Recruiting Tips for Parents Just Starting the Process

EastBay, for the top D3's 8th grade is too early for the coach but might help the player narrow down schools and campuses they want to focus on. Kids have plenty of time for those schools and Sophomore year is a good time to start but early Junior year is not too late.

Also, ECNL and DA are not needed for top academic D3's. I would actually argue they are overkill for that level of soccer. Coaches can see the recruits play in many venues and especially want to see them at their own ID camps/clinics more so than any showcase.

We had 10 players collect over 30 0ffers. We did not play in ECNL and heck we were only in CSL Premier for one season. Our kids played and enjoyed Nomads three times, Vegas three times and went to specific, small college ID camps. Some of our players guested in Surf, Davis and Jefferson Cup. That was fun too.

This is useful. I am much more concerned with the academic side than whether it is D1,D2 or D3. They should be in school for the education not the soccer.
 
This is useful. I am much more concerned with the academic side than whether it is D1,D2 or D3. They should be in school for the education not the soccer.
Thanks ChargerFan You make a good point and I agree but I also think each family may feel different about how to balance the two. I think every kid has their own journey.

My main point is that the path and timing for D3 is very different than for D1. No need to panic if kid is focused on academic D3 schools and kid is a sophomore or junior in HS and not playing ecnl or da.
 
Thanks ChargerFan You make a good point and I agree but I also think each family may feel different about how to balance the two. I think every kid has their own journey.

My main point is that the path and timing for D3 is very different than for D1. No need to panic if kid is focused on academic D3 schools and kid is a sophomore or junior in HS and not playing ecnl or da.

We are a couple of years away but I am glad to be getting all of this insight now instead of later. Thanks for sharing.
 
Plenty of time for D3 programs. They understand D1 goes first and they let the craziness clear before they invest time in their recruiting process.

AT the current accelerated rate D1 is done as early as the sophomore year up to the summer before their senior year. Obviously the top programs can fill up faster and it would not surprise me if places like Stanford will be done at the end of the freshman year in the years to come. And Texas will likely be giving offers at age 10 soon!!!!

I'm not a fan of committing early but it is what it is. There's a lot of mental growth that needs to take place before those kinds of decisions are made.
 
Plenty of time for D3 programs. They understand D1 goes first and they let the craziness clear before they invest time in their recruiting process.

AT the current accelerated rate D1 is done as early as the sophomore year up to the summer before their senior year. Obviously the top programs can fill up faster and it would not surprise me if places like Stanford will be done at the end of the freshman year in the years to come. And Texas will likely be giving offers at age 10 soon!!!!

I'm not a fan of committing early but it is what it is. There's a lot of mental growth that needs to take place before those kinds of decisions are made.

Each school can have their own plan, but the real question is, especially for those top schools recruiting early, what is their hit to miss ratio. If they are hitting at a high rate, then their formula works, if not then they have a problem.

However, since the same powerhouses have top teams year in and year out, it looks like they hit more than they miss. Also, if they were routinely missing out on late bloomers, wouldn't you see stud players popping up from non traditional powerhouses more often?
 
Each school can have their own plan, but the real question is, especially for those top schools recruiting early, what is their hit to miss ratio. If they are hitting at a high rate, then their formula works, if not then they have a problem.

However, since the same powerhouses have top teams year in and year out, it looks like they hit more than they miss. Also, if they were routinely missing out on late bloomers, wouldn't you see stud players popping up from non traditional powerhouses more often?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and sometimes players just fly below the radar. Now I am by no way insinuating that it happens all the time but every year players pop up that nobody has heard of and the make waves nationally.
 
I think when you have 36 on your roster you just have to be right 50% of the time.
IMO the if the recruiting is good then top programs should always be on top ( i.e. Stanford, Florida state, UNC, etc).

Then you have Cal Poly. Great school that underachieves IMO. Clearly their recruiting if below average and they miss more than they hit. .
 
have to agree with cali...my daughter went with 2 teammates last year and i saw backpacks from a bunch of other clubs. btw, my kid isn't a poser, and it's kinda disrespectful for you to say that. she was nervous last year, but is going back with more confidence this time.

Your kid sure sounds like a poser.
 
Plenty of time for D3 programs. They understand D1 goes first and they let the craziness clear before they invest time in their recruiting process.

AT the current accelerated rate D1 is done as early as the sophomore year up to the summer before their senior year. Obviously the top programs can fill up faster and it would not surprise me if places like Stanford will be done at the end of the freshman year in the years to come. And Texas will likely be giving offers at age 10 soon!!!!

I'm not a fan of committing early but it is what it is. There's a lot of mental growth that needs to take place before those kinds of decisions are made.
EastBayS I hear you but I am not sure about D3 waiting for D1's to do anything. The D3's cannot offer athletic scholarships and I believe the regulations for recruiting are different from D1. Also, D3's do not offer athletic money. They really have to wait for grades and scores to justify acceptance to the admissions committee.

Regarding D1 timing, we had a really nice story with one of our players. She had a dream of playing D1 --almost anywhere. She joined our club for our last season and was waaaaaay behind in the recruiting process. She was zeroed in on by a D1 college in Las Vegas in March 2017 of her senior year. After Vegas she was given practically a full ride to a good D1 school and is training there this summer. It was her dream come true. This tells me that even if a kid is late in the process it can still happen but you may have to be open minded on location etc. She was too late to be considered by the tippy-top D1 teams but she got into a solid school with great resources nevertheless. There is no way she would have discovered this university had it not been for soccer.
 
Never too late for D1 as rising senior but the window is closing really fast and the athletic money just about dry.

You'll get the occasional couldn't hit the act/sat score situation or transfer, but that's far and few between. Women's soccer recruiting is crazy. mark my word Texas will be the first to offer a 7th grader if she's not fired by then.
 
EastBayS I hear you but I am not sure about D3 waiting for D1's to do anything. The D3's cannot offer athletic scholarships and I believe the regulations for recruiting are different from D1. Also, D3's do not offer athletic money. They really have to wait for grades and scores to justify acceptance to the admissions committee.

Regarding D1 timing, we had a really nice story with one of our players. She had a dream of playing D1 --almost anywhere. She joined our club for our last season and was waaaaaay behind in the recruiting process. She was zeroed in on by a D1 college in Las Vegas in March 2017 of her senior year. After Vegas she was given practically a full ride to a good D1 school and is training there this summer. It was her dream come true. This tells me that even if a kid is late in the process it can still happen but you may have to be open minded on location etc. She was too late to be considered by the tippy-top D1 teams but she got into a solid school with great resources nevertheless. There is no way she would have discovered this university had it not been for soccer.

I recently read the story on the SD Surf website about the girl who came back after tearing her ACL I believe soph. year and coming back to tear the other one junior year. Even though she missed out on big recruiting time, she ended up committed to USC senior year.
 
I recently read the story on the SD Surf website about the girl who came back after tearing her ACL I believe soph. year and coming back to tear the other one junior year. Even though she missed out on big recruiting time, she ended up committed to USC senior year.
I'm wondering if you are posting about Madcow's DD who was a frequent poster on the forum. His DD tore her ACL twice and committed her Sr year to USD.
 
I'm wondering if you are posting about Madcow's DD who was a frequent poster on the forum. His DD tore her ACL twice and committed her Sr year to USD.

She is absolutely the sweetest kid. She is a baller. Before she got hurt she was on a great developmental arc. The new USD coach is awesome and she will do well playing for her.
 
I'm wondering if you are posting about Madcow's DD who was a frequent poster on the forum. His DD tore her ACL twice and committed her Sr year to USD.

Maybe... I read it a while ago and probably got some facts messed up.
 
I recently read the story on the SD Surf website about the girl who came back after tearing her ACL I believe soph. year and coming back to tear the other one junior year. Even though she missed out on big recruiting time, she ended up committed to USC senior year.


I know of whom you speak. She was in close contact with USC for years and they loved her so much they accepted her more as a trainer and role model for other players than how many minutes she would be getting on the field due to her injuries. Good story.
 
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