Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:D-1, use football for admission; playing or not playing, meh.

D-3, go and play

Either one is, in all probability, the end of your football journey

Only death will end my football journey.

Fat, old and slow, but still playing!

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

Your genuine opinion, why would playing for D1 soccer be better than playing D2,-D3 soccer?[/quote]

1. The average level of competition is higher in DI than in DII or DIII.
2. If you are "all in" for soccer, DI athletes are typically more committed to their sport.
3. DI facilities are typically better. DI schools typically have bigger budgets and put more money into their teams
4. There are more athletes at DI schools by definition

Horses for courses.[/quote]

there is a lot of equivocation in what you wrote. I would put my SLAC's facilities and budget up against some horizon or summit league schools.

For some they want to become the best player they can be, and for some being in the D1 environment will help them be the best player they can be moreso than playing in D3 and vice versa. Brother walked on to top 5 D1 program rather than go D2 or D3 or try another D1 option and noticed his improvement by the end of his first full year (fall season and then spring scrimmages) was astronomical. He only got mop-up minutes in the Fall in one blow-out match but was playing quite a bit in the Spring since those were not matches that mattered. Might that acceleration of development have happened at another place? Possibly but we'll never know.

[quote=Anonymous]

Your genuine opinion, why would playing for D1 soccer be better than playing D2,-D3 soccer?[/quote]

1. The average level of competition is higher in DI than in DII or DIII.
2. If you are "all in" for soccer, DI athletes are typically more committed to their sport.
3. DI facilities are typically better. DI schools typically have bigger budgets and put more money into their teams
4. There are more athletes at DI schools by definition

Horses for courses.

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Two to three years on a D-1 bench or four happy years playing D-3 ?[/quote]

Your genuine opinion, why would playing for D1 soccer be better than playing D2,-D3 soccer?[/quote]

It all depends every situation is different. I think playing time in the most competitive situation. Along with coaches who have the best connections and track record to help you get to the next level is just as important. Location, somewhere you can play and train yr round like summer leagues near by is a plus. Its much easier to find that in a metro area than a far secluded rural setting.

Anonymous wrote:D-1, use football for admission; playing or not playing, meh.

D-3, go and play

Either one is, in all probability, the end of your football journey

There are really good competitive D2 and D3 programs. Many are better vs the D1 programs. It has to due with admissions and men’s soccer not being a revenue sport.

[quote=Anonymous]Two to three years on a D-1 bench or four happy years playing D-3 ?[/quote]

Your genuine opinion, why would playing for D1 soccer be better than playing D2,-D3 soccer?

Anonymous wrote:D-1, use football for admission; playing or not playing, meh.

D-3, go and play

Either one is, in all probability, the end of your football journey

Only death will end my football journey.

D-1, use football for admission; playing or not playing, meh.

D-3, go and play

Either one is, in all probability, the end of your football journey

Two to three years on a D-1 bench or four happy years playing D-3 ?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To original poster who said “I’m genuinely impressed with the caliber of the players this school that when I attended was not known at all for their soccer team.” When did you attend JMU because I think they went to the final 8 of the NCAA tournament when they won 3 straight conference titles in the early 90s. JMU men have been one of the best mid-major men’s soccer programs in the country over the last 30 years.

OP here, I graduated in 2010. Not sure why that would matter though. While I attended we only talked about the basketball and football teams.

Same with VT in the 90s. I was a competitive female soccer player. Soccer was not a big deal at this school back then, nor JMU.

Soccer was not a big deal at most schools back then. Its popularity in America has grown substantially

Good points:

Boys recruit the school unless you're on one of the better MLS Academies. (Just being on an MLS Next squad isn't necessarily high enough to be pursued by the school)

Look out of state

Look past the family "legacy" school. Our family "legacy" big D1 school in the midwest could not care less about our DS for their soccer team. We have generations who've graduated from there, taught, etc. They are almost exclusively MLS Academy and foreign players on the roster. They suck. But hey, their football team and synchronized swimming is pretty darn good!

Playing on anything south of an ECNL or MLS Next club for boys is going to be an uphill climb for a domestic boy to get a spot on a mid-major/major D1. D2 will also be tough!

Our DS is going through the final stages of college recruiting and is finding it tough. Over a 4.0 GPA, plays for an EDP/USYS National League Premier 1 club, he has experience in Europe playing at a high level (not on an American team who went over "for the experience"). Looks like out of state D3 is his best bet right now if he wants to play college soccer.