How’s the 2023-24 season going?

[LouSag]

Yes but not if the NWSL deal & Sponsorship deal greatly exceeds the value of the Stanford 4 year degree given you have a GOAT and she is already in the USYNT path. Take the pro deal. If not then go for Stanford. College can wait & always be done online or after with the NWSL/Sponsorship money.

Disagree. Career earnings of a NWSL soccer player including NIL deals. After NWSL, you are most likely to be coaching club soccer. Nothing wrong with that path.
Career potential for a Stanford grad easily eclipses the scenario above. Money isn’t everything, but graduating Stanford will pay the bills for a lifetime, not just the next 5 years. Take the Education.

 

[TeamDadJokes]

Nothing is ever a sure thing. Seen plenty of kids leave for college and come back a year or 2 later and go to JC and stay home.

I’ve seen kids go pro early and it didn’t pan out and now they’re selling used cars.

You’d hope going to Stanford results in completion, graduating and moving on to something higher (higher education or employment).

Going pro, you’d hope you’re successful and injuries don’t hinder your advancement.

2 different pathways but in one scenario, it’s gamble you’ll play pro when you graduate, it’s a gamble you’ll be able to get a useful degree if you’re going to a school with that high of an education standard as most times these athletes aren’t able to get into college majors that translate into trade skills upon graduation.

If the offer to go to Stanford is educational and not funded by sports then I think we’re talking about a different scenario where it does make sense to forgo a pro pathway (ie you’re going to med school, law school, engineering and etc). Let’s be honest though, is it really worth it for a degree in kinesiology or liberal arts to play soccer at Stanford?

I think what each pathway offers is unique to the person it’s offered and what they want to do for a living once they’re done with sports.

For me, I stopped sports when I got to college and decided I’d rather have fun with my fraternity, play intramural sports and enjoy life rather then cutting weight and wresting touring the country. Took me a while and 2 master degrees later to figure my way out.

For these kids, life is fluid and can change at any moment. Whatever my DDs end goal is, I’m there to support it. There is nothing wrong with going to CSUF and getting a degree while playing professionally. School would be paid for regardless and you get to play at a higher level. With NIL I’m sure it would be a intriguing story for job recruiters to say they had a former soccer pro apply just as it would be to say they have a Stanford grad given the context for what they’re applying to.

 

[way up]

Nothing is ever a sure thing. Seen plenty of kids leave for college and come back a year or 2 later and go to JC and stay home.

I’ve seen kids go pro early and it didn’t pan out and now they’re selling used cars.

You’d hope going to Stanford results in completion, graduating and moving on to something higher (higher education or employment).

Going pro, you’d hope you’re successful and injuries don’t hinder your advancement.

2 different pathways but in one scenario, it’s gamble you’ll play pro when you graduate, it’s a gamble you’ll be able to get a useful degree if you’re going to a school with that high of an education standard as most times these athletes aren’t able to get into college majors that translate into trade skills upon graduation.

If the offer to go to Stanford is educational and not funded by sports then I think we’re talking about a different scenario where it does make sense to forgo a pro pathway (ie you’re going to med school, law school, engineering and etc). Let’s be honest though, is it really worth it for a degree in kinesiology or liberal arts to play soccer at Stanford?

I think what each pathway offers is unique to the person it’s offered and what they want to do for a living once they’re done with sports.

For me, I stopped sports when I got to college and decided I’d rather have fun with my fraternity, play intramural sports and enjoy life rather then cutting weight and wresting touring the country. Took me a while and 2 master degrees later to figure my way out.

For these kids, life is fluid and can change at any moment. Whatever my DDs end goal is, I’m there to support it. There is nothing wrong with going to CSUF and getting a degree while playing professionally. School would be paid for regardless and you get to play at a higher level. With NIL I’m sure it would be a intriguing story for job recruiters to say they had a former soccer pro apply just as it would be to say they have a Stanford grad given the context for what they’re applying to.

You see here we are where there could be advantages for women. Women graduate at a higher rate than boys and boys have far more rewards/reason to go pro than girls. All girls are different of course, but many corporations are looking to fill in spots with women with equal credentials as men, so there are plenty of opportunities for great pay/success with a college degree for women.

They have options either way, but the last piece of the puzzle is also who they marry or end up with. Not bad either way to be a pro soccer player or around successful college kids? Getting through the menstrual phase and high school to get the college scholarship and/or pro spot would be a grand slam imo.

It will be their decision at the end of the day, but a degree or A NWSL Contract would be amazing imo! Problem is, no way around that college degree being the best bet for success and finding a partner imo though.

The bigger issues though will be how to navigate through puberty and high school. I just saw a story about a young baseball star that went pro young and he ended up with anxiety and depression. Don't know if going from being a star to another great athlete having to work his tail off was the cause, but I wonder alot about the best psychological/environmental factors that give them the best chance at succeeding in college soccer or going pro? I don't care what people say about pressure leading to girls quitting, the bottom line is if your girl is not working her butt off and dominating in soccer, you won't have to worry about them dropping out in high school. I don't even worry about it now. Oh no, I can get my weekends and money back to travel somewhere other than Nv or Az.? The kid needs to want this more than the parent in the long run imo.

 

[Zeke]

I do not think anyone is against the college pathway since 99% of girls playing soccer need to take that route. The argument is to have an academy pro pathway for the 1% eilte girl players. We need that here in the USA to develop elite pro players.

If you want to know the odds of becoming an elite pro player, count the number of American NWSL players who were born in 1994.

It's about ten.

That tells you roughly how many 2010s will have a ten year pro career. About 10.

 

[Carlsbad7]

Worth repeating again...

The big advantage of MLS Next is that youth players get a taste of what professional acadamies are like either by playing against or for them. Just because a player is playing in MLS Next does not mean they're only able to play pro.

MLS Next serves as a bridge between pro and amature.

Girls don't have an equivalent. With girls You either play professionally or you don't. Unless you've got an extra special 14 year old that can hold her own against 24 year olds it's hard to justify the jump. On top of that because there's no formal way for a 14 year old to play against 24 year olds you just don't know what's possible.

Surf has some ties to Wave so for them it's easier for coaches and leadership to give a fair assessment on if a player could make the jump. None of the other clubs have this.

 

[Veritas]

If you want to know the odds of becoming an elite pro player, count the number of American NWSL players who were born in 1994.

It's about ten.

That tells you roughly how many 2010s will have a ten year pro career. About 10.

Definitely the odds are against them. Less than 1% in the 2010 age group will prob go pro. College is for sure the safest bet but for the ones that want to take the alternate path it would be nice to see an academy system for them. Best we have right now in USA for this elite potential pro group is play up a few years, Go pro by 15, or play with boys in MLS next. If you consider your DD a goat and are not following any of these 3 paths then her best bet is to go the college scholarship route.

 

[LouSag]

If you want to know the odds of becoming an elite pro player, count the number of American NWSL players who were born in 1994.

It's about ten.

That tells you roughly how many 2010s will have a ten year pro career. About 10.

Reality. Thank you.

 

[SuperSoccerStar]

Reality. Thank you.

now ask 2010 Dads if they think their kid is good enough to go Pro

 

[way up]

now ask 2010 Dads if they think their kid is good enough to go Pro

The reality is there is more to it than "good enough" with girls. I think it takes almost equal mental toughness/confidence/GANAS to be "good enough".I would ask how many think their girls are athletic and tough enough? If they put in 20 hours of training a week for the next 4 years, do they have the coordination, speed, physical strength, and size to play with the best in the world? Then, do they have the mental desire and confidence to even go through all the work and sacrifice through high school? Then, will they be lucky enough to not get injuries, pregnant, and/or anxiety and depression from the sacrifice and loss of fun high school life? There will only be a handful of current ecnl players for the next then that pulled through the requirements so far.

Now, in their junior year of high school, can and will they be so dominant at their position and confident to play with the best soccer skilled athletes in the world? Right now, it's even tough sometimes to compare skills at tryouts and/or even games/showcases with many of these girls. Does your daughter have the potential to REALLY stand out against the best at 16 to 17? I'm not so confident, but we're all giving our girls the opportunity, so they can't say we didn't. LOL!

I don't know what girls level up in high school vs other girls? How do you build that GANAS? How do you avoid injuries and burn out, but work hard enough to be the best and hold onto that GANAS? I think size matters more with girls, because they may never have the same drive as boys due to the lack of rewards, so those with natural size, athleticism, and mediocre levels of GANAS may have the advantage due to easier pathways. Not saying it's all about size, but I'm already seeing coaches carry less developed players that do have size and athleticism for their future potential.

Yes, there will only be a handful that go pro, but how many will be willing to go through all this for starbuck wages? Some will and they are true warrior competitors who play for love of the game.

I'd like to think that playing ECNL their freshmen year is 1 level towards bigger opportunities? Right now, I set things up for my daughter to learn and develop in the winter, but this could lead to injuries and some teams are practicing more to help them be ready for league. If my daughter was a top 10 athletic player in her age group, I think I would care more about avoiding burn out and injury than anything. In any case, I'm here to learn from those who have already lived this, but most of us are probably enjoying the experience being part of the opportunity that most likely won't evolve. Saying this though, you won't make it big if you don't work your butt off!

 

[TeamDadJokes]

There will only be a handful of current ecnl players for the next then that pulled through the requirements so far.

Fixed that for you. Plenty of years left for girls in the lower ranks to be included in these discussions

 

[RobbieNorwood]

The reality is there is more to it than "good enough" with girls. I think it takes almost equal mental toughness/confidence/GANAS to be "good enough".I would ask how many think their girls are athletic and tough enough? If they put in 20 hours of training a week for the next 4 years, do they have the coordination, speed, physical strength, and size to play with the best in the world? Then, do they have the mental desire and confidence to even go through all the work and sacrifice through high school? Then, will they be lucky enough to not get injuries, pregnant, and/or anxiety and depression from the sacrifice and loss of fun high school life? There will only be a handful of current ecnl players for the next then that pulled through the requirements so far.

Now, in their junior year of high school, can and will they be so dominant at their position and confident to play with the best soccer skilled athletes in the world? Right now, it's even tough sometimes to compare skills at tryouts and/or even games/showcases with many of these girls. Does your daughter have the potential to REALLY stand out against the best at 16 to 17? I'm not so confident, but we're all giving our girls the opportunity, so they can't say we didn't. LOL!

I don't know what girls level up in high school vs other girls? How do you build that GANAS? How do you avoid injuries and burn out, but work hard enough to be the best and hold onto that GANAS? I think size matters more with girls, because they may never have the same drive as boys due to the lack of rewards, so those with natural size, athleticism, and mediocre levels of GANAS may have the advantage due to easier pathways. Not saying it's all about size, but I'm already seeing coaches carry less developed players that do have size and athleticism for their future potential.

Yes, there will only be a handful that go pro, but how many will be willing to go through all this for starbuck wages? Some will and they are true warrior competitors who play for love of the game.

I'd like to think that playing ECNL their freshmen year is 1 level towards bigger opportunities? Right now, I set things up for my daughter to learn and develop in the winter, but this could lead to injuries and some teams are practicing more to help them be ready for league. If my daughter was a top 10 athletic player in her age group, I think I would care more about avoiding burn out and injury than anything. In any case, I'm here to learn from those who have already lived this, but most of us are probably enjoying the experience being part of the opportunity that most likely won't evolve. Saying this though, you won't make it big if you don't work your butt off!

Highschool is the killer in the equation

 

[Veritas]

The reality is there is more to it than "good enough" with girls. I think it takes almost equal mental toughness/confidence/GANAS to be "good enough".I would ask how many think their girls are athletic and tough enough? If they put in 20 hours of training a week for the next 4 years, do they have the coordination, speed, physical strength, and size to play with the best in the world? Then, do they have the mental desire and confidence to even go through all the work and sacrifice through high school? Then, will they be lucky enough to not get injuries, pregnant, and/or anxiety and depression from the sacrifice and loss of fun high school life? There will only be a handful of current ecnl players for the next then that pulled through the requirements so far.

Now, in their junior year of high school, can and will they be so dominant at their position and confident to play with the best soccer skilled athletes in the world? Right now, it's even tough sometimes to compare skills at tryouts and/or even games/showcases with many of these girls. Does your daughter have the potential to REALLY stand out against the best at 16 to 17? I'm not so confident, but we're all giving our girls the opportunity, so they can't say we didn't. LOL!

I don't know what girls level up in high school vs other girls? How do you build that GANAS? How do you avoid injuries and burn out, but work hard enough to be the best and hold onto that GANAS? I think size matters more with girls, because they may never have the same drive as boys due to the lack of rewards, so those with natural size, athleticism, and mediocre levels of GANAS may have the advantage due to easier pathways. Not saying it's all about size, but I'm already seeing coaches carry less developed players that do have size and athleticism for their future potential.

Yes, there will only be a handful that go pro, but how many will be willing to go through all this for starbuck wages? Some will and they are true warrior competitors who play for love of the game.

I'd like to think that playing ECNL their freshmen year is 1 level towards bigger opportunities? Right now, I set things up for my daughter to learn and develop in the winter, but this could lead to injuries and some teams are practicing more to help them be ready for league. If my daughter was a top 10 athletic player in her age group, I think I would care more about avoiding burn out and injury than anything. In any case, I'm here to learn from those who have already lived this, but most of us are probably enjoying the experience being part of the opportunity that most likely won't evolve. Saying this though, you won't make it big if you don't work your butt off!

And this is why we need an academy system for these potential elite youth girl players. If they can hang in the academy system then they are potential pro candidates. If not stick to the old ecnl-ecrl-GA/college program where over 99% will remain in anyway

 

[SuperSoccerStar]

The reality is there is more to it than "good enough" with girls. I think it takes almost equal mental toughness/confidence/GANAS to be "good enough".I would ask how many think their girls are athletic and tough enough? If they put in 20 hours of training a week for the next 4 years, do they have the coordination, speed, physical strength, and size to play with the best in the world? Then, do they have the mental desire and confidence to even go through all the work and sacrifice through high school? Then, will they be lucky enough to not get injuries, pregnant, and/or anxiety and depression from the sacrifice and loss of fun high school life? There will only be a handful of current ecnl players for the next then that pulled through the requirements so far.

Now, in their junior year of high school, can and will they be so dominant at their position and confident to play with the best soccer skilled athletes in the world? Right now, it's even tough sometimes to compare skills at tryouts and/or even games/showcases with many of these girls. Does your daughter have the potential to REALLY stand out against the best at 16 to 17? I'm not so confident, but we're all giving our girls the opportunity, so they can't say we didn't. LOL!

I don't know what girls level up in high school vs other girls? How do you build that GANAS? How do you avoid injuries and burn out, but work hard enough to be the best and hold onto that GANAS? I think size matters more with girls, because they may never have the same drive as boys due to the lack of rewards, so those with natural size, athleticism, and mediocre levels of GANAS may have the advantage due to easier pathways. Not saying it's all about size, but I'm already seeing coaches carry less developed players that do have size and athleticism for their future potential.

Yes, there will only be a handful that go pro, but how many will be willing to go through all this for starbuck wages? Some will and they are true warrior competitors who play for love of the game.

I'd like to think that playing ECNL their freshmen year is 1 level towards bigger opportunities? Right now, I set things up for my daughter to learn and develop in the winter, but this could lead to injuries and some teams are practicing more to help them be ready for league. If my daughter was a top 10 athletic player in her age group, I think I would care more about avoiding burn out and injury than anything. In any case, I'm here to learn from those who have already lived this, but most of us are probably enjoying the experience being part of the opportunity that most likely won't evolve. Saying this though, you won't make it big if you don't work your butt off!

Looking at some of the current top 2010s there are girls being cultivated in all different ways so it will be interesting to see how it all pans out in 4-5 years. I think the smart ones use high level soccer to get what they need out of life to set them up for life after 25.

 

[Zeke]

And this is why we need an academy system for these potential elite youth girl players. If they can hang in the academy system then they are potential pro candidates. If not stick to the old ecnl/college program where over 99% will remain in anyway

If they create a residential soccer academy for girls, they will have a sexual harassment situation within 5 years.

NWSL had trouble at 6 different clubs (out of 9) just a few years ago. And that was with adult athletes who were in a better position to say no.

Four NWSL coaches get lifetime ban after sexual harassment investigation

Four former NWSL coaches, Paul Riley, Christy Holly, Rory Dames and Richie Burke, were all permanently banned from the league on Monday.

www.espn.com

 

[Veritas]

If they create a residential soccer academy for girls, they will have a sexual harassment situation within 5 years.

NWSL had trouble at 6 different clubs (out of 9) just a few years ago. And that was with adult athletes who were in a better position to say no.

Four NWSL coaches get lifetime ban after sexual harassment investigation

Four former NWSL coaches, Paul Riley, Christy Holly, Rory Dames and Richie Burke, were all permanently banned from the league on Monday.

www.espn.com

Terrible but coming out of Portland I'm not surprised. The woke agenda over there has gotten out of hand. We need to first get rid of all the wokeness. I bet it's all woke BS.

 

[sockma]

Terrible but coming out of Portland I'm not surprised. The woke agenda over there has gotten out of hand. We need to first get rid of all the wokeness. I bet it's all woke BS.

I can't believe you made this political. While I think 1/2 of the WOKE stuff is excessive and just plain wrong, if it wasn't for WOKE, our daughters wouldn't be allowed to play soccer. Our girls would be told to accept things because boys will be boys and this NWSL problem would be accepted bc it's just business as usual.

We'd look like the country of Iran without WOKE.

 

[Surfer_dad]

If you want to know the odds of becoming an elite pro player, count the number of American NWSL players who were born in 1994.

It's about ten.

That tells you roughly how many 2010s will have a ten year pro career. About 10.

I beg to disagree. I think there will be at least 11. It’s a particularly strong age group…….

 

[Karlton Athletic]

Terrible but coming out of Portland I'm not surprised. The woke agenda over there has gotten out of hand. We need to first get rid of all the wokeness. I bet it's all woke

I too, wish we could go back to those glory pre-woke days when there was no sexual harrasment or abuse.

geesh.

 

[Larzby]

I can't believe you made this political. While I think 1/2 of the WOKE stuff is excessive and just plain wrong, if it wasn't for WOKE, our daughters wouldn't be allowed to play soccer. Our girls would be told to accept things because boys will be boys and this NWSL problem would be accepted bc it's just business as usual.

We'd look like the country of Iran without WOKE.

Things are "woke" until right wingers lose the argument with the American people ... then the same ideas are called "mainstream." Then the people who fought against "woke" ideas claim they were with them all along.

 

[Surfer_dad]

I beg to disagree. I think there will be at least 11. It’s a particularly strong age group…….

One additional comment on this subject. If women go pro at an early age, they will probably make the minimum salary, currently what, $35,000? If that same player, who was good enough to go pro, gets a full ride to a Stanford, USD, USC, Pepperdine, etc, their scholarship is worth approximately $85,000 tax free. To me, the choice should be easy if you weigh the benefits of getting a degree at a great university plus the soccer all for free vs the pressure of professional sport at very low pay. AND, the decision to go pro now can be made after college by a far more mature girl/woman. Seen many top women soccer players, capable of playing pro choose motherhood over professional sport. Just sayin…….

 

[Carlsbad7]

One additional comment on this subject. If women go pro at an early age, they will probably make the minimum salary, currently what, $35,000? If that same player, who was good enough to go pro, gets a full ride to a Stanford, USD, USC, Pepperdine, etc, their scholarship is worth approximately $85,000 tax free. To me, the choice should be easy if you weigh the benefits of getting a degree at a great university plus the soccer all for free vs the pressure of professional sport at very low pay. AND, the decision to go pro now can be made after college by a far more mature girl/woman. Seen many top women soccer players, capable of playing pro choose motherhood over professional sport. Just sayin…….

Couple of things...

- 35k per year for the lowest paid in the NWSL? No, with the newly increased salary cap it's more like 60-65k
- Stanford yearly tuition is 58,416, USD yearly tuition is 54,554, USC yearly tuition is 64,726, and Pepperdine tuition is 63,142.

What this tells me is that unless you're getting a full ride (most are not) and going to some of the most prestigious schools (most are not) college over pro doesn't make sense. (assuming your player has the ability to play professionally at an early age)

UC Irvine yearly tuition (a much more realistic school) is 13,939 in state, and 44,011 out of state.

To me it looks like playing professionally has finally become a viable option when compared to college for girls.