If your athlete child didn't get recruited...

[Anonymous]

Most college teams have walk on try outs for students who don’t make the recruiting cut. They won’t get the benefits of being recruited but walk-ons are just as much part of the team as recruited athletes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most college teams have walk on try outs for students who don’t make the recruiting cut. They won’t get the benefits of being recruited but walk-ons are just as much part of the team as recruited athletes.

My DDs school has try outs for sophomore year, but it’s hard to keep up skills during the year if you’re not training at the same top level. Club teams are usually not as rigorous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just be aware that in a lot of places the club teams are extremely competitive, depending on the sport. We know a kid (ECNL level, boys side, soccer) who was not recruited, although a very good player. He was an exceptional student and made it into a top university. He attended, hoping to walk on to the D1 team even as a spring walk-on. But he didn’t even make the club team. There were something like four slots and sixty boys trying out for the club slot. A D1 walk-on slot was out of the question, but I think he was surprised club was not possible too.

He is happy because academics were his first priority anyhow, but it was an adjustment to life without soccer after so many years of loving it.

There are intramural teams and I would guess that the community around him has adult soccer leagues. Both can be pretty competitive. The local leagues run year round. You can sign up as someone looking for a team and if you find a good fit play a good amount. He doesn't have to drop the sport but be a bit more creative in playing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just be aware that in a lot of places the club teams are extremely competitive, depending on the sport. We know a kid (ECNL level, boys side, soccer) who was not recruited, although a very good player. He was an exceptional student and made it into a top university. He attended, hoping to walk on to the D1 team even as a spring walk-on. But he didn’t even make the club team. There were something like four slots and sixty boys trying out for the club slot. A D1 walk-on slot was out of the question, but I think he was surprised club was not possible too.

He is happy because academics were his first priority anyhow, but it was an adjustment to life without soccer after so many years of loving it.

There are intramural teams and I would guess that the community around him has adult soccer leagues. Both can be pretty competitive. The local leagues run year round. You can sign up as someone looking for a team and if you find a good fit play a good amount. He doesn't have to drop the sport but be a bit more creative in playing.

True, but a tricky part with the adult soccer leagues is getting to and from, if you don't have a car on campus and it's more than a walk or bike ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just be aware that in a lot of places the club teams are extremely competitive, depending on the sport. We know a kid (ECNL level, boys side, soccer) who was not recruited, although a very good player. He was an exceptional student and made it into a top university. He attended, hoping to walk on to the D1 team even as a spring walk-on. But he didn’t even make the club team. There were something like four slots and sixty boys trying out for the club slot. A D1 walk-on slot was out of the question, but I think he was surprised club was not possible too.

He is happy because academics were his first priority anyhow, but it was an adjustment to life without soccer after so many years of loving it.

+1. This 100% describes my son's experience at his college and his sport to a tee. Same sport.

We were quite surprised when he didn't make even the club soccer team. He's played intramural, but it has been a very big adjustment to essentially life without soccer, which he played since he was 4 years old. But academics were his top priority, and he's seen older friends who played college soccer but injuries, limited game time play, coaching changes, etc. having to change their plans.

I think if it’s a sport like men’s soccer (where .8% of HS players will play D1 as a freshman and that percent is quickly dropping), it’s important to be realistic about even the chances of playing club, but also about what the reality of life looks like on the recruited D1-D3 teams. Kids who get recruited (even to D2/D3) sometimes can lead very difficult lives: they face injury (often due to overtraining), some will not touch the field in four years (which is exceptionally challenging mentally), they will miss out on university experience even as a D3 player. I think in preparation for not getting recruited — which for sports like men’s soccer is by far the most common experience — it is important to talk about what opportunities come with not being recruited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most college teams have walk on try outs for students who don’t make the recruiting cut. They won’t get the benefits of being recruited but walk-ons are just as much part of the team as recruited athletes.

For some sports, the true walk-on spot has largely disappeared. Walk-ons tryouts are held, but they are used by coaches to bring in pre-identified kids that the coach originally identified. In other words, walk-on tryouts are just a way for a coach to “reserve” roster spots.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know any walk on sports maybe football?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know any walk on sports maybe football?

soccer

[Anonymous]

I know 2 students who walked on and played soccer. One woman who had a great experience and one man who did not and quit after a year. The latter basically said there are 2 tiers/classes of players on the team and being a walk on is not a great experience. Overall, it seems like female student athletes have a more favorable experience playing in college than male athletes.

[Anonymous]

I know several kids who've been very happy playing for club teams or even intramurals, which can be very strong at some of the bigger universities. I guess that's not likely to be an option for equestrians and fencers, but any mainstream sport (at bigger schools anyway) will have options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know any walk on sports maybe football?

soccer

Basketball, baseball

I personally know several "walk-on" baseball players and one "walk-on" football player (classmates of my DS.) In all cases, they were all identified by the coach during the high school recruiting process but the coach didn't have any more scholarship money to give the players. They had roster spots so told them they would be on the team but wouldn't get any money. All of these guys that I know are still on the teams but have not seen any playing time.

The D1 basketball team at my alma-mater had a recent experience with two true walk-ons. They didn't get recruited to play basketball and showed up on campus like regular freshmen. They both worked relentlessly in the gym and due to injuries and some other issues, the team ended up short several players. At the walk-on tryouts, both of these players, who were sophomores in college at the time, earned spots on the team. No, they didn't get much playing time but they were on the team for 3 years and they both are now working as college coaches.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the poster that said:

If your DD[DS] would not attend the school without the sport, she[he] should take the school off her[his] list.

My child selected schools they want to attend, period. They are in the top 1% of their class, high test scores, etc. and isn't interested in playing in many of the very low academic schools that recruit in the more sport.

He has been in communication with a few of the coaches the past 1.5 years (he's a junior now). He absolutely loves one coach and the school, but I'm not sure it's realistic that he would get an offer there (w/ or w/out $). I do think he would still attend even if he couldn't play.

We have had this discussion many times over and he very much wants to continue playing the sport, and would prefer to on the Varsity Univ. team--but he will only accept at the schools he would accept w/ or w/out the sport. The school/degree is much more important. He's said as much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know any walk on sports maybe football?

soccer

Basketball, baseball

I personally know several "walk-on" baseball players and one "walk-on" football player (classmates of my DS.) In all cases, they were all identified by the coach during the high school recruiting process but the coach didn't have any more scholarship money to give the players. They had roster spots so told them they would be on the team but wouldn't get any money. All of these guys that I know are still on the teams but have not seen any playing time.

The D1 basketball team at my alma-mater had a recent experience with two true walk-ons. They didn't get recruited to play basketball and showed up on campus like regular freshmen. They both worked relentlessly in the gym and due to injuries and some other issues, the team ended up short several players. At the walk-on tryouts, both of these players, who were sophomores in college at the time, earned spots on the team. No, they didn't get much playing time but they were on the team for 3 years and they both are now working as college coaches.

Matt Turner was a walk-on soccer goalie at Fairfield Univ and played in the World Cup. It's not common, but it's possible.

I am not surprised at some of the posters saying their child on a top Club team couldn't walk on, or even make the Club team at the university. The travel system in soccer is very much political in this area with status quo year-to-year...players just passed on/remain on same team year after year. For males, soccer players don't even peak to age 28 (read about it)! Many of the good middle school/early high school players peter out and stop developing. There are many boys that don't even come into their physicality and prominence until 18+. There are many that went other routes, favored individual development vs status of team and flying all over the US for naught. I know quite a few players that are playing for their college V team that were not the stars of the youth circuit, but phenomenal college players now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know any walk on sports maybe football?

soccer

Basketball, baseball

I personally know several "walk-on" baseball players and one "walk-on" football player (classmates of my DS.) In all cases, they were all identified by the coach during the high school recruiting process but the coach didn't have any more scholarship money to give the players. They had roster spots so told them they would be on the team but wouldn't get any money. All of these guys that I know are still on the teams but have not seen any playing time.

The D1 basketball team at my alma-mater had a recent experience with two true walk-ons. They didn't get recruited to play basketball and showed up on campus like regular freshmen. They both worked relentlessly in the gym and due to injuries and some other issues, the team ended up short several players. At the walk-on tryouts, both of these players, who were sophomores in college at the time, earned spots on the team. No, they didn't get much playing time but they were on the team for 3 years and they both are now working as college coaches.

Matt Turner was a walk-on soccer goalie at Fairfield Univ and played in the World Cup. It's not common, but it's possible.

I am not surprised at some of the posters saying their child on a top Club team couldn't walk on, or even make the Club team at the university. The travel system in soccer is very much political in this area with status quo year-to-year...players just passed on/remain on same team year after year. For males, soccer players don't even peak to age 28 (read about it)! Many of the good middle school/early high school players peter out and stop developing. There are many boys that don't even come into their physicality and prominence until 18+. There are many that went other routes, favored individual development vs status of team and flying all over the US for naught. I know quite a few players that are playing for their college V team that were not the stars of the youth circuit, but phenomenal college players now.

The Matt Turner story is incredible. Another crazy one I’m familiar with is that of Andrew Thomas, who walked to Stanford’s soccer team as a goalkeeper. He wasn’t on the coaches’ radar at all having mostly focused on cricket growing up in England, and was accepted based on his formidable academic accomplishments. He became one of the top D1 keepers and plays in MLS now. Here’s a nice piece on him from 2019: https://stanforddaily.com/2019/10/25/andrew-thomas-next-pset-stanford-goalie-discusses-life-on-and-off-the-field/

I feel for the kids who thought they had a shot at a recruitment that never worked out. I think college club sports are fantastic, and my kid who played at that level had a much better college experience than the one who played every game for his D1 team. But selection to club sports is not a given even for very talented players, as there are often politics/cliques involved. Hopefully every kid will have good intramural options at a minimum. Agree with others that most kids see the benefits of having more free time to pursue academics or other interests pretty quickly.

[Anonymous]

NP- to the OP- Encourage your child to find new passions and new activities. My varsity athlete (who barely made a roster spot) is not happy on the "bench" and not travelling and it sucks up a lot of their time. Luckily for us, the schools a good academic and social fity for him if he quit. I wish he would join new clubs and activites- He is a talented artist and musician. My other child does club ultimate frisbee at a large state school and he loves it. It is fun, good excerise, and very social (they make fundraising fun). Plus the school pays for them to travel a few times a semester to tournaments.