Recruiting Tips for Parents Just Starting the Process

No point in really arguing since you probably don't have a kid in high school-- then you would know the pressures they face-- and also that a sophomore is 15/16, not 14. you'd also know that the maturity level, physically and mentally, between a sophomore and a junior is minimal.

I've been through the process already with one kid who is in college, I'm in the middle of it with a high school kid and have a middle school kid that will be going through the process. I do understand the pressure and demands and feel strongly that formal rules put in place to give both sides more time to make good decisions, would be best for everyone. However, I do agree with MAP that there are many roads to Rome and we all obviously will do what we think is best.
 
However, I do agree with MAP that there are many roads to Rome and we all obviously will do what we think is best.

I'm living the many roads to Rome right now LOL! Round 1 - Late D1 recruitment Round 2 - very early D1 recruitment Round 3 - D2/NAIA/JC recruitment! All different animals!
Good Luck to all! And make sure those kids get GOOD GRADES or else its not going to be easy unless they are YNT!!
 
It is helpful to remember that what players post on social media and what parents talk about is not always what ends up happening. Our DD is starting to see the truth of that as one of her peers posted a commit to a top school many months ago and just this week now is posting a visit to another college with a much lower level soccer program. Either the commit wasn't legit, the financials didn't work out, or grades weren't there. If you have a great offer locked why are you looking at other colleges? So much pressure for these girls and parents have to keep it in perspective. A quality education and minimal debt is the key, when you are done with the four years most players move on to a regular job and life.
 
Actually Zero, you are entitled to your opinion, but basically it is my opinion that you're flat out wrong. (Hopefully you didn't neglect proper grammar when you were busy preparing your kids how to pick a college in 6th grade.)



To answer your question....yes, the conversations regarding college attendance when a child is growing up are definitely influential. But you seem to mis-understand the mindset of attending college and being able to adequately and knowledgeably understand the criteria to make the decision on which college to attend. Are you advocating that your 12/13/14 year old daughter understood the pros and cons of a large public university vs. small private institution because you had "discussions in your home with siblings"?

College attendance was never a option for my kids, as evidenced by the 529 accounts set up on their first birthday. College was always a priority, and, over the years, many visits were made to our alma maters, and other colleges for sporting events, plays, and other community events. They grew up in that environment, but that in no way made her ready to pick a school in her freshman year of high school. Maybe my kid is just stupid, but I don't think setting a tone/dream/aspiration makes them able to understand the difference between Stanford and Samford.



Remember, you're the one saying to prepare your child in 6th grade to pick a college. My ill prepared daughter was too busy deciding what to watch between Lizzy McGuire or High School Musical...but that is because I'm a bad parent that "chose to see where the cards would fall". Excuse me if I didn't educate my player when she was 12 on the differences between urban/rural campus, geographical settings, majors offered, cultural considerations, and a plethora of other criteria necessary to make an informed college decision. Her decision to commit in early in her 10th grade year followed an accelerated program of campus visits, lists of pros/cons, and hours of reviews of academic majors offered at each institution. She elected to choose a campus that offered the largest catalog of available majors, so that she would have plenty of options when she was old and wise enough to fine tune her education specialty.

I tend to think that Hank has it right, compared to Zero...



Good luck to you and your player!

Hatfield.....once again, another fantastic illustration that ya just can't get your head out of the weeds. Connect the dots dude!!...And the grammar correction - LOL.

I'm looking forward to another 4yrs of justifications, rationalizations, and excuses all while parading the pom-poms for you/yours.

Love you Cali :)
 
I'm living the many roads to Rome right now LOL! Round 1 - Late D1 recruitment Round 2 - very early D1 recruitment Round 3 - D2/NAIA/JC recruitment! All different animals!
Good Luck to all! And make sure those kids get GOOD GRADES or else its not going to be easy unless they are YNT!!
Is your late D1 recruit getting money athletic money? How about the early one? What are the differences you're experiencing between the two?
 
Is your late D1 recruit getting money athletic money? How about the early one? What are the differences you're experiencing between the two?

Late recruit received minimal money her first year (about 15% of total cost of attendance), next year coach was fired but luckily she was just the kind of player new coach loved and received much more each year she played (as coach made changes to roster), including her 5th redshirt semester. The early one received a much more substantive offer for all 4 years. The primary difference was that we didn't know what we were really doing with the first one, and didn't really get her into a quality youth program until her sophomore year in High School. She had a lot of talent and if she played in a better club prior to that she probably would have gotten a lot of exposure earlier. The early recruit was a stand-out keeper that has two ODP National Championship rings and a several YNT call-ups (no caps unless you count sitting on the bench during an international game LOL) so she had a ton of early exposure and also had a GK coach with some great connections making calls for her. Current player is an above average late bloomer who continues to show upside, but is not a pillar of academics, so we have had to reach out more to colleges that would be a fit for her academically, including the local JCs. Many of the D2s and also JCs do not have huge travel budgets to recruit (some only recruit from their camps!) so we have done well attending ID camps and keeping in touch with certain schools. She has a couple of offers and will probably make a decision this summer (she's junior).
 
Late recruit received minimal money her first year (about 15% of total cost of attendance), next year coach was fired but luckily she was just the kind of player new coach loved and received much more each year she played (as coach made changes to roster), including her 5th redshirt semester. The early one received a much more substantive offer for all 4 years. The primary difference was that we didn't know what we were really doing with the first one, and didn't really get her into a quality youth program until her sophomore year in High School. She had a lot of talent and if she played in a better club prior to that she probably would have gotten a lot of exposure earlier. The early recruit was a stand-out keeper that has two ODP National Championship rings and a several YNT call-ups (no caps unless you count sitting on the bench during an international game LOL) so she had a ton of early exposure and also had a GK coach with some great connections making calls for her. Current player is an above average late bloomer who continues to show upside, but is not a pillar of academics, so we have had to reach out more to colleges that would be a fit for her academically, including the local JCs. Many of the D2s and also JCs do not have huge travel budgets to recruit (some only recruit from their camps!) so we have done well attending ID camps and keeping in touch with certain schools. She has a couple of offers and will probably make a decision this summer (she's junior).
Gotcha. Appreciate the breakdown.
 
.....Current player is an above average late bloomer who continues to show upside, but is not a pillar of academics, so we have had to reach out more to colleges that would be a fit for her academically, including the local JCs. Many of the D2s and also JCs do not have huge travel budgets to recruit (some only recruit from their camps!) so we have done well attending ID camps and keeping in touch with certain schools. She has a couple of offers and will probably make a decision this summer (she's junior).

There is nothing wrong with a JC to get a kid used to the academic level of college work and to help them figure out what they truly want to do with their life. Some kids need that to be successful as a transfer into a university. Academics should always come first. Good luck with the process.
 
Can someone explain what the path looks like to attend a JC and still have soccer be in the picture as part of the transfer process and decision?

It all depends on the JC. Start by contacting the coach. JC's do not have the same restrictions as the D1's when it comes to player coach contact. The level of play varies greatly between JC's and can be really good or absolutely awful. The level of play can even vary between years since the players move on every two years. In San Diego County, historically, the top two JC programs have been Mesa and Miramar, but Miramar had an off season this past fall. Both Mesa and Miramar offer very good academic programs. California JC's have a program that can fast track a student into a California UC or CS. This saves the student and family a lot of money. The last estimate I saw comparing JC to CS yearly costs was CS will cost $16000 more per year. JC's also offer certiofication programs for students that just want the skills needed to do a job and are not worried about going to a 4/5 university. One of my daughters 21y/o friends, played JC soccer, finished the Mesa radiology technician certification and passed her state test and is now making $60,000 a year.

http://www.cccaasports.org/sports/wsoc/2017-18/standings
 
Hey all, a few questions that have been rattling around my mind:
1. USC has only announced 4 additions for their 2018 team. all 4 are transfers. Did I miss another announcement? Are no freshman joining the team this year?
2. No one has ever mentioned Loyola Marymount on the boards... any insight? I know they are not a powerhouse soccer school, but they are in the WCC and the school seems decent.
3. Does no one from the west coast go to any Big 12 schools?
 
Hey all, a few questions that have been rattling around my mind:
1. USC has only announced 4 additions for their 2018 team. all 4 are transfers. Did I miss another announcement? Are no freshman joining the team this year?
2. No one has ever mentioned Loyola Marymount on the boards... any insight? I know they are not a powerhouse soccer school, but they are in the WCC and the school seems decent.
3. Does no one from the west coast go to any Big 12 schools?

Let me see if I can answer these questions for you.

1. $C will have freshmen in the Fall. Why there hasn't been an official announcement is a mystery to me. I do know that one of their freshman that had signed a letter of intent switched to a school in a nicer part of town that is better in almost every way.

2. LMU is an odd situation. They are the 5th choice women's soccer school in the metro area. Due to the way that the committee brackets come tournament time they always draw a tough west coast team which makes it a tougher sell for the top players. I think that they have a lot of potential.

3. The only Big 12 school that I can think of that consistently gets SoCal players is Texas. Now there quite a few are others but the players that go out of state tend to go to PAC 12, ACC, SEC, and Big Ten schools among the major conferences or they go to prestigious academic schools like Georgetown or the Ivy League.

I hope that helps. Good luck to you and your player.
 
Hey all, a few questions that have been rattling around my mind:
1. USC has only announced 4 additions for their 2018 team. all 4 are transfers. Did I miss another announcement? Are no freshman joining the team this year?

We know 2 incoming '18's...both out of socal. One is on the mex wnt w/a unbelievably high work rate, n the other looks like a cute little Barbie doll twin....who legit goes beast mode/hulk when you piss her off. This upcoming PAC-12 race should be fun to watch!
 
I did not know Los Angeles City College had a women's soccer program.....chuckle :)

Don't forget about the Corsair girls at Santa Monica College. They blend the beach/fashion/form w/a bonus Of chillin post practices at 3rd st promenade, Fred Segal & Abbot Kinney....Quite strategic in my book:)
 
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