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    Soccer and Education

    Have a question to pose regarding our kids playing at the college level:

    Say your son or daughter can get into any school in Florida based on their academics. Between Bright Futures, Florida Prepaid and most likely some help from the school based on merit there would be little or no additional out of pocket expenses for a 4/5 year degree.

    Your son or daughter is also a decent ECNL/DA or ODP State soccer player but not an ascending National Leaguer with aspirations of going pro or making the US team.

    Given the choice of going to a top rated school like UF (ranked 37th nationally) and not play soccer or going to to a school like USF (not ranked nationally or at least not in the top 100) and play soccer; what choice would you want your kid making?

    USF is not a bad school and I am not bashing it; feel free to plug in any other example; GT over GA, Auburn over Alabama, Stanford over USC.

    Point being, how would YOU guide your kid when they love a game they have been playing since the 4th grade and still have a chance to play competitively a little longer or look toward the long term future professionally. No one wants their kid to have regrets but an Engineering Degree from UF does carry more weight and opens more doors than Engineering degree from one from the other Florida schools; at least for the time being.

    #2
    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
    Have a question to pose regarding our kids playing at the college level:

    Say your son or daughter can get into any school in Florida based on their academics. Between Bright Futures, Florida Prepaid and most likely some help from the school based on merit there would be little or no additional out of pocket expenses for a 4/5 year degree.

    Your son or daughter is also a decent ECNL/DA or ODP State soccer player but not an ascending National Leaguer with aspirations of going pro or making the US team.

    Given the choice of going to a top rated school like UF (ranked 37th nationally) and not play soccer or going to to a school like USF (not ranked nationally or at least not in the top 100) and play soccer; what choice would you want your kid making?

    USF is not a bad school and I am not bashing it; feel free to plug in any other example; GT over GA, Auburn over Alabama, Stanford over USC.

    Point being, how would YOU guide your kid when they love a game they have been playing since the 4th grade and still have a chance to play competitively a little longer or look toward the long term future professionally. No one wants their kid to have regrets but an Engineering Degree from UF does carry more weight and opens more doors than Engineering degree from one from the other Florida schools; at least for the time being.
    The education is much more important. There is a myriad of examples of athletes who invested everything into a sport and were cut or got injured, leaving them with nothing.

    Comment


      #3
      If they want to play, go play. Education anywhere is what the kid makes of it. I guarantee there are kids at UF receiving lousy educational experiences and kids at USF excelling. Go after the "prestigious school" for post-graduate work.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
        Have a question to pose regarding our kids playing at the college level:

        Say your son or daughter can get into any school in Florida based on their academics. Between Bright Futures, Florida Prepaid and most likely some help from the school based on merit there would be little or no additional out of pocket expenses for a 4/5 year degree.

        Your son or daughter is also a decent ECNL/DA or ODP State soccer player but not an ascending National Leaguer with aspirations of going pro or making the US team.

        Given the choice of going to a top rated school like UF (ranked 37th nationally) and not play soccer or going to to a school like USF (not ranked nationally or at least not in the top 100) and play soccer; what choice would you want your kid making?

        USF is not a bad school and I am not bashing it; feel free to plug in any other example; GT over GA, Auburn over Alabama, Stanford over USC.

        Point being, how would YOU guide your kid when they love a game they have been playing since the 4th grade and still have a chance to play competitively a little longer or look toward the long term future professionally. No one wants their kid to have regrets but an Engineering Degree from UF does carry more weight and opens more doors than Engineering degree from one from the other Florida schools; at least for the time being.
        There are very few kids that could make the men's USF soccer team. The real question is do you have your kid go to a FL state school which will cost you very little or send them to a private school at $40K per year so they can keep playing soccer. (This is more a boys' situation than girls)

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
          Have a question to pose regarding our kids playing at the college level:

          Say your son or daughter can get into any school in Florida based on their academics. Between Bright Futures, Florida Prepaid and most likely some help from the school based on merit there would be little or no additional out of pocket expenses for a 4/5 year degree.

          Your son or daughter is also a decent ECNL/DA or ODP State soccer player but not an ascending National Leaguer with aspirations of going pro or making the US team.

          Given the choice of going to a top rated school like UF (ranked 37th nationally) and not play soccer or going to to a school like USF (not ranked nationally or at least not in the top 100) and play soccer; what choice would you want your kid making?

          USF is not a bad school and I am not bashing it; feel free to plug in any other example; GT over GA, Auburn over Alabama, Stanford over USC.

          Point being, how would YOU guide your kid when they love a game they have been playing since the 4th grade and still have a chance to play competitively a little longer or look toward the long term future professionally. No one wants their kid to have regrets but an Engineering Degree from UF does carry more weight and opens more doors than Engineering degree from one from the other Florida schools; at least for the time being.
          YOur hypothetical makes no sense and I thnkk is not based on any sort of reality you are facing. IF your kid is good enough academically to get into UF and has good enough soccer to get into USF program, then you should be looking higher. USF soccer is no joke and a kid that is at the academic/soccer levels you are mentioning should be targeting top national D1 schools with top academics.

          The bigger issue is why the f*** doesn't the SEC offer men's soccer .....

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
            There are very few kids that could make the men's USF soccer team. The real question is do you have your kid go to a FL state school which will cost you very little or send them to a private school at $40K per year so they can keep playing soccer. (This is more a boys' situation than girls)
            USF Men's roster is like a revolving door of kids who transfer out of frustration. I would say no one is "excelling" there. If a kid is a good enough player he should be able to find a school that fits him personally from both academic and athletic standpoints. Kids should be excited about the campus environment they're committing to. If he doesn't like the school he won't be happy playing there. Maybe a smaller, out of state school would fit better and offer enough to make it attractive. Otherwise, if he's not a strong enough player to get sufficient offers, it's time to move on. Go Gators.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
              .

              The bigger issue is why the f*** doesn't the SEC offer men's soccer .....
              You can thank title 9 for that.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                You can thank title 9 for that.
                no doubt .. the road to hell is paved with unintended consequences

                lots of talent in florida, Georgia, the Carolinas. shame so many of these boys cant stay close to home and play.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                  If they want to play, go play. Education anywhere is what the kid makes of it. I guarantee there are kids at UF receiving lousy educational experiences and kids at USF excelling. Go after the "prestigious school" for post-graduate work.
                  This!

                  I'm an engineer and I didn't go to UF. I haven't found that they are particularly any better or worse than other engineers trained at other Florida schools. They supposedly have a better alumni network, but that's also dependent on how involved you are.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                    YOur hypothetical makes no sense and I thnkk is not based on any sort of reality you are facing. IF your kid is good enough academically to get into UF and has good enough soccer to get into USF program, then you should be looking higher. USF soccer is no joke and a kid that is at the academic/soccer levels you are mentioning should be targeting top national D1 schools with top academics.

                    The bigger issue is why the f*** doesn't the SEC offer men's soccer .....
                    If you take a moment to re-read the post you will see I as attempting to be a little ambiguous for some personal reasons but to be a little more specific, it is my daughter going to UF and not playing soccer vs another D1 school in Florida also offering Engineering but not ranked in the top 100 nationally for Engineering as UF is. I am a Nole so believe me this hard enough to contemplate as it is.

                    The actual school is not relevant but suffice to say it not a perennial contender for an NCAA championship like UF or FSU. True, it is not easy talking about one college being better than another in Florida without upsetting someone.

                    The rest of my comment is quite accurate.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                      If you take a moment to re-read the post you will see I as attempting to be a little ambiguous for some personal reasons but to be a little more specific, it is my daughter going to UF and not playing soccer vs another D1 school in Florida also offering Engineering but not ranked in the top 100 nationally for Engineering as UF is. I am a Nole so believe me this hard enough to contemplate as it is.

                      The actual school is not relevant but suffice to say it not a perennial contender for an NCAA championship like UF or FSU. True, it is not easy talking about one college being better than another in Florida without upsetting someone.

                      The rest of my comment is quite accurate.
                      Response was made assuming men's soccer. sorry for the assumption. women's is another world when it comes to college. Good luck.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                        If they want to play, go play. Education anywhere is what the kid makes of it. I guarantee there are kids at UF receiving lousy educational experiences and kids at USF excelling. Go after the "prestigious school" for post-graduate work.
                        Well based on the posters scenarios sure - Stanford vs USC? Either an excellent choice so then it comes down to things like majors offered, campus environment, liklehood of playing.

                        I think the more likely scenario is an athlete may have choices where the soccer is excellent but not necessarily the academics (or vice versa) - case in point West VA last year was #1. I'm sure it's a perfectly fine institution for a state school in a small state. But if your student can attend Northwestern (#24 NCAA) or Boston College (#61) or George Washington (#97)? The choice is clear - at least for me. Or attend a top notch D3 school like Univ Chicago, Emory, Williams? Yes there are many excellent D1 schools, some of which are also top soccer programs. But definitely not all . Add the conundrum of whether you want D3 or D1 and suddenly there's an exponential set of options to sift through.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          gold

                          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                          Well based on the posters scenarios sure - Stanford vs USC? Either an excellent choice so then it comes down to things like majors offered, campus environment, liklehood of playing.

                          I think the more likely scenario is an athlete may have choices where the soccer is excellent but not necessarily the academics (or vice versa) - case in point West VA last year was #1. I'm sure it's a perfectly fine institution for a state school in a small state. But if your student can attend Northwestern (#24 NCAA) or Boston College (#61) or George Washington (#97)? The choice is clear - at least for me. Or attend a top notch D3 school like Univ Chicago, Emory, Williams? Yes there are many excellent D1 schools, some of which are also top soccer programs. But definitely not all . Add the conundrum of whether you want D3 or D1 and suddenly there's an exponential set of options to sift through.
                          I am ranking by academics not athletics. The Stanford/USC comparison was an attempt to add other options as reference within a specific state. The economics of being in state weigh heavy for us as Fl prepaid, Bright Futures, along with what I am comfortable is available with a strong academic showing.

                          Out of State adds a whole other variable. Given the opportunity to George Washington, Chicago or a D3 like Carnegie or NYU would for "almost free" would not even be debatable to me.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                            I am ranking by academics not athletics. The Stanford/USC comparison was an attempt to add other options as reference within a specific state. The economics of being in state weigh heavy for us as Fl prepaid, Bright Futures, along with what I am comfortable is available with a strong academic showing.

                            Out of State adds a whole other variable. Given the opportunity to George Washington, Chicago or a D3 like Carnegie or NYU would for "almost free" would not even be debatable to me.
                            There's a lot to be said for graduating with no debt and not being stressed about money for the four years they're there. Especially if your child thinks they may go to grad school at some point - which is almost required for many professions now - then being debt free gives them a great ability to do so. And if grad school is in the cards then being at a top notch grad school matters more than where you went undergrad. Get great grads, land good internships etc. Also depends on personal preferences - eg. most FL schools are gigantic. Some students thrive in that environment while others will do better at a smaller school. If you have an athlete, the competition for PT and staying on the team at a big state school will be VERY intense. A smaller school improves the odds of being a real contributor.

                            It's true that much of it is what you make of it. I know some wealthy people who went to garbage schools, and non wealthy people that graduated from top institutions. That said always reach for the highest academic level attainable while still in a financial situation everyone is comfortable with. It's ok for students to take on a little debt and own a piece of it. But it should be small. Parents should never risk their retirement or cosign loans to send their kids to school either. If you have the money to help that's great, but don't risk your financial future for it.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              I have reviewed a lot of resumes in my time and I rarely look at the school they went to-just need to check that education box in a lot of cases. Having varied interests on your resume is always more important to me when evaluating an applicant. Playing a team sport like soccer at the college level tells me a lot about their time management skills, dedication, work ethic, ability to work with others, etc.

                              Comment

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