My Daughter just committed to a major D1 University - As Me Anything

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I missed it but I haven’t seen an answer as to if this is a binding offer or if the school can change their mind. It seems really early unless a player is USWNT material. And do schools review apps from an academic perspective before junior year?

I am sorry -- what? Not OP but you do not know this?

Not PP, but they are right. I hope everything works out for OP's daughter, but a verbal commitment is not binding and the school (or the athlete) can back out for no reason without penalty. Some schools can use an academic review to cancel a verbal. She seems to be a talented athlete, so she'd find a place to land if that happened, but I personally would be cautious and not buy all the school merch yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I missed it but I haven’t seen an answer as to if this is a binding offer or if the school can change their mind. It seems really early unless a player is USWNT material. And do schools review apps from an academic perspective before junior year?

Seriously?????
Most girls commit before their JR year. Seriously look at Soccer Wire or Top Drawer or EVERY SINGLE club website in the area.
YES - schools review academic material and YES the kids have to continue to excel academically and turn in data.
They are only verbal commits at this stage. Either side and back out but it is rare for the college to back out.
At most high academic schools the girls can commit early but must have specific SAT or ACT scores. My kid committed as a Sophomore but had to have a SAT of 1450-1500. Georgetown, Duke, Wake, UVA, Michigan, William and Mary are just samples of schools requiring academic excellence as well as soccer skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For every junior that commits to a school there are several who commit and never play in college. A lot changes in a year. Until that pen meets the paper it's just a verbal agreement that isn't worth anything.

But ya gotta start somewhere doofus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, how much did you spend (on average) per year on your daughter's soccer? How much is her scholarship per year?

This will mysteriously get unanswered. 9 total school's for the women's and men's soccer, and internationals eat up 2 or 3 fulls, that leaves 7 to spread amongst... 20 girls?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, how much did you spend (on average) per year on your daughter's soccer? How much is her scholarship per year?

This will mysteriously get unanswered. 9 total school's for the women's and men's soccer, and internationals eat up 2 or 3 fulls, that leaves 7 to spread amongst... 20 girls?

That was the past. Things have changed starting when this kid goes. P4 will have more and they will be full.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I missed it but I haven’t seen an answer as to if this is a binding offer or if the school can change their mind. It seems really early unless a player is USWNT material. And do schools review apps from an academic perspective before junior year?

I am sorry -- what? Not OP but you do not know this?

Not PP, but they are right. I hope everything works out for OP's daughter, but a verbal commitment is not binding and the school (or the athlete) can back out for no reason without penalty. Some schools can use an academic review to cancel a verbal. She seems to be a talented athlete, so she'd find a place to land if that happened, but I personally would be cautious and not buy all the school merch yet.

For women's soccer (which is different from other sports) for D1 you can commit on June 15 after your Sophomore year. So she will be a rising junior. D3 can commit anytime but that does not happen. In reality there is an order to this. From June 15 after Sophomore year until the start of school Junior year, most but not all of the top girls commit to the Power 4 and other D1 top soccer schools. Girls also commit to their D-1 top school or dream school if outside P4. Other D-1s get in the picture at this time (D-2s after this). By the start of school Junior year the top girls are mostly sorted and the next tier of girls are recruited and commit to P4 and other D-1s. This process continues until after ECNL Florida in January where the last big wave of D-1 commits commit. Even the P4 still has some after this but they trickle in. As does other D-1s and D-2s. D-3 is divided into two groups -- the high academic D-3s (UAA and NESCAC and some others) and the rest of D-3. The high academic D-3s have identified their top prospects at the start of Junior year or before. This is often the same pool of girls as the D-1s but because of academics the girls are not going to take a mid-major D-1 or someplace like Ole Miss. They would take an Ivy or a top academic p4 school (Vandy, ect.). The high academic D-3s lose girls to these. But by January/ February of Junior year this is sorted and the high academic D-3s move in. Some can make offers then while others need to wait for end of year Junior year grades. After they are sorted the rest of D-3 gets sorted. Random fill ins happen all during junior year and into the start of Senior year when set. Most girls have offers by the start of Senior year but there are some that do not.

In terms of grades, most D-1 schools don't care as long as your are doing ok. The ones that care are in constant touch even after commit. The high academic D-3s care. They need your info to get admissions approval. When admissions have what they need they send a likely letter to student. You still have to keep grades up. They can pull and will if bad grades. But if you get a likely letter it is super rare that you would not be admitted.

Commit is just that. Not binding. Very rare for school to pull but it does happen. A new coach coming in could result in pulling of offers. Coach was fired at one of my daughters top schools -- she did not go there but we watched and in that case none of the commits was dropped by the new coach but it could happen. Kids changing their mind happens more frequently.

Once you are admitted early decision so by mid-December senior year -- you are in. They could still drop you from the program at any time of course but you are in the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, how much did you spend (on average) per year on your daughter's soccer? How much is her scholarship per year?

This will mysteriously get unanswered. 9 total school's for the women's and men's soccer, and internationals eat up 2 or 3 fulls, that leaves 7 to spread amongst... 20 girls?

I already answered this question. To repeat, I estimated 25-30k over the last few year that included club fees, travel, uniforms, and training. The bulk going to travel.

She received a full scholarship which over the course of four years would equate to over 300k. Plus a very nice yearly stipend and a NIL deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I missed it but I haven’t seen an answer as to if this is a binding offer or if the school can change their mind. It seems really early unless a player is USWNT material. And do schools review apps from an academic perspective before junior year?

I am sorry -- what? Not OP but you do not know this?

Not PP, but they are right. I hope everything works out for OP's daughter, but a verbal commitment is not binding and the school (or the athlete) can back out for no reason without penalty. Some schools can use an academic review to cancel a verbal. She seems to be a talented athlete, so she'd find a place to land if that happened, but I personally would be cautious and not buy all the school merch yet.

For women's soccer (which is different from other sports) for D1 you can commit on June 15 after your Sophomore year. So she will be a rising junior. D3 can commit anytime but that does not happen. In reality there is an order to this. From June 15 after Sophomore year until the start of school Junior year, most but not all of the top girls commit to the Power 4 and other D1 top soccer schools. Girls also commit to their D-1 top school or dream school if outside P4. Other D-1s get in the picture at this time (D-2s after this). By the start of school Junior year the top girls are mostly sorted and the next tier of girls are recruited and commit to P4 and other D-1s. This process continues until after ECNL Florida in January where the last big wave of D-1 commits commit. Even the P4 still has some after this but they trickle in. As does other D-1s and D-2s. D-3 is divided into two groups -- the high academic D-3s (UAA and NESCAC and some others) and the rest of D-3. The high academic D-3s have identified their top prospects at the start of Junior year or before. This is often the same pool of girls as the D-1s but because of academics the girls are not going to take a mid-major D-1 or someplace like Ole Miss. They would take an Ivy or a top academic p4 school (Vandy, ect.). The high academic D-3s lose girls to these. But by January/ February of Junior year this is sorted and the high academic D-3s move in. Some can make offers then while others need to wait for end of year Junior year grades. After they are sorted the rest of D-3 gets sorted. Random fill ins happen all during junior year and into the start of Senior year when set. Most girls have offers by the start of Senior year but there are some that do not.

In terms of grades, most D-1 schools don't care as long as your are doing ok. The ones that care are in constant touch even after commit. The high academic D-3s care. They need your info to get admissions approval. When admissions have what they need they send a likely letter to student. You still have to keep grades up. They can pull and will if bad grades. But if you get a likely letter it is super rare that you would not be admitted.

Commit is just that. Not binding. Very rare for school to pull but it does happen. A new coach coming in could result in pulling of offers. Coach was fired at one of my daughters top schools -- she did not go there but we watched and in that case none of the commits was dropped by the new coach but it could happen. Kids changing their mind happens more frequently.

Once you are admitted early decision so by mid-December senior year -- you are in. They could still drop you from the program at any time of course but you are in the school.

Awesome post. This guys knows his stuff. Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She recently committed to an awesome school. The road to get there was was filled with many ups and downs (and a lot of travel).
She is a defender and is blessed with size (5'9) and speed. She was never known as a technical player but is extremely physical. Every few years since early middle school she bounced up to a better team finally playing for the one of the top teams in the area.
Here is my advice;
Get your daughter playing against boys at an early age. It makes a huge difference in speed of play and the level of physicality.
Get a dedicated trainer for speed and agility as early as possible. I think this is more important than a soccer trainer. If coaches see that she can really move and has adequate athleticism they will take a long look. Get fast, get strong, get quick!!!

Don't be a helicopter parent!!!! If she does not want to workout regularly then that is her loss. If she is not all in then it wont happen for her. You can't force the issue and you damn sure can't live vicariously through your kid. And by the way, STOP yelling and screaming on the sidelines. They already have too much pressure from coaches, teammates and themselves. Don't make soccer everything in your life. Go get some ice cream!!

Don't ever go to a general open tryout. Call the coach for the team you are interested in and see if they will let you come for a practice.

Try to separate yourself by being really good at one thing. Great left foot, super athlete, dynamic in the box, exceptional 1v1 defender, very physical, technically excellent. Be good at a lot but be great at one thing. And remember that 'going hard all the time' is a skill. I have seen a ton of girls with great skills who just don't go hard enough.

Do whatever you have to do to get on a ECNL team. Not ECNL RL, and not GA. Your odds of playing in college drastically go up. Even if you are riding the bench for an ECNL team its probably better than being on an ECNL RL or GA team. There are only a few decent GA teams in the area. Look at Arlington, NVA, Maryland United, Union, Bethesda (although I don't recommend Bethesda to anyone..very toxic). I'm sure there are a few others.
The absolute most important aspect of getting recruited is to play well at ECNL showcase events. Either showcase events or ECNL playoffs. Typically there will be coaches from tons of D1 and D3 schools wrapped around the field at all games. Most coaches DO NOT attend regular season ECNL games (they are busy in their own season). Its all about the showcase events.

If you are playing ECNL, try your best to skip the ID Camps. It is a money grab plain and simple. Colleges use these ID camps to pay their assistance coaches. We got bamboozled in to going to way too many. Most were a complete waste of time and money. The only good part was that she was able to see the schools and from there narrow her focus on what type of school she really wanted.

High school soccer does not matter. My daughter is not playing high school because her club season and school season are at the same time. Over use is a real thing. Its not worth it. No one gets recruited from playing high school soccer. Its extremely rare.

Really solid highlight videos and good communication with coaches before and after showcase events is key. Letting coaches know where and when you are playing is important. Using a platform like Sports Recruit makes it very easy to email coaches and create a profile. Developing a plan and getting your name out there with Instagram and X (Twitter) is a vital piece to the puzzle. Posting highlights and just being active on social media goes a long way. Highlights videos should be short (like 2 minutes max) and should have your absolute best stuff in the beginning of the video.

If your daughter does put herself in a position to be recruited, remember that most girls DO NOT go to their #1 choice. That's pretty much left for USWNT players and the absolute highest level girls. My daughter lucked up and is going to a school she really likes and is a perfect fit for her style of play (but it wasn't her #1 choice). Fit and a great college coaching staff is of upmost importance.

I am willing to answer any questions.

Great advice and thanks for sharing your experience.

Are you concerned about the new NCAA roster cap and what it will mean for future recruits? Already seeing a ton of P4 '25 players decommitting on the girls side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I missed it but I haven’t seen an answer as to if this is a binding offer or if the school can change their mind. It seems really early unless a player is USWNT material. And do schools review apps from an academic perspective before junior year?

Seriously?????
Most girls commit before their JR year. Seriously look at Soccer Wire or Top Drawer or EVERY SINGLE club website in the area.
YES - schools review academic material and YES the kids have to continue to excel academically and turn in data.
They are only verbal commits at this stage. Either side and back out but it is rare for the college to back out.
At most high academic schools the girls can commit early but must have specific SAT or ACT scores. My kid committed as a Sophomore but had to have a SAT of 1450-1500. Georgetown, Duke, Wake, UVA, Michigan, William and Mary are just samples of schools requiring academic excellence as well as soccer skills.

So how is she doing now? Your DD must have committed years ago before the NCAA rules because NOBODY can commit BEFORE THE END of sophomore year. Would have to be a rising Junior in order to come before those rules. Nobody, no matter how good. It is illegal to give an offer before June 15th. I think less than 14 girls committed two weeks after June 15th but pace picked up after that.

Parents, if any coach contacts you before June 15th at end of Sophmore year, that is a major red flag and you should immediately cross them off your list. Do not mess with NCAA R&R on recruiting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I missed it but I haven’t seen an answer as to if this is a binding offer or if the school can change their mind. It seems really early unless a player is USWNT material. And do schools review apps from an academic perspective before junior year?

Seriously?????
Most girls commit before their JR year. Seriously look at Soccer Wire or Top Drawer or EVERY SINGLE club website in the area.
YES - schools review academic material and YES the kids have to continue to excel academically and turn in data.
They are only verbal commits at this stage. Either side and back out but it is rare for the college to back out.
At most high academic schools the girls can commit early but must have specific SAT or ACT scores. My kid committed as a Sophomore but had to have a SAT of 1450-1500. Georgetown, Duke, Wake, UVA, Michigan, William and Mary are just samples of schools requiring academic excellence as well as soccer skills.

So how is she doing now? Your DD must have committed years ago before the NCAA rules because NOBODY can commit BEFORE THE END of sophomore year. Would have to be a rising Junior in order to come before those rules. Nobody, no matter how good. It is illegal to give an offer before June 15th. I think less than 14 girls committed two weeks after June 15th but pace picked up after that.

Parents, if any coach contacts you before June 15th at end of Sophmore year, that is a major red flag and you should immediately cross them off your list. Do not mess with NCAA R&R on recruiting.

I question if NCAA has any teeth in it anymore. Power has switched to colleges and players. It's just a matter of time before power switches from colleges and players to agents and a players union.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for this info. Any speed and agility coaches/programs that you recommend?

I can recommend Healthy Baller (numerous locations in the area) and Chris Paul (Showtime Fitness) 240-791-6195. He is located in the Silver Spring area. I have known Chris for over a decade. He is exceptional with track speed and quickness. Just remember that building speed is not an overnight process. Most kids dont even now how to run properly so that has to be taught even before they can build strength and quickness. The biomechanics of sprinting is an art.

There a tons of other trainers in the area but these are the ones we used.

If you are a YouTube type person then I would look at Pierre's Elite Performance and also Overtime Athletes.

What's the best age to start speed and agility training for a girl?

Look at the high number of girls who attend healthy ballers and then have acl issues.

Puberty. Everything done prior is wasted if genetics and hormones say so. But waiting until puberty does not harm them one bit in the long run.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association conducted a study showing two significant opportunity windows for the development of speed and agility for girls: the first is 6-8, and the second is about 12-14 (depending on the onset of puberty).

Yep, well aware of this study. The work done at 6-8 is helpful for proprioception. But once hormones and body changes come in to play a lot of it is wasted, and if a program for speed and agility, and strength, is begun at puberty, which is typically in that 10 to 14 range for girls there is no long-term loss for missing the ages of 6 to 8.

It seems like a combination of gymnastics classes and soccer would be enough for proprioception at 6-8.

My daughter did both at that age range, and it was crazy helpful. She stopped w gymnastics at 8 1/2. But she had a growth spurt and now at 11, its like she is clumsy and no where as agile as she once was. Feel like we will have to relearn all the agility moves and footwork all over again.

The same is true for my son. He was strong and flexible when he was young because he took a lot of Ninja and Parkour classes at a gymnastics studio. He's in a growth spurt and needs to relearn movement patterns and regain flexibility. I think I will keep my younger daughter, who loves soccer, in rec gymnastics classes as long as possible just to maintain strength and mobility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I missed it but I haven’t seen an answer as to if this is a binding offer or if the school can change their mind. It seems really early unless a player is USWNT material. And do schools review apps from an academic perspective before junior year?

Seriously?????
Most girls commit before their JR year. Seriously look at Soccer Wire or Top Drawer or EVERY SINGLE club website in the area.
YES - schools review academic material and YES the kids have to continue to excel academically and turn in data.
They are only verbal commits at this stage. Either side and back out but it is rare for the college to back out.
At most high academic schools the girls can commit early but must have specific SAT or ACT scores. My kid committed as a Sophomore but had to have a SAT of 1450-1500. Georgetown, Duke, Wake, UVA, Michigan, William and Mary are just samples of schools requiring academic excellence as well as soccer skills.

So how is she doing now? Your DD must have committed years ago before the NCAA rules because NOBODY can commit BEFORE THE END of sophomore year. Would have to be a rising Junior in order to come before those rules. Nobody, no matter how good. It is illegal to give an offer before June 15th. I think less than 14 girls committed two weeks after June 15th but pace picked up after that.

Parents, if any coach contacts you before June 15th at end of Sophmore year, that is a major red flag and you should immediately cross them off your list. Do not mess with NCAA R&R on recruiting.

Coaches can have contact during camps and through club coaches.

[Anonymous]

Not specific to your daughter, but what are the NIL numbers you're hearing about at Top 25 programs? I know it can vary dramatically, but for football and basketball most programs have a base level for incoming freshman with escalators as they age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I missed it but I haven’t seen an answer as to if this is a binding offer or if the school can change their mind. It seems really early unless a player is USWNT material. And do schools review apps from an academic perspective before junior year?

Seriously?????
Most girls commit before their JR year. Seriously look at Soccer Wire or Top Drawer or EVERY SINGLE club website in the area.
YES - schools review academic material and YES the kids have to continue to excel academically and turn in data.
They are only verbal commits at this stage. Either side and back out but it is rare for the college to back out.
At most high academic schools the girls can commit early but must have specific SAT or ACT scores. My kid committed as a Sophomore but had to have a SAT of 1450-1500. Georgetown, Duke, Wake, UVA, Michigan, William and Mary are just samples of schools requiring academic excellence as well as soccer skills.

So how is she doing now? Your DD must have committed years ago before the NCAA rules because NOBODY can commit BEFORE THE END of sophomore year. Would have to be a rising Junior in order to come before those rules. Nobody, no matter how good. It is illegal to give an offer before June 15th. I think less than 14 girls committed two weeks after June 15th but pace picked up after that.

Parents, if any coach contacts you before June 15th at end of Sophmore year, that is a major red flag and you should immediately cross them off your list. Do not mess with NCAA R&R on recruiting.

Coaches can have contact during camps and through club coaches.

Coaches at camps cannot talk about recruiting with a player. Most coaches will not even evaluate you from camp because they do not want to cross the line. Yes the can talk to club coaches. Our club had a policy not to tell player or parents of the contact or the substance of the call. So not sure how that helps.