the field when the college coaches watch you play. If you want to go D1, then play DAP. If the commute was only 30 minutes then why wouldn't you play DAP. If our commute would have been only 30 minutes each way, then I have no doubt my son would have signed on for DAP so he could compete against the best competition even though he didn't want D1, but given the lengthy commute it was never in the cards, and that was when you could play high school and he LOVED playing for his high school team. Never an easy decision, but know the ultimate goal and the bottom line is let him have fun. Good luck with your decision.

Another excellent post.

The decision doesn't lie in the costs of gas/snacks, but rather in a combination of a truly honest assessment of your kid and his potential (i.e. the post that said deep down you already know the answer), the time commitment involved and the strain that puts on other important activities, academics, desire to play in high school (or not), and availability of a comparably decent non-DAP alternative.

[Unregistered]

If you are truly estimating the cost of gas and wear and tear on your car in order to justify playing for a fully funded DAP program as you state than give it up. You are pinching pennies when it comes to your kid and you are not buying into the culture of DAP. Figure out what your kid wants out of a program and then see if it fits. (ie HS sports, lots of extra-curricular activies, parties every weekend with his friends etc). However, if your son is passionate about soccer and wanting to focus on soccer (and he will still have time for some extra stuff but will have to be disciplined) than look at the Academy Programs. If it is Bolts, yes, factor in the $$, but if you are trying to figure out how much a fully funded program is going to cost in $$ and not wear and tear on your personal life. The answer to you is NO, it is not worth it.

[Unregistered]

If you are truly estimating the cost of gas and wear and tear on your car in order to justify playing for a fully funded DAP program as you state than give it up. You are pinching pennies when it comes to your kid and you are not buying into the culture of DAP. Figure out what your kid wants out of a program and then see if it fits. (ie HS sports, lots of extra-curricular activies, parties every weekend with his friends etc). However, if your son is passionate about soccer and wanting to focus on soccer (and he will still have time for some extra stuff but will have to be disciplined) than look at the Academy Programs. If it is Bolts, yes, factor in the $$, but if you are trying to figure out how much a fully funded program is going to cost in $$ and not wear and tear on your personal life. The answer to you is NO, it is not worth it.

The only excellent post. Thank You

[Unregistered]

These posts remind me about the guy who won a new caddie in a raffle. Complained about the high cost of insuring such an expensive car....