Reply to Reducing the academic load to play elite soccer.

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I agree with everything you’ve said here, but the OP probably was talking to at least some parents of boys (the equation is very different for girls) who are aiming to go pro out of HS. You almost certainly will have to sacrifice academics in that situation to a degree that would make most posters here very uncomfortable, like taking online classes for a year or two, transferring to schools like the Calverton school so you can spend more time training with DCU, moving overseas for better clubs, etc. There are scores of kids doing this each year from DAs around the country, including several from the local ones.  I know families who were nervous to go down this path whose kids are now playing in MLS or Europe, and they think it was worth it, at least for now. Other pro-focused kids never had the academic aptitude to succeed in college, and making it as any kind of pro will likely improve their employment outcomes over what they’d otherwise do post-HS.

For the very small percentage of DCUM posters who have boys staring in the DA during HS, I bet almost all of us come from families that highly value education and I agree that “cutting back” means nothing like the worst case scenarios presented here. One thing I haven’t seen mentioned much is the way in which playing DA or other very demanding sport can help with academics. My kid was not particularly academically ambitious at the start of middle school, but older kids in the program told him his abilities meant he’d have a ton of great recruiting options if he had all “As” through junior year, which turned out to be true, even with fewer APs than the very top students at his HS and limited non-soccer ECs. To get there he stayed up until midnight or later most nights to study after practice, as did his friends aiming for top schools.  Now that he’s in college, there is both peer pressure and academic mentoring from older teammates who are majoring in subjects ranging from the dreaded Communications to Physics and Engineering. [b]And yes, the soccer bro network is a real thing and more important than just the increased access to internships. [/b][/quote]

Completely in agreement with the last statement.  The majority of ex-D1 soccer players seem to get gravy high paying corporate management positions while the school "nerds" are the company workabee[/quote]

Lol.   Good plan.  Ditch the academics.   Play soccer and the "gravy high paying corporate management positions" will be yours.  Best of luck with that.[/quote]

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