Best Clubs for sending College Commits

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But is it true?

This really isn't a nice comment.

But is it true?

The questions being asked here are about return on investment for premier soccer. The results for most seem poor. If you spent the equivalent of two years community college tuition so your child could play soccer at community college (maybe at a reduced rate, maybe not), was that an effective investment? The poster was saying he didn’t think so. Try to focus on the ideas being discussed and not your feelings.

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The sorry truth is that even at “premier” level, all the extra money you spent isn’t going to result in your child play soccer in college, much less with a scholarship, especially on the boys side where scholarships are much less plentiful. For girls in RCL 1 maybe you have the best chance of seeing some return on investment. Even at Pac NW maroon, they are sending many players to Highline CC. Is that worthy of the financial investment of “premier” soccer?

For everyone else, if college scholarships were your goal, you wasted enough money to have bought little Johnny or Susie a car at graduation. Or pay their first year’s tuition after financial aid. Hopefully your child avoided injuries carried to adulthood.

Also college soccer, especially on male side, is a veritable injury mill. You might as well buy little Johnny a motorcycle or send him to Afghanistan, the risk is not much less than that.

Do it for fun, not ROI. Even the players that go D1, dont get much money, don’t average many minutes, wear & tear their body down & have a full time job of soccer instead of being able to major in whatever they want, semester abroad, go to football games & have time for a social life, and all the fun of being a regular college student. There are some that like that path but if that’s not your idea of fun, I wouldn’t recommend it. You only live once.

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Never do it for monetary ROI.

[Unregistered]

But is it true?

The questions being asked here are about return on investment for premier soccer. The results for most seem poor. If you spent the equivalent of two years community college tuition so your child could play soccer at community college (maybe at a reduced rate, maybe not), was that an effective investment? The poster was saying he didn’t think so. Try to focus on the ideas being discussed and not your feelings.

You are assuming everyone defines "return" in the same way. If you're looking for return beyond your child having a fun and positive experience playing a sport, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Studies have shown an inverse relationship between a parent's expectation of return and child's enjoyment of the sport.

I have multiple kids in college. One got as much merit money for grades playing D3 as another got for D1 soccer

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Ok, spending over $8K a year and a year's worth of effort and time for fun and giggles soccer or any other competitive pay to play sport, but being proud to have the high academic prowess to attend a community college to play soccer and possibly get the education and skills needed to get gain employment that pays more than $15 hr working at Starbucks.

If the narrative is about results, wouldn't it have been better to help your dd academically via tutors, special classes, dare I say reading to your child, etc rather than focusing so much on this pay to play sport? The narrative is so bookish ROI like some accountant's ledger. The end goal is to prepare your child for the future so she can survive and thrive without your help. What is the point of soccer when she has the academic ability to just attend a community college or low level state college getting a sociology or communications degree? Where were you parents when your dd needed help, besides watching "Dancing with the Stars"?

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Benefits of going to a CC as a student athlete include smaller class sizes, getting gen eds out of the way, not having students loans, playing time, and being able to be recruited after graduation to a higher division program. Considering nearly half of all freshman and sophomore college players quit (many who leave the school because they can’t afford it), going to a cc makes sense in terms of direct transfer agreements with state schools in the event the players want to focus on academics... esp if it is at a university (like UW) the player would not have been admitted to as a freshman because of test scores and gpa. Cc offers a fresh academic start. If the player is successful playing at a cc, he/she has a better chance of being recruited to a 4-year school.

Lastly, pay to play and extensive travel starts as early as U10. Only a small percentage of these players will even play in college. Given no one knows any players situation no one should generalize a player’s choice by equating $$ spent with their choices. If the players are happy with their choice and are having fun regardless of level then that’s all the matters.

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Looking at the college list for PacNW, I wouldn't be so proud about attending and playing at community colleges or low ranking local schools. Really, Highline CC? Don't you think it would have been better if the parents put money into tutors or an SAT prep instead of soccer? And PacNW is crowing about this accomplishment? At least XF have girls going to Ivy and some other top schools.

I had a hard time NOT cringing and eye rolling reading this post. Who gives two craps where folks choose to play? For that matter, and since you brought it up, CC's are WAY more economical and give way more bang for your buck than any ivy league school could ever hope to. The irony of chastizing folks as to how and where to spend their money and, by the end of the same post talking up ivy league schools is pure parody. In my opinion.

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I had a hard time NOT cringing and eye rolling reading this post. Who gives two craps where folks choose to play? For that matter, and since you brought it up, CC's are WAY more economical and give way more bang for your buck than any ivy league school could ever hope to. The irony of chastizing folks as to how and where to spend their money and, by the end of the same post talking up ivy league schools is pure parody. In my opinion.

Economical? Lol. It is relatively easy to get college credits, if your dd has the academic chops. It is called AP classes, IB program, CLEP, Cambridge, and Running Start all in high school. A decent student can easily to take 6 AP classes in high school over 4 years and transfer in 30+ credits for UW as a freshmen. Or go big with Running Start and come in with junior standing.

I don't care how one spends their money. Go to town. The issue I have is if you can spend the money, time, and effort on club pay to play soccer, where was the effort, time, and money for education, if cc is the only option your dd has. Obviously, you didn't graduate from a T25 school. You know nothing, Jon Snow.

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The type of high school students you describe here are above average-to high achieving students. Get off your elitism trip.

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Economical? Lol. It is relatively easy to get college credits, if your dd has the academic chops. It is called AP classes, IB program, CLEP, Cambridge, and Running Start all in high school. A decent student can easily to take 6 AP classes in high school over 4 years and transfer in 30+ credits for UW as a freshmen. Or go big with Running Start and come in with junior standing.

I don't care how one spends their money. Go to town. The issue I have is if you can spend the money, time, and effort on club pay to play soccer, where was the effort, time, and money for education, if cc is the only option your dd has. Obviously, you didn't graduate from a T25 school. You know nothing, Jon Snow.

WOW. You apparently know everything, except how to imagine that others may not have the same money, access and privileges you enjoy.

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WOW. You apparently know everything, except how to imagine that others may not have the same money, access and privileges you enjoy.

I know wealthy kids have many privileges but I hope you’re not saying that poor kids can’t do well in school and take plenty of AP classes. Poor parents should stress academics over soccer much more than parents of rich kids. Rich kids don’t need the better grades and college degrees as much as poor kids because the rich kids have parents that can help them financially, have connections to help them get jobs they don’t deserve, etc.

Agree with you though that CC can be a great place for poor or rich kids to do their first year or two of school. No one should look down on CC. I’m more impressed by the poor kid that goes to CC and works hard toward an eventual degree than the rich legacy that goes to an Ivy, takes easy classes and parties.

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I know wealthy kids have many privileges but I hope you’re not saying that poor kids can’t do well in school and take plenty of AP classes. Poor parents should stress academics over soccer much more than parents of rich kids. Rich kids don’t need the better grades and college degrees as much as poor kids because the rich kids have parents that can help them financially, have connections to help them get jobs they don’t deserve, etc.

Agree with you though that CC can be a great place for poor or rich kids to do their first year or two of school. No one should look down on CC. I’m more impressed by the poor kid that goes to CC and works hard toward an eventual degree than the rich legacy that goes to an Ivy, takes easy classes and parties.

+1
Well said

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I know wealthy kids have many privileges but I hope you’re not saying that poor kids can’t do well in school and take plenty of AP classes. Poor parents should stress academics over soccer much more than parents of rich kids. Rich kids don’t need the better grades and college degrees as much as poor kids because the rich kids have parents that can help them financially, have connections to help them get jobs they don’t deserve, etc.

Agree with you though that CC can be a great place for poor or rich kids to do their first year or two of school. No one should look down on CC. I’m more impressed by the poor kid that goes to CC and works hard toward an eventual degree than the rich legacy that goes to an Ivy, takes easy classes and parties.

Of course poor kids can and do succeed academically. But let's just look at the differences among Seattle High Schools if you want to talk about inequity...not to mention the families with the means to opt out for private school. And for example, mykids don't need to hold jobs during the school year to pay for their clothes etc while other kids need to work to pay for what they need that family can't cover, which cuts into studytime, sleep etc. We don't all start the race from the same starting line is my point. Looking down on someone who chooses community college for whatever reason is elitist.

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Of course poor kids can and do succeed academically. But let's just look at the differences among Seattle High Schools if you want to talk about inequity...not to mention the families with the means to opt out for private school. And for example, mykids don't need to hold jobs during the school year to pay for their clothes etc while other kids need to work to pay for what they need that family can't cover, which cuts into studytime, sleep etc. We don't all start the race from the same starting line is my point. Looking down on someone who chooses community college for whatever reason is elitist.

Oh man. Listen carefully. Pay to play soccer is all about elitism. Club soccer can easily cost $3k to $10K+ a year. Disposable income. Poor people can not play this elitist game. Heck, even modest income can barely play this game. Look in the parking lot and notice the cars. Look at the parents. Own it. I am pretty sure that you are a club DOC or coach. I just had to draw you out.

The issue is club soccer like Pac barking like a bunch of carnies about scholarships and playing in college, while barely mentioning that grades and test scores will mostly determine where you will be going to school, then where (if possible) you will be playing soccer.

**This is the main point**: If cc is the academic level your kid could achieve while playing and paying for club soccer, where were the parents from 8 to 18 years old? I am not blaming the kids. Kids are innocent, just misled by idiotic parents. Most likely you had enough disposable income, time, and effort for club soccer, which leads to believe you had enough money, time, and effort to help your child academically. People (most likely club coaches) are trying to flip the narrative towards blaming kids, but rather parents who couldn't see that their kid is having some academic issues. An AP scholar, IB, or Running Start student is not looking at cc. Perhaps, it would have been better to invest in your child's education or at least a 529, rather than club soccer.

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Oh man. Listen carefully. Pay to play soccer is all about elitism. Club soccer can easily cost $3k to $10K+ a year. Disposable income. Poor people can not play this elitist game. Heck, even modest income can barely play this game. Look in the parking lot and notice the cars. Look at the parents. Own it. I am pretty sure that you are a club DOC or coach. I just had to draw you out.

The issue is club soccer like Pac barking like a bunch of carnies about scholarships and playing in college, while barely mentioning that grades and test scores will mostly determine where you will be going to school, then where (if possible) you will be playing soccer.

**This is the main point**: If cc is the academic level your kid could achieve while playing and paying for club soccer, where were the parents from 8 to 18 years old? I am not blaming the kids. Kids are innocent, just misled by idiotic parents. Most likely you had enough disposable income, time, and effort for club soccer, which leads to believe you had enough money, time, and effort to help your child academically. People (most likely club coaches) are trying to flip the narrative towards blaming kids, but rather parents who couldn't see that their kid is having some academic issues. An AP scholar, IB, or Running Start student is not looking at cc. Perhaps, it would have been better to invest in your child's education or at least a 529, rather than club soccer.

DUDE. I am not a coach. I'm a parent. I know all about pay to play. Soccer has been turned into an elitist game, absolutely. That's a whole other discussion.

You keep assuming every kid and family is like yours. You absolutely can't assume that a kid playing sports at a CC means the parents didn't care about academics. Some kids are not scholars, no matter how much private $ tutoring they get. (See: college admissions scandal) Every family doesn't live in a top school district with access to an IB program etc. Some kids may have a crisis that pops up during high school that impacts grades, like an illness or death in the family. Parents may choose to spend money on soccer for all kinds of reasons that don't include the anticipation of a scholarship payout precisely because they care about their kid. If sports is the place the kid shines and team involvement keeps their attitude positive etc then that's looking at the kid as a whole person. Everyone isn't an A+ student or a Type A personality. Top grades will help you get into a college but they aren't the only predictor of success in life. Adults who keep insisting there is only one correct path in life are helping to create the pressure cooker environment that has created an anxiety epidemic in teens and can even lead to suicide.

Chill. You obviously think your way is the right way. Glad it worked for your family! But WTH do you care what anyone else is doing?