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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I don’t know any walk on sports maybe football?[/quote]

soccer[/quote]

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.  [/quote]

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.[/quote]
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. [/quote]

That sort of walk-on story only happens for goalkeepers. [/quote]

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