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    ?? For parents of HS Jr. And Sr. Boys

    I am looking for some guidance as to the correct non-academy path to College soccer. My son is U13 and on an elite club team but that will change when some leave for the academies (or think they can make it). My end game is simple he wants to play college soccer, scholarship or not and at this point all divisions are fair game. He has no grand ideas that he will play beyond college. That said he is an excellent elite club player but probably not made for one of the two academies.

    So what is our path, pay for ISL? Play club but which one? Where will he be seen by the college scouts? What clubs make that possible at the older age groups?

    Any advice or actual experiences would be greatly appreciated.

    #2
    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
    I am looking for some guidance as to the correct non-academy path to College soccer. My son is U13 and on an elite club team but that will change when some leave for the academies (or think they can make it). My end game is simple he wants to play college soccer, scholarship or not and at this point all divisions are fair game. He has no grand ideas that he will play beyond college. That said he is an excellent elite club player but probably not made for one of the two academies.

    So what is our path, pay for ISL? Play club but which one? Where will he be seen by the college scouts? What clubs make that possible at the older age groups?

    Any advice or actual experiences would be greatly appreciated.
    My advice would be to explore the private school route. If it can be afforded and its the right program, it's the best non DAP route.

    Comment


      #3
      If kid is good enough, he can be seen at any club and any school. Assuming that's not the case:

      1. ISL doesn't necessarily get you seen. If he plays for one of the better teams (right now, Milton or Lawrence), he'll get some looks. One question is what your high school team looks like- this might drive a decision to go ISL or catholic school or otherwise look outside of town.

      2. Check the standings to see who the "good" club teams in NPL are for your age group. Granted that those teams might be most likely to lose kids to academy as you say. But over time, your safest best would be GPS and NEFC (but you need to get on the 1st team at some point).

      You can do some/lots of it yourself by going to college ID/summer camps when the time comes. But what I wouldn't do is settle for playing on a mediocre club and HS team (mediocre HS team is OK, but not both). And your kid has time.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
        If kid is good enough, he can be seen at any club and any school. Assuming that's not the case:

        1. ISL doesn't necessarily get you seen. If he plays for one of the better teams (right now, Milton or Lawrence), he'll get some looks. One question is what your high school team looks like- this might drive a decision to go ISL or catholic school or otherwise look outside of town.

        2. Check the standings to see who the "good" club teams in NPL are for your age group. Granted that those teams might be most likely to lose kids to academy as you say. But over time, your safest best would be GPS and NEFC (but you need to get on the 1st team at some point).

        You can do some/lots of it yourself by going to college ID/summer camps when the time comes. But what I wouldn't do is settle for playing on a mediocre club and HS team (mediocre HS team is OK, but not both). And your kid has time.
        Going to the right ISL or non ISL team, will get you seen.

        I was at the Berkshire/South Kent game and there were over a dozen college coaches checking out the talent on both teams. In ISL I would expect that Milton has similar experiences

        Comment


          #5
          ID

          Parent of a senior here. Son has had interest from a few D1s, but he's much more interested in the stronger academic schools, and playing higher D3 soccer. Has had several verbal offers, for whatever they're worth, but waiting for final admissions decision at his top choice before counting any chickens.

          I'm writing because he's played for strong clubs and a strong HS, but was contacted by coaches more through ID camps than anything else. I was blindsided by the concept of ID camps, and hadn't properly budgeted or planned for them. They are EXPENSIVE, but if your child chooses wisely and has reasonable expectations, it seems ID camps can be very instrumental in getting a player on the radar of the schools in which he/she is interested.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
            I am looking for some guidance as to the correct non-academy path to College soccer. My son is U13 and on an elite club team but that will change when some leave for the academies (or think they can make it). My end game is simple he wants to play college soccer, scholarship or not and at this point all divisions are fair game. He has no grand ideas that he will play beyond college. That said he is an excellent elite club player but probably not made for one of the two academies.

            So what is our path, pay for ISL? Play club but which one? Where will he be seen by the college scouts? What clubs make that possible at the older age groups?

            Any advice or actual experiences would be greatly appreciated.
            The NEPSAC and NEFC route seems to be the best non-DAP path to D1 for boys. There have been several kids that have earned scholarships to great schools (BC, Colgate, Bryant, WPI, Colby, to name a few) in recent years.

            I say NEFC, but FC Stars or GPS are other top clubs that will get exposure. My advice would be to get your kid on the very club best team possible. That way he will play with and against the best in his age group. He will also get into the top brackets at showcase tournaments.

            For prep schools, it's not quite as important to be with the very best team since most of the showcases are club tournaments. But you do want to find a school that is NEPSAC class A or B that offers the best opportunity for playing time and best financial aid package. Visit and apply to at least 3 schools so you have some negotiating leverage.

            There are a lot of up and coming prep soccer programs looking to compete with the likes of LA, SK, Berkshire, MA and seeking out good club players. Go look at the NEPSAC tournament seeds and start there.

            Comment


              #7
              ?? For parents of HS Jr. And Sr. Boys

              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
              Parent of a senior here. Son has had interest from a few D1s, but he's much more interested in the stronger academic schools, and playing higher D3 soccer. Has had several verbal offers, for whatever they're worth, but waiting for final admissions decision at his top choice before counting any chickens.
              .
              For the D1 schools, are they offering full scholarship? And I thought most all D1 commitments and NLIs have been completed by now. If they are offering full ride, that must be tough as a parent to turn away free money and not having to financially support your kid for 4 years. But it sounds like you might see the big picture, happy student=happy life.

              Comment


                #8
                I can only add a nuance to the prep school suggestion. A prep school coach can be very well connected too, so the class etc of the school is not the only thing to look for. (I was told this by the head of college advising at a top 10 prep school, and this has been confirmed by my son, who attends a Class C school. My son just told me the coach was recommending 2 players to UNC. This is a coach who's been in place for something like 30 years and has built up credibility with college coaches -- in other words, his recommendation means something).

                That same head of college advising told me that the college coaches watching their games mostly came to see Right To Dream kids. However, if your boy catches their eye, you can benefit too.

                Comment


                  #9
                  top prep soccer schools= better, more qualities touches on the ball as long as he gets to play and NEPSAC tournament exposure- he may need to earn his way to more playing time. Strong spring soccer club program with tournaments is a must too. find both AND if your son is talented and dedicated, they will find him

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Go for the right fit in terms of the college aside from athletics. Athletics is generally not a sufficient reason to attend a college. The same holds true when selecting a HS.

                    Networking by your child, not the parents is what gets one seen by college coaches. Helicopter parents will usually cause a coach to instantly lose interest in the player.

                    Don't eschew the possibilities of walking on. Even fully funded programs don't have money for all of the players. Most of the players receive nothing in terms of athletic money, even at the well known D1's.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Agreed that there are lots of nuances.

                      Can be big differences between the ISL schools, and between the other NEPSAC schools, etc. If it's just about soccer, you might go Berkshire or South Kent. If it's about soccer and top academics, you might go Milton or Phillips Andover.

                      You could go to Groton where the academics are world class and the soccer is maybe just OK (but the kid better be smart), and you'll still get to play Milton. And if your kid is really good, he'll make the all-star game (which will be crawling with college coaches). But other than some limited circumstances (you play for Milton, Berkshire, SKS, the all-star games, the prep Showcase), the college coach action is mostly at club.

                      Agree that thinking about a substantial athletic scholarship for D1 boys soccer is misguided for all but a very few. But I'd be careful about the "walk on" terminology. Just because a kid doesn't get an athletic scholarship/sign a NLI doesn't necessarily mean a kid wasn't "recruited"/promised a spot on the team. Lots of the roster isn't getting athletic money, but I don't think most people would consider that a "walk on."

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by OB1 View Post
                        Go for the right fit in terms of the college aside from athletics. Athletics is generally not a sufficient reason to attend a college. The same holds true when selecting a HS.

                        Networking by your child, not the parents is what gets one seen by college coaches. Helicopter parents will usually cause a coach to instantly lose interest in the player.

                        Don't eschew the possibilities of walking on. Even fully funded programs don't have money for all of the players. Most of the players receive nothing in terms of athletic money, even at the well known D1's.
                        OB1.. they don't want your lecturing about academics, haven't you done enough of that.. everyone gets that it is important.. just not THE most important when your family has already decided to pursue the D1 world. What the OP is asking is for the mechanics of how to go about doing what they want to do. Please leave the value judgments for them to figure out themselves for once.

                        Here is a couple of pointers.

                        Spend a lot of time vetting the "work" conditions your child will potentially be going into with the understanding that at that level its a business and your child is more employee than student. The NCAA has rules and reporting about academic success that can be exploited BOTH ways but nothing will turn an unmotivated student into a Rhodes Scholar. As a parent, your greatest fear should be that your child will be seduced onto the "dummy track" by an institutional machine that is penalized for not pushing athletes through.

                        The scholarship money works the inverse of the shoot for the stars mentality so often espoused here. You will get a better financial package by going backwards in the soccer and or academic rankings, not forwards. IF the money is a factor, what you want to find is the situations where your child is viewed as a superstar soccer player AND a top of the admissions pool student because that is where you will get the most amount of money. This is where the old expression, "there's a butt for every seat" applies. The trick is find that seat, where ever that may be.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                          Agreed that there are lots of nuances.

                          Can be big differences between the ISL schools, and between the other NEPSAC schools, etc. If it's just about soccer, you might go Berkshire or South Kent. If it's about soccer and top academics, you might go Milton or Phillips Andover.

                          You could go to Groton where the academics are world class and the soccer is maybe just OK (but the kid better be smart), and you'll still get to play Milton. And if your kid is really good, he'll make the all-star game (which will be crawling with college coaches). But other than some limited circumstances (you play for Milton, Berkshire, SKS, the all-star games, the prep Showcase), the college coach action is mostly at club.

                          Agree that thinking about a substantial athletic scholarship for D1 boys soccer is misguided for all but a very few. But I'd be careful about the "walk on" terminology. Just because a kid doesn't get an athletic scholarship/sign a NLI doesn't necessarily mean a kid wasn't "recruited"/promised a spot on the team. Lots of the roster isn't getting athletic money, but I don't think most people would consider that a "walk on."
                          What an ISL school will do is prepare the soccer player for the academic environment they will find in college. It will give them the tools they will need to be successful at presumably a top flight college while having one academic hand tied behind their back.

                          The prep schools do have good soccer but they really aren't an exposure machine. Typically the big time soccer players end up at ISL type schools because they already have big time resumes and those types of schools like to accumulate gifted kids. Typically one is not going to build a resume comparable to a big time soccer players simply playing in one of those programs. It is sort of the cart before the horse type of thinking.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                            For the D1 schools, are they offering full scholarship? And I thought most all D1 commitments and NLIs have been completed by now. If they are offering full ride, that must be tough as a parent to turn away free money and not having to financially support your kid for 4 years. But it sounds like you might see the big picture, happy student=happy life.
                            Very few male players get full rides especially any below academy level players. Often with D1 (and D3 doebthat matter ) you can get a bether package with academic and financial aid. Grades are key.

                            As for going the prep school route only if that is his academic choice and you can aford it. Don't do it just for soccer. It's a pricey way to go and finding a quality club that goes to lots of tournaments can accomplish similar results.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                              I am looking for some guidance as to the correct non-academy path to College soccer. My son is U13 and on an elite club team but that will change when some leave for the academies (or think they can make it). My end game is simple he wants to play college soccer, scholarship or not and at this point all divisions are fair game. He has no grand ideas that he will play beyond college. That said he is an excellent elite club player but probably not made for one of the two academies.

                              So what is our path, pay for ISL? Play club but which one? Where will he be seen by the college scouts? What clubs make that possible at the older age groups?

                              Any advice or actual experiences would be greatly appreciated.
                              Check out milton academy if you go private school.

                              Comment

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