Do top DI women's programs recruit non-ECNL/DA players

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know several players that did their own contacting of college coaches and got spots on rosters. If you sit and wait to be noticed, probably not. If you make effort and contact the coaches of the schools you are thinking of---yes, you have opportunities. It happens a lot more than the posters of DCUM would like to believe.

At a top 25 program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know several players that did their own contacting of college coaches and got spots on rosters. If you sit and wait to be noticed, probably not. If you make effort and contact the coaches of the schools you are thinking of---yes, you have opportunities. It happens a lot more than the posters of DCUM would like to believe.

This is 100% true. My daughter has attended many soccer camps and just this past summer the UVA coach told them they did not need to play for the top teams to get a look. If you make it your business to contact the schools to let them know you are interested in playing for them, they will follow up. He also gave the example of a current player on his roster that played Rec. She contacted them, they saw her and gave her a chance.

Which one?

https://virginiasports.com/roster.aspx?path=wsoc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know several players that did their own contacting of college coaches and got spots on rosters. If you sit and wait to be noticed, probably not. If you make effort and contact the coaches of the schools you are thinking of---yes, you have opportunities. It happens a lot more than the posters of DCUM would like to believe.

This is 100% true. My daughter has attended many soccer camps and just this past summer the UVA coach told them they did not need to play for the top teams to get a look. If you make it your business to contact the schools to let them know you are interested in playing for them, they will follow up. He also gave the example of a current player on his roster that played Rec. She contacted them, they saw her and gave her a chance.

Which one?

https://virginiasports.com/roster.aspx?path=wsoc

Seriously look through their bio

[Anonymous]

The short answer is “yes”.

You are asking the wrong question though. The question to ask is: What colleges are a good fit for my daughter athletically, academically and socially. What schools that work with that criteria also work financially.

All the rest is crap.

Can a kid playing in a good program that is not ECNL or DA get noticed? Sure. But if your kid has no interest in playing across the country; or would really struggle in classes; or would be behind two other sophomore players at her positions, or would have to take on $30K a year in debt - would they still go?

Start with the basics. What schools could work for anticipated areas of study? Want to be a medical doctor? Not impossible, but very, very difficult. Need a school that can allow for that kind of scheduling. Want to be a musician? Probably more difficult to work the schedule than for an MD. Spend the time. Run some numbers. Do some visits.

When my daughter was looking we went to 10 schools. She liked almost all of them which was good. But, we had weeded our unrealistic and less realistic ones for a few months before then to get it to a top 10. It worked out for her although not without some trials as you would expect. But, several girls left along the way.

For dose of reality - take a look at the current roster of any school your kid is considering. Now go back 4 years. How many of those freshman from 4 years ago are still playing as seniors?

[Anonymous]

On the boy's side, there's plenty of non-DA/ECNL opportinities to be had.

By way of example, let's stay inside the state of Virginia, just to keep things local-ish.

UVA. Ranked #1 in the country right now. Donasiyano is a junior who has been a starter throughout his sophomore and junior years. Came out of a CCL team in SW Virginia.

Virginia tech. Ranked #22 and likely to move up in coming weeks. Pereira is a freshman starter. Came out of the same CCL club in SW Virginia.

Neither player did ODP or was paraded around at ID camps or have parents who "managed" their college communications actively. (Their club does a pretty good job with its sessions to teach players about the recruiting process, though.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, the other avenue includes playing for a top Non-ECNL/DA Club/Team along with High School and ODP.

Although this route is not recruited as much and is reserved for much smaller schools.

I have personally spoken with multiple D1 womens' coaches including Mt. St. Mary's, George Washington, and Virginia Tech.

As for Top 25 teams, this alternate route is likely not recruited unless the parent puts in a lot of footwork but will still be overlooked.

Nobody is getting recruited for D1 playing for their high school team. Waste of their time going to those games.

This is not true for boys. There’s a thread that addresses this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, the other avenue includes playing for a top Non-ECNL/DA Club/Team along with High School and ODP.

Although this route is not recruited as much and is reserved for much smaller schools.

I have personally spoken with multiple D1 womens' coaches including Mt. St. Mary's, George Washington, and Virginia Tech.

As for Top 25 teams, this alternate route is likely not recruited unless the parent puts in a lot of footwork but will still be overlooked.

Nobody is getting recruited for D1 playing for their high school team. Waste of their time going to those games.

This is not true for boys. There’s a thread that addresses this.

Thats why this thread is about "women's programs"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, the other avenue includes playing for a top Non-ECNL/DA Club/Team along with High School and ODP.

Although this route is not recruited as much and is reserved for much smaller schools.

I have personally spoken with multiple D1 womens' coaches including Mt. St. Mary's, George Washington, and Virginia Tech.

As for Top 25 teams, this alternate route is likely not recruited unless the parent puts in a lot of footwork but will still be overlooked.

Nobody is getting recruited for D1 playing for their high school team. Waste of their time going to those games.

This is not true for boys. There’s a thread that addresses this.

Thats why this thread is about "women's programs"

It isn't true for women's soccer either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On the boy's side, there's plenty of non-DA/ECNL opportinities to be had.

By way of example, let's stay inside the state of Virginia, just to keep things local-ish.

UVA. Ranked #1 in the country right now. Donasiyano is a junior who has been a starter throughout his sophomore and junior years. Came out of a CCL team in SW Virginia.

Virginia tech. Ranked #22 and likely to move up in coming weeks. Pereira is a freshman starter. Came out of the same CCL club in SW Virginia.

Neither player did ODP or was paraded around at ID camps or have parents who "managed" their college communications actively. (Their club does a pretty good job with its sessions to teach players about the recruiting process, though.)

Well, ok, but the poster is specifically asking about girls. It’s a completely different scenario given the large number of girls DA and/or ECNL teams in our area that a serious player can join. It’s also a different equation in places like Roanoke (or Oklahoma, or large swaths of the country) where there are no DA teams within a reasonable driving distance. It’s easier for a talented player to stand out in regions like those, especially if they have a coach who can connect them with potentially receptive college coaches.

And what’s with all the contempt for parents who help kids get to ID camps? “Paraded?” Seriously?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know several players that did their own contacting of college coaches and got spots on rosters. If you sit and wait to be noticed, probably not. If you make effort and contact the coaches of the schools you are thinking of---yes, you have opportunities. It happens a lot more than the posters of DCUM would like to believe.

This is 100% true. My daughter has attended many soccer camps and just this past summer the UVA coach told them they did not need to play for the top teams to get a look. If you make it your business to contact the schools to let them know you are interested in playing for them, they will follow up. He also gave the example of a current player on his roster that played Rec. She contacted them, they saw her and gave her a chance.

Which one?

https://virginiasports.com/roster.aspx?path=wsoc

Seriously look through their bio

There is no rec player on that roster. Almost everyone is a USWNT call-up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know several players that did their own contacting of college coaches and got spots on rosters. If you sit and wait to be noticed, probably not. If you make effort and contact the coaches of the schools you are thinking of---yes, you have opportunities. It happens a lot more than the posters of DCUM would like to believe.

This is 100% true. My daughter has attended many soccer camps and just this past summer the UVA coach told them they did not need to play for the top teams to get a look. If you make it your business to contact the schools to let them know you are interested in playing for them, they will follow up. He also gave the example of a current player on his roster that played Rec. She contacted them, they saw her and gave her a chance.

Which one?

https://virginiasports.com/roster.aspx?path=wsoc

Seriously look through their bio

There is no rec player on that roster. Almost everyone is a USWNT call-up.


It’s amazing that you went through ALL 26 bio’s... especially those that didn’t exist.

[Anonymous]

It would be an amazing story if there were a rec player on UVA’s team. I find it very hard to believe.

In addition to some of the non-ECNL and DA options mentioned on this thread, a lot of kids go to top D1 programs from Prep schools, most of them in the NE. Not an easy or cheap option, but many people do it, and they typically do not play club soccer at all during their HS years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be an amazing story if there were a rec player on UVA’s team. I find it very hard to believe.

In addition to some of the non-ECNL and DA options mentioned on this thread, a lot of kids go to top D1 programs from Prep schools, most of them in the NE. Not an easy or cheap option, but many people do it, and they typically do not play club soccer at all during their HS years.

Incorrect. The rosters of top prep schools (in New England, at least) are filled with ECNL and GDA players. The majority are doing both (HS and club).

[Anonymous]

NE prep schools is an entirely different situation. Some of the coach's are former college assistants, NT players or ECNL coaches. They all play elite travel. Those kids are getting competitive soccer on both ends whereas local kids here play crappy HS soccer and if they are lucky, they play for a good ECNL team like McLean or Bethesda. Apparently, some of the schools played in a preseason tournament that attracted over 100 college coaches including Stamford and UNC. I have never heard of a top coach visiting a HS game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does a girl's soccer player outside of ECNL/DA have to do to get recruited by a top 25 women's soccer program? It seems like few programs recruit at the non-ECNL/DA showcases. I know ID camps help but even those camps, ECNL/DA players get more attention. It seems like even the top non-ECNL/DA clubs don't have high placement at top schools.

The answer to your question is "yes, but it's rare". So what does that mean for a parent? If your girl is showing serious signs of actually wanting to play high-level (top 25) D1 soccer, her best chance for doing so will be by playing for a DA or ECNL team. Those girls are also doing the ID camp and college coach outreach, and the environment makes it easier for college coaches to see them and take them seriously. Also the coach network of vouching for players work ethic and coachability is more robust in the DA/ECNL coaching networks. So the odds for your daughter are far better if she plays DA or ECNL. I'm not saying it doesn't happen for CCL or other league players, just that the odds are not as good. It requires more drive, more hustle, and whether fair or not, more talent. A decent player on an ECNL/DA team will have a better shot and possibly more options than a good player outside those rosters. The superstars, wherever they are, will always get found, but I'm talking about the rest of the girls.