I've been going through the recruiting process with my son and have had some good and bad experiences. He's a rising senior and since Covid threw a wrench in to our plans we decided to do more camps than we were hoping to so that he would have increased exposure. We are attending non-school sponsored camps (Example: MAP, CSA, etc) and also school sponsored camps. We are attending camps at schools that are not a fit (i.e. high GPA, D1, etc) because schools invite coaches of non-competing schools to their camps (Example: Dartmouth invites Bates, Bates invites Knox, etc). Most 'tips' that the internet, coaches or NESJ put out there are just the basics (i.e. highlight video, email the coaches, blah, blah, blah)...here is some feedback for parents of rising Juniors that I hope is helpful for next year:
* If your kid is a rising freshman or sophomore do NOT do any ID camps...it is a waste of money. I see these kids at camps and coaches don't even look at them. They have a hard enough time looking at rising seniors. There can be anywhere from 60 to 200 kids at a camp. Coaches might be able to look at a kid for 5 minutes then they move on. They are strategic in who they look at and they won't waste time on kids that aren't ready to be recruited (especially ones they can't talk to due to NCAA rules).
* The best camps are the ones that are on the college campus. But with Covid (even post-vaccine) onsite camps are not as common as they were pre-covid. If a coach has an on-campus ID camp and you are interested in that school then make extra effort to go to that camp. If you don't go to campus then your chances of being recruited are diminished. It's just like non-athlete admittance...if you do a campus tour and interview then your chances of admittance go up...it's not a guarantee of acceptance but every little bit helps. All campus ID camps are listed on the school athletics website.
* Of course coaches need to see the player play a couple times. If they don't have camps on campus then find out what camps they are attending and go to those. If there is nothing on their website then email the coaches to ask where they will be (send individual emails to head and assistant coaches...don't send one email with all the coaches on it). When you arrive at the camp your son should introduce himself to the coach before it starts. Say goodbye at the end and then email (or handwrite) a thank you after the camp and ask for a phone call (or Zoom). The player should be persistent...it's not a 'No' until the coach tells you no.
* Be wary of the money-grab camps. This is a tough one to identify. All of these camps will take your money regardless of GPA or ability. However, sometimes 'money grab camps' are necessary to get in front of a coach that is hard to reach. Keep in mind that ID camps attendance by assistant coaches are to make extra money (any camp that Tim Peng from Babson is at is probably a money grab). Some are well run (MAP and Exact for example) but only use them for your benefit (i.e. A coach you want to get in front of has told you he will be at the camp). Avoid most D1 camps unless your kid has had significant interaction or is a stud player. There's just not enough D1 spots (my kid wants D1 but is most likely going D3...and before the TS nutjobs say my kid isn't good enough...he plays at a high level and attends one of the highest soccer-focused boarding schools in CT). Another good example of a money grab is Dartmouth. They are running ~10 camps...usually 60 kids per camp (600 kids x $250 per kid = $150,000). They only have two slots left on their roster! Most parents will say, "You never know". Trust me...you know...and so do the coaches. Seems like a money grab to me. (Again, there are some Nescac and other schools that may be in attendance so if you are trying to get in front of that specific coach then it might be worth it).
* Using Ryzer for upcoming ID Camp emails is helpful.
* Make sure you fill out the recruiting form on a schools website. (Most schools use RecruitSpot so if you create a free account then you can fill out multiple recruit forms very fast...without rewriting info over and over). You will need information before filling out the form (GPA, SAT or ACT if available, highlight video, all coach information (email, cell phone, etc), Major interest, etc.
* Do NOT rely on your club for any real help. The MLS Next coaches and Boarding School coaches have the most connections but the coaches want to hear from the player (not the parent). The coaches are best used as a reference for when a college coach wants feedback. In other words, the parents need to put the effort in...don't rely on HS, club, etc to get your kid recruited (again...if your kid is a stud they already know about him). When I say the parents need to put the effort in I mean that the parents should be behind the scenes making sure emails go out, calls are set up, helping fill out recruit forms, etc, etc. BUT...the kid needs to make the calls and emails. I just think parents should be involved because recruiting is a process...something that 17 or 18 year olds have little experience with.
Hopefully this is helpful. This is my youngest and I will be signing off of TS shortly since it can be toxic (although sometimes helpful/informative). Enjoy the time with your kids. The windshield time with them is invaluable but short lived.
* If your kid is a rising freshman or sophomore do NOT do any ID camps...it is a waste of money. I see these kids at camps and coaches don't even look at them. They have a hard enough time looking at rising seniors. There can be anywhere from 60 to 200 kids at a camp. Coaches might be able to look at a kid for 5 minutes then they move on. They are strategic in who they look at and they won't waste time on kids that aren't ready to be recruited (especially ones they can't talk to due to NCAA rules).
* The best camps are the ones that are on the college campus. But with Covid (even post-vaccine) onsite camps are not as common as they were pre-covid. If a coach has an on-campus ID camp and you are interested in that school then make extra effort to go to that camp. If you don't go to campus then your chances of being recruited are diminished. It's just like non-athlete admittance...if you do a campus tour and interview then your chances of admittance go up...it's not a guarantee of acceptance but every little bit helps. All campus ID camps are listed on the school athletics website.
* Of course coaches need to see the player play a couple times. If they don't have camps on campus then find out what camps they are attending and go to those. If there is nothing on their website then email the coaches to ask where they will be (send individual emails to head and assistant coaches...don't send one email with all the coaches on it). When you arrive at the camp your son should introduce himself to the coach before it starts. Say goodbye at the end and then email (or handwrite) a thank you after the camp and ask for a phone call (or Zoom). The player should be persistent...it's not a 'No' until the coach tells you no.
* Be wary of the money-grab camps. This is a tough one to identify. All of these camps will take your money regardless of GPA or ability. However, sometimes 'money grab camps' are necessary to get in front of a coach that is hard to reach. Keep in mind that ID camps attendance by assistant coaches are to make extra money (any camp that Tim Peng from Babson is at is probably a money grab). Some are well run (MAP and Exact for example) but only use them for your benefit (i.e. A coach you want to get in front of has told you he will be at the camp). Avoid most D1 camps unless your kid has had significant interaction or is a stud player. There's just not enough D1 spots (my kid wants D1 but is most likely going D3...and before the TS nutjobs say my kid isn't good enough...he plays at a high level and attends one of the highest soccer-focused boarding schools in CT). Another good example of a money grab is Dartmouth. They are running ~10 camps...usually 60 kids per camp (600 kids x $250 per kid = $150,000). They only have two slots left on their roster! Most parents will say, "You never know". Trust me...you know...and so do the coaches. Seems like a money grab to me. (Again, there are some Nescac and other schools that may be in attendance so if you are trying to get in front of that specific coach then it might be worth it).
* Using Ryzer for upcoming ID Camp emails is helpful.
* Make sure you fill out the recruiting form on a schools website. (Most schools use RecruitSpot so if you create a free account then you can fill out multiple recruit forms very fast...without rewriting info over and over). You will need information before filling out the form (GPA, SAT or ACT if available, highlight video, all coach information (email, cell phone, etc), Major interest, etc.
* Do NOT rely on your club for any real help. The MLS Next coaches and Boarding School coaches have the most connections but the coaches want to hear from the player (not the parent). The coaches are best used as a reference for when a college coach wants feedback. In other words, the parents need to put the effort in...don't rely on HS, club, etc to get your kid recruited (again...if your kid is a stud they already know about him). When I say the parents need to put the effort in I mean that the parents should be behind the scenes making sure emails go out, calls are set up, helping fill out recruit forms, etc, etc. BUT...the kid needs to make the calls and emails. I just think parents should be involved because recruiting is a process...something that 17 or 18 year olds have little experience with.
Hopefully this is helpful. This is my youngest and I will be signing off of TS shortly since it can be toxic (although sometimes helpful/informative). Enjoy the time with your kids. The windshield time with them is invaluable but short lived.
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