Pre-season college soccer D1

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My son is in hell and the devil is his coach! I just talked to him. His large toenail has fallen off, he is exhausted,(2, 4 hour practices a day)and wondering why he ever liked soccer in the first place, (and this kid is no whimp. He once ran 7 miles with his club team with stitches in his shin which pulled apart during the run and opened up down to the bone, yet he completed the run). But, does this moaning sound familiar to any freshman parents? I hope so. I dropped my son off expecting a great but sad time since he is my only son. It is a great campus, great college etc. etc. so I expected great things. Well his dorm was not ready, and he had to move into a temporary dorm. I have to spend 4 extra days/money in a hotel room by myself with all his things in the car because he could not move them in. The day that he could, this Monday, he had 5 minutes to ask me to please do it for him because they were going out of town for a scrimmage for 3 days and they were leaving in 10 minutes. There is no bathroom in his dorm right now, the room is a mess and I had 3 minutes to say goodbye. Is this college soccer?


This is not "College Soccer", but it is... August 15 2006, 8:48 PM

...a typical preseason experience for a newbie freshman player and his newbie parent coming in with huge expectations and no clue as to what will be going on for the two week preseason period.

Most Upperclassmen came knowing what to expect, packed lighter (for the most part), had already been talking with coaches over summer before arrival to get a good idea of what the schedule was going to be like for that preseason, dorm readibility, preeason travel schedule, training regiment, food access, etc.

my kid is starting his third college soccer year some distance away. He left a week ago for preseason. We will be sending him much of his belongings seperately next week. We gave him lots of cash as the dorm cafeterias arent open the first week he is there and he will have to be buying much of his food off campus. Two training sessions a day lasting 3 or more hours, weight training, meetings, etc all make for a very long and tiring day.

He loves it...


Anonymous
Just talked to him after the 5 mile run August 16 2006, 8:08 PM

and he is much happier.(Original poster), he has moved into his dorm and while they again had to move out because they were not ready, he is getting used to this. I would have liked to have been advised about the unreadiness of the dorm since I had to drive 20 hours to get to this campus. It is not like we are within 6 hours. My mothers house was close and I went there, (7 hours away). I think in the end he will survive and have a great time. Just wish that coming from such a long way we would have known......

Collegecoach
Not typical August 16 2006, 3:48 AM

Of a top college program that is fully funded and operated by 3 full-time professionals. While many campuses are not quite ready to handle students when soccer preseason begins, with good organization and planning things run far more smoothly than the experience mentioned. Preseason is challenging physically, but with top college coaches the hardest work is done by the players over the summer...so that preseason becomes more about style of play, team shape, set pieces etc and not fitnes.



Re: Not typical August 16 2006, 6:03 AM

I would say not typical for the most part- dorms are sometimes not ready- and they move in with those in apartments etc... these are questions you should have been asking the coach-

My daughter plays DII and is a freshman this yr- she is living in an on campus apartment (perk afforded freshman atheletes) and she was able to move in the Friday before Monday training started. Girls who could not move into the dorms are staying in the apartments on a temporary basis.

Dining Hall is not open- but Coach has accounts with several local resturants and each girl has a meal per diem...

It all boils down to the schools committment to its atheletes.

Answer me this College Soccer Forum. What king of D 1 college coach asks a kid to play for his school and then cuts them? If this is not against NCAA rules, it should be! Why not be honest with the kids up front and tell them maybe they will be on the squad. Want to see some crushed kids?

Where did that happen? Usually a kid gets money and that scholarship is good for one year and then it depends on how the player did during the season. The only way I could think of a kid getting cut in pre-season is that he came in unprepared and with a bad attitude. Now that might happen, but if he was given money then why wouldn't a coach wait and see what happened rather than throw the money down the toilet? Did he have players in the wings???

Where did that happen? Usually a kid gets money and that scholarship is good for one year and then it depends on how the player did during the season. The only way I could think of a kid getting cut in pre-season is that he came in unprepared and with a bad attitude. Now that might happen, but if he was given money then why wouldn't a coach wait and see what happened rather than throw the money down the toilet? Did he have players in the wings???With out naming names, a State University in Jacksonville, FL. Player was not on any soccer scholarship, but was told that he was on the team. Player was totally fit and had a great attitude. Coach simply took too many players and cut 10 altogether. From what I have been told, a coach should be upfront with recruits and tell them they are welcome to enroll, but that they cannot gaurantee a spot on the squad. Unfortunately, in this case, that is NOT what was done. This was quite a deceitful act and very hurtful. This is NOT the way to build up your schools reputation or your program. Behave with some class!

Boy this all sounds so familiar. My son went through the same thing. He was All-State, County you name it. He doesn't play college soccer anymore and is no longer at that school. This school was in South Florida.
Once they have your kid who knows what is going to happen. Parents have to be more dilligent upfront but beware the coach has LEARNED to tell Parents what it is they want to hear.

I know of the school of which you speak in Northern Florida. I knew some of the 36-38 players that were on the original roster. Some of them got cut. There was about 13 cut from what i was told. The Coach should have been upfront but he was hoping to get some players with nothing out of the University's pocket. I'm sure that there are some players who "MADE" the team aren't getting any financial help either. Not until next year when they will have to "TRYOUT" again. Never have understood why they need 30 or more on the roster anyway.

I know of the school of which you speak in Northern Florida. I knew some of the 36-38 players that were on the original roster. Some of them got cut. There was about 13 cut from what i was told. The Coach should have been upfront but he was hoping to get some players with nothing out of the University's pocket. I'm sure that there are some players who "MADE" the team aren't getting any financial help either. Not until next year when they will have to "TRYOUT" again. Never have understood why they need 30 or more on the roster anyway.What is really bad, is when a player has been told they are on the team and they give up substantial academic scholarships at their current University to transfer in and play. We were very lucky to be able to re-enroll in the University AND get all academic scholarship money back. A tough life lesson to learn, people can be dishonest.

I know of the school of which you speak in Northern Florida. I knew some of the 36-38 players that were on the original roster. Some of them got cut. There was about 13 cut from what i was told. The Coach should have been upfront but he was hoping to get some players with nothing out of the University's pocket. I'm sure that there are some players who "MADE" the team aren't getting any financial help either. Not until next year when they will have to "TRYOUT" again. Never have understood why they need 30 or more on the roster anyway.What is really bad, is when a player has been told they are on the team and they give up substantial academic scholarships at their current University to transfer in and play. We were very lucky to be able to re-enroll in the University AND get all academic scholarship money back. A tough life lesson to learn, people can be dishonest.Sounds to me like you are talking about walk-ons. If the coach told them they were on the team, then they were what is considered preferred walk-ons. I feel for the kids and think the coach is a creep for not explaining reality, BUTTT, it is the player and parents job to find out what the rules are.
The players that got scholardshiped, signed an NLI that contractually committs the player and team to each other for one year. The only way the player can be cut is by some infraction of rules. The walk-ons are a whole different ball game. They should have known they could be cut in pre-season. My heart would break if that happened to my kid, but it would be my fault for not asking the right questions and looking up the rules.

You can ask for a signed NLI even if there is no money involved.

I know of the school of which you speak in Northern Florida. I knew some of the 36-38 players that were on the original roster. Some of them got cut. There was about 13 cut from what i was told. The Coach should have been upfront but he was hoping to get some players with nothing out of the University's pocket. I'm sure that there are some players who "MADE" the team aren't getting any financial help either. Not until next year when they will have to "TRYOUT" again. Never have understood why they need 30 or more on the roster anyway.What is really bad, is when a player has been told they are on the team and they give up substantial academic scholarships at their current University to transfer in and play. We were very lucky to be able to re-enroll in the University AND get all academic scholarship money back. A tough life lesson to learn, people can be dishonest.Sounds to me like you are talking about walk-ons. If the coach told them they were on the team, then they were what is considered preferred walk-ons. I feel for the kids and think the coach is a creep for not explaining reality, BUTTT, it is the player and parents job to find out what the rules are.
The players that got scholardshiped, signed an NLI that contractually committs the player and team to each other for one year. The only way the player can be cut is by some infraction of rules. The walk-ons are a whole different ball game. They should have known they could be cut in pre-season. My heart would break if that happened to my kid, but it would be my fault for not asking the right questions and looking up the rules.You know, I have thought about what you have said here for awhile now, and in the end, I still feel there is NO EXCUSE for a coach to LIE to players. It was a deceitful way to get a pool of players to "look" at for his team. It was hurtful to young men who had relied on accurate information about the "process". And I would assume, they left with a very bitter taste in their mouth for the insitution.
The university has consequently had several students with draw from classes and dorms. ( Not something they were happy with. The logistics of this all less then 2 weeks before school starts is a nightmare) The whole process has not helped this progarms reputation, nor the universities. From what I understand, they are in their second year, of a four year probation, right now anyway as they have just gotten into Division 1. I cannot beleive that this university and this program want any NCAA complaints filed on them right now.....but they probably will.
So buyer beware of unscrupulous coaches, especially this one!

I had a parent tell me, with a son older than mine, and his son was a really good player and had all kinds of offers to play soccer from all kinds of colleges. His son ended up getting a scholarship, full ride, but he told me that he learned "you know when a college coach is lieing because his lips are moving."

LOL!

Not all college coach's lie. However, not all parents do their due diigence either. If your child is considering attending a program, it would behoove the parent to find and speak to people who know something about the coach and their program. What always amazed me was I was coaching college as well as youth soccer, was how little some parents understood about the process, AND how little they listened to people who had been there.

I suppose it is very tempting to listen to the honey dripping from the tongue of some of these coaches, but you have to look through that. For those who have yet to go through this process, a few basic things should be immediately apparent if you look into the program:

1. What are retention rates? Meaning, how many players return to the prgram year after year, and how many simply drop out? This is not always the coach's fault, but it is indicative of the overall environment the coach creates around players.

2. What is the roster size? A coach who runs with 22-25 players is running a VERY different program to a coach who rosters 35-40 players. What is the quality of experience for player #37? I have advised parents and players who were walking into that scenario and they've done it anyway, only to quit mid-season or at the end of the first season.

3. Is there housing specifically for the soccer athletes? This will be something the coach can control, and most coaches will take great pains to make certain things are ready before kids show up.

4. Is there an outline of events and a summer training packet sent to players? Almost all coaches with solid programs do this to assist incoming players understand the rigors they will need to be ready for. I'd be wary of a program that did not do this.

5. Do players get early registration? The soccer schedules can be demanding and often classes have to be scheduled around practice times. Most coaches arrange for classes to registered for, in advance of general admission so kids can get the classes they need at the times they need.

6. What is the coach's scholarship policy? Will the scholarship be honored if the kid gets hurt (ACL, broken leg). Get this in writing. Will the kid be cut if they can't pass the pre-season fitness test. Watched it happen to a friend's daughter after I warned her and her parents. It was a mess. Can the award offer be reduced in subsequent years, even if the player is meeting expectations? Some coaches will cut down current player scholarships to recruit the "next big thing". More ethical coaches will not do this. Some coaches will reduce the award if the kid underperforms. Know this and expect it. And this conversation will NOT always be shared with the parents. So have good communiation with your kids around time for re-signing of the award.

There are other things, but these are some basics that all players and parents should be aware of when looking for a school.

LOL!

Not all college coach's lie. However, not all parents do their due diigence either. If your child is considering attending a program, it would behoove the parent to find and speak to people who know something about the coach and their program. What always amazed me was I was coaching college as well as youth soccer, was how little some parents understood about the process, AND how little they listened to people who had been there.

I suppose it is very tempting to listen to the honey dripping from the tongue of some of these coaches, but you have to look through that. For those who have yet to go through this process, a few basic things should be immediately apparent if you look into the program:

1. What are retention rates? Meaning, how many players return to the prgram year after year, and how many simply drop out? This is not always the coach's fault, but it is indicative of the overall environment the coach creates around players.

2. What is the roster size? A coach who runs with 22-25 players is running a VERY different program to a coach who rosters 35-40 players. What is the quality of experience for player #37? I have advised parents and players who were walking into that scenario and they've done it anyway, only to quit mid-season or at the end of the first season.

3. Is there housing specifically for the soccer athletes? This will be something the coach can control, and most coaches will take great pains to make certain things are ready before kids show up.

4. Is there an outline of events and a summer training packet sent to players? Almost all coaches with solid programs do this to assist incoming players understand the rigors they will need to be ready for. I'd be wary of a program that did not do this.

5. Do players get early registration? The soccer schedules can be demanding and often classes have to be scheduled around practice times. Most coaches arrange for classes to registered for, in advance of general admission so kids can get the classes they need at the times they need.

6. What is the coach's scholarship policy? Will the scholarship be honored if the kid gets hurt (ACL, broken leg). Get this in writing. Will the kid be cut if they can't pass the pre-season fitness test. Watched it happen to a friend's daughter after I warned her and her parents. It was a mess. Can the award offer be reduced in subsequent years, even if the player is meeting expectations? Some coaches will cut down current player scholarships to recruit the "next big thing". More ethical coaches will not do this. Some coaches will reduce the award if the kid underperforms. Know this and expect it. And this conversation will NOT always be shared with the parents. So have good communiation with your kids around time for re-signing of the award.

There are other things, but these are some basics that all players and parents should be aware of when looking for a school.

You bring up many great points with the exception of #6 by rule a coach can not put anything in writing past the first year. When you hear people say that they got a 4 year scholarship they are not telling the truth. Scholarships are year to year and if a player gets reduced or has it taken all together they can appeal to the University which by rule must have committee put together to investigate the situation. This is a NCAA rule so every school must do this.

6. What is the coach's scholarship policy? Will the scholarship be honored if the kid gets hurt (ACL, broken leg). Get this in writing. Will the kid be cut if they can't pass the pre-season fitness test. Watched it happen to a friend's daughter after I warned her and her parents. It was a mess.

Why would you expect to be given a scholarship and then not show up prepared? I think the player deserves to lose the scholarship if they don't do their end of the bargain.

6. What is the coach's scholarship policy? Will the scholarship be honored if the kid gets hurt (ACL, broken leg). Get this in writing. Will the kid be cut if they can't pass the pre-season fitness test. Watched it happen to a friend's daughter after I warned her and her parents. It was a mess.

Why would you expect to be given a scholarship and then not show up prepared? I think the player deserves to lose the scholarship if they don't do their end of the bargain.You can't cut the player if they signed an NLI - meaning soccer money. You can cut them if they are prefered walk-ons or are getting the money from other places.

6. What is the coach's scholarship policy? Will the scholarship be honored if the kid gets hurt (ACL, broken leg). Get this in writing. Will the kid be cut if they can't pass the pre-season fitness test. Watched it happen to a friend's daughter after I warned her and her parents. It was a mess.

Why would you expect to be given a scholarship and then not show up prepared? I think the player deserves to lose the scholarship if they don't do their end of the bargain.You can't cut the player if they signed an NLI - meaning soccer money. You can cut them if they are prefered walk-ons or are getting the money from other places.

Just because you signed an NLI does not mean you can not be cut. You most certainly can. Now your scholarship must be honored for that year and then after that they may release you of your scholarship.

It has become apparent to me that college soccer is a risky business for all players..... on scholarship or not on scholarship. I guess its a do-it-at-your-own-risk kinda thing, because there is so many soccer players in this world, and so many which are just as good or even better than you, that they may want to make room for them on their team with you or your money being a sacrifice.

Its funny because just this weekend i was talking to a friend who plays for an institution here in florida, wont say which one, but he was telling me stories about the coach taking money away from players for stupid things, but when other players do worse things, the coach gives them warnings.
Perhaps taking money away of the player which is not as good as he once thought, and giving it to a new recruit which he thinks is the savior of next season, while a better player does someting worse, and gets off with a warning???

What about the FIU coach and program - does anyone know anything?

What about the FIU coach and program - does anyone know anything?

Women's or Men's FIU program?

Men's (ex: Coach, commitments, seriousness of the program, etc...

Men's (ex: Coach, commitments, seriousness of the program, etc...

I here that things at FIU are turning around, they could be really good next year. The coaches are good people and care about the players.

LOL!

Not all college coach's lie. However, not all parents do their due diigence either. If your child is considering attending a program, it would behoove the parent to find and speak to people who know something about the coach and their program. What always amazed me was I was coaching college as well as youth soccer, was how little some parents understood about the process, AND how little they listened to people who had been there.

I suppose it is very tempting to listen to the honey dripping from the tongue of some of these coaches, but you have to look through that. For those who have yet to go through this process, a few basic things should be immediately apparent if you look into the program:

1. What are retention rates? Meaning, how many players return to the prgram year after year, and how many simply drop out? This is not always the coach's fault, but it is indicative of the overall environment the coach creates around players.

2. What is the roster size? A coach who runs with 22-25 players is running a VERY different program to a coach who rosters 35-40 players. What is the quality of experience for player #37? I have advised parents and players who were walking into that scenario and they've done it anyway, only to quit mid-season or at the end of the first season.

3. Is there housing specifically for the soccer athletes? This will be something the coach can control, and most coaches will take great pains to make certain things are ready before kids show up.

4. Is there an outline of events and a summer training packet sent to players? Almost all coaches with solid programs do this to assist incoming players understand the rigors they will need to be ready for. I'd be wary of a program that did not do this.

5. Do players get early registration? The soccer schedules can be demanding and often classes have to be scheduled around practice times. Most coaches arrange for classes to registered for, in advance of general admission so kids can get the classes they need at the times they need.

6. What is the coach's scholarship policy? Will the scholarship be honored if the kid gets hurt (ACL, broken leg). Get this in writing. Will the kid be cut if they can't pass the pre-season fitness test. Watched it happen to a friend's daughter after I warned her and her parents. It was a mess. Can the award offer be reduced in subsequent years, even if the player is meeting expectations? Some coaches will cut down current player scholarships to recruit the "next big thing". More ethical coaches will not do this. Some coaches will reduce the award if the kid underperforms. Know this and expect it. And this conversation will NOT always be shared with the parents. So have good communiation with your kids around time for re-signing of the award.

There are other things, but these are some basics that all players and parents should be aware of when looking for a school.

You bring up many great points with the exception of #6 by rule a coach can not put anything in writing past the first year. When you hear people say that they got a 4 year scholarship they are not telling the truth. Scholarships are year to year and if a player gets reduced or has it taken all together they can appeal to the University which by rule must have committee put together to investigate the situation. This is a NCAA rule so every school must do this.

What you are saying is true about year to year but some coaches do say (verbally)they will honor the scholarship for 4 years. Some will honor that scholarship as long as they are the coach. Like many professions, coaching has some honorable people but more than we would like are not very honorable.