Reply to College soccer. How good do you need to make a decent team

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Well if it doesnt have value, why are only major clubs represented in that 00 list? They must think it has value[/quote]

I don't think anyone on this thread has said that ODP doesn't have value.  The two questions being discussed are (1) if your child is a starter on a competitive National league team,  should he also consider participating in ODP at the regional or national level in order to increase his chances of college recruitment; and (2) does it make sense for ODP to continue to focus on kids and programs in areas that already have plenty of options for kids to get exposure to college coaches, national league scouts, etc. instead of changing its mission to focus on rural or other areas where kids don't have many ways to get good soccer training or scouting opportunities.  
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Again, I think your point pertains to the boys side and that needs to be stated.

But regardless of boy/girl, National League/ECNL, unless you are a top 4 player on your respective team one should not turn down any opportunity for further exposure to more and more coaches.

Just being on the team is not necessarily a golden ticket.

Now lets look at the boys side. The boys side has an established DA the National League is essentially the "best of the rest". The reason why ODP has taken a talent hit on the boys side is because DA players are not allowed to participate. That is a huge talent drain. DA players are looked at first by colleges and Pro teams which leaves the remaing roster spots for the kids playing in the National League.

So while there are spots, if we are talking competitive D1 colleges then you MUST be a top four player on your team to even get noticed. It is just a numbers game and the best way to combat numbers that are not in your players favor is to increase the numbers of coaches who can see your kid play. ODP is just one of those options. College ID Camps are among the other options. But the more coaches you know, the more contacts you have the better your chances can only be. 
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I agree with most everything you've said here, though I don't think we've been limiting the discussion on this thread to what it takes to play on a competitive D1 team.  Assume instead we are talking about starters 5-11 on a National league team who would be happy to play on any D1 team or on a highly competitive D3 team (nothing against D2, I just don't really understand it very well).  Won't most college coaches give those kids a look if the kids contact them and express an interest in the school/soccer program?  If the coach then sees them play at a National league showcase or other tournament and thinks they are talented and can help the college team, they will be interested in recruiting the kid, right? A good showing at an ODP showcase might draw the interest of a broader swath of coaches, but you really only need the interest of coaches from schools you'd like to go to.

I can understand the theory that the more showcase opportunities you can get, the better.  It's just that it's hard enough for kids to balance high level sports and academics to start with, and if you feel pressure to add in a second soccer program (or third, if you include HS) so you won't be overshadowed by others, it places more strain on the kids and families.  
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