Anonymous wrote:The club teams aren’t easy to make at some schools. My kid is the only freshmen that made his club team. There are Europeans and other mlsnext/academy players on the squad. And a few kids that dropped down from the varsity team.

The reality is many travel kids won’t make the club teams either. At a big school it’s even harder.

This. Hundreds of kids tryout for just a few openings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you think your kid is going to do after college?

Seriously stop. It's a hobby not a vocation.

D1 sports is a hobby for who?

What exactly would you classify it as? It’s not an academic or professional activity. It’s a recreational activity done simply for enjoyment. AKA - a hobby.

DP but this may have been true 5 years ago but D1 sports are definitely a profession now. Thus the recent roster reductions across all sports. Don't have a D1 soccer kid but do have D1 athlete relatives in other sports. They get NIL money and have to file taxes . even the guys that never see the field. One of them got cut because he was injured and a new coach came in and he only had high school film to validate him staying. Unsure what the future holds but colleges sports today isn't the same place as these current college athletes grew up trying to get to

NCAA soccer has gotten just as complicated with the transfer portal and NIL as basketball. Schools now bring in “transfers” from Europe, SA and Asia who came up in their respective country’s national academy program but aren’t good enough to play on the first team in the Champions League team but are still hella good. So why not get a free 1-2 years at a US college, play some soccer, then go back to your country and try pro then.

Look at D1 rosters and see how many international students there are. Google this issue, there are plenty of articles out there. I have an MLS Next high school player and we are just watching the dynamic change and change and change. It’s depressing.

Advice I got from a family with a kid whose a junior now who got cut from his D1 team was that make sure your kid likes/loves the school enough that if they didn’t play soccer anymore (for whatever reason, burned out, injury, got cut, etc) that they’d still want to attend. Because transferring could result in same problem this time next year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d remind him college is about getting an education and a job. At some point he needs to give up whatever soccer dream is striving for because it’s very unlikely to end with a job.

It’s a tough pill to swallow but one every athlete must take at some point.

His focus should be on his academics, even if that means he stays at his current school and just plays club ball.

Unless his connected soccer teammate hooks him up with a sweet gig

.

The same can be said for his roommate/professor/neighbor/relative…..

Sports in college should only be viewed as a way to get your foot in the door of admissions. After that, unless you’re at the level of professional drafting, academics come first.

Teammates bonding through sports is different

Of course it is, but the pp was talking about ‘hooking him up with a sweet gig’ which can happen through any trusted relationship.

The club teams aren’t easy to make at some schools. My kid is the only freshmen that made his club team. There are Europeans and other mlsnext/academy players on the squad. And a few kids that dropped down from the varsity team.

The reality is many travel kids won’t make the club teams either. At a big school it’s even harder.

Anonymous wrote:Club. If he gets cut, it was VERY unlikely that he was going to play beyond college.

My kid does club at a D1. About 50% were varsity players. The varsity coach is not well liked. They win everything. Club has a lot of travel too and holds nationals- but my son is bummed the competition is not competitive enough.

He put himself in the transfer portal - but the kid is at a top T10-15 so we aren’t letting him transfer to these T200+ just for a few years of D1-D3.

He’s found lots of other opportunities to keep playing at a high level. Lots of semi pro- u23, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He plays on the school's club team, most likely.

I often wonder if crazy soccer parents (not necessarily saying you're one of them, OP) realize that after high school, and for a select few after college, soccer does go away. Sure you can play in adult leagues but like... transferring schools to play on a different lower division soccer team? Is college just the next step in soccer achievement? What about after college?

Like, the obsession with getting into an Ivy I also think is kind of tiring (because it's like... ok, you're at princeton, now what? you keep attending class and then graduate and get a job like everyone else) but I understand it more, because of the link to higher paying jobs and a stronger education and a more intelligent peer group while in college. But... chasing soccer at age 20, as someone who is getting cut from their D1 team? The glory days are over, kid. You were probably a standout at age 10, and that's great that you enjoyed soccer through your youth, but like... competitive soccer is over for you. Hope you didn't pour your entire identity into it over the past decade. But for some of these parents and kids, they absolutely did.

I was with you until this analogy. [b]Sorry but on average the kids at Princeton are moving on to a whole other life than the kids at JMU. [//b]You realize that right? Just reality.

Do agree with you though sports end and that's it until they can have their own children and live vicariously through them, which is the next step for many.

NP

But do YOU realize that on average the kids at Princeton are simply CONTINUING on in their whole other life than the kids at JMU?

Anyone who isn’t already connected upon entering an Ivy is in for a rude awakening when they inevitably learn that the Ivy pedigree is more bragging rights than some golden ticket.

I went to an Ivy and this really isn’t true but go on thinking it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He plays on the school's club team, most likely.

I often wonder if crazy soccer parents (not necessarily saying you're one of them, OP) realize that after high school, and for a select few after college, soccer does go away. Sure you can play in adult leagues but like... transferring schools to play on a different lower division soccer team? Is college just the next step in soccer achievement? What about after college?

Like, the obsession with getting into an Ivy I also think is kind of tiring (because it's like... ok, you're at princeton, now what? you keep attending class and then graduate and get a job like everyone else) but I understand it more, because of the link to higher paying jobs and a stronger education and a more intelligent peer group while in college. But... chasing soccer at age 20, as someone who is getting cut from their D1 team? The glory days are over, kid. You were probably a standout at age 10, and that's great that you enjoyed soccer through your youth, but like... competitive soccer is over for you. Hope you didn't pour your entire identity into it over the past decade. But for some of these parents and kids, they absolutely did.

I was with you until this analogy. Sorry but on average the kids at Princeton are moving on to a whole other life than the kids at JMU. You realize that right? Just reality.

Do agree with you though sports end and that's it until they can have their own children and live vicariously through them, which is the next step for many.

This part on JMU v. Princeton does not ring true in our large neighborhood of 1.5-2 million$ homes. I went to Ivy, next door neighbor went to Mary Washington, another neighbor went to WVU and another to Duke. We all ended up in exactly the same place. (And again, I am the person who went to Ivy).

Did you end up in the same place in terms of your career and personal and professional peer group and previous life experiences? If so, you are probably under-performing relative to your classmates. The person did say on average. I'm sure there are statistics to support this. There are always outliers.

You think millions of ivy league graduates are living in multimillion dollar homes and traveling by private jets when not on their yachts?

No. I think a lot of them are richer than a $1.5 M house though and probably have pretty interesting jobs with a lot of professional connections.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d remind him college is about getting an education and a job. At some point he needs to give up whatever soccer dream is striving for because it’s very unlikely to end with a job.

It’s a tough pill to swallow but one every athlete must take at some point.

His focus should be on his academics, even if that means he stays at his current school and just plays club ball.

Unless his connected soccer teammate hooks him up with a sweet gig

.

The same can be said for his roommate/professor/neighbor/relative…..

Sports in college should only be viewed as a way to get your foot in the door of admissions. After that, unless you’re at the level of professional drafting, academics come first.

Teammates bonding through sports is different

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d remind him college is about getting an education and a job. At some point he needs to give up whatever soccer dream is striving for because it’s very unlikely to end with a job.

It’s a tough pill to swallow but one every athlete must take at some point.

His focus should be on his academics, even if that means he stays at his current school and just plays club ball.

Unless his connected soccer teammate hooks him up with a sweet gig

.

The same can be said for his roommate/professor/neighbor/relative…..

Sports in college should only be viewed as a way to get your foot in the door of admissions. After that, unless you’re at the level of professional drafting, academics come first.

Anonymous wrote:I’d remind him college is about getting an education and a job. At some point he needs to give up whatever soccer dream is striving for because it’s very unlikely to end with a job.

It’s a tough pill to swallow but one every athlete must take at some point.

His focus should be on his academics, even if that means he stays at his current school and just plays club ball.

Unless his connected soccer teammate hooks him up with a sweet gig

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He plays on the school's club team, most likely.

I often wonder if crazy soccer parents (not necessarily saying you're one of them, OP) realize that after high school, and for a select few after college, soccer does go away. Sure you can play in adult leagues but like... transferring schools to play on a different lower division soccer team? Is college just the next step in soccer achievement? What about after college?

Like, the obsession with getting into an Ivy I also think is kind of tiring (because it's like... ok, you're at princeton, now what? you keep attending class and then graduate and get a job like everyone else) but I understand it more, because of the link to higher paying jobs and a stronger education and a more intelligent peer group while in college. But... chasing soccer at age 20, as someone who is getting cut from their D1 team? The glory days are over, kid. You were probably a standout at age 10, and that's great that you enjoyed soccer through your youth, but like... competitive soccer is over for you. Hope you didn't pour your entire identity into it over the past decade. But for some of these parents and kids, they absolutely did.

I was with you until this analogy. [b]Sorry but on average the kids at Princeton are moving on to a whole other life than the kids at JMU. [//b]You realize that right? Just reality.

Do agree with you though sports end and that's it until they can have their own children and live vicariously through them, which is the next step for many.

NP

But do YOU realize that on average the kids at Princeton are simply CONTINUING on in their whole other life than the kids at JMU?

Anyone who isn’t already connected upon entering an Ivy is in for a rude awakening when they inevitably learn that the Ivy pedigree is more bragging rights than some golden ticket.

So kids entering an Ivy who's parents aren't connected and in the 1% can't over 4 years make connections and become part of a network that will help elevate them up the socioeconomic ladder?

But what is D1 soccer offering this kid? He’s getting cut. He isn’t that good

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you think your kid is going to do after college?

Seriously stop. It's a hobby not a vocation.

D1 sports is a hobby for who?

What exactly would you classify it as? It’s not an academic or professional activity. It’s a recreational activity done simply for enjoyment. AKA - a hobby.

Anonymous wrote:What do you think your kid is going to do after college?

Seriously stop. It's a hobby not a vocation.

D1 sports is a hobby for who?

I’d remind him college is about getting an education and a job. At some point he needs to give up whatever soccer dream is striving for because it’s very unlikely to end with a job.

It’s a tough pill to swallow but one every athlete must take at some point.

His focus should be on his academics, even if that means he stays at his current school and just plays club ball.