Keeping up with the soccer Joneses

[Yak]

Nice to have a thread that's actually informative for boys, as long as you ignore the girl dads chiming in.

For most boys, college recruiting doesn't begin until junior HS year and most commitments are senior year. So you can really play wherever you want and save money until then. U17 up, college recruitment is much more likely if on a team with a program and coach that college coaches know and trust. This is often more important than winning record. These are typically MLS Next and ECNL clubs. On DS team, 4 D1 commits joined at U17/U19.

 

[crush]

Nice to have a thread that's actually informative for boys, as long as you ignore the girl dads chiming in.

For most boys, college recruiting doesn't begin until junior HS year and most commitments are senior year. So you can really play wherever you want and save money until then. U17 up, college recruitment is much more likely if on a team with a program and coach that college coaches know and trust. This is often more important than winning record. These are typically MLS Next and ECNL clubs. On DS team, 4 D1 commits joined at U17/U19.

Some dads have boys & girls playing youth soccer. The Joneses also have boys & girls.

 

[espola]

This is the party line - but it's just not universally the case. Ivies recruit desired athletes, and have the ability and the money to do so. It's not as overt, but it's too simplistic to state that they have nothing financial to offer. The selling point is usually the other way around - if they want a particular student athlete, there is nothing that should keep the student from accepting due to any financial reasons that the student may be affected by.

Long ago I heard the definition of an Ivy school is that if you are good enough to get in, they have the resources to assure that your family can afford it. "Good enough" also applies to athletic, diversity, legacy (Daddy went there and later donated a building), and other qualities in addition to academic metrics.

And then one must not forget the Ned Harkness story of the NY Agricultural College nicely co-located on the campus of Cornell University, and which had no restrictions about offering full scholarships to big Canadian farm boys who were good at hockey and/or lacrosse.

 

[michelleP]

For those who are saying they've spent 120-150k, are you traveling with multiple family members? Since U10-U17(this is her senior year), we've spent around 80k-90k. Sometimes hubster and I would split trips to cut the cost of flights, hotel( split with another parent), food, bar tab, etc.

 

[crush]

For those who are saying they've spent 120-150k, are you traveling with multiple family members? Since U10-U17(this is her senior year), we've spent around 80k-90k. Sometimes hubster and I would split trips to cut the cost of flights, hotel( split with another parent), food, bar tab, etc.

My wife and I would split a few but when it was playoff time, my family of four all went to cheer on the team. The year we won the Natty was the most expensive year by far. The $120K a year family is mostly folks going first class and 5 star hotel. One family I knew had their own plane and that helped with savings.

 

[michelleP]

My wife and I would split a few but when it was playoff time, my family of four all went to cheer on the team. The year we won the Natty was the most expensive year by far. The $120K a year family is mostly folks going first class and 5 star hotel. One family I knew had their own plane and that helped with savings.

Ok yeah that makes sense. And you are so right, now that I think of it, there are a couple of families on our team who would only go first class, etc. Not me, put me in coach and give me a vodka/tonic and I'm just fine.

 

[crush]

Ok yeah that makes sense. And you are so right, now that I think of it, there are a couple of families on our team who would only go first class, etc. Not me, put me in coach and give me a vodka/tonic and I'm just fine.

If I have the money that Mr. Jones has, I'm for sure going first class. My dd was offered a private plane ride from Carlsbad to Camario but coach said no, it's not fair to the other players. Only Mr. Jones and his dd were allowed to do it. You must suck it up and go for that 3-hour drive each way (if the traffic is good) to play the Eagles.