DA Showcase Day One-

Choose to play D3 at an amazing school and get the best of both worlds. Travel is less impactful to the student. There are some great D3 schools for with very competitive sports programs.
 
Just for the sake of argument, let’s say little Susie has excellent grades and can get into the college of her choice. Let’s say little Susie’s family has been saving for her education. How will it benefit little Susie to play college soccer in that scenario? Will it change the trajectory of her future? Honestly curious about your thoughts. My husband played college football. He would rather the kids focus on being full time students rather than be full time athletes who are also students.

Ok, I’m gonna brace myself now for the onslaught.

I venture to say your husband would not be the man he is without the experiences he has had in his life and that includes playing college football. The benefits of being part of a team, the work that it takes to develop your skills, the time spent practicing, competing all have life long benefits and carry over into your life. My dd has excellent grades and we can afford college. Still if she wants to play in college I think the benefits she will receive will last a life time.
 
Just for the sake of argument, let’s say little Susie has excellent grades and can get into the college of her choice. Let’s say little Susie’s family has been saving for her education. How will it benefit little Susie to play college soccer in that scenario? Will it change the trajectory of her future? Honestly curious about your thoughts. My husband played college football. He would rather the kids focus on being full time students rather than be full time athletes who are also students.

Ok, I’m gonna brace myself now for the onslaught.
First of all...does little Susie even want to play soccer? If your kid is at the top of her game and wants to go to Stanford, she has a better chance of getting into the school of her choice as a recruited athlete. Heck Stanford might even give Susie some $$... then you and your husband can get that motor home you've always wanted and travel around the Pac-12 watching her play. Don't know if it will change her future...but yours just got brighter...lol.
 
Just for the sake of argument, let’s say little Susie has excellent grades and can get into the college of her choice. Let’s say little Susie’s family has been saving for her education. How will it benefit little Susie to play college soccer in that scenario? Will it change the trajectory of her future? Honestly curious about your thoughts. My husband played college football. He would rather the kids focus on being full time students rather than be full time athletes who are also students.

Ok, I’m gonna brace myself now for the onslaught.

No onslaught coming your way....at least not from from me. To that, I can only share what ive learned, having gone thru the process, as a parent who's DD was recruited, committed and accepted to play soccer at a Big 3 Ivy (Harvard/Yale/Princeton)

Like your hubby, I've been fortunate to come from a family, really big (physical size & amount) family of American football players who have had the opportunity to play D1 college & in the league (NFL). So from that perspective, the fact that your husband Played ball is great in that your kid has likely benifitted from size, strength or speed.

But when you say "college of choice".....You've got to realize how difficult it is to be accepted by many top universities without having what's called a "hook".

Many parents perceive that if their kid gets good grades, takes this AP, that IB/Honors courses etc, they'll go to any school they want - WRONG. Go look at acceptance rates at top universities (Stanford/Duke/ND, UCLA/Cal and many other NE schools)...extremely low. It is all about having good grades, of meaningful content AND something that what makes your kid unique is what gets your kid into her "College of choice".

In terms of college savings, that's great and prudent as a forward planning parent. But unless you have wealth (not savings, wealth) to contribute enough to build new campus buildings, with your last name on it, it's not enough to pay your way, into her "college of choice".

And lastly, when it comes to top tier academic schools, including phenomenal D3's like MIT/Johns Hopkins/Cal-Tech/Carnegie Mellon and many many more, if soccer is too much of a burden to juggle with the academic load, they can always stop, still attend/graduate from these elite universities because there aren't "athletic based scholarships".

Which is why I commonly Recommend that kids/parents to start with the end on mind, formulate the plan, leverage the game they love/enjoy playing as means of entrance to doors that without, would not have been.

Good luck, to you, your DD, and her journey:)
 
All kidding aside...start the recruiting process early...Freshman year is early enough. Go to viewing tournaments, ID Camps, and ask questions from parents who actually have kids playing at all different levels. D1 is a ruthless business not suited for everyone. D2 and NAIA are a little more lax. D3 doesn't offer athletic funding but does offer financial and academic aid. Obviously the level of soccer will be different. If your DD is looking for academics, soccer with a lower amount of travel and stress...then NAIA or D3 could be their calling. Either way a kid that really wants to continue will find where they belong.
 
Just for the sake of argument, let’s say little Susie has excellent grades and can get into the college of her choice. Let’s say little Susie’s family has been saving for her education. How will it benefit little Susie to play college soccer in that scenario? Will it change the trajectory of her future? Honestly curious about your thoughts. My husband played college football. He would rather the kids focus on being full time students rather than be full time athletes who are also students.

Ok, I’m gonna brace myself now for the onslaught.

Cleats - I just want to clarify "trajectory" of her future.

One of the many great things about this country is that there is an abundant amount of college options. If her "college of her choice is" is a local, Cal-State school....that is a good, close, affordable option. But girls soccer provides a unique opportunity to jump into the Toll Lane entrance, to get into the nations top universities........Ask yourself, would attending a top-tier university change your dd's future trajectory?.....Would it be beneficial, potentially life changing, if your DD could participate, engage, collaborate with students who often lead/revolutionize/create products/ideas that have a meaningful impact on how we live, what we consume and how we think?

If your DD is being recruited, the Trajectory of her future is here......the real questions is how will you guide her;)
 
All kidding aside...start the recruiting process early...Freshman year is early enough. Go to viewing tournaments, ID Camps, and ask questions from parents who actually have kids playing at all different levels. D1 is a ruthless business not suited for everyone. D2 and NAIA are a little more lax. D3 doesn't offer athletic funding but does offer financial and academic aid. Obviously the level of soccer will be different. If your DD is looking for academics, soccer with a lower amount of travel and stress...then NAIA or D3 could be their calling. Either way a kid that really wants to continue will find where they belong.
I asked an honest question...and I got honest and thoughtful answers. Than you!
Zerodenero, I hear you. Sometimes grades, test scores and extracurriculars aren’t enough. Soccer could help her get into a school she might not have gotten in to. And to answer the question “why does she play?” She plays because she loves it, not because she needs to in order to go to college. I am grateful for that.
My husband played football while pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League school. He is a good man and I have no doubt the experience of playing football contributed to the man he is today. These are all points that I have made to my husband when we debate the value of our kids playing college athletics. I think we have a stronger argument. We win-he loses.
 
I asked an honest question...and I got honest and thoughtful answers. Than you!
Zerodenero, I hear you. Sometimes grades, test scores and extracurriculars aren’t enough. Soccer could help her get into a school she might not have gotten in to. And to answer the question “why does she play?” She plays because she loves it, not because she needs to in order to go to college. I am grateful for that.
My husband played football while pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League school. He is a good man and I have no doubt the experience of playing football contributed to the man he is today. These are all points that I have made to my husband when we debate the value of our kids playing college athletics. I think we have a stronger argument. We win-he loses.

Ok- Big factor of missing info was that your kid would be a legacy student...or student-athlete. Which as your hubby knows, does make a difference. Still, her odds are much higher if she is playing in front of platoons of coaches at this weekends FL showcase or others like it.
 
I asked an honest question...and I got honest and thoughtful answers. Than you!
Zerodenero, I hear you. Sometimes grades, test scores and extracurriculars aren’t enough. Soccer could help her get into a school she might not have gotten in to. And to answer the question “why does she play?” She plays because she loves it, not because she needs to in order to go to college. I am grateful for that.
My husband played football while pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League school. He is a good man and I have no doubt the experience of playing football contributed to the man he is today. These are all points that I have made to my husband when we debate the value of our kids playing college athletics. I think we have a stronger argument. We win-he loses.
If she plays the game because she loves it, the game can and will change her trajectory in life. I’m not saying she will go on to play professionally or on the USWNT, but as it has been said, the friendships, memories and life lessons are priceless.

Sounds like you all are on the right path and have the right mindset. Congratulations.
 
Choose to play D3 at an amazing school and get the best of both worlds. Travel is less impactful to the student. There are some great D3 schools for with very competitive sports programs.
If I cross reference that with veterinary medicine I wonder which schools would be on my list?
 
Didn’t finalIze anything.

What a shame it would be for this kids under current DA rules, which there won’t be any change. 06s playing by the sub rules would damage a lot of kids.
 
Ok people. I fell behind on the updates but here they are. Many of the clubs/teams had slight changes in rankings over the course of the weekend.
Didn't dig deep enough to see the changes but if you look at the first day games vs fri/sat games you'll notice slight changes for some.

FRIDAY:
LAFC Slammers (3rd) 2-2 vs Sky Blue NYSC (5th/8-East Conf/Northeast Div)
LAG (13th) 1-2 vs Cedar Stars Academy (5th/8-East Conf/Atlantic Div)
LAPFC (12th) 1-1 vs West Florida Flames (8th/11-East Conf/Southeast Div)
LAGSD (4th) 5-1 vs New York City FC (1st/8-East Conf/Northeast Div)
Blues (1st) 5-1 vs Sockers FC (7th/9-Central Conf/Mid-America Div)
WCFC (7th) 2-3 vs Charlotte Soccer Academy (2nd/11-East Conf/Southeast Div)

SATURDAY:
Beach (3rd) 2-0 vs Orlando Pride (6th/11-East Conf/Southeast Div)
Eagles (14th) 2-1 vs FC Kansas City (9th/9-Central Conf/Frontier Div)
LAFC Slammers (+3rd/6) 1-2 vs Eclipse Select Soccer Club (2nd/9-Central Conf/Mid-America Div)
Pats (+10th/11) 2-0 vs Long Island SC (8th/8-East Conf/Northeast Div)
LAPFC (12th) 0-5 vs Midwest United FC (8th/9-Central Conf/Mid-America Div)
Legends (2nd) 1-0 vs Sky Blue (1st/8-East Conf/Atlantic Div)
Blues (1st) 0-1 vs Solar Soccer Club (2nd/9-Central Conf/Frontier Div)
LAG (13th) 3-0 vs Virginia Development Academy (4th/8-East Conf/Atlantic Div)
LAGSD (4th) 1-1 vs Michigan Hawks (1st/9-Central Conf/Mid-America Div)
Surf (5th) 2-0 vs Penn Fusion Soccer Academy (2nd/8-East Conf/Atlantic Div)
RSC (+9th/10) 0-1 vs FC Virginia (3rd/8-East Conf/Atlantic Div)
Albion (-11th/9) 4-1 vs Sporting Blue Valley (6th/9-Central Conf/Frontier Div)
WCFC (7th) 1-0 vs Nationals (6th/9-Central Conf/Mid-America Div)

4 of our SoCal teams had their final rank change from where they WERE in RED on Day 1.
 
Ok people. I fell behind on the updates but here they are. Many of the clubs/teams had slight changes in rankings over the course of the weekend.
Didn't dig deep enough to see the changes but if you look at the first day games vs fri/sat games you'll notice slight changes for some.

FRIDAY:
LAFC Slammers (3rd) 2-2 vs Sky Blue NYSC (5th/8-East Conf/Northeast Div)
LAG (13th) 1-2 vs Cedar Stars Academy (5th/8-East Conf/Atlantic Div)
LAPFC (12th) 1-1 vs West Florida Flames (8th/11-East Conf/Southeast Div)
LAGSD (4th) 5-1 vs New York City FC (1st/8-East Conf/Northeast Div)
Blues (1st) 5-1 vs Sockers FC (7th/9-Central Conf/Mid-America Div)
WCFC (7th) 2-3 vs Charlotte Soccer Academy (2nd/11-East Conf/Southeast Div)

SATURDAY:
Beach (3rd) 2-0 vs Orlando Pride (6th/11-East Conf/Southeast Div)
Eagles (14th) 2-1 vs FC Kansas City (9th/9-Central Conf/Frontier Div)
LAFC Slammers (+3rd/6) 1-2 vs Eclipse Select Soccer Club (2nd/9-Central Conf/Mid-America Div)
Pats (+10th/11) 2-0 vs Long Island SC (8th/8-East Conf/Northeast Div)
LAPFC (12th) 0-5 vs Midwest United FC (8th/9-Central Conf/Mid-America Div)
Legends (2nd) 1-0 vs Sky Blue (1st/8-East Conf/Atlantic Div)
Blues (1st) 0-1 vs Solar Soccer Club (2nd/9-Central Conf/Frontier Div)
LAG (13th) 3-0 vs Virginia Development Academy (4th/8-East Conf/Atlantic Div)
LAGSD (4th) 1-1 vs Michigan Hawks (1st/9-Central Conf/Mid-America Div)
Surf (5th) 2-0 vs Penn Fusion Soccer Academy (2nd/8-East Conf/Atlantic Div)
RSC (+9th/10) 0-1 vs FC Virginia (3rd/8-East Conf/Atlantic Div)
Albion (-11th/9) 4-1 vs Sporting Blue Valley (6th/9-Central Conf/Frontier Div)
WCFC (7th) 1-0 vs Nationals (6th/9-Central Conf/Mid-America Div)

4 of our SoCal teams had their final rank change from where they WERE in RED on Day 1.

Great work tracking all the scores @pewpew but I’m not sure your final league rankings are correct. Here’s the link to the DA standings on the website http://www.ussoccerda.com/sam/standings/league/standings.php?leagueId=MTAwOA==
 
Some of the matchups were head scratchers. Some teams got a pass. In the 03s, I don’t believe Beach played a single playoff team, whereas clubs below them had higher ranked teams.
 
Some of the matchups were head scratchers. Some teams got a pass. In the 03s, I don’t believe Beach played a single playoff team, whereas clubs below them had higher ranked teams.
Your believes do not match reality, Josep. Beach 03 played Concorde and Cincinnati, both of them were in second position of their brackets before the showcase. Today they are playoff #10 and #15.
 
Your believes do not match reality, Josep. Beach 03 played Concorde and Cincinnati, both of them were in second position of their brackets before the showcase. Today they are playoff #10 and #15.

I stand corrected. Perhaps it was another club that got an easy pass, and I’m mistaking for Beach. There were some bad matchups out there. Good/Bad to count in standing for some clubs.
 
My experience, which is completely anecdotal: I played at a Big 5 great academic school, later worked in athletics in small private, junior college, state school, and large private academic elite (not as a coach). So I have a limited perspective, but have seen a lot.

Yes, a great school can be a springboard to a good career. But it is 75% kid, 25% school. I've seen kids go from junior college to CEO level. And kids at "the best" schools work dead end jobs. It's really where your kid has a good fit, feels comfortable to put themselves out there, fail, try again and succeed and learn to rinse/repeat that for life.

A great, super smart, motivated kid can flail at an IVY or feel lost at a UC. That same kid can thrive at a Cal Poly Pomona and launch themselves into grad school and beyond. The goal shouldn't be giving them the best name/ranked school, but finding the right fit for them. Seriously, I've seen wise families turn down Ivy's for a state school and it's been the best choice for their daughter (who is now the #2 at a skyrocketing west coast company).

Find the best fit for your kid. Sometimes the higher-ranked, pressure-cooker environment is TERRIBLE for the type A, driven, go-getter kids and sometimes is an awesome environment for the laid back, easy going kid. Weird huh?

All this to say it's not Harvard>Cal>Long Beach>whatever. Find the best fit and let your kid guide that process. If they come home from their visit to state u and LOVE it, don't tsk tsk under your breath that it isn't the private school you've been hoping for/planning on.

Lastly, if your kid will be playing sports, certainly use sports to have lots of options to choose from. Soccer (or whatever) can open doors. Awesome! But choose your coach wisely. I know people say pick the school for the school's sake, and that is true, but a huge piece is the influence and guidance of the coach. I'd pick a lesser-rated university if the coach is an awesome mentor and life-giver to my kid. The graduates who have been shaped by someone challenging them, teaching them, encouraging them and believing in them are far better prepared for life than those who don't have that. I'd send my kid to a middle of the road (ranked) school with an awesome coach and team culture before I'd send them to an Ivy without sports. That's how valuable a good coach can be.

Again, my .02 after being around a lot of colleges and seeing a ton of kids and athletes over the years. There are lots of paths and the goal is good humans. That can be accomplished lots of ways. Let's just be positive with each other and not perpetuate the illusion that Ivy trumps all, or UC trumps all, or D3 is a lesser choice or whatever. (Heck I've seen ODP STUDS forgo college soccer, head to a local state school, get a great education, play on the club team and love their college life).

And the DA having an event the week before finals is lazy, egocentric and myopic. Shame on them.
 
My experience, which is completely anecdotal: I played at a Big 5 great academic school, later worked in athletics in small private, junior college, state school, and large private academic elite (not as a coach). So I have a limited perspective, but have seen a lot.

Yes, a great school can be a springboard to a good career. But it is 75% kid, 25% school. I've seen kids go from junior college to CEO level. And kids at "the best" schools work dead end jobs. It's really where your kid has a good fit, feels comfortable to put themselves out there, fail, try again and succeed and learn to rinse/repeat that for life.

A great, super smart, motivated kid can flail at an IVY or feel lost at a UC. That same kid can thrive at a Cal Poly Pomona and launch themselves into grad school and beyond. The goal shouldn't be giving them the best name/ranked school, but finding the right fit for them. Seriously, I've seen wise families turn down Ivy's for a state school and it's been the best choice for their daughter (who is now the #2 at a skyrocketing west coast company).

Find the best fit for your kid. Sometimes the higher-ranked, pressure-cooker environment is TERRIBLE for the type A, driven, go-getter kids and sometimes is an awesome environment for the laid back, easy going kid. Weird huh?

All this to say it's not Harvard>Cal>Long Beach>whatever. Find the best fit and let your kid guide that process. If they come home from their visit to state u and LOVE it, don't tsk tsk under your breath that it isn't the private school you've been hoping for/planning on.

Lastly, if your kid will be playing sports, certainly use sports to have lots of options to choose from. Soccer (or whatever) can open doors. Awesome! But choose your coach wisely. I know people say pick the school for the school's sake, and that is true, but a huge piece is the influence and guidance of the coach. I'd pick a lesser-rated university if the coach is an awesome mentor and life-giver to my kid. The graduates who have been shaped by someone challenging them, teaching them, encouraging them and believing in them are far better prepared for life than those who don't have that. I'd send my kid to a middle of the road (ranked) school with an awesome coach and team culture before I'd send them to an Ivy without sports. That's how valuable a good coach can be.

Again, my .02 after being around a lot of colleges and seeing a ton of kids and athletes over the years. There are lots of paths and the goal is good humans. That can be accomplished lots of ways. Let's just be positive with each other and not perpetuate the illusion that Ivy trumps all, or UC trumps all, or D3 is a lesser choice or whatever. (Heck I've seen ODP STUDS forgo college soccer, head to a local state school, get a great education, play on the club team and love their college life).

And the DA having an event the week before finals is lazy, egocentric and myopic. Shame on them.

Sounds like someone didn't get into an Ivy League school, but I'm not naming any names.
 
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