OP here,

He’s not looking to commit now, just maybe to get a sense of what different environments feel like, and what the competition is like.

There is a camp at Georgetown that is a convenient location and time for us. I don’t think he is going to be interested in Gtown as a school, but I am wondering if it makes sense to try that one as a way of getting a sense of what they are like. Or should we plan our summer around getting to a college he is more likely to be interested in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're a top MLS Next performer, do you need to do ID sessions, or do you just reach out to schools you're interested in attending?

I can fully see why the average and lower players may need ID camps.

Lol. You are in for a rude awakening.

This. You will need to get educated on the college recruiting process. Unless you are a national team player or related to a college coach, the league you play for makes absolutely NO difference.

Suggest you start here: https://rlopezcoaching.com/looking-for-a-full-ride/

So are we to ignore the rosters of the top soccer schools? (real data)

You want us to believe your opinion that there is no difference between MLS Next and EDP or ECNL in scouting/recruiting/signing?

Are you referring to boys or girls btw

Lol. Marshall was the #1 team in men’s soccer for most of the year. Go look up their roster. Let us know if you can find any players who played MLS Next or ECNL…it’s probably zero for both.

Marshall is like many top college programs. Something identified many times on this forum.

International Transfers and MLS Club Academy players

You should figure out where he would want to attend college, in spite of soccer. Lots of things can and do happen, for instance, what if he got injured while attending? Does he like the college itself? What degree is he aiming for?

You can go to a nearby one for the experience, if your finances can support that sort of thing. Not all colleges will even consider commits at that age, so limit your expectations. I would have him do the research on where he wants to go, bounce those off you and figure out what is realistic for attending an ID session. Never to early to start building relationships with coaches either. Just make sure he's not bugging them with questions he can easy figure out himself with a simple web search.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're a top MLS Next performer, do you need to do ID sessions, or do you just reach out to schools you're interested in attending?

I can fully see why the average and lower players may need ID camps.

Lol. You are in for a rude awakening.

This. You will need to get educated on the college recruiting process. Unless you are a national team player or related to a college coach, the league you play for makes absolutely NO difference.

Suggest you start here: https://rlopezcoaching.com/looking-for-a-full-ride/

So are we to ignore the rosters of the top soccer schools? (real data)

You want us to believe your opinion that there is no difference between MLS Next and EDP or ECNL in scouting/recruiting/signing?

Are you referring to boys or girls btw

Sure, top soccer schools - but they don't exist in the DMV area. I'm not counting DC United Academy since their goal isn't to get players into college - its to get them to play pro ball.

No difference in individual recruiting, but I think you are highlighting the opportunities that ECNL, MLS Next, etc. provide their players. I don't think that's what the OP was asking.

The question is if they need to do ID sessions and reach out to schools and the answer is maybe for the first, and absolutely yes to the second. At 8th grade an ID camp won't hurt their chances and will give the player an idea of what coaches are looking for, the style of play, and the culture of the current team.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're a top MLS Next performer, do you need to do ID sessions, or do you just reach out to schools you're interested in attending?

I can fully see why the average and lower players may need ID camps.

Lol. You are in for a rude awakening.

This. You will need to get educated on the college recruiting process. Unless you are a national team player or related to a college coach, the league you play for makes absolutely NO difference.

Suggest you start here: https://rlopezcoaching.com/looking-for-a-full-ride/

So are we to ignore the rosters of the top soccer schools? (real data)

You want us to believe your opinion that there is no difference between MLS Next and EDP or ECNL in scouting/recruiting/signing?

Are you referring to boys or girls btw

Lol. Marshall was the #1 team in men’s soccer for most of the year. Go look up their roster. Let us know if you can find any players who played MLS Next or ECNL…it’s probably zero for both.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're a top MLS Next performer, do you need to do ID sessions, or do you just reach out to schools you're interested in attending?

I can fully see why the average and lower players may need ID camps.

Lol. You are in for a rude awakening.

This. You will need to get educated on the college recruiting process. Unless you are a national team player or related to a college coach, the league you play for makes absolutely NO difference.

Suggest you start here: https://rlopezcoaching.com/looking-for-a-full-ride/

So are we to ignore the rosters of the top soccer schools? (real data)

You want us to believe your opinion that there is no difference between MLS Next and EDP or ECNL in scouting/recruiting/signing?

Are you referring to boys or girls btw

This is a discussion of boys, obviously, since the OP mentioned MLS Next.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're a top MLS Next performer, do you need to do ID sessions, or do you just reach out to schools you're interested in attending?

I can fully see why the average and lower players may need ID camps.

Lol. You are in for a rude awakening.

This. You will need to get educated on the college recruiting process. Unless you are a national team player or related to a college coach, the league you play for makes absolutely NO difference.

Suggest you start here: https://rlopezcoaching.com/looking-for-a-full-ride/

So are we to ignore the rosters of the top soccer schools? (real data)

You want us to believe your opinion that there is no difference between MLS Next and EDP or ECNL in scouting/recruiting/signing?

Are you referring to boys or girls btw

Anonymous wrote:8th grader is a strong player on an MLSNext team. He would like to play in college, but obviously lots of things could happen.

I see that some ID camps take rising freshmen. Would you do one or two of those this summer?

If yes, how would you pick? I am wondering if we should even try to figure out where he might want to go one day, or if it’s just about figuring out what these things are like, then maybe we just go to ones that are convenient?

Rising Freshman that is interested in playing college ball should be looking at schools he's potentially interested in going to. Start to email those schools coaching staff (knowing that NCAA rules state they can't reply until Sophomore year for D1 and DII schools), they will tell you to fill out an interest form, then once you start to get camp ID emails, do local ones so he can get a feel for how they work. One day for Freshman/Sophomore years is fine. They won't start to seriously look until end of Sophomore/ beginning of Junior year. You are just getting your player on their radar.

Try and steer clear of the 3rd party (for profit) camps and look at colleges who host them at their school. They often invite one or two local colleges that are not officially listed on their site and are much more affordable.

Don't discount DII or DIII schools. DI is obviously most players dream, but only around 7% of HS athletes go on to play ANY college sports. Always keep that in perspective!

Get good grades. Most of the schools we spoke with always asked about GPA and extracurriculars like honors societies and volunteer work. They will ask for an unofficial transcript when you are an upperclassman.

Best of luck! It's a process...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're a top MLS Next performer, do you need to do ID sessions, or do you just reach out to schools you're interested in attending?

I can fully see why the average and lower players may need ID camps.

Lol. You are in for a rude awakening.

This. You will need to get educated on the college recruiting process. Unless you are a national team player or related to a college coach, the league you play for makes absolutely NO difference.

Suggest you start here: https://rlopezcoaching.com/looking-for-a-full-ride/

We know an MLSNext player who reached out to schools they were interested in and the coaches make sure to watch his matches during MLSNext events. But this guy is pretty good and has been to a US youth camp at least once.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're a top MLS Next performer, do you need to do ID sessions, or do you just reach out to schools you're interested in attending?

I can fully see why the average and lower players may need ID camps.

Lol. You are in for a rude awakening.

Because?

Anonymous wrote:If you're a top MLS Next performer, do you need to do ID sessions, or do you just reach out to schools you're interested in attending?

I can fully see why the average and lower players may need ID camps.

Lol. You are in for a rude awakening.

If you're a top MLS Next performer, do you need to do ID sessions, or do you just reach out to schools you're interested in attending?

I can fully see why the average and lower players may need ID camps.

It’s not going to get him signed in 8th grade but could still be useful to do one. You could gauge the level of play of the players a couple years older so he knows where he needs to be. Also helps him to get more comfortable for the future like practice interviews would for eventual job interviews. There’s no downside other than the cost

8th grader is a strong player on an MLSNext team. He would like to play in college, but obviously lots of things could happen.

I see that some ID camps take rising freshmen. Would you do one or two of those this summer?

If yes, how would you pick? I am wondering if we should even try to figure out where he might want to go one day, or if it’s just about figuring out what these things are like, then maybe we just go to ones that are convenient?