Is your kid in it for college or dreams of a professional career?

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I think it depends on circumstances and situations. My kid knew at 12/13 that she wanted to play D1. But we are a big sports family and she has seen older sibling and cousins go through the recruiting process and play in college at different levels.

what is "play D1" ? the difference between playing at Wagner vs Duke is vast. people using the D1 label as an indicator of quality are lost. Most of it is pretty bad.

[Unregistered]

what is "play D1" ? the difference between playing at Wagner vs Duke is vast. people using the D1 label as an indicator of quality are lost. Most of it is pretty bad.

so enlighten us oh guru

[Unregistered]

what is "play D1" ? the difference between playing at Wagner vs Duke is vast. people using the D1 label as an indicator of quality are lost. Most of it is pretty bad.

Not lost, but don't feel it's necessary to go through the litany of schools that my family is attending or looking into. My point was that some kids are a little more knowledgeable at early ages than others based on experience and exposure. Suffice to say, if you have a kid at 12/13 that aspires to play D1, they are most likely aiming a little higher than a school like Wagner and if it were Duke, they'd be knee deep in the process by 12/13, lol.

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Not lost, but don't feel it's necessary to go through the litany of schools that my family is attending or looking into. My point was that some kids are a little more knowledgeable at early ages than others based on experience and exposure. Suffice to say, if you have a kid at 12/13 that aspires to play D1, they are most likely aiming a little higher than a school like Wagner and if it were Duke, they'd be knee deep in the process by 12/13, lol.

really? I know my kids aspired to play at the highest level they could. At no point was that categorized as D1 given the huge disparity in quality. Its a big misconception that earlier equals better. in fact, the better the player, the more control they actually have in the process and the longer schools will wait. given that NOTHING is official till senior year, coaches are very willing to juggle numbers to get the best players in .

[Unregistered]

so enlighten us oh guru

hardly takes a guru to know that D1 is a meaningless label wrt quality.

[Unregistered]

Plenty of middleschoolers THINK they want D1. Then they start the process and they realize 1) they're not good enough for it or 2) they don't actually want it. It's very much a job and isn't for everyone.

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really? I know my kids aspired to play at the highest level they could. At no point was that categorized as D1 given the huge disparity in quality. Its a big misconception that earlier equals better. in fact, the better the player, the more control they actually have in the process and the longer schools will wait. given that NOTHING is official till senior year, coaches are very willing to juggle numbers to get the best players in .

I feel like you're just trying to be confrontational. I happen to have a kid that was exposed to members of her family that play collegiate sports. Nobody said earlier equals better, but knowing what you want is half the battle. If after seeing her cousins and siblings go through recruiting and play in college, my kid decided she wasn't interested in the level of commitment and juggling required for D1, I'd be just as supportive and relieved that she was tuned into what she wanted.

[Unregistered]

I feel like you're just trying to be confrontational. I happen to have a kid that was exposed to members of her family that play collegiate sports. Nobody said earlier equals better, but knowing what you want is half the battle. If after seeing her cousins and siblings go through recruiting and play in college, my kid decided she wasn't interested in the level of commitment and juggling required for D1, I'd be just as supportive and relieved that she was tuned into what she wanted.

not confrontational at all. you keep throwing out D1 like its a badge. I can only speak from my family experience. D3 requires a lot more juggling and effort than D1 at a top school has.

My D1 daughter gets a level of academic and athletic support that makes her life intense, but pretty easy. Everything is sort of mapped out and there are resources for everything you can imagine to help her.

My D3 daughter gets none of the above and the academic side is less inclined to work with athletes as closely. She has far fewer resources to lean on and has to do way more on her own.

Just because my experience does not match yours, does not make if confrontational. It is implied in your post that a player considering Duke must start earlier. If thats not what you meant, fine

[Unregistered]

My daughter is in it for the love of the game and the joy and satisfaction that comes with playing at a high level. She’s also a serious student and hopes to find a good college where she can also play soccer. She’d love to be on a top 50 D1 team but she wants to play not ride the pine so she’ll go lower D1 or D3 and to a good academic school that is good in her major of study.

My son plays soccer for fun. He’s more serious about basketball and will probably quit soccer next year.

Same for us and most others. Good school, good soccer, good balance.

[Unregistered]

not confrontational at all. you keep throwing out D1 like its a badge. I can only speak from my family experience. D3 requires a lot more juggling and effort than D1 at a top school has.

My D1 daughter gets a level of academic and athletic support that makes her life intense, but pretty easy. Everything is sort of mapped out and there are resources for everything you can imagine to help her.

My D3 daughter gets none of the above and the academic side is less inclined to work with athletes as closely. She has far fewer resources to lean on and has to do way more on her own.

Just because my experience does not match yours, does not make if confrontational. It is implied in your post that a player considering Duke must start earlier. If thats not what you meant, fine

My apologies for coming in hot with the assumption of confrontation, force of habit I guess from reading too many anger agenda laden posts on these sites.
My only point was there are indeed some kids who know what they want earlier than others.

[Unregistered]

My kid has goals:

1) Win the WC as part of the WNT
2) Play on the WNT
3) Get a D1 scholarship
4) Play D1
5) Play in college
6) Play in HS
7) Play with and against the best she can in her age group
8) Play

Those are in reverse order to expectations and priorities.

[Unregistered]

My kid has goals:

1) Win the WC as part of the WNT
2) Play on the WNT
3) Get a D1 scholarship
4) Play D1
5) Play in college, at any level
6) Play in HS
7) Play with and against the best she can in her age group
8) Play
9) learn the game and have fun

Those are in reverse order to expectations and priorities.

Gave it a tweak here and there, but you get the idea

[Unregistered]

Some of the threads seem to go off on tangents about either side of the coin. Do you think it's better to focus on the college opportunity for academics or for a professional soccer future?

I'm curious about something. I dont have any daughters but I've noticed that the busiest thread on this forum always involve conversations about girls soccer.

This original question did not specify girls they just mentioned "kid". But it turned into a tit for tat about girls soccer.

Why are parents of girls so competitive with each other? Actually as I was writing this I just think I figured it out. It's the mother's of daughters. Not the parents. That's my opinion.

But why are parents (or mothers) of girls so katty against each others kids?

[Unregistered]

I'm curious about something. I dont have any daughters but I've noticed that the busiest thread on this forum always involve conversations about girls soccer.

This original question did not specify girls they just mentioned "kid". But it turned into a tit for tat about girls soccer.

Why are parents of girls so competitive with each other? Actually as I was writing this I just think I figured it out. It's the mother's of daughters. Not the parents. That's my opinion.

But why are parents (or mothers) of girls so katty against each others kids?

Or because the better, more competitive "boy" athletes don't play soccer, they play football, basketball and lacrosse. Boys who can't succeed in those sports, play soccer. By that point, the parents are just so grateful their kid is playing something-they're not really expecting much.

[Unregistered]

Or because the better, more competitive "boy" athletes don't play soccer, they play football, basketball and lacrosse. Boys who can't succeed in those sports, play soccer. By that point, the parents are just so grateful their kid is playing something-they're not really expecting much.

I dont know why I am.entertaining this ignorant comment. But I will tell you this. You have heard of people taking up basketball in college and becoming pros. You have heard of kids taking up football in college and becoming professionals. Kids changing sports and becoming baseball professionals.

You will never hear of someone taking up soccer in later years and becoming a professional. It's too difficult a sport. Athletes like Kobe Bryant, Hakeen Alojuwan (however you spell it) etc who credit their footwork and balance to youth soccer.

If you have ever played each of the big sports like I have and also played Soccer you would know that soccer is the most difficult of them all. Every sport requires athleticism but they all have preplanned plays. Soccer requires lightning fast decision making, vision, not to mention unnatural control, dexterity and coordination with your feet while you are managing all of the above.