Recruiting Tips for Parents Just Starting the Process

MMMM said:
I’l bite! My DD is a 2022, verbally committed late last year. We found that having already established relationships with the coaches at the programs she was considering was THE most important element to the process, not sure if that’s going to be the same in non-COVID years. She had attended school-specific ID camps at five-ish schools that she was talking to seriously — there was one outlier where she’d never set foot on campus and another outlier where her last ID camp had been more than 2 years prior, but the schools that were most seriously in the mix were places she’d been to camps and such on a number of occasions, all relatively local schools, which also helped because in the local soccer coaching scene the coaches at club and college all talk to each other and the assistant coaches at the colleges sometimes coach club on the side and vice versa. The biggest lesson for us was that being on a fancy team matters for talent credibility purposes, but the showcases mattered WAY LESS than we thought they would. Even in a non-COVID year, the showcases seem to be more about confirming in person what the coach is already considering from prior interactions.
Click to expand...
I think your last two sentences are very accurate.
 
That is not true ... maybe for your kid, but not overall. The showcases are where they see kids live with their teams. Camps are difficult to evaluate because you have a large range of talent out there, and no one has played together before. A high level showcase is where the players true level is revealed.
 
GT45 said:
That is not true ... maybe for your kid, but not overall. The showcases are where they see kids live with their teams. Camps are difficult to evaluate because you have a large range of talent out there, and no one has played together before. A high level showcase is where the players true level is revealed.
Click to expand...
In my case the showcases actually served both. It was where schools that were already interested solidified their interest and for new ones to emerge that were not part of the mix before. However, the relationships were mostly in place before showcases. I realize everyone's experience is different so I'm in no way saying this is an exact science.
 
My tip is only commitment to a school where the head coach courts or talks directly to the player, multiple 1 on 1s if possible. Spending time together really helped our youngest make his decision. Knowing about the staff or assistants helps, but when the head coach shows up to training, games, events and has 1 on 1s it can really make the difference and lasting impression.

Our youngest son received several offers, some campus visits, majority of the time it was assistant coaches or just blind offers coming at different times for schools he didn't even know about.

Usually after he played in some tournament, showcase, or post season comp but couple times just by different coaching talking among themselves and recommending.

Never attended any camps or ID events, your club or head coach connections goes a long way that and who, what, or where you play. There wasn't a tournament, showcase, or postseason where the offers didn't come in even after he committed .

On the boys side there are a fair number of head coaches that also are college coaches or trainers to some degree. Playing for one of those can be invaluable in a lot of different ways. If your looking for a team and have college inspiration definitely consider that.
 
lafalafa said:
My tip is only commitment to a school where the head coach courts or talks directly to the player, multiple 1 on 1s if possible. Spending time together really helped our youngest make his decision. Knowing about the staff or assistants helps, but when the head coach shows up to training, games, events and has 1 on 1s it can really make the difference and lasting impression.

Our youngest son received several offers, some campus visits, majority of the time it was assistant coaches or just blind offers coming at different times for schools he didn't even know about.

Usually after he played in some tournament, showcase, or post season comp but couple times just by different coaching talking among themselves and recommending.

Never attended any camps or ID events, your club or head coach connections goes a long way that and who, what, or where you play. There wasn't a tournament, showcase, or postseason where the offers didn't come in even after he committed .

On the boys side there are a fair number of head coaches that also are college coaches or trainers to some degree. Playing for one of those can be invaluable in a lot of different ways. If your looking for a team and have college inspiration definitely consider that.
Click to expand...
I love this stuff, thanks bro. My dd needs the right fit. 3 official visits coming soon to a campus near you except by EOTL's crib....lol. I spoke to a big time youth coach and he told me 2021s are still up first. 2022s need to slow the heck down and not fret is what he told me. Relax and calm down was his message to me to tell of of you. Relax everyone :) Take your time, especially in these times. That's my 4 cents worth :)
 
crush said:
I love this stuff, thanks bro. My dd needs the right fit. 3 official visits coming soon to a campus near you except by EOTL's crib....lol. I spoke to a big time youth coach and he told me 2021s are still up first. 2022s need to slow the heck down and not fret is what he told me. Relax and calm down was his message to me to tell of of you. Relax everyone :) Take your time, especially in these times. That's my 4 cents worth :)
Click to expand...

One of the key things is your players discussion on how new players are brought into the program what their expectation are for playing time, training, development and the time frames.

Current roster is a tricky one but does fit in to the discussions. What positions have the most opportunities? Being capable of playing multiples does helps a lot in section and eventually finding playing time.

Some coaches flat out told my son that freshmen league play is a long shot, some preseason but when you look at the major conference teams it's mostly juniors and seniors getting the minutes.

Larger close to 30 persons roster make it real competition for those minutes. Is your player prepared to sit for 1-2 years before getting major minutes?
 
The whole process is not really about soccer but about your kid's education and college experience. Your kid is not going pro and if they do, they are better off getting a job since there is no money to be made in the pro's (except for the very, very few). Every girl that gets recruited is a good player but not all freshmen last on the team. I would be surprised if 75% of college players make it all 4 years. Playing time is definitely a challenge with 11 starting spots and often 30+ players. Make sure you kid is getting the degree they want. That the school fits the experience they want and that they like their teammates and develop friendships at the school. If they play or make an impact that should be a bonus not a deciding factor.
 
If I understand the transfer window, it could be that your underclassmen is getting playing time, making an impact and then overnight three or four upperclassmen transfer in and underclassmen are back on the bench...

is that about right? If so, @Simisoccerfan is absolutely right on the button.
 
Simisoccerfan said:
The whole process is not really about soccer but about your kid's education and college experience. Your kid is not going pro and if they do, they are better off getting a job since there is no money to be made in the pro's (except for the very, very few). Every girl that gets recruited is a good player but not all freshmen last on the team. I would be surprised if 75% of college players make it all 4 years. Playing time is definitely a challenge with 11 starting spots and often 30+ players. Make sure you kid is getting the degree they want. That the school fits the experience they want and that they like their teammates and develop friendships at the school. If they play or make an impact that should be a bonus not a deciding factor.
Click to expand...

If this is the case why not just go to university and not play a sport which takes up study time and a chance to have a part time job which will help you get a real job. All the money spent from travelling to tournaments and private coaching to get that college scholarship was such a waste of money which could have been spent on college. And parents could have done something more productive with their kids instead of sitting in a car e.g. volunteered or camped. And parents are willing to put their kid at risk of getting an injury that may require surgery ($) and rehab ($) which would affect their mental health and have life long symptoms (osteoarthritis) - for what? Of course they want to play on their college team. Sitting on a bench does nothing for your child's confidence and mental health.

I feel like your idea of women's pro sports is outdated. All around the world pro female players are making a living out there, having a great time and getting university degrees. At a much greater level than players in college they are learning valuable skills - leadership, resilience, team work, handling pressure, etc. so that when they "retire" they can get a good paying job. With no regrets. It is easier than you think for a female to get a pro contract in Europe or Asia. People play soccer professionally because they LOVE it. Kind of like musicians, artists, ministers, actors, teachers, etc It's not all about the money.

What are Americans doing to help professional womens soccer grow in the US? Are getting your company to sponsor teams? Volunteering? Buying tickets and going to semi pro/pro games with your friends?
 
It"s a long journey. There is no one right way to be recruited. Club/Coach contacts work for some kids. ID Camps work for others. My DD was lucky to be picked up in the second semester of her senior year during COVID by a D1 program. She had been recruited by other D1 programs but the timing or fit was off.
 
Giesbock said:
If I understand the transfer window, it could be that your underclassmen is getting playing time, making an impact and then overnight three or four upperclassmen transfer in and underclassmen are back on the bench...
Click to expand...

Bingo....my DD made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament as a freshman...started, and played the entire 90 mins against a dominant UCLA side. However, due to the overall success of the team in the tournament, the coach was able to recruit transfer players from Europe which drastically impacted her minutes in her sophomore season. Dog eat dog daily competition on the pitch at all levels. I agree with cerebro, lots of routes to playing in college, so you do what you can to help the player get seen. ID Camps, guesting, playing up, sending emails, working hard to improve skills, conditioning. My DD guested with a team from Seattle at November Nights (I think) and some college coaches from the Seattle area were there to scout that team and afterwards, the club coach fielded some inquiries regarding my daughter. One size does not fit all.
 
eastbaysoccer said:
D1 is not a big deal now that I've seen and experienced it. Honestly my daughter would have been perfectly happy playing at the D3 level.
Click to expand...

If my daughter was academic I would be for sure looking at a school with smaller class sizes and group based discussions - most Div 3 and some Div 2 schools. Californians aside - not sure why Americans always go for those big state schools - University of Arkansas is ranked #2 in womens soccer, but in the 1,000 in the QS rankings. That's just awful. And I'm sure the class sizes are like 100+.
 
msoccerm said:
If my daughter was academic I would be for sure looking at a school with smaller class sizes and group based discussions - most Div 3 and some Div 2 schools. Californians aside - not sure why Americans always go for those big state schools - University of Arkansas is ranked #2 in womens soccer, but in the 1,000 in the QS rankings. That's just awful. And I'm sure the class sizes are like 100+.
Click to expand...
That is precisely why school fit always comes first. These girls need to ask themselves if they would be happy at these places if soccer is taken out of the equation.
 
Dubs said:
That is precisely why school fit always comes first. These girls need to ask themselves if they would be happy at these places if soccer is taken out of the equation.
Click to expand...

They probably would be happy if the party scene was good and there was a lot of school pride because that's what some state schools have to do to attract people. Otherwise if you look at big picture you're sending your child to a school where learning is based on listening and memorising and there are no prospects or internships (except maybe medical/nursing) within a reasonable distance.

Stanford QS 2
UCLA QS 36
University of CA - Davis QS 112
University of CA - Irving QS 210
University Notre Dame QS 211
University of Florida State QS 456
University of Oklahoma QS 651-700
University of Arkansas QS 1001+
 
msoccerm said:
They probably would be happy if the party scene was good and there was a lot of school pride because that's what some state schools have to do to attract people. Otherwise if you look at big picture you're sending your child to a school where learning is based on listening and memorising and there are no prospects or internships (except maybe medical/nursing) within a reasonable distance.

Stanford QS 2
UCLA QS 36
University of CA - Davis QS 112
University of CA - Irving QS 210
University Notre Dame QS 211
University of Florida State QS 456
University of Oklahoma QS 651-700
University of Arkansas QS 1001+
Click to expand...
This is not an accurate comment at all. Large schools also have small classes. Large schools offer great educations. Many large schools are in or very near large cities. You may be referring to Arkansas in particular, but to say they do not have job prospects or internships within a reasonable distance is quite an assumption. Same with this comment "learning is based on listening and memorising". How would you know that? I take it you have never attended a large school.
 
I would think that lecture-based classes are fine for some, but it requires a pretty good attention span and engaging professors.

Apologies if it looks like I'm knocking University of Arkansas because it looks like an affordable school, but the local internship possibilities are bleak:
www.fayettevillear.com

Major Employers

100 FTEs or more 5 Star Sports Calendar, LLC 3340 N College Ave www.fivestarspots.com Business Type: Printing service American Air Filter Co. Inc. 2355 S Armstrong Ave www.aafintl.com Business...
www.fayettevillear.com www.fayettevillear.com

Looks like you only went to schools with large classes sizes because it looks like you're not capable of researching, analysing and listening to other's opinions. lol
 
Large schools do have small classes too. Thank you for the link to major employers, but I am not sure what that proves. You ignore the rest of my message. Your post was based on assumptions and inaccuracies about large schools. I pointed that out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top