Stepping back from DA to play High School soccer as a senior

[Anonymous]

I know a girl who is currently a senior in HS and is committed to playing at a top 10 Division 1 program next season. She just switched from her top club team (which wouldn't allow her to play for her high school), so she could play for her private high school as a senior (she wasn't able to do that as a sophomore or a junior). The club team she switched to is good, but not as good. Seemed like a good plan to me, but I wasn't sure whether her new college coaches would be miffed.

[Anonymous]

I would assume she is figuring it out herself and has asked the coach about it.

[Anonymous]

It will of course depend on the particular college program, but I asked the D1 head coach where my child is committed what they would think of a kid giving up DA the spring of their senior year to play HS soccer and the coach said it would not be acceptable.

[Anonymous]

I have seen this happen with kids who end up committing to a D3 program or low level D1, and with kids who decide they are not going to play in college. find it sort of surprising that someone who has committed to a top 10 level D1 program would do this. It doesn't seem like a very smart move if the kid hopes to get playing time in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a girl who is currently a senior in HS and is committed to playing at a top 10 Division 1 program next season. She just switched from her top club team (which wouldn't allow her to play for her high school), so she could play for her private high school as a senior (she wasn't able to do that as a sophomore or a junior). The club team she switched to is good, but not as good. Seemed like a good plan to me, but I wasn't sure whether her new college coaches would be miffed.

It is up to her to talk to her future coach about it. If the coach really doesn't want her to play HS then heed that message. Likely most won't care knowing it is a spring season other than the injury risk is significantly higher.

[Anonymous]

The biggest issue I would see a college coach having is that the risk of injury is higher in HS soccer. But really, it is between the player and her college coach. Why is it your concern?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The biggest issue I would see a college coach having is that the risk of injury is higher in HS soccer. But really, it is between the player and her college coach. Why is it your concern?

Not concerned. I guess the correct answer is that some college coaches would object and some would not. I think I was equally curious about the difference between levels of play at the DA level versus whatever is just below that.

[Anonymous]

RantingSoccerDad wrote:Plenty of kids do this. If your college coach doesn't like it, maybe it's a good time to shop around for another college.

Another way of looking at it: If you want soccer to be a job rather than something you enjoy, go pro.

Plenty of kids committed to top 10 D1 college soccer programs quit DA to play HS their senior year? That scenario doesn't happen very often, IME, at least on the boys' side. I certainly agree that you should play at a level that you enjoy, but it's kind of bizarre that you'd be ambitious enough to work to get recruited at that high a level and then stop caring about improving your game. And I think it's entirely fair for a college coach to look with disfavor on that decision.

[Anonymous]

My God, it's still amazes me how you can spend so much time hanging out on soccer boards and still not have a clue about high-level youth soccer.

In very few regions of the country is HS soccer in any comparable to high-level youth soccer (and to be clear, the VYS and FPYC soccer you seem to spend so much time watching is not high level). It's the not same level of players as they is a much bigger range from top to bottom, and even from 1st to 5th best. It's not the same in the level of coaching because there's little time to teach and generally HS draws less-experienced coaches. And the risk of injury is much higher as low-level players tend to be more physical and less in control, and; you play a lot more - 2 to 3 games a week, with practices on all the other weekdays. But hey, you think those risks are outweighed because hearing a crowd cheer will better prepare them for the college experience.

So given the lack of any real soccer benefit, the typical college coach is being imminently reasonable in discouraging their commits from playing HS ball.

Now if you're in one of those few regions where HS is comparable, there's an argument for leaving the club to play HS for one year, but then it's more likely that the college coach would not object in that situation.

And again, like the prior poster asked, can you support your statement that "Plenty of kids committed to top 10 D1 college soccer programs quit DA to play HS their senior year" Please feel free to define Top 10 however you want. Or is this one more of your gross exaggerations because you heard about that one kid doing it (in this case, Lucas Mendes)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

RantingSoccerDad wrote:Plenty of kids do this. If your college coach doesn't like it, maybe it's a good time to shop around for another college.

Another way of looking at it: If you want soccer to be a job rather than something you enjoy, go pro.

Plenty of kids committed to top 10 D1 college soccer programs quit DA to play HS their senior year? That scenario doesn't happen very often, IME, at least on the boys' side. I certainly agree that you should play at a level that you enjoy, but it's kind of bizarre that you'd be ambitious enough to work to get recruited at that high a level and then stop caring about improving your game. And I think it's entirely fair for a college coach to look with disfavor on that decision.

Not playing the last season at DA in favor of HS is not going to ruin a player.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Just to be clear, the girl in issue is still playing club soccer, just at a program which allows her to play for her private HS team. And the college she is going to has won an NCAA championship in the last 5 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Just to be clear, the girl in issue is still playing club soccer, just at a program which allows her to play for her private HS team. And the college she is going to has won an NCAA championship in the last 5 years.

Then I would listen to the college coach. Simple.

[Anonymous]

Wasn't their a WaPost story about a team with one kid who had done just that--stepped off from his DA to play HS for a year with his mates. The college was fine with it in that case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wasn't their a WaPost story about a team with one kid who had done just that--stepped off from his DA to play HS for a year with his mates. The college was fine with it in that case.

Yes, I think it was a DCU player.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Just to be clear, the girl in issue is still playing club soccer, just at a program which allows her to play for her private HS team. And the college she is going to has won an NCAA championship in the last 5 years.

Then I would listen to the college coach. Simple.

Agreed. Ultimately, he/she is who your DC must please.