FC College Showcase

[Unregistered]

Depends upon whether it's boys or girls. Girls start the recruiting process earlier than boys. The key ages for boys are U16 and 17, girls one year earlier. College recruiting is much more an individual effort than it is coaches showing up and discovering talent. You've got to investigate and reach out and give coaches a reason to come watch your team or player.

Boys actually start more at the u17 age level and conclude at u18 unless you're part of the <5% that is getting recruited without initiating college contact. At u16 boys need to start looking realistically at where they want to play and start reaching out to that institution. U16 is not too early, but the number of coaches at those matches is significantly lower than the number at 17 and 18 for boys.

[Unregistered]

Boys actually start more at the u17 age level and conclude at u18 unless you're part of the <5% that is getting recruited without initiating college contact. At u16 boys need to start looking realistically at where they want to play and start reaching out to that institution. U16 is not too early, but the number of coaches at those matches is significantly lower than the number at 17 and 18 for boys.

Disagree if you want, NLI signing is in two weeks. It's a little late if you're a U18 player whose season hasn't even started yet and you're thinking you're being recruited. Hopefully you find a place to play, but the recruiting will be focused on the 16s and 17s.

[Unregistered]

Disagree if you want, NLI signing is in two weeks. It's a little late if you're a U18 player whose season hasn't even started yet and you're thinking you're being recruited. Hopefully you find a place to play, but the recruiting will be focused on the 16s and 17s.

Not necessarily. A lot of schools are still having formal visits, meeting with players, and looking to fill spots. This can continue past the U18 year whe schools have particular needs. Red-shirts are significant during this process.

[Unregistered]

Questions:

Not necessarily. A lot of schools are still having formal visits, meeting with players, and looking to fill spots. This can continue past the U18 year whe schools have particular needs. Red-shirts are significant during this process.

1. Why did you call them "formal visits"? There are unofficial visits, meaning athlete or parents pay, and then there is an official visit, where the college pays the expenses. In my DD case along with her friends, official visits have been probably 99% after they had made a verbal commitment.

2. Your comment, "red shirts are significant during this process". Do you know what a red shirt designation is?

I await your informed opinion.

[Unregistered]

1. Why did you call them "formal visits"? There are unofficial visits, meaning athlete or parents pay, and then there is an official visit, where the college pays the expenses. In my DD case along with her friends, official visits have been probably 99% after they had made a verbal commitment.

2. Your comment, "red shirts are significant during this process". Do you know what a red shirt designation is?

I await your informed opinion.

Okay. Based on my experiences with my two kids, here is my "informed opinion,"

Formal aka official visits are allowed anytime after the student athlete has registered and been academic status-approved ("qualifier"-certified) with the Clearinghouse for DI, DII candidates, and/or the colleges have received official transcripts and copies of ACT/SAT scores. For what it's worth, two-year transfers have to register as well.

Verbal commitments mean little, it is the Clearinghouse that is important.

Yes, I know what a red shirt designation is, as well as a gray shirt designation. My son was involved in both situations. If a current red-shirted player looks to be unable fulfill his/her "qualifier" academics, or is out for a significantly extended period beyond the scope allowed to play, then the red-shirted player can be replaced by another player. My son was contacted in his U19 year for this reason.

[Unregistered]

Okay. Based on my experiences with my two kids, here is my "informed opinion,"

Formal aka official visits are allowed anytime after the student athlete has registered and been academic status-approved ("qualifier"-certified) with the Clearinghouse for DI, DII candidates, and/or the colleges have received official transcripts and copies of ACT/SAT scores. For what it's worth, two-year transfers have to register as well.

Verbal commitments mean little, it is the Clearinghouse that is important.

Yes, I know what a red shirt designation is, as well as a gray shirt designation. My son was involved in both situations. If a current red-shirted player looks to be unable fulfill his/her "qualifier" academics, or is out for a significantly extended period beyond the scope allowed to play, then the red-shirted player can be replaced by another player. My son was contacted in his U19 year for this reason.

You seem to be combining several things here. Official visits are those paid for by the school. There are rules about what athletes can and cannot receive on official visits and when they can be scheduled. Official visits don't really mean much of anything but they are a demonstration that the school is really interested. There's a limit on how many official visits a player can make. You're partially right about verbal commitments, but what most posters seem to be referring to here, is verbal scholarship offers or commitments. What matters with scholarships is the National Letter of Intent or NLI. That's the promise of athletic based financial aid and obligates the school to provide it and the athlete to go there or lose eligibility if he or she does not. The financial aid offer has to be in writing. The NLI has a bunch of terms and conditions and the Clearinghouse is part of it. A player has to register and if the player isn't registered and eligible, then the NLI can be declared null and void. Your last involvement with the Clearinghouse will be after the NLI and after admission, but before training with the team. That's when final eligibility is confirmed and the player is cleared to participate.

Rather than speculating, for those of you who are really interested, you should go to these sites:

www.ncaa.org

to get the latest rules. The NCAA also publishes a guide called the "Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete." It's free.

www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

is the site for the Clearinghouse. Most high school guidance counselors are familiar with how this works. Obviously some are more familiar with it than others.

Hope that helps.

[Unregistered]

You seem to be combining several things here. Official visits are those paid for by the school. There are rules about what athletes can and cannot receive on official visits and when they can be scheduled. Official visits don't really mean much of anything but they are a demonstration that the school is really interested. There's a limit on how many official visits a player can make. You're partially right about verbal commitments, but what most posters seem to be referring to here, is verbal scholarship offers or commitments. What matters with scholarships is the National Letter of Intent or NLI. That's the promise of athletic based financial aid and obligates the school to provide it and the athlete to go there or lose eligibility if he or she does not. The financial aid offer has to be in writing. The NLI has a bunch of terms and conditions and the Clearinghouse is part of it. A player has to register and if the player isn't registered and eligible, then the NLI can be declared null and void. Your last involvement with the Clearinghouse will be after the NLI and after admission, but before training with the team. That's when final eligibility is confirmed and the player is cleared to participate.

Rather than speculating, for those of you who are really interested, you should go to these sites:

www.ncaa.org

to get the latest rules. The NCAA also publishes a guide called the "Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete." It's free.

www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

is the site for the Clearinghouse. Most high school guidance counselors are familiar with how this works. Obviously some are more familiar with it than others.

Hope that helps.

Yes, I was combining things based on the comments directed to me initially. I did not speculate as I have extensive knowledge in working with student athletes. The poster who talked about the DD ad friends making official visits after verbal commitments seemed to omit a lot of necessary information regarding processes involved for high school students. Combining a discussion on official visits and redshirts was based on the query posed by the other poster. Yes, a red-shirted college athlete could find himself/herself cut and a spot offered to a potential incoming freshman. That is why the original discussion combined several things.

I am glad that you mentioned the NLI, because I was going to but left it at just replying to the query. Until the NLI is accepted everything else is moot.

[Unregistered]

1/21/2013 ADDED 2014 verbal commitment for Z. H. (F - Oregon Rush) - OREGON

Congrats to ORSoccerMom and her DD!