Mystery Train
GOLD
100%. And that's what they take with them after it is all said and done.
Recruiting Tips for Parents Just Starting the Process
- Thread starter MakeAPlay
- Start date
Accuracy. That's what this is. My kid definitely chose the school first and is graduating with the degree she set out to achieve and we're unbelievably proud of her. However, the soccer part was a nightmare...for both her and our family. I've asked her many times if she would change anything and she says no. She LOVED her "school" experience. Astoundingly, she still has great passion for the sport and by grace of God has eligibility left and is going to play for another program...hopefully with a drastically different soccer experience....Eyes wide open though. I am continuously in awe of her grit and determination. She could have quit a million times or transferred and said screw it... not worth the degree but she didn't. The never quit mindset eventually pays off. She's a living testament. Soccer story still being written.
Would you mind sharing some of the nightmares? Our experience has been a very good one so far but I know there are people behind us that would learn or be better prepared if you did.
I can dm you about it. Not sure I want to share on this thread.
Nah, that's okay. I wasn't wanting you to share with me (specifically) or list anything incriminating. Just general concepts that might give others an idea of what to look for as red flags based on your experience. If that's not possible, no worries.
I would just point out what's been pointed on many threads in this forum. Whatever a coach says at this level (D1 P4) must be taken with a massive dose of skepticism. Buyer beware.
rainbow_unicorn
PREMIER
Anybody have info or experiences they can share on what to expect after June 15th after sophomore year? Number of schools that reached out? What percent of schools that reached out actually turned into offers? Assuming schools will reach out via text or email and ask to setup a call or Zoom to talk? And next step is see you at playoffs so we can watch you some more?
If they are calling on 15 June, they have already watched your kid play. If your kid has YNT call ups, the Power 5 schools will be calling on 15 June to set up zoom calls. If your kid is an average ECNL type player, the process takes longer, with official and unofficial visits throughout the fall— to come watch a home game and visit with other recruits. Don’t be surprised if some schools your kid wasn’t looking at start calling shortly after June 15. And it doesn‘t all happen on that day…the coaches have lots of calls so give it a couple of weeks from 15 June if your kid is not a beast. Bottom line, let your kid take the calls, and parents stay away! The ONLY time a parent should even talk to a coach is when the coach asks and $$$ amounts of athletic numbers are being discussed. Of course, let your kid research the schools they will be taking calls with and asking pertinent questions.
As many have said before on this forum, the recruiting process and calls are the only time your player holds the power in the timeline. Use it wisely.
If you have a good club coach/recruiting director and your dd has been consistently sending emails, the schools who call/text/email on June 15th shouldn't be too much of a surprise. My dd got a very generous offer on a call on June 15th that was tempting to just accept on the spot, but I would recommend all recruits take the official visits through the fall to see the team play and practice with the season and school in session. See how the coach interacts with players, see how many players don't get minutes in games, see how many players are unhappy, get a real understanding of the resources available to the players, etc. My dd went on a few official visits and had a few more scheduled, but cancelled some once she went on a visit that just felt right for her. However, I am glad she went on a few to see different schools/programs. If you are going on an official visit, an offer will be presented and a parent should be there to understand the financial side of things and ask questions. Lastly, it is a red flag to me if a coach gives your dd a short timeframe to accept an offer. It can be a stressful time, but try to let your dd enjoy the process.
With playoffs after the June 15th it may be different for some players regarding offers. Any coach who wants a player may not want to wait to see them at playoffs. My kid is a trapped 08 player so they should know if they want her or not. I assume the 09's may have a slightly different process since their recruiting is still in the discovery phase.
Great advice Sike. My dd took some calls (her class was the first with the June 15th new rules) and got some full ride offers. All of them gave deadlines. My dd liked the attention and kind things the coaches had to say but wanted to go on official visits first to meet the coach face to face, meet the team and walk on the campus. None of them gave her time and all wanted an answer within the week. It's crazy, but I think all the coaches got fired that year or the year after. MY pal's dd took the full ride to a P4 in 8th grade and regretted the decision once she got to school. Good news is she persevered and will graduate on time next year.
For the life of me I don't understand why coaches do kids like that with deadlines within a short period of time. Insane.
Very insane
WatchthemPlay
SILVER
100% agree. Your kid will know if they are a top recruit because coaches find a way of letting them know (through the club coach, mail, coaches liking social media posts, coaches/programs following them etc.). On my kids team, some received 2 calls, others 50. It really shouldn’t be a big surprise. Calls range from a 2nd assistant coach just wanting to touch base to full on zoom with all coaches and a full ride presented.
June 15th in itself isn’t critical but it will give you an idea how hard your kid will need to work to get interest- 0 or limited calls then you need to expand search, email more frequently, find opportunities for exposure. I know kids who got 3 or 4 calls and ultimately got an offer at one after they visited. I know kids who got 10 calls and none turned into offers. I know kids who got multiple full ride offers on June 15th. Everyone’s process is different. Go on visits before committing, keep an open mind, if something seems off with a coach/program it likely is.
Same reason they lose their shit if you don't accept an offer the first night of tryouts but they get to keep 3-4 kids on the bubble to see if a unicorn shows up on Day 3.
Mine did the portal in December. She went from a kid that was recruited by less than 10 colleges out of High School to over 100 reaching out to her. The main reason is she played a full year at D1 after redshirting her freshman year. Having a year of D1 college experience and still three years eligibility makes it much easier for college coaches to identify strong players. There is still a large miss rate for recruits from High School/Club level. Transfers are the present and the future. Take note, every kid that transfers from the portal doesn't always stick with the new team. Two players that transferred with her in January didn't make the club for the coming season.
Interesting. Good for your kid. Did the 2 that didn't make the club end up going back in the portal and, if so, did that matter to other coaches?
I agree with this comment. Unfortunately most kids from club soccer are not ready for the competitive nature of D1 and less parent involvement. A lot of the parents step in and work out and issues with playing time and some get daddy ball treatment. This creates coaches not knowing the players intangibles which at the next level separates top players from average players. So player identification is difficult for coaches, so it's just easier to get a kid with experience out of the portal. You know they actually have been in a gym at least for 1yr.
Both hit the portal and found D1 teams inside 2 weeks. Three others that were cut from last years squad found new schools as well, 1 D1 and two D2's. The coach made sure to put in a good word for all of them.
dk_b
GOLD
My kid was recruited under the old, old rules (could do unofficial visits at any time (and those could still be hosted, have stuff paid for; basically the school could not pay for transportation there but pretty much everything else was OK), receive verbal offers, etc. (even we, as parents, could attend sporting events on free tickets unless it was a conference playoff/championship or ncaa tournament game). There were no limits on those visits - whether multiple to a specific school or multiple to many schools. She committed early and attended that school despite the coach being fired (or not renewed) only days before NLI signing and even after her soccer profile had elevated in the intervening years (from verbal offer to signing). She spent three seasons there and her last two at a different school.
Her specific story is not important (this is background) but I will say that I wish the current rules kicked in after June 15 of their JUNIOR years (or maybe Jan 1 of their junior years) for exactly the reason @KingMI says - "payer identification is difficult for coaches" and also because each year in a teen's life contains so much growth and maturity so that the teens themselves have a much, much better sense of what they want in a school, in a major, etc. I can remember my kid being asked at 14, "well, what do you think you want to study?" and I thought that was so silly - she was going to be asked and she had to have an answer but the adults in the room (the coaches and me sitting silently on the other end of the phone call (she handled ALL of them herself) knowing that the question was so meaningless to an 8th or 9th grader (some even had to answer in 7th grade). I've made the point upthread that the experience is different if your kid has an older sibling who went through it - both the expectations on the pitch but also the recruiting dance. I think having your kids face that after 2 years of HS is definitely better than what it was and I'm guessing that many might think, "no way should it be extended to junior year!" but I'd much rather have the kids be closer to adulthood when making one of the most consequential decisions of their lives (no hyperbole here. There are few that are bigger and that is probably the single biggest one to that point in their lives).
I feel for all of you with HS kids right now. Schools are trying to figure out how to manage roster limits, NIL, transfers, etc. That makes it even tougher. And if you have not gone through it with an older child, you don't have the full context to judge the sincerity of coaches, the sincerity of players on the roster whom your kid will meet only to then compete against and even if you have the most mature 15- or 16-year-old, you know that if the conversation were a year later (or even 6 months later), that maturity would be even more developed.