My DD is a 2025, plays ECNL, and has over a 4.0 Weighted GPA…she can start talking and really communicating with D1 Coaches in a couple weeks. She has been to few D1 camps, done pretty well, has received good feedback, has had her club coach tell her a handful of schools have reached out to him about her, and have a lot of those coaches come to her showcase games at multiple events, follow her on social, and her recruiting profile. We feel like she is in a pretty good spot.
We started the camps in Dec of her Freshman year, and she did camps during HS Soccer on the weekends and during the summer. We are repeating the same thing this year, her Sophomore Year. She has also had a few D3’s and NAIA schools reach out to her that she has talked to. A couple of the D3’s are in the ‘Little Ivy’ group, very good academics and pretty good soccer programs.
She has had her mind set on playing D1, that said some of these D3 Schools are amazing academic schools, and a lot play all their keepers although there a distinct pecking order based on ability,
My DD wants to play and play early, and not sit for a year, two, or sometimes three before getting her shot which is what I see at a lot of D1 schools when looking at the rosters and stats.
Anybody gone through these discussions with their kid? I want her to focus on the education and long term, not the sweatshirt and the Insta post. It’s a big discussion in our home at the moment.
She also wants to commit early because she has seen what a lot of her 2024 teammates have been going through with all the Covid years, and how that has impacted them, although the 2025 class does not have to deal with the Covid year. It’s a big decision and I want her to take her time.
There is a bit of a tension between wanting high academic and committing early. All of the D3 high academics (e.g., schools in the NESCAC, UAA, Centennial, SCIAC (Pomona, Claremont McKenna, Cal Tech etc), and many of the DI high academics (e.g., Ivies and the academically stronger Patriot League schools) are not on the same timeline as other D1s, D2s and NAIA schools. They really want to see grades at least all the way through junior year the same as they would for normal admits. The top D3s will do a pre-read in mid-Summer (July 1 for most, but NESCAC is reportedly moving to an August 1 date) that involves submitting your transcript through junior year grades, your class schedule for Fall senior year, and a resume or mini-application (not including all the essays and recs). The Ivies do something similar called a "likely letter." Those aren't guarantees, but they are indications from the Admissions Offices to coaches and players that they are plausible candidates and then coaches decide from the pool who they will support for admissions in early decision. Some schools give coaches slots, others just give a thumb on the scale, so even a positive pre-read isn't a guarantee the coach will fully support your kid. When players announce commitments to these schools (especially the Ivies), they say they are committing to the process, which is not the same as in other schools where offers are guarantees as long as you don't tank academically or soccer-wise. It can be a stressful process if your DD is already anxious given what she has seen for Covid grads.
Having said that, while female GKs are in high demand (much more so than for men), the chances of playing right out of the gate or even in a year or two are really low in D1 and, frankly, somewhat unrealistic at any level if the program is a good one and the coach did his or her job in recruiting and retaining players. It can happen with injuries, the transfer portal, and for a strong player, but I wouldn't count on it. You basically would have to go to a school far below your relative ability to feel confident you can start at GK over an upperclassmen. Plus, the portal can work both ways so a promise from the coach can quickly turn south. It's more plausible that the coach can tell you that they see your DD as a starter-type rather than a training GK-type, then they can promise you playing time in the first two years. At D3, the portal is less of an issue and a glance at the roster and a discussion about the recruiting class can give you a firmer sense of where you might stand from Day 1 (or Year 2), but even there it's no guarantee. The downside to a bit less competitive team in D3 is that while the coach feels more comfortable rotating and therefore your DD might play some games in Year 1, the coach also may employ more of a pure seniority system with goalkeepers because the emphasis is on the experience for everyone in that program more than winning. A D1 coach is going to play the best players because their job is on the line, but that also means you see GKs who start freshman year and never sniff the field again if they make a mistake. Playing goalkeeper in college is not for the faint of heart.
My pitch to your DD is that knowing all of that uncertainty, use the GK skills to get the best academic schools interested in you and then use the promises of playing time, soccer program reputation, coach, admissions guarantees and any other criteria to decide among those best academic options. If your DD balks, dig up the transfer stats in D1 women's soccer. It's really bleak. Men, at least, get a reality check early on because 30-40% of D1 rosters are international players. Women, on the other hand, find out that the big name school shine wears off quickly once you are on campus, especially if your DD is the type of GK to get antsy sitting for two or three years.
️ 2023 WSOC keepers come in today, virtually all could be on multiple visits in 30 days
