College Soccer Summer Camps

[Unregistered]

Great point. Lots of summer soccer camps to be seen...just need to do your homework.

Someone mentioned the NESCACs have short (1-2 day) camps for player identification. These are great for just that propose. Your kid will be seen and will know at the end if there is any interest from that college. Great way to manage the process and also start the most important part of the recruitment game: what level is your kid in terms of soccer ability. Here is my take on 5 tiers:

- a High D1 player (you know who you are)
- a Mid D1 player (still a very good player -- many kids who could make a Top 50 team go here so they can play)
- a low D1, Ivy, and D2 player (kids with some issue that keeps them from the top 2 levels)
- a top D3 player (tricky thing here is that most of the Top 25 programs are very strong academically)
- rest of D3 -- this is the total crapshoot, from OK soccer to teams who would lose easily to a good club team

And how do you know exactly which tier your kid is?

[Unregistered]

And how do you know exactly which tier your kid is?

duh, top div 1

[Unregistered]

Great point. Lots of summer soccer camps to be seen...just need to do your homework.

Someone mentioned the NESCACs have short (1-2 day) camps for player identification. These are great for just that propose. Your kid will be seen and will know at the end if there is any interest from that college. Great way to manage the process and also start the most important part of the recruitment game: what level is your kid in terms of soccer ability. Here is my take on 5 tiers:

- a High D1 player (you know who you are)
- a Mid D1 player (still a very good player -- many kids who could make a Top 50 team go here so they can play)
- a low D1, Ivy, and D2 player (kids with some issue that keeps them from the top 2 levels)
- a top D3 player (tricky thing here is that most of the Top 25 programs are very strong academically)
- rest of D3 -- this is the total crapshoot, from OK soccer to teams who would lose easily to a good club team

Not surprisingly, the D1 bias shows itself again.

The top D3 players are usually good enough to play D1 somewhere, even if only Ivy. They chose D3 for many different reasons, academics (the D3 school being "better" than the D1), sports/life balance (D1 commmitment is different than D3), opportunity to be an impact player, opportunity to play more than one sport, etc.)

There are multiple levels of D3 recruits. The top teams from the top conferences look at players quite a bit different than the second and third tier D3 schools. Unfair to lump all the D3 together like that.

Of course, until reality hits you and your little Mia you probably have the illusion you are in the top 2 or 3 categories. Reality check, most club players are not! What are there, maybee 30 kids a year from Mass going D1? How many club soccer players are there in each year? You do the math.

[Unregistered]

Not surprisingly, the D1 bias shows itself again.

The top D3 players are usually good enough to play D1 somewhere, even if only Ivy. They chose D3 for many different reasons, academics (the D3 school being "better" than the D1), sports/life balance (D1 commmitment is different than D3), opportunity to be an impact player, opportunity to play more than one sport, etc.)

There are multiple levels of D3 recruits. The top teams from the top conferences look at players quite a bit different than the second and third tier D3 schools. Unfair to lump all the D3 together like that.

Of course, until reality hits you and your little Mia you probably have the illusion you are in the top 2 or 3 categories. Reality check, most club players are not! What are there, maybee 30 kids a year from Mass going D1? How many club soccer players are there in each year? You do the math.

If you are getting calls and emails from D1 coaches, then you know who are.

If you are getting calls from D2 and D3 coaches, then you know who you are.

Does that help?

[Unregistered]

If you are getting calls and emails from D1 coaches, then you know who are.

If you are getting calls from D2 and D3 coaches, then you know who you are.

Does that help?

Further reality check. For most D3 players, you cannot rely on the coaches to find you. You need to identify the schools of interest to you and seek out the coaches.

[Unregistered]

Further reality check. Take the D3 Final Top 25 last year. 10 are in the Northeast/New England area: Messiah, New Jersey, Johns Hopkins, Williams, Ithaca, Rowan, William Smith, Middlebury, Rochester, and Amherst. We know a little bit about kids on a few of these teams. Check those Freshmen out -- most played on top club teams, were high school conference all-stars/MVPs, and some ODP kids. So yes, top level D3 soccer teams are very good.

[beentheredonethat]

You are correct in that most of the larger D1 camps have coaches from a lot of other schools. However, whether a player actually gets seen by a specific coach depends very much on the format of the particular camp. For example, at the Dartmouth camp mentioned earlier, they have a lot of D3 coaches. However, each player is assigned to a team with a specific coach. If that coach happens to be from a school that you are interested in, you are in luck! However, if the coach is from a school that you are not interested in (or who is not interested in you) then you are out of luck. Yes, you will be seen briefly by other coaches when your team scrimmages another team but given the size of the camp the majority of coaches will not see you play. So, let's say your kid is interested in Tufts and goes to the Dartmouth camp because Coach Whiting is a coach there. She goes to camp and is assigned to a team coached by the UNH assistant coach. During the 3 days of camp her team scrimmages teams coached by the Williams coach, the Bowdoin coach and the Skidmore coach. The Tufts coach hasn't seen her play once during the camp.

Shame on your player if they do not go up to a coach from a school that they are interested in to introduce themselves and express their interest. Under a camp scenario a coach would have to be pretty lazy to not find a few minutes during the camp to watch them play to form an assessment of their appropriateness for their program. Sadly if your kid can't catch a coaches attention in a few minutes they are not a likely candidate for their level of play.

One of the things we learned during my daughter's recruitment was that relationships are a very important part of the process. Do not underestimate just how important a good solid first impression formed by a kid walking up and introducing themselves can be.

And how do you know exactly which tier your kid is?

If your kid has made the regional pool or been "identified" by some other means you will know it. These are the top D1 prospects. If that is not your kid but they are one that parents leave a game routinely talking positively about, they are probably a mid tier D1 prospect. If your kid can be on the field with these types of players and not embarass themselves by making mistakes or getting physically overwhelmed they are probably a low level D1, D2 player. While there most certainly are exceptions to this rule, D3 prospects are the rank and file club level starter who either has a hole in their game or they are a bit to slow or small.

[Unregistered]

Shame on your player if they do not go up to a coach from a school that they are interested in to introduce themselves and express their interest. Under a camp scenario a coach would have to be pretty lazy to not find a few minutes during the camp to watch them play to form an assessment of their appropriateness for their program. Sadly if your kid can't catch a coaches attention in a few minutes they are not a likely candidate for their level of play.

One of the things we learned during my daughter's recruitment was that relationships are a very important part of the process. Do not underestimate just how important a good solid first impression formed by a kid walking up and introducing themselves can be.



If your kid has made the regional pool or been "identified" by some other means you will know it. These are the top D1 prospects. If that is not your kid but they are one that parents leave a game routinely talking positively about, they are probably a mid tier D1 prospect. If your kid can be on the field with these types of players and not embarass themselves by making mistakes or getting physically overwhelmed they are probably a low level D1, D2 player. While there most certainly are exceptions to this rule, D3 prospects are the rank and file club level starter who either has a hole in their game or they are a bit to slow or small.

How do you get identified if you didn't do ODP or play on a top travel team?

[Unregistered]

Shame on your player if they do not go up to a coach from a school that they are interested in to introduce themselves and express their interest. Under a camp scenario a coach would have to be pretty lazy to not find a few minutes during the camp to watch them play to form an assessment of their appropriateness for their program. Sadly if your kid can't catch a coaches attention in a few minutes they are not a likely candidate for their level of play.

One of the things we learned during my daughter's recruitment was that relationships are a very important part of the process. Do not underestimate just how important a good solid first impression formed by a kid walking up and introducing themselves can be.



If your kid has made the regional pool or been "identified" by some other means you will know it. These are the top D1 prospects. If that is not your kid but they are one that parents leave a game routinely talking positively about, they are probably a mid tier D1 prospect. If your kid can be on the field with these types of players and not embarass themselves by making mistakes or getting physically overwhelmed they are probably a low level D1, D2 player. While there most certainly are exceptions to this rule, D3 prospects are the rank and file club level starter who either has a hole in their game or they are a bit to slow or small.

Well said. And in our kids process, it was amazing that teven the low-tier D1 schools still have kids that are really, really good. The trickle down factor is really powerful: "I can't play a lot at top D1 school so I will go to the Patriot league #6 team and be a major contributor". And that kid is very good.

[Unregistered]

How to get ID'd

How do you get identified if you didn't do ODP or play on a top travel team?

If you don't play ODP/DAP or play on a top tier travel team then your best bet to get ID'd is to do both summer camps (1 day or full camps) or sign up to be a guest player at one of the major college showcase tournaments. If you find the right camp and the right team to be a guest player for then you will have the opportunity to be seen, then it's up to the player to get it done when he/she gets their chance in front of the college coaches. You have to do your homework on what camps you go to and what team to be a guest player for (will I be a starter, 13th player or 18th player at the tournament). I've had both of my children (daughter and son) play as guest players at some national college showcase tournaments were they played well and were ID'd and contacted by many college coaches. This route is not the typical route taken, however if you don't have access to either ODP/DAP or a top tier travel Club team and your player is good enough then this is another way. It certainly worked out well for us.

[Unregistered]

If you are getting calls and emails from D1 coaches, then you know who are.

If you are getting calls from D2 and D3 coaches, then you know who you are.

Does that help?

What if you are hearing fro coaches at all 3 levels?

[Unregistered]

What if you are hearing fro coaches at all 3 levels?

Simple! Choose the school that offers the best fit academically and athletically.

Oh, and congratulations! Choice is a wonderful thing!

[Unregistered]

Back to the topic of college camps.

The schedules for these camps appear to be pretty intense. Typical schedule is 3 sessions a day including an 11v11 scrimmage in the evening. Any concerns about overuse, injury, etc.? In addition, it's been very hot and humid this summer which must make things even harder on the bodies of the players. Are the coaches trying to assess the fitness level? Is it a survival of the fittest?

[Unregistered]

This is all good info. Does anyone have info on the Bowdoin camp?

Smaller. At the Bowdoin camp, you will be seen by Bowdoin. A great idea if you have already settled on it for first choice AND if realistically a player is going to have the academic cred to get in. There are probably few other coaches there.

Contrast with a dartmouth camp where even if you aren't in the "select group" that Dartmouth is looking at, there are probabaly half a dozen or so D3 coaaches who will pay attention to a good player.

[Unregistered]

Contrast with a dartmouth camp where even if you aren't in the "select group" that Dartmouth is looking at, there are probabaly half a dozen or so D3 coaaches who will pay attention to a good player.

That's not what I've heard. Yes, there are a lot of D3 and D1 coaches there and this is undoubtedly part of the draw. Because of the way the camp is organized (each coach trains only one group; coaches don't rotate; sessions runs concurrently) you will only be seen by a few coaches. Don't be misled. There is a real risk that you could go to the camp and the coach you are hoping will see you just won't physically be able to do so.