Bragging rights |
You just described every club-based "elite" league in youth soccer! |
If its not a full soccer scholarship, they aren't so-called sending them Go to the rosters of each of those colleges soccer teams and say again ECNL is an advantage over MLS Next |
I spot checked those three schools. It's difficult to analyze without drilling down on each player's bio but it appears that the players come from in order: International, MLS Academy, ECNL then MLSN p2p. I saw a few RU and VDA players and a couple of Baltimore Armour players. Probably a wash unless you are at an academy. |
If you by your own admission didn't dig into the details, how did you come to a conclusion and in a particular order? |
It's more than bragging rights. I don't know all the differences, but from what I'm told, D1 soccer is year round training. Often more staff to handle the student-athlete's issues from psych, nutrition, tutoring, travel, more money in the budget, etc. and then there is the possibility of getting athletic scholarship money. For D3, it's not year round There is limits to how much you can train in the offseason so there is more of a balance between school and sports, no chance at athletic scholarship money (but they might find you merit aid just like at a D1 too), there is also supporting (tutoring, etc but I heard often not as much as D1). I'm sure there are some D3 with fabulous support systems for the students and better facilities and all that than D1 but I think what I listed is generally true. |
Anyone told you it's year round training is lying My D1 son is at summer internship job right now |
He's not doing any workouts this summer? That won't end well for him when the season starts. |
This depends entirely on the D1 program. Our son had less than a month off per year because the players were required to staff camps for the college most of the summer. D1 is really grueling at most top soccer programs. My son and his teammates have no regrets about going this route, but his friends who played D3 had a more fun and balanced life in college. We know several boys who have gone pro from D1 schools, and that’s not really an option for those who play D3. Not a consideration for most kids who go the college route, but just pointing it out. I don’t actually know any D2 players. There are far fewer schools in that category. |
He's a starter on a conference championship team But thanks for your advice and insight |
Anyone know of any former D1 college players that are professionals in Europe or on the US Men's national team? |
Off the top of my head. Tim Ream, Walker Zimmerman, Matt Turner and Matt Freese for the National team. Jack Harrison player for Wake Forest before heading to the EPL. There’s a guy from Yale playing in Belgium for St. Truiden. |
Scholarship money |
Is that 2 goalies and a MLS player? |
There are some many D1 teams, the level of play in college is not very high and 95% of the teams in D1 have no pressure to win. So yes. |