What is a "typical" college player?

[Anonymous]

Even within D1 there are huge differences across hundreds of teams. Power conferences vs mid majors vs others

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is a bit general but want to hear from people played or have kids who played in college.

What is a "typical" D1 male player? A starter on a winning ECNL national team by Freshman/Sophomore year in HS? A good player on a MLS next year?

What about D3? A starter on a winning ECNL RL team by freshman/sophomore year of HS?

My son is in 6th grade and is a top player on his NCSL D1 team right now. We never thought about playing in college before but he improved a lot recently.

A typical D1 player right now will go to college around age 20 and come from international academies. They are big, with international training, and they are older. The percentage of international D1 players is going up every year on the men’s side.

D3 is different. D3 now gets the kids who five years ago would have been D1 recruits.

D1 is a full time job on top of academics. And it's year round. D3 is kids who want to play soccer but also want a life outside of soccer. FWIW club soccer at some schools like UMD can be at the same level as D1.

Most colleges D1, D3 have strong club teams too. If he loves it, many options exist.

[Anonymous]

My son is a Senior and just now being recruited by a few D1 schools and some D3. They are recruiting later and later nowadays.

FWIW, my kid was 5'4" at U15 Freshmen year and 6'1" now Senior year.

With boys, there is a lot of changing that goes on in players from U14-U18. Part of why they are recruiting later too.

I've seen a lot of 'superstars' at U15, crash and burn once the late bloomers physical growth catches up with their technicality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is a bit general but want to hear from people played or have kids who played in college.

What is a "typical" D1 male player? A starter on a winning ECNL national team by Freshman/Sophomore year in HS? A good player on a MLS next year?

What about D3? A starter on a winning ECNL RL team by freshman/sophomore year of HS?

My son is in 6th grade and is a top player on his NCSL D1 team right now. We never thought about playing in college before but he improved a lot recently.

A typical D1 player right now will go to college around age 20 and come from international academies. They are big, with international training, and they are older. The percentage of international D1 players is going up every year on the men’s side.

D3 is different. D3 now gets the kids who five years ago would have been D1 recruits.

+100

With the new transfer rules (don't have to sit out a year) there are many more of those too. I agree. The teams are older. Lots of Covid graduate students on current rosters too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even within D1 there are huge differences across hundreds of teams. Power conferences vs mid majors vs others

Yes the power conferences get rolled by the mid majors!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is a bit general but want to hear from people played or have kids who played in college.

What is a "typical" D1 male player? A starter on a winning ECNL national team by Freshman/Sophomore year in HS? A good player on a MLS next year?

What about D3? A starter on a winning ECNL RL team by freshman/sophomore year of HS?

My son is in 6th grade and is a top player on his NCSL D1 team right now. We never thought about playing in college before but he improved a lot recently.

A typical D1 player right now will go to college around age 20 and come from international academies. They are big, with international training, and they are older. The percentage of international D1 players is going up every year on the men’s side.

D3 is different. D3 now gets the kids who five years ago would have been D1 recruits.

D1 is a full time job on top of academics. And it's year round. D3 is kids who want to play soccer but also want a life outside of soccer. FWIW club soccer at some schools like UMD can be at the same level as D1.

When did D1 soccer become "full time job" and "year round"?
The schedules do not reflect that. (August/September to November)

It became year around since MLS NEXT and ECNL became year around!

... Tell me your kid is not playing top level without telling me your kid is not playing top level. LOL.

So you're saying the NCAA D1 Soccer season Does Not run August to November?

Why are you putting ECNL and MLS Next in the same category? Is it because outside of the MLS Club Academies they are both expensive Pay-to-Play?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is a bit general but want to hear from people played or have kids who played in college.

What is a "typical" D1 male player? A starter on a winning ECNL national team by Freshman/Sophomore year in HS? A good player on a MLS next year?

What about D3? A starter on a winning ECNL RL team by freshman/sophomore year of HS?

My son is in 6th grade and is a top player on his NCSL D1 team right now. We never thought about playing in college before but he improved a lot recently.

A typical D1 player right now will go to college around age 20 and come from international academies. They are big, with international training, and they are older. The percentage of international D1 players is going up every year on the men’s side.

D3 is different. D3 now gets the kids who five years ago would have been D1 recruits.

D1 is a full time job on top of academics. And it's year round. D3 is kids who want to play soccer but also want a life outside of soccer. FWIW club soccer at some schools like UMD can be at the same level as D1.

When did D1 soccer become "full time job" and "year round"?
The schedules do not reflect that. (August/September to November)

It became year around since MLS NEXT and ECNL became year around!

... Tell me your kid is not playing top level without telling me your kid is not playing top level. LOL.

So you're saying the NCAA D1 Soccer season Does Not run August to November?

Why are you putting ECNL and MLS Next in the same category? Is it because outside of the MLS Club Academies they are both expensive Pay-to-Play?

DP. MLSNext has nothing to do with why D1 is year round and certainly ECNL does not. Serious D1 teams have been the same for a decade plus. Why and how are you under the impression they run August to November? Just because that’s the primary season game schedule? What do you think happens the rest of the year? Hint: June is generally free.

[Anonymous]

Size is probably the most important factor.

[Anonymous]

D1 profile now: big, international experience or coming in as a transfer, old.

High school club teams such as ECNL or MLSNext aren’t as relevant. The top college coaches don’t even go to US college showcases any more. They send their assistants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:D1 profile now: big, international experience or coming in as a transfer, old.

High school club teams such as ECNL or MLSNext aren’t as relevant. The top college coaches don’t even go to US college showcases any more. They send their assistants.

Is this true for D1 womens teams too? I see hundreds of college coaches at showcases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:D1 profile now: big, international experience or coming in as a transfer, old.

High school club teams such as ECNL or MLSNext aren’t as relevant. The top college coaches don’t even go to US college showcases any more. They send their assistants.

Is this true for D1 womens teams too? I see hundreds of college coaches at showcases.

No. Women’s soccer is a completely different beast. There is a lot more funding for women’s soccer programs. Men’s soccer is an afterthought with huge football and basketball programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is a bit general but want to hear from people played or have kids who played in college.

What is a "typical" D1 male player? A starter on a winning ECNL national team by Freshman/Sophomore year in HS? A good player on a MLS next year?

What about D3? A starter on a winning ECNL RL team by freshman/sophomore year of HS?

My son is in 6th grade and is a top player on his NCSL D1 team right now. We never thought about playing in college before but he improved a lot recently.

A typical college player has very good grades in school (GPA 3.5 and above), plays Travel and subsequently Varsity at school. A College player trains hard and plays hard and stand out from most of his teammates.

Some kids choose D3 because they want to play in College but don't have the rigid training and demanding schedules/games on top of academics.

Regardless of D1 or D3 your kid needs to have the grades to into college first.

My son was a good MLS NEXT player but by his Junior year (11th grade) in High school he knew he didn't want to play soccer in College.

Since your son is only in 6th grade, a path through more rigorous ECNL or MLS NEXT would set him on the right direction.

Some excellent players can’t play high school because they are in academy or development programs. Not all great players play high school soccer.

They’ll be faster and better than most on the field if they do play high school. The skill is obvious even to a soccer parent.

Good grades as others said.

D3 has a WIDE range. Top D3 teams can be at a D1 level and filled with kids who could make a D1 team but do not want to play at that level.

Lower D3 teams can be like high school or worse.

Club teams at the bigger universities can be nearly D1 level and filled with students who didn’t want the demand of the D1 lifestyle.

If you are a D1 player, that is basically all you get to do. You can see videos from D1 soccer players on YouTube that describe their daily life.

[Anonymous]

So many helpful responses. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is a bit general but want to hear from people played or have kids who played in college.

What is a "typical" D1 male player? A starter on a winning ECNL national team by Freshman/Sophomore year in HS? A good player on a MLS next year?

What about D3? A starter on a winning ECNL RL team by freshman/sophomore year of HS?

My son is in 6th grade and is a top player on his NCSL D1 team right now. We never thought about playing in college before but he improved a lot recently.

A typical D1 player right now will go to college around age 20 and come from international academies. They are big, with international training, and they are older. The percentage of international D1 players is going up every year on the men’s side.

D3 is different. D3 now gets the kids who five years ago would have been D1 recruits.

D1 is a full time job on top of academics. And it's year round. D3 is kids who want to play soccer but also want a life outside of soccer. FWIW club soccer at some schools like UMD can be at the same level as D1.

When did D1 soccer become "full time job" and "year round"?
The schedules do not reflect that. (August/September to November)

It became year around since MLS NEXT and ECNL became year around!

... Tell me your kid is not playing top level without telling me your kid is not playing top level. LOL.

So you're saying the NCAA D1 Soccer season Does Not run August to November?

Why are you putting ECNL and MLS Next in the same category? Is it because outside of the MLS Club Academies they are both expensive Pay-to-Play?

DP. MLSNext has nothing to do with why D1 is year round and certainly ECNL does not. Serious D1 teams have been the same for a decade plus. Why and how are you under the impression they run August to November? Just because that’s the primary season game schedule? What do you think happens the rest of the year? Hint: June is generally free.

It is not an "impression" if the schedule for all the schools are published.
August - November. Fact. Truth.

You are saying its "year round" scheduled activities by the teams, Without Proof.
You may be right, but where is your evidence?
Also, the original point of contention is that D1 players don't do well in Academics because of their Year Round commitment to the team.
Another claim with facts not in evidence.

[Anonymous]

https://sportsedtv.com/blog/How-Does-The-US-College-Soccer-Season-Work-soccer