Recruiting Tips for Parents Just Starting the Process

Sike said:
Has this been discussed on this forum? Seems like a potential major change for soccer.

www.oregonlive.com

NCAA committee discussing converting equivalency sports to full scholarship; Pac-12 supports what would be biggest change to college athletics since Title IX

The move could cost FBS schools over $1 billion annually in additional scholarship funding
www.oregonlive.com www.oregonlive.com
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No chance, pac12 going broke unless they manage to stop UCLA and USC moves.

College sports besides football and basketball might become less relevant and funded. Serious tennis, soccer, and golf players going pro since there is little incentives to play college sports especially when you can get a degree fully or almost exclusively online at many places nowadays.
 
lafalafa said:
No chance, pac12 going broke unless they manage to stop UCLA and USC moves.

College sports besides football and basketball might become less relevant and funded. Serious tennis, soccer, and golf players going pro since there is little incentives to play college sports especially when you can get a degree fully or almost exclusively online at many places nowadays.
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Brace yourselves for an era in which women's soccer (and all non-revenue sports) gravitate to a DIII/Ivy League model with no athletic scholarships. It is a pipe dream to expect athletic departments that are already losing tens of millions of dollars to agree to lose even more money. Many athletic departments that have tried to survive off the largess of football and basketball are about to be in really bad shape even without having to fully fund scholarships in other sports, because the costs of football are increasing while revenues are decreasing for all but a handful in the SEC and Big10. As the Ivy League has always known, collegiate athletics is an indulgence for both the school and the athletes. Although college sports can be a great perk to recruit great students, it is not worth saddling a college in massive debt.
 
GoldenGate said:
Brace yourselves for an era in which women's soccer (and all non-revenue sports) gravitate to a DIII/Ivy League model with no athletic scholarships. It is a pipe dream to expect athletic departments that are already losing tens of millions of dollars to agree to lose even more money. Many athletic departments that have tried to survive off the largess of football and basketball are about to be in really bad shape even without having to fully fund scholarships in other sports, because the costs of football are increasing while revenues are decreasing for all but a handful in the SEC and Big10. As the Ivy League has always known, collegiate athletics is an indulgence for both the school and the athletes. Although college sports can be a great perk to recruit great students, it is not worth saddling a college in massive debt.
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The great majority of DI football programs lose money, so that would be a good place to start cutting.
 
Big mistake as many schools don't have the income to support that. Many schools don't even use the full 14 scholarships available.

Plus when I read this comment, I worry about the people discussing this.
“I do agree with one thing, our athletic directors do pull their hair out over this equivalent stuff; 11.7 baseball scholarships — that’s kind of a nutty system.
Not that hard. If you go with 28 roster spots. 4 full scholarships. 7 half scholarships. 17 quarter scholarships. Wow, pulling my hair (don't have any anyways).
 
socalkdg said:
Big mistake as many schools don't have the income to support that. Many schools don't even use the full 14 scholarships available.

Plus when I read this comment, I worry about the people discussing this.
“I do agree with one thing, our athletic directors do pull their hair out over this equivalent stuff; 11.7 baseball scholarships — that’s kind of a nutty system.
Not that hard. If you go with 28 roster spots. 4 full scholarships. 7 half scholarships. 17 quarter scholarships. Wow, pulling my hair (don't have any anyways).
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I don't think the coaches are worried about the math (or at least the universities have bean counters who can do the math for them). The issue is the negotiation over the amount of the scholarship and the fact that there really isn't anything that requires them to go into those nice neat categories you've set forth. Of course, coaches can make it simpler if they want to just let kids walk by issuing take-it or leave-it offers like the ones above. It would be even easier to just issue full scholarships to x numbers of players - e.g., 14 full scholarships (for women) and 9 (for men, instead of the 9.9 allowed) - and make the distinction between scholarship and walk-on players clear, but the market may not allow coaches to do that because mid-level, but valuable, players are shopping around their offers and parents want to tell their friends their kid got a scholarship. That's where the practice of spreading it around started, including where a decent number of "scholarship" kids get books only or books and meals.
 
Simisoccerfan said:
Well that’s a rap. Career over. Time to find a hobby. Word of advice, don’t trust coaches. Most only looking out for themselves.
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Thanks for contributing, your insight was helpful.

How did your player like the education they received at the university(ies) they went to?

On career path with a degree with job prospects or secured one or looking at continuing on with more higher education like a masters.
 
outside! said:
Most?
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There are good and bad just like all walks of life. And most coaches don't/can't trust players either, especially in 2022. Coaches have the agenda of the team/program, and players/families have their agenda of getting a chunk of the 990 minutes available each game. With 30+ on rosters, this is a natural clash of agendas. Athletics is a business. Treat it as such, and you won't get burned.
 
Swoosh said:
There are good and bad just like all walks of life. And most coaches don't/can't trust players either, especially in 2022. Coaches have the agenda of the team/program, and players/families have their agenda of getting a chunk of the 990 minutes available each game. With 30+ on rosters, this is a natural clash of agendas. Athletics is a business. Treat it as such, and you won't get burned.
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You can treat it as such and still get burned
 
It has taken me a few days to collect my thoughts the best I can but they are still clouded by emotion. Here goes:
  • Soccer was never my daughters number one priority nor should it have been. She loves her school and her teammates. She has had so many wonderful experiences at college and developed life long friends from college and her club. So no she would not change any of her decisions though clearly she wished she played more. She played most games but not all and those were decisions made by others.

  • Soccer was probably my number one priority for her for most of her college career and I was wrong for putting it so. As a parent you want the best for your kid. There are many steps on the path from playing AYSO as 4 year old to graduating from a D1 program as scholarship athlete. Very few players make it the end. It is easy to get caught up in that path and always looking for more. The best advice I can give is enjoy the whole journey however far she makes it because it all ends too fast.

  • Things will happen that are out of your control. Injuries, torn acl’s, coaching changes, and new recruits every year are a few of them. You have no control over coaching decisions too. These things will change the experience for your kid. Learn to deal with them.

  • Coaches are being paid to win. They get bonuses for it too or fired if they lose to much. They also don’t get paid much. Almost every assistant coach makes less then your kid will make in their first job. They have their own agenda and all too often that agenda is not what’s best for your kid. This ain’t club soccer. It’s a business. The sooner you realize this the better. The only time you have any power is in the recruiting process. Some will say the Transfer Portal also gives you power but the grass is rarely greener.
So it is over! 17 years of year around soccer. I will never watch one of my kids play a competitive game again. We have been so many places, met so many friends, and been through so much. It has dominated my life for the better. Well it’s time for me to find a hobby or two. Damn I am so proud of my daughter but so sad it’s over.

Simisoccerfan out!
 
You never know when it is over. Mine stopped D1 in 2012/2013. She continues now.

School was her priority, using soccer to get into a school was my priority.

At age 28 with her only ACL injury 2 years ago (turning around calling to friends wearing skis) and almost all healed she is at it again.

After leaving college D1 Varsity as a GK, she went to the field to co-ed with 4-5 of the men's D1 champs on it and was one of 3 girls. We joked that that was the highest level team she had ever been on - as it was.
After college she really continued the co-ed leagues typically being one of 2-3 girls on the team.
She played a couple seasons in Dallas. She became team captain in SFO which was more about organizing the post-game "meetings".

I'm pretty happy something we really pushed her to do for a purpose, became something she loves.
 
I used to be addicted to this site. This was my dad brag outlet. I can still do that if certain posters show up to bug me and will a bit in this post.

Competitive sports where the most important things my kids did.

My kids were talented in academics and sports (got them to Notre Dame and US Air Force Academy), but I think many that post here have similar kids.

Their sports friends on average are just doing better. I tend to think the formula is more parents that care, but there is a difference vs the "just students".

I remember my 8th(ish) grader telling the teacher she couldn't study for a test because she had soccer practice (I heard from the teacher) and dad said that was more important.
Teacher about fell on the floor when I confirmed my daughter was 100% right and defended it on where athletes could go vs [just] really great students.

An all "B" student (real) athlete will generally have more options than an all "A" student non-athlete.

Then, they might not even need the college.
 
Zoro said:
I used to be addicted to this site. This was my dad brag outlet. I can still do that if certain posters show up to bug me and will a bit in this post.

Competitive sports where the most important things my kids did.

My kids were talented in academics and sports (got them to Notre Dame and US Air Force Academy), but I think many that post here have similar kids.

Their sports friends on average are just doing better. I tend to think the formula is more parents that care, but there is a difference vs the "just students".

I remember my 8th(ish) grader telling the teacher she couldn't study for a test because she had soccer practice (I heard from the teacher) and dad said that was more important.
Teacher about fell on the floor when I confirmed my daughter was 100% right and defended it on where athletes could go vs [just] really great students.

An all "B" student (real) athlete will generally have more options than an all "A" student non-athlete.

Then, they might not even need the college.
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Experience is Truth! Amazing two kids you got and gr8t job on parenting :)
 
The clash comes between the business of soccer for the coach/AD and the hopes and dreams of the athlete and the family. As a coach you don’t have to be a dick to run the business side of the house. There are plenty coaches that are ethical, compassionate and discriminating to run successful programs that win year after year. They speak the truth to their players and don’t play harmful, manipulative games. Then there are the narcissistic, abusive, arrogant, assholes that have the power to ruin an athletes experience and players really have very little power to make a difference in this and are just casualties
 
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