05 Girl looking to play college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's possible to make the jump from non-travel in 9th grade to playing in college in this era of soccer.
My impression is that the only way to play in college is to be playing ECNL or DA.

My 2006 daughter is a top player on the B team of a club with many team levels and ECNL as the top team.
This year (for U14) the ECNL team took 5 new players and every one came as a transfer from another ECNL or DA team.
My impression that even for kids playing at a high level, it's difficult to move to ECNL/DA at U14 or later---let alone to play in college.
The level of play is just much better and it's not possible to catch up.

Only in the closed system we have that 'marks' players from their club team.

Alex Morgan was coached by her dad while heavily playing basketball and other sports. She didn't start travel/Club soccer until age 14.

And that still works if your kid is Alex Morgan and it is 15 years ago.

Yes, exactly. Things have changed in 15 years. I played Division 3 soccer 20 years ago and went straight from rec soccer to Division 3.
Things have changed drastically in this era.
And if OP has an Alex Morgan level athlete on her hands I think it would be apparent already (considering she IS currently playing soccer).

That is odd. This area was quite competitive 15 years ago. Travel has been around for girls in this area since the 1970s (yes 50 YEARS). The only girls on my HS team 20 years ago were all travel players (playing travel since 8, soccer since K), and they were from the top teams/ODP pool/State teams in the DMV. Scholarships only went to 4-girls on a team that had won 4-State Championships, Regionals and 2 National championships. Though one teammate did eventually play for the USWNT, and a few in subsequent years. But, yes, a woman's D3 college 15 years ago was not as competitive. But, D1 schools 15-years ago were extremely, extremely competitive.

The big question you are all forgetting to ask---what kind of environment is this girl in? Is her family a 'soccer' family? I know many parents that train their kids better than travel coaches. I have seen many kids break onto top teams in their early teens after coming from Rec because the parents could not afford travel but were playing every day with family members and on fields with adult pick up soccer.

Now people will point to the fact that Alex Morgan's dad knew nothing about soccer, so NOTHING is impossible.

IF true, she had solid rec coaches because it is true she did not go to Club/travel until age 14. I have seen kids do similar in developmental programs. It could be the fact there were more multi-sport kids 15-years ago so the rec leagues were more competitive too. Now every ability plays travel so it is absurd to think of this happening to most because what is left in rec does not pass for soccer.

[Anonymous]

At some point Alex M's dad must have hired a good private trainer who worked with her for a few years.

She must have had a really strong work ethic and was already a good athlete as a youth player. The story goes that she tried out for the top team in her club, and she was basically a reserve player and didn't see the field, so that skill development had to come from somewhere, it didn't just pop out of nowhere.

Then she switched clubs, began improving and adjusting to the level, and then eventually stood out enough to play at Cal-whatever college she went to. But, she must have had REALLY good coaching and a lot of individual motivation to train on her own during the older teenage years to go from a reserve player to a D1 recruit and to a youth NT player.

Sorry but it just doesn't randomly happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are 3 levels of soccer with MSC / MSI, which most likely runs the classic league you are playing in. Recreation, Classic, and Premier.

Basically MSC/MSI tries to ID the best players and pull them up to the Premier level. Usually there are 2 teams.

Put it this way - MSC/MSI Premier's top team is somewhat hit or miss. There are some good players, but maybe only the very best players in any age group will have a realistic chance to play at a mid to higher D3 or very low D1 level (the less attractive D1 scools like Delaware State University).

If you're not even at the level of MSC/MSI's premier level, then you're not even within range unless you are sticking out like a sore thumb on your team and it is completely obvious.

Even at the premier level, if you're not on the "A" team, you are still not in realistic range. If you are on the "A" team you should be one of the better players, but keep in mind that MSI/MSC is really not a high level training or development environment compared to other clubs you mentioned.

Classic/select soccer is really the low-to-middle end of the ladder as far things go.

thanks. Not from MD so no idea how it works over there. In NoVA, every kid that can stand can find a travel team. By third grade, rec leagues are decimated. Nobody is left in them.

[Anonymous]

The level of girls soccer is way above where it was 15 years ago when Alex M rose up through the levels quickly with a private trainer whom her dad probably shelled out quite a lot of money to.

[Anonymous]

If you work with a GOOD private trainer once a week for a year consistently, if you are in a large club like Loudon or Arlington, you can jump 2-3 teams upwards. I've seen it happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's possible to make the jump from non-travel in 9th grade to playing in college in this era of soccer.
My impression is that the only way to play in college is to be playing ECNL or DA.

My 2006 daughter is a top player on the B team of a club with many team levels and ECNL as the top team.
This year (for U14) the ECNL team took 5 new players and every one came as a transfer from another ECNL or DA team.
My impression that even for kids playing at a high level, it's difficult to move to ECNL/DA at U14 or later---let alone to play in college.
The level of play is just much better and it's not possible to catch up.

Only in the closed system we have that 'marks' players from their club team.

Alex Morgan was coached by her dad while heavily playing basketball and other sports. She didn't start travel/Club soccer until age 14.

And that still works if your kid is Alex Morgan and it is 15 years ago.

Yes, exactly. Things have changed in 15 years. I played Division 3 soccer 20 years ago and went straight from rec soccer to Division 3.
Things have changed drastically in this era.
And if OP has an Alex Morgan level athlete on her hands I think it would be apparent already (considering she IS currently playing soccer).

That is odd. This area was quite competitive 15 years ago. Travel has been around for girls in this area since the 1970s (yes 50 YEARS). The only girls on my HS team 20 years ago were all travel players (playing travel since 8, soccer since K), and they were from the top teams/ODP pool/State teams in the DMV. Scholarships only went to 4-girls on a team that had won 4-State Championships, Regionals and 2 National championships. Though one teammate did eventually play for the USWNT, and a few in subsequent years. But, yes, a woman's D3 college 15 years ago was not as competitive. But, D1 schools 15-years ago were extremely, extremely competitive.

The big question you are all forgetting to ask---what kind of environment is this girl in? Is her family a 'soccer' family? I know many parents that train their kids better than travel coaches. I have seen many kids break onto top teams in their early teens after coming from Rec because the parents could not afford travel but were playing every day with family members and on fields with adult pick up soccer.

Now people will point to the fact that Alex Morgan's dad knew nothing about soccer, so NOTHING is impossible.

IF true, she had solid rec coaches because it is true she did not go to Club/travel until age 14. I have seen kids do similar in developmental programs. It could be the fact there were more multi-sport kids 15-years ago so the rec leagues were more competitive too. Now every ability plays travel so it is absurd to think of this happening to most because what is left in rec does not pass for soccer.

It is true. He coached her and admits and she admits that he knew nothing about soccer.

[Anonymous]

That is U9-U14. Probably not more than 1 tier at a time once you hit older ages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you work with a GOOD private trainer once a week for a year consistently, if you are in a large club like Loudon or Arlington, you can jump 2-3 teams upwards. I've seen it happen.

Yes, one team a year. But the advancement is often in spite of the B, C or D team coaching not because of it.

[Anonymous]

If a kid "gets good out of nowhere" they are either working with a private trainer or they are going to HP Elite or something equivalent on a regular basis. Players do not just improve drastically out of nowhere without a reason.

[Anonymous]

Yes for example if you are on the C team and work with a good private trainer, the player will develop skills or characteristics that the "A" team coach recognizes but the B or C team coach may not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes for example if you are on the C team and work with a good private trainer, the player will develop skills or characteristics that the "A" team coach recognizes but the B or C team coach may not.

We have often found B and C team coaches that are much more knowledgabe about the sport than the A team coach.

She LEFT and switched Clubs. That is how she got noticed. She worked hard, wasn't recgonized for it,....left and got a fresh look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes for example if you are on the C team and work with a good private trainer, the player will develop skills or characteristics that the "A" team coach recognizes but the B or C team coach may not.

AS if the A team coach in any large club is ever looking at the C team for talent. They look outside or at the B team only.

[Anonymous]

You definitely do not need to be a DA/ECNL player to play D3 (other than the very top D3 programs like the NESCAC schools). If OP’s kid can get on a decent team now and has the raw talent and athletic ability, she has a shot if she puts a ton of time into it.

Doesn’t sound like this applies in the OP’s case, but I totally agree with a PP that coming from a soccer family offers a huge leg up. I too have seen kids go straight from rec to boys’ DA having “only” been coached by their dads or other relatives. In all cases the dads were extremely knowledgeable about the game, and the kids had put at least as much time into practice as their peers in travel—it was just at home and pick up games rather than in more formal settings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes for example if you are on the C team and work with a good private trainer, the player will develop skills or characteristics that the "A" team coach recognizes but the B or C team coach may not.

AS if the A team coach in any large club is ever looking at the C team for talent. They look outside or at the B team only.

Ha! Exactly. After a certain age, rarely the B team either.

[Anonymous]

OP Here. Thank for the advise and recommendations.