There are 3 levels of soccer with MSC / MSI, which most likely runs the classic league you are playing in. Recreation, Classic, and Premier.

Basically MSC/MSI tries to ID the best players and pull them up to the Premier level. Usually there are 2 teams.

Put it this way - MSC/MSI Premier's top team is somewhat hit or miss. There are some good players, but maybe only the very best players in any age group will have a realistic chance to play at a mid to higher D3 or very low D1 level (the less attractive D1 scools like Delaware State University).

If you're not even at the level of MSC/MSI's premier level, then you're not even within range unless you are sticking out like a sore thumb on your team and it is completely obvious.

Even at the premier level, if you're not on the "A" team, you are still not in realistic range. If you are on the "A" team you should be one of the better players, but keep in mind that MSI/MSC is really not a high level training or development environment compared to other clubs you mentioned.

Classic/select soccer is really the low-to-middle end of the ladder as far things go.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's possible to make the jump from non-travel in 9th grade to playing in college in this era of soccer.
My impression is that the only way to play in college is to be playing ECNL or DA.

My 2006 daughter is a top player on the B team of a club with many team levels and ECNL as the top team.
This year (for U14) the ECNL team took 5 new players and every one came as a transfer from another ECNL or DA team.
My impression that even for kids playing at a high level, it's difficult to move to ECNL/DA at U14 or later---let alone to play in college.
The level of play is just much better and it's not possible to catch up.

Only in the closed system we have that 'marks' players from their club team.

Alex Morgan was coached by her dad while heavily playing basketball and other sports. She didn't start travel/Club soccer until age 14.

And that still works if your kid is Alex Morgan and it is 15 years ago.

Yes, exactly. Things have changed in 15 years. I played Division 3 soccer 20 years ago and went straight from rec soccer to Division 3.
Things have changed drastically in this era.
And if OP has an Alex Morgan level athlete on her hands I think it would be apparent already (considering she IS currently playing soccer).

That is odd. This area was quite competitive 15 years ago. Travel has been around for girls in this area since the 1970s (yes 50 YEARS). The only girls on my HS team 20 years ago were all travel players (playing travel since 8, soccer since K), and they were from the top teams/ODP pool/State teams in the DMV. Scholarships only went to 4-girls on a team that had won 4-State Championships, Regionals and 2 National championships. Though one teammate did eventually play for the USWNT, and a few in subsequent years. But, yes, a woman's D3 college 15 years ago was not as competitive. But, D1 schools 15-years ago were extremely, extremely competitive.

The big question you are all forgetting to ask---what kind of environment is this girl in? Is her family a 'soccer' family? I know many parents that train their kids better than travel coaches. I have seen many kids break onto top teams in their early teens after coming from Rec because the parents could not afford travel but were playing every day with family members and on fields with adult pick up soccer.

Now people will point to the fact that Alex Morgan's dad knew nothing about soccer, so NOTHING is impossible.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's possible to make the jump from non-travel in 9th grade to playing in college in this era of soccer.
My impression is that the only way to play in college is to be playing ECNL or DA.

My 2006 daughter is a top player on the B team of a club with many team levels and ECNL as the top team.
This year (for U14) the ECNL team took 5 new players and every one came as a transfer from another ECNL or DA team.
My impression that even for kids playing at a high level, it's difficult to move to ECNL/DA at U14 or later---let alone to play in college.
The level of play is just much better and it's not possible to catch up.

Only in the closed system we have that 'marks' players from their club team.

Alex Morgan was coached by her dad while heavily playing basketball and other sports. She didn't start travel/Club soccer until age 14.

And that still works if your kid is Alex Morgan and it is 15 years ago.

Yes, exactly. Things have changed in 15 years. I played Division 3 soccer 20 years ago and went straight from rec soccer to Division 3.
Things have changed drastically in this era.
And if OP has an Alex Morgan level athlete on her hands I think it would be apparent already (considering she IS currently playing soccer).

That is odd. This area was quite competitive 15 years ago. Travel has been around for girls in this area since the 1970s (yes 50 YEARS). The only girls on my HS team 20 years ago were all travel players (playing travel since 8, soccer since K), and they were from the top teams/ODP pool/State teams in the DMV. Scholarships only went to 4-girls on a team that had won 4-State Championships, Regionals and 2 National championships. Though one teammate did eventually play for the USWNT, and a few in subsequent years. But, yes, a woman's D3 college 15 years ago was not as competitive. But, D1 schools 15-years ago were extremely, extremely competitive.

The big question you are all forgetting to ask---what kind of environment is this girl in? Is her family a 'soccer' family? I know many parents that train their kids better than travel coaches. I have seen many kids break onto top teams in their early teens after coming from Rec because the parents could not afford travel but were playing every day with family members and on fields with adult pick up soccer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's possible to make the jump from non-travel in 9th grade to playing in college in this era of soccer.
My impression is that the only way to play in college is to be playing ECNL or DA.

My 2006 daughter is a top player on the B team of a club with many team levels and ECNL as the top team.
This year (for U14) the ECNL team took 5 new players and every one came as a transfer from another ECNL or DA team.
My impression that even for kids playing at a high level, it's difficult to move to ECNL/DA at U14 or later---let alone to play in college.
The level of play is just much better and it's not possible to catch up.

Only in the closed system we have that 'marks' players from their club team.

Alex Morgan was coached by her dad while heavily playing basketball and other sports. She didn't start travel/Club soccer until age 14.

And that still works if your kid is Alex Morgan and it is 15 years ago.

Yes, exactly. Things have changed in 15 years. I played Division 3 soccer 20 years ago and went straight from rec soccer to Division 3.
Things have changed drastically in this era.
And if OP has an Alex Morgan level athlete on her hands I think it would be apparent already (considering she IS currently playing soccer).

Yes it is possible. Yes it will be difficult.

We were just talking about this yesterday. My daughter's long-tme boyfriend decided to start playing at 13 and just dove in. It was pretty much all he did in his spare time, and he ended up playing in college. (She was on the women's team).

So it can be done.

The key really is tchat your kid has to be fast and willing to work really hard to catch up. My daughter's team took on a player at 15 who had been coached by her dad in lower level leagues since she was a kid. Big, fast and a smart player, but her soccer skills were way behind. It took her through high school to catch up really but she did play D2 in college and had a nice time. (Remember the other players are also working hard to get better so if you come in behind you have to work harder than they are to make progress).

Where would I start?

Testing the committment really. Find someone who can develop a good speed and fitness program for your kid to dive into now. It would be an every day kind of thing. Find someone from a local club who could work on ball skills 2 or 3 times a week -- she can work with a coach for an hour, but then she needs to practice on her own a couple of hours or more a day. Remember, she is trying to catch up with kids who are also working hard to improve. So, she has to outwork them.

That all is a big commitment, but if she has the physical abilities it could be done.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's possible to make the jump from non-travel in 9th grade to playing in college in this era of soccer.
My impression is that the only way to play in college is to be playing ECNL or DA.

My 2006 daughter is a top player on the B team of a club with many team levels and ECNL as the top team.
This year (for U14) the ECNL team took 5 new players and every one came as a transfer from another ECNL or DA team.
My impression that even for kids playing at a high level, it's difficult to move to ECNL/DA at U14 or later---let alone to play in college.
The level of play is just much better and it's not possible to catch up.

Only in the closed system we have that 'marks' players from their club team.

Alex Morgan was coached by her dad while heavily playing basketball and other sports. She didn't start travel/Club soccer until age 14.

And that still works if your kid is Alex Morgan and it is 15 years ago.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it's possible to make the jump from non-travel in 9th grade to playing in college in this era of soccer.
My impression is that the only way to play in college is to be playing ECNL or DA.

My 2006 daughter is a top player on the B team of a club with many team levels and ECNL as the top team.
This year (for U14) the ECNL team took 5 new players and every one came as a transfer from another ECNL or DA team.
My impression that even for kids playing at a high level, it's difficult to move to ECNL/DA at U14 or later---let alone to play in college.
The level of play is just much better and it's not possible to catch up.

Only in the closed system we have that 'marks' players from their club team.

Alex Morgan was coached by her dad while heavily playing basketball and other sports. She didn't start travel/Club soccer until age 14.

I don't think it's possible to make the jump from non-travel in 9th grade to playing in college in this era of soccer.
My impression is that the only way to play in college is to be playing ECNL or DA.

My 2006 daughter is a top player on the B team of a club with many team levels and ECNL as the top team.
This year (for U14) the ECNL team took 5 new players and every one came as a transfer from another ECNL or DA team.
My impression that even for kids playing at a high level, it's difficult to move to ECNL/DA at U14 or later---let alone to play in college.
The level of play is just much better and it's not possible to catch up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in MoCo and DD has mostly played classic/select soccer. DD played summer league for the school where she will attend in the Fall and recently said that she is interested in playing beyond HS. Some of her teammates play for elite soccer clubs like Rush and Bethesda. Does she need to join a travel team or is HS soccer enough to play at the next level? Any recommendations for clubs accessible to Germantown/Gaithersburg?

To play for D1 or, frankly, most D3 schools, yes, she'll need to be on a serious travel team. What club does she play for now? Does it have a travel option?

MSC runs classic and also has a travel team but I don't know much about the travel program. It is not as established or as well-known as Bethesda and Rush.

Just go to Pipeline

Anonymous wrote:We live in MoCo and DD has mostly played classic/select soccer. DD played summer league for the school where she will attend in the Fall and recently said that she is interested in playing beyond HS. Some of her teammates play for elite soccer clubs like Rush and Bethesda. Does she need to join a travel team or is HS soccer enough to play at the next level? Any recommendations for clubs accessible to Germantown/Gaithersburg?

To play for D1 or, frankly, most D3 schools, yes, she'll need to be on a serious travel team. What club does she play for now? Does it have a travel option?

Anonymous wrote:You'll get a myriad of responses, but I believe she needs to play DA/ECNL to get a real shot at D1. There are some diamonds in the rough who are exceptionally athletically gifted, but those are few and far between.

You ain’t know nothin! Athletically gifted doesn’t always correlate to gifted soccer player. Peace!

Did she make her HS Soccer Team for the Fall Season?

I can’t speak for 05 Select/Classic level of competition but at 2007 & 2008, the Classic level is not anything close to travel even when comparing to a league like NCSL. Most of not all college bound players plays for elite travel leagues (ECNL & DA). Since it might be too late to join a travel team now, I suggest you get her extra training and also tell her to practice at home during this summer. There might be some openings at some travel teams in MoCo now so look for MRM, Bethesda, Potomac or MSI Academy to find out.

You'll get a myriad of responses, but I believe she needs to play DA/ECNL to get a real shot at D1. There are some diamonds in the rough who are exceptionally athletically gifted, but those are few and far between.

We live in MoCo and DD has mostly played classic/select soccer. DD played summer league for the school where she will attend in the Fall and recently said that she is interested in playing beyond HS. Some of her teammates play for elite soccer clubs like Rush and Bethesda. Does she need to join a travel team or is HS soccer enough to play at the next level? Any recommendations for clubs accessible to Germantown/Gaithersburg?