Summary of Tryouts

Striker17 said:
I love this thread! So insightful and interesting.
Just beginning this journey but honestly when people talk about commits and clubs list commits I look at some of these colleges and say "uh yuck". Sorry but they can throw all the soccer money they want at you but a degree from Podunk University wont help. I find it amusing when people discount the D3 or Ivies. A degree from a solid D3 will help you much more than Kansas State Unless you choose to continue your life In Kansas then by all means.
People are chasing money but the fact is a lot of these schools aren't exactly impressive that I am seeing on the websites.
Sorry I am the first to say it but ..
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What's optimistic? It's called preparing your daughter by focusing on grades.
 
Dos Equis said:
You are living in a fantasy land if you think the DA is going to radically change things.

Around 2-3% of the girls in the DA will ever get called into an actual USYNT camp. So the rest of the girls (and their parents) are going to measure the success of their development on what? Pass connection percentage? Strings of passes? Possession %? Juggling achievements? It will not be how they play against outside competition, since they are prohibited from doing so. They will measure it based on performance in the DA, the only measure they have. A losing DA team that is sending 1 girl to regional camp every year, and is maybe getting one (1) girl on the actual YNT every few years, is going to be viewed as a success and be a huge draw? Not likely, since US Soccer is awarding DA status to so many clubs. Winning will be important (they keep standings and hold championships at the end of the season), and coaches will do what it takes to win, even in the DA.

I agree, US Soccer should focus on coach education and improvement, a path they started down with Claudio Reyna's curriculum and standards, which unfortunately where put on the shelf in 2011 only weeks after they were released, as Klinsmann was hired and assumed the technical director role as well. I still think that was a better path and strategy to start with than DA. It needs to come first in order to make the DA actually have the impact everyone wants.
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As a reminder, colleges recruit players not teams.
 
Dos Equis said:
I appreciate you pointing out that not all "commits" are equal, but I think it is unwise to look at scholarship $. Do we start analyzing the % of girls who play 4 years in college, playing time, amount who transfer, weigh academic prestige versus $ given, or calcualte the future value of the degree? And how do we really know the true magnitude of the scholarship, the impetus behind any grants, the amount and structure of financial aide, or account for those players who do not need signficant $ and make that clear to the higher ranked schools in order to be more attractive to them? The nuances go on. Discounting the Ivy because they do not offer athletic $, when they are generally among the hardest colleges to gain entry to, and have the largest fiancial aide programs based on need, is problematic.

I think using soccer to get into college ("commits") remains the best measure of a club's contribution to that goal. But it is only one measure, and only relevant to players U14 and older.
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100% agree. Maybe consider how prepared a player is for college play by a measure of HOW they played, etc., while at college xyz? Each player should be given a lot of latitude because it's their life, their blood sweat and tears throughout the years in practice, on the pitch, weathering the storm of "head case" coaches, etc. If a player chooses or earns a spot on "Podunk U's" team and will enjoy their college life I say leave them alone and do nothing but offer encouragement. Life is hard enough.
 
GoWest said:
100% agree. Maybe consider how prepared a player is for college play by a measure of HOW they played, etc., while at college xyz? Each player should be given a lot of latitude because it's their life, their blood sweat and tears throughout the years in practice, on the pitch, weathering the storm of "head case" coaches, etc. If a player chooses or earns a spot on "Podunk U's" team and will enjoy their college life I say leave them alone and do nothing but offer encouragement. Life is hard enough.
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Oh please. I wasn't judging them. I was just saying you all spend a lot of time talking about commits at big clubs but some of us aren't impressed with the quality of college. No one was judging the kid but if you want to spend some time this morning attempting to convince me that a degree from Kansas State or University of Missouri for soccer is more valuable then let's say gosh I don't even know then save your breath because it won't happen.
It's called a different point of view.
D1 isn't everything.
Some of these commits are getting a chance that very few wil ever have so GOOD ON THEM!
However to be clear some of us aren't in this for the money we are in it to get them a leg up in a difficult process for a top tier school. A scholarship is the least of my concerns when discussing her college choice.
I would rather her gain entry to a school than take a full ride at a lower tier one.
 
GoWest said:
@NoGoal interesting point you make about college commits. I wonder if ECNL or DA will drill that "benchmark" down even further by addressing things like % of athletic $ given (Ivy's and D3 aside), academic commits, etc? A club can skew how "successful they are by simply listing their commits. Not taking anything away from any player but I wonder about the "strength" of a scholarship players if used as a benchmark for club success. Is a 10% athletic scholarship with no academic $ a success as measured against a 70% athletic with 20% academic scholarship? It seems the clubs simply list player xyz and the school they will attend without any further measure. I know of clubs that list players attending P5, Ivy and high mid-major as commits but the dollars that go with the commit are not impressive. Again not taking anything away from this players - great that they earned something - but just curious of the value that can be placed on the "commit as benchmark" measure?
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Just wait! If you have not been through the college application process yet, you are in for a shock. Congratulations to all the girls who have been accepted to the college of their choice! First, second, third or fourth choice, doesn't matter. Good luck on your journey, work hard and enjoy your journey. Remember, you need to start preparing for graduate school during your undergraduate years.
 
Lambchop said:
Just wait! If you have not been through the college application process yet, you are in for a shock. Congratulations to all the girls who have been accepted to the college of their choice! First, second, third or fourth choice, doesn't matter. Good luck on your journey, work hard and enjoy your journey. Remember, you need to start preparing for graduate school during your undergraduate years.
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I agree and you are right. I have no illusions about it at all which is why for me grades and scores remain my focus.
I also agree and have spoken with many people who have chosen a certain school to save money for graduate school years. Again though it was very calculated. They didn't take the "full ride" at Chico State before they did some heavy research.
I worry about transfers. My older friends are all volleyballers. Five girls headed off to school last year with major scholarships- guess what- every single one of them back in Cali now. No more scholarships and hanging at USC.
 
GoWest said:
@NoGoal interesting point you make about college commits. I wonder if ECNL or DA will drill that "benchmark" down even further by addressing things like % of athletic $ given (Ivy's and D3 aside), academic commits, etc? A club can skew how "successful they are by simply listing their commits. Not taking anything away from any player but I wonder about the "strength" of a scholarship players if used as a benchmark for club success. Is a 10% athletic scholarship with no academic $ a success as measured against a 70% athletic with 20% academic scholarship? It seems the clubs simply list player xyz and the school they will attend without any further measure. I know of clubs that list players attending P5, Ivy and high mid-major as commits but the dollars that go with the commit are not impressive. Again not taking anything away from this players - great that they earned something - but just curious of the value that can be placed on the "commit as benchmark" measure?
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The value of the scholarship and/or school the player commits to is subjective. For instance a family my want an Ivy League school, because they want to attend a top 10 university. I knew of a family that the parent didn't care what school it was as long as it was a full-ride. I personally wouldn't want my DD playing for Podunk Univeristy even with a full-ride. I would raher pay a portion of her college education at top 50 school instead. Then there are parents who want to see their kid play for a top soccer program as a preferred walk-on (no money) just to gain admissions.
 
Striker17 said:
Oh please. I wasn't judging them. I was just saying you all spend a lot of time talking about commits at big clubs but some of us aren't impressed with the quality of college. No one was judging the kid but if you want to spend some time this morning attempting to convince me that a degree from Kansas State or University of Missouri for soccer is more valuable then let's say gosh I don't even know then save your breath because it won't happen.
It's called a different point of view.
D1 isn't everything.
Some of these commits are getting a chance that very few wil ever have so GOOD ON THEM!
However to be clear some of us aren't in this for the money we are in it to get them a leg up in a difficult process for a top tier school. A scholarship is the least of my concerns when discussing her college choice.
I would rather her gain entry to a school than take a full ride at a lower tier one.
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It's tough expressing everything in 2-dimensional writing. Didn't even cross my mind that you were judging any player. I agree with the value.of one school being greater than another. Not all players are cut out for the academic rigors of a Harvard so they choose to go to Michigan State or the University of Missouri. Just supporting that each players soccer / academic journey is the own and parents of those players should support them.
 
NoGoal said:
The value of the scholarship and/or school the player commits to is subjective. For instance a family my want an Ivy League school, because they want to attend a top 10 university. I knew of a family that the parent didn't care what school it was as long as it was a full-ride. I personally wouldn't want my DD playing for Podunk Univeristy even with a full-ride. I would raher pay a portion of her college education at top 50 school instead. Then there are parents who want to see their kid play for a top soccer program as a preferred walk-on (no money) just to gain admissions.
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Plus some players already are looking at grad school so that is in the mix as well.
 
gkrent said:
I think its sad that a player has absolute pro potential can't get totally excited about it as a real career like a male counterpart.
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I agree. It is a process though. It was within my parents' lifetime that my daughter would be called some pretty ugly names by the majority of people. I wish that I could wave a magic wand and get rid of all of the ugliness and inequality in the world. I haven't quite found that wand yet so until then I try to do what I tell my player to do anytime she comes across some adversity. And I quote the poet Dory, "just keep swimming. Just keep swimming."

It works for her and as of now she has her eyes on med school so not a big deal. If she were to play it would be a "gap year" as she calls it and it would likely be in England. I just like her to be happy. She seems to be alright now (although it is finals week and she sounds tired).

Good luck to you and your player.
 
GoWest said:
@NoGoal interesting point you make about college commits. I wonder if ECNL or DA will drill that "benchmark" down even further by addressing things like % of athletic $ given (Ivy's and D3 aside), academic commits, etc? A club can skew how "successful they are by simply listing their commits. Not taking anything away from any player but I wonder about the "strength" of a scholarship players if used as a benchmark for club success. Is a 10% athletic scholarship with no academic $ a success as measured against a 70% athletic with 20% academic scholarship? It seems the clubs simply list player xyz and the school they will attend without any further measure. I know of clubs that list players attending P5, Ivy and high mid-major as commits but the dollars that go with the commit are not impressive. Again not taking anything away from this players - great that they earned something - but just curious of the value that can be placed on the "commit as benchmark" measure?
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I agree with the metric that you propose but it would be problematic to gather the info. The amount of money given to players can vary significantly from player to player and from class to class. A lot of what a player is offered has to do with the need at their position and the coaches belief that they will be able to fill that need along with available money.

Personally I think the best metric is which players are at the school 3 years after they enroll, followed by how much they play. As long as the player makes it to their junior year I would say it was a decent fit. If the player also plays a significant role on the team it is a good fit. If they are happy then it is a great fit. My advice is always to find a great fit, not just a "prestigious" fit or an "available" fit or "whoever offers me the most money" fit.
 
I think the actual % of soccer scholarships money given to these players should be also posted! I love these clubs that post outlandish statements like "Over 2-million in scholarship granted" on their advertising. Disclaimer Mommy & Daddy: read the fine print ask questions and see what the % of actual soccer money that number truly is? Also what colleges are these offered for?
I know for a fact Albion SC was soliciting several girls to take a hard look at
Prairie View A&M University, is a historically black university located in Prairie View, Texas, United States.
Acceptance rate: 85.9% (2014)
Graduation rate: 37.2% (2014)
Prairie View A & M University's educational quality places it below average on our nationwide Best Colleges ranking. The school's net price reflects the overall quality.

Last year this coach was walking around boasting about how bitchen he was landing some of these players a full ride at this school! And if you were being solicited by him he would throw this accomplishment out 3-4 times in your conversation. If you did not know any better you would walk away thinking what a great club, coach and opportunity it would be to play on his team! It all looks and sounds good until you see the details.
 
Striker17 said:
I love this thread! So insightful and interesting.
Just beginning this journey but honestly when people talk about commits and clubs list commits I look at some of these colleges and say "uh yuck". Sorry but they can throw all the soccer money they want at you but a degree from Podunk University wont help. I find it amusing when people discount the D3 or Ivies. A degree from a solid D3 will help you much more than Kansas State Unless you choose to continue your life In Kansas then by all means.
People are chasing money but the fact is a lot of these schools aren't exactly impressive that I am seeing on the websites.
Sorry I am the first to say it but ..
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Some people chase both... Don't discount that. I think it comes down to the player, the family and the values. I would never have allowed my player to go to the University of Tennessee but I would have loved her to go to Yale or Vanderbilt. The fit is important. I can think of a couple of highly ranked academic school that are in state and offered my player that were out of the question for other reasons.

It's hard to judge a choice without knowing the person's background. I can think of a highly ranked player in the 2015 class that went to a head scratcher of a university but her father played football there (thus explaining the choice). Play good soccer, get good grades, pick the school not the soccer, and help push them to the finish line. Good luck to you and your player.
 
sandshark said:
I think the actual % of soccer scholarships money given to these players should be also posted! I love these clubs that post outlandish statements like "Over 2-million in scholarship granted" on their advertising. Disclaimer Mommy & Daddy: read the fine print ask questions and see what the % of actual soccer money that number truly is? Also what colleges are these offered for?
I know for a fact Albion SC was soliciting several girls to take a hard look at
Prairie View A&M University, is a historically black university located in Prairie View, Texas, United States.
Acceptance rate: 85.9% (2014)
Graduation rate: 37.2% (2014)
Prairie View A & M University's educational quality places it below average on our nationwide Best Colleges ranking. The school's net price reflects the overall quality.

Last year this coach was walking around boasting about how bitchen he was landing some of these players a full ride at this school! And if you were being solicited by him he would throw this accomplishment out 3-4 times in your conversation. If you did not know any better you would walk away thinking what a great club, coach and opportunity it would be to play on his team! It all looks and sounds good until you see the details.
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I think that more non-black student athletes would go to historically black colleges and universities. I think that it would be eye opening to them and their families to see the inequality that is out there in the US education system.
 
MakeAPlay said:
I think that more non-black student athletes would go to historically black colleges and universities. I think that it would be eye opening to them and their families to see the inequality that is out there in the US education system.
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Ya sure, that sounds like a great idea for some but not my DD. She will have plenty "eye opening" experiences in her life. That is not the avenue I think best fits her learning that parlticular lesson in life.
Maybe you have a story of racial diversity you might want to share??
 
MakeAPlay said:
I agree. It is a process though. It was within my parents' lifetime that my daughter would be called some pretty ugly names by the majority of people. I wish that I could wave a magic wand and get rid of all of the ugliness and inequality in the world. I haven't quite found that wand yet so until then I try to do what I tell my player to do anytime she comes across some adversity. And I quote the poet Dory, "just keep swimming. Just keep swimming."
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Ours is, "Build the foundation of your success with the brick's your haters throw at you!"
 
sandshark said:
Ya sure, that sounds like a great idea for some but not my DD. She will have plenty "eye opening" experiences in her life. That is not the avenue I think best fits her learning that parlticular lesson in life.
Maybe you have a story of racial diversity you might want to share??
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I have plenty of stories but that isn't really the point. I just think that everyone should get a chance to live life as a minority group for a period of time. I think lots of things could be solved that way. Also not all HBCUs are below average academically. My college roommates parents both went to Howard University and were successful DC attorneys. One of my friends mom went to Spellman and she owns a very successful business with over 100 employees. One of my spouse's friends went to Xavier and she is VP of human resources for a pretty big corporation.


At the end of the day a person's academic fate and success is up to them and their efforts. Good luck to you and your player.
 
MakeAPlay said:
I have plenty of stories but that isn't really the point. I just think that everyone should get a chance to live life as a minority group for a period of time. I think lots of things could be solved that way. Also not all HBCUs are below average academically. My college roommates parents both went to Howard University and were successful DC attorneys. One of my friends mom went to Spellman and she owns a very successful business with over 100 employees. One of my spouse's friends went to Xavier and she is VP of human resources for a pretty big corporation.


At the end of the day a person's academic fate and success is up to them and their efforts. Good luck to you and your player.
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I don't think living life as a minority is in any way the answer to learning to appreciate and not judge others by the color of their skin. It all starts at home behind closed doors.

And I 100% agree on the rest of your response. Success comes from within and is not determined by a certificate hanging on the wall.
 
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