Recruiting Tips for Parents Just Starting the Process

Keep in mind the player signs their name to the scholarship offer every year...it's not a four year contract.
Scholarships can be and are modified depending on grades, playing time, ability, eligibility, etc.
I've known walk on players that have worked their way into scholarships and I've known scholarship players who have gone the other direction.
Also, coaches that offer one thing and then change for no reason would not last long...and verbal commitments are just verbal commitments, 'till the ink dries.
 
Funny because as we have had several conversations with college recruiters and college coaches and they almost all seem to have a negative undertone in conversation about the Clubs push to over play and over extend players and their families. Also several seem to be unhappy with the club coaches making promises they have no control over. I was very surprised to get the point of view some of the college coaches are starting to form about youth Club soccer and where it seems to be heading.
 
Lion Eyes said:
Keep in mind the player signs their name to the scholarship offer every year...it's not a four year contract.
Scholarships can be and are modified depending on grades, playing time, ability, eligibility, etc.
I've known walk on players that have worked their way into scholarships and I've known scholarship players who have gone the other direction.
Also, coaches that offer one thing and then change for no reason would not last long...and verbal commitments are just verbal commitments, 'till the ink dries.
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The PAC 12 and Big Ten guarantee all sports scholarships for 4 years starting with the high school class of 2016.
 
MakeAPlay said:
The PAC 12 and Big Ten guarantee all sports scholarships for 4 years starting with the high school class of 2016.
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Which makes the offer of that scholarship more meaningful....
I'm sure their are stipulations and certain standards that must be met by the athlete.
 
Lion Eyes said:
Which makes the offer of that scholarship more meaningful....
I'm sure their are stipulations and certain standards that must be met by the athlete.
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They must have passing grades. If there is some sort of illegal activity I would imagine there is a clause allowing them to revoke it but on my player's grant in aid package I saw no such stipulations.
 
MakeAPlay said:
They must have passing grades. If there is some sort of illegal activity I would imagine there is a clause allowing them to revoke it but on my player's grant in aid package I saw no such stipulations.
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If a coach tells you face to face what the deal is, and that coach fails to follow through, that coach is walking on thin ice.
Word gets out quick, especially today with forums such as this.
 
MakeAPlay said:
They must have passing grades. If there is some sort of illegal activity I would imagine there is a clause allowing them to revoke it but on my player's grant in aid package I saw no such stipulations.
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I went to college back when they had leather helmets. I was recruited and attended through a grant in aid "scholarship".
The grant in aid package had nothing to do if I played football or not...it was set up through the school financial aid office.
Soccer teams only have 14 scholarships, thankfully our ladies are smart and they can receive academic scholarship, grants in aid, etc.
If the school wants your player, they will come up with means to make it happen...
 
Lion Eyes said:
I went to college back when they had leather helmets. I was recruited and attended through a grant in aid "scholarship".
The grant in aid package had nothing to do if I played football or not...it was set up through the school financial aid office.
Soccer teams only have 14 scholarships, thankfully our ladies are smart and they can receive academic scholarship, grants in aid, etc.
If the school wants your player, they will come up with means to make it happen...
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I'm just using the verbiage on the paperwork. They even use docusign now.
 
MakeAPlay said:
I'm tripping out on how many freshmen are committed right now.
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FAKE NEWS!
First of all NON of them are anything more than a verbal "OK" as a Freshman. And secondly the word "committed" is thrown around so loosely its crazy! The huge majority are not getting enough to pay for their gas to and from! Its a sham, if you truly look into the actual amount being offered to Women's soccer it is sad. Make sure you are doing club soccer for one reason and one reason only..the FUN of it, NOT the future of some great full ride scholarship in college. YES some do get that, but the time and money invested into club Soccer is not even close worth the investment if you think your getting a payback in college. Clubs blow this crap out of the world and ego maniac parents like to exaggerate what their kids are actually getting.
 
sandshark said:
FAKE NEWS!
First of all NON of them are anything more than a verbal "OK" as a Freshman. And secondly the word "committed" is thrown around so loosely its crazy! The huge majority are not getting enough to pay for their gas to and from! Its a sham, if you truly look into the actual amount being offered to Women's soccer it is sad. Make sure you are doing club soccer for one reason and one reason only..the FUN of it, NOT the future of some great full ride scholarship in college. YES some do get that, but the time and money invested into club Soccer is not even close worth the investment if you think your getting a payback in college. Clubs blow this crap out of the world and ego maniac parents like to exaggerate what their kids are actually getting.
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"Committed" as a Freshman or Sophomore is complete nonsense. It's a marketing ploy the clubs love to use and we eat-it-up as fast as we can.
 
sandshark said:
FAKE NEWS!
First of all NON of them are anything more than a verbal "OK" as a Freshman. And secondly the word "committed" is thrown around so loosely its crazy! The huge majority are not getting enough to pay for their gas to and from! Its a sham, if you truly look into the actual amount being offered to Women's soccer it is sad. Make sure you are doing club soccer for one reason and one reason only..the FUN of it, NOT the future of some great full ride scholarship in college. YES some do get that, but the time and money invested into club Soccer is not even close worth the investment if you think your getting a payback in college. Clubs blow this crap out of the world and ego maniac parents like to exaggerate what their kids are actually getting.
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Okay if you think so. I know that the $30k that I spent is much less than my player is getting so preach what you want to but the truth is very different. If I was you I would wait until I got a Uolder player that has been through the recruiting process before I made a negative OR a positive comment.

You are clearly no in the know based upon your post and plenty of parents with players know this. A 50% scholarship at pretty much any private university in America will cover what a SMART soccer parent will spend on club soccer. Now if you need to travel everywhere with your little Mia (or Mallory) then that number might be different...
 
@GKDad65 and @sandshark are your players freshmen in high school? Are they YNT players? Are they regional or national ODP players? Where they invited to the Puma showcase? If not I am fairly certain that you are not qualified to legitimately comment.

You can ask all of the medical questions you want to an engineer the answers won't be correct though...
 
What is the Puma showcase? Is that still a thing? I recently saw some Adidas event in Oregon, but an entire team went to it, so I wasn't sure if it was invite only.
I agree that SOME kids aren't getting any real money, but that seems to be because they are shooting for schools that aren't their true "level". For instance I know of a girl that really wanted to go to UNC... so she went, and maybe got preferred walk on status? Her parents called it committed, but she didn't get any actual money. However, if she had went to the D2 that offered her a scholarship, she would have had a lot more money.

As a U15 parent, I'm currently spending about 3k a year in club/ECNL fees (that includes her travel). I pay another 4k a year when we travel as a family to surf cup and national events. so 7k a year? so lets say I spend 28k over the course of 4 years...Lets say that LMU is on her list of schools that she loves (great film school!) LMU is 60K per year with room and board. If she could get 50% of that paid... and then another 25 or 30% in academic money, thats not horrible, and she has used soccer as a way to chase her dream career.

I don't think any of us U15 and under parents have a set plan right now because things keep changing.
 
pooka said:
What is the Puma showcase? Is that still a thing? I recently saw some Adidas event in Oregon, but an entire team went to it, so I wasn't sure if it was invite only.
I agree that SOME kids aren't getting any real money, but that seems to be because they are shooting for schools that aren't their true "level". For instance I know of a girl that really wanted to go to UNC... so she went, and maybe got preferred walk on status? Her parents called it committed, but she didn't get any actual money. However, if she had went to the D2 that offered her a scholarship, she would have had a lot more money.

As a U15 parent, I'm currently spending about 3k a year in club/ECNL fees (that includes her travel). I pay another 4k a year when we travel as a family to surf cup and national events. so 7k a year? so lets say I spend 28k over the course of 4 years...Lets say that LMU is on her list of schools that she loves (great film school!) LMU is 60K per year with room and board. If she could get 50% of that paid... and then another 25 or 30% in academic money, thats not horrible, and she has used soccer as a way to chase her dream career.

I don't think any of us U15 and under parents have a set plan right now because things keep changing.
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@pooka your post is spot on. Plenty of "committed" players that get no money. Mostly from shooting for a school that may not be a good "soccer fit." Both things are important (school and soccer) and determine if a kid stays for 4 years or transfers.
 
sandshark said:
FAKE NEWS!
First of all NON of them are anything more than a verbal "OK" as a Freshman. And secondly the word "committed" is thrown around so loosely its crazy! The huge majority are not getting enough to pay for their gas to and from! Its a sham, if you truly look into the actual amount being offered to Women's soccer it is sad. Make sure you are doing club soccer for one reason and one reason only..the FUN of it, NOT the future of some great full ride scholarship in college. YES some do get that, but the time and money invested into club Soccer is not even close worth the investment if you think your getting a payback in college. Clubs blow this crap out of the world and ego maniac parents like to exaggerate what their kids are actually getting.
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My DD is in her Jr. year at a NAIA school. She received both an Academic and Athletic scholarship and I can say without a doubt that the cost that we paid for Club Soccer could have been tripled and it still would not have totalled the amount of her scholarships.
 
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