Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a parent on the u19 Bethesda MLSNext team...I think 10 or 11 boys are committed to Univ of MD, Georgetown, Harvard, Yale, American U, Mary Washington and maybe 1 other school...

Bethesda does seem to always have the highest college placement of any of the local clubs.

I wish we stop making a big deal of soccer commitments. Let acknowledge the kids who were so good they were offered a full athletic scholarship. I know thats very rare but thats a true accomplishment. You dont see AAU BASKETBALL teams announce PLAYER X will be a walk on at UMD or Duke. Plenty walk on and get money outside of athletic scholarships but we dont make a huge deal out of it. The truth is most soccer kids from big clubs would be attending the college on their parents dime with or without soccer. I know its a different landscape but it magnifies how soccer is mostly for the rich white kid in our country. Its like a mode up recognition or participation trophy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand what the PP is saying. Its more of announcement rather than achievement.

How is it not both?

I mean an achievement is being recruited and offered a scholarship. Some of the European kids are recruited over here and actually get the fully athletic scholarship. That is a big deal because of the fact soccer doesn't make any money for the school. So it can be done. Im sure if Christian Pulisic would have been awarded a fully athletic scholarship had he chose that route. I mean soccer players announcing where they will be paying tuition to play college soccer is a far less achievement than an AAU basketball player being awarded a fully athletic scholarship. I love soccer but I dont love how the game is structured in the US.

I disagree. I think to play any college sport - with or without the scholarship $ award - is a huge achievement. To make a roster, even if through walk-in, is a big deal given just how few people get to an opportunity to play. Getting a commitment, even without $, is also an enabler to schools that kids otherwise not get (Exhibit A is the Ivy League, which does not offer athletic scholarships, only financial support if needed).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Playing D1 sports is a huge achievement and will pay off in the job market. My husband is a hedge fund manager. Wall Street looks for D1 athletes. It shows they are disciplined, hard workers, and competitive.

Great. We need more hedge fund managers. Not.

Anonymous wrote:Playing D1 sports is a huge achievement and will pay off in the job market. My husband is a hedge fund manager. Wall Street looks for D1 athletes. It shows they are disciplined, hard workers, and competitive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^I’m aware of what Power Five recruiting, play, admissions, and academics are like. I mentioned the P5 rule in response to the comment that kids can get their scholarships taken away when a better player shows up. That’s the way it used to be across the board and still is at many schools, and most of the soccer parents I speak to are not aware of the changes. Even some with very talented kids do not understand how much more valuable a scholarship is at one of the schools that follow the Power Five rule compared to those that don’t. Many of schools outside those conferences have opted to follow the rule, and as far as I know there is no list advertising which ones have and have not. My comments can be taken as a PSA for those who may be new to the recruiting scene.

Yes, but the Power 5 rule applies to very few players because the difficulty of making a Power 5 roster are pretty slim for most kids. That is the point.

There are a good number of boys from the DMV playing soccer in the ACC and Big Ten most years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^I’m aware of what Power Five recruiting, play, admissions, and academics are like. I mentioned the P5 rule in response to the comment that kids can get their scholarships taken away when a better player shows up. That’s the way it used to be across the board and still is at many schools, and most of the soccer parents I speak to are not aware of the changes. Even some with very talented kids do not understand how much more valuable a scholarship is at one of the schools that follow the Power Five rule compared to those that don’t. Many of schools outside those conferences have opted to follow the rule, and as far as I know there is no list advertising which ones have and have not. My comments can be taken as a PSA for those who may be new to the recruiting scene.

Yes, but the Power 5 rule applies to very few players because the difficulty of making a Power 5 roster are pretty slim for most kids. That is the point.

Anonymous wrote:^^I’m aware of what Power Five recruiting, play, admissions, and academics are like. I mentioned the P5 rule in response to the comment that kids can get their scholarships taken away when a better player shows up. That’s the way it used to be across the board and still is at many schools, and most of the soccer parents I speak to are not aware of the changes. Even some with very talented kids do not understand how much more valuable a scholarship is at one of the schools that follow the Power Five rule compared to those that don’t. Many of schools outside those conferences have opted to follow the rule, and as far as I know there is no list advertising which ones have and have not. My comments can be taken as a PSA for those who may be new to the recruiting scene.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A commitment without the full scholarship is equivalent to to the debate team or theater group. Still happy for them but not even in the same arena as a basketball scholarship. True or false would Pulisic be given a fully or partial athletic scholarship if he went to VA tech? Yes he would so they are available for the true elite player.

A commitment without the full scholarship is what 99%+ of college athletes experience if they don't play football/basketball.

No one is saying that a partial soccer scholarship is as financially valuable to the player/family as a full basketball scholarship. But a full soccer scholarship is incredible rare, so each fraction of a scholarship becomes more valuable in the non-basketball/football sports. Are there even 50 kids in the country on a full athletic scholarship for soccer? I'd be surprised. Meanwhile there are 195 kids on full basketball scholarships in the ACC alone.

It's just apples and oranges.

Agree with this, and similar comments from PPs.

I’d also note that you can’t just use the 100% soccer scholarship as a measure of talent in isolation. My kid was in fact offered a 100% scholarship at a couple of schools with non remarkable academic reputations and so-so soccer programs. He instead chose to attend a school that offered very high level academics and soccer for a lesser scholarship—no coach at a top academic school with a good soccer program needs to offer a full-ride to attract players. I also know plenty of kids who were offered significant partial scholarships, but turned them down to attend an Ivy instead. The hard work and talent doesn’t change just because a kid or family values academics or other factors over athletic money.

And lets not forget that a better kid can always come along and take your money. Have a slow start as a freshman and tear your ACL? to bad a highly touted transfer just joined the team.

True, unless you play for a school in the Power Five conference (or Notre Dame) or a school that has voluntarily adopted the Power Five rule (which prohibits coaches from reducing or eliminating athletic scholarships for reasons related to athletic performance). This is an important thing to research for any family that requires athletic $$ in order to be able to afford the cost of a school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster here, Its for sure apples and oranges type of comparison. I do understand both sides however. The soccer parent being proud of their player playing at the college level regardless of if its scholarship or paid tuition. The basketball parent would be just as proud either way as well. The basketball player is more valuable to the school as its a revenue producing sport. Soccer is looked at by the school as more of advanced club or intramural sport. The top basketball players all go to college or a handful straight to yhe pro level. Soccer players many of the best youth players in the sport dont play in college because of no scholarships offered. They are simply priced out of the sport. I think thats one reason many European and South American countries scoff at US soccer. It is looked at as a sport of the well off rather than the sports for all like most of the world.

Kids passions, interest and aptitudes are different. But the ticket for admission to basketball is being no less than 6' tall. So right off the bat before one takes into consideration their skillset they must meet a physical attribute that they have zero control over. You can't coach height. So please just stop with comparing sports to one another. Playing in any sport at a D1 level is not easy. That's it.

I also really don't understand the general basis for hte PP's argument. If a soccer club promotes a players commitment what is that to a AAU basketball player? Why shouldn't the club acknowledge and celebrate their player's accomplishment?

My kid plays soccer, I don't really care what AAU clubs do for their commitments and I wouldn't expect them to care how soccer clubs handle it either. But to say that kids who set out in their chosen sport and train and play for the opportunity to play D1 to have someone try and diminish the accomplishment based on scholarship size is frankly cynical and mean spirited.

But you wouldn't argue that an extremely high percentage of the most talented soccer players are priced out of the sport. As a result the actual best players are not always committing to play for colleges or going pro. Unlike Basketball which is open to anyone with talent not only those who can afford it.

No I would not say that. MLS academies are fully funded and I know many people who also get scholarships from their club.

If you are truly, exceptionally talented you will not be left out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A commitment without the full scholarship is equivalent to to the debate team or theater group. Still happy for them but not even in the same arena as a basketball scholarship. True or false would Pulisic be given a fully or partial athletic scholarship if he went to VA tech? Yes he would so they are available for the true elite player.

A commitment without the full scholarship is what 99%+ of college athletes experience if they don't play football/basketball.

No one is saying that a partial soccer scholarship is as financially valuable to the player/family as a full basketball scholarship. But a full soccer scholarship is incredible rare, so each fraction of a scholarship becomes more valuable in the non-basketball/football sports. Are there even 50 kids in the country on a full athletic scholarship for soccer? I'd be surprised. Meanwhile there are 195 kids on full basketball scholarships in the ACC alone.

It's just apples and oranges.

Agree with this, and similar comments from PPs.

I’d also note that you can’t just use the 100% soccer scholarship as a measure of talent in isolation. My kid was in fact offered a 100% scholarship at a couple of schools with non remarkable academic reputations and so-so soccer programs. He instead chose to attend a school that offered very high level academics and soccer for a lesser scholarship—no coach at a top academic school with a good soccer program needs to offer a full-ride to attract players. I also know plenty of kids who were offered significant partial scholarships, but turned them down to attend an Ivy instead. The hard work and talent doesn’t change just because a kid or family values academics or other factors over athletic money.

And lets not forget that a better kid can always come along and take your money. Have a slow start as a freshman and tear your ACL? to bad a highly touted transfer just joined the team.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster here, Its for sure apples and oranges type of comparison. I do understand both sides however. The soccer parent being proud of their player playing at the college level regardless of if its scholarship or paid tuition. The basketball parent would be just as proud either way as well. The basketball player is more valuable to the school as its a revenue producing sport. Soccer is looked at by the school as more of advanced club or intramural sport. The top basketball players all go to college or a handful straight to yhe pro level. Soccer players many of the best youth players in the sport dont play in college because of no scholarships offered. They are simply priced out of the sport. I think thats one reason many European and South American countries scoff at US soccer. It is looked at as a sport of the well off rather than the sports for all like most of the world.

Kids passions, interest and aptitudes are different. But the ticket for admission to basketball is being no less than 6' tall. So right off the bat before one takes into consideration their skillset they must meet a physical attribute that they have zero control over. You can't coach height. So please just stop with comparing sports to one another. Playing in any sport at a D1 level is not easy. That's it.

I also really don't understand the general basis for hte PP's argument. If a soccer club promotes a players commitment what is that to a AAU basketball player? Why shouldn't the club acknowledge and celebrate their player's accomplishment?

My kid plays soccer, I don't really care what AAU clubs do for their commitments and I wouldn't expect them to care how soccer clubs handle it either. But to say that kids who set out in their chosen sport and train and play for the opportunity to play D1 to have someone try and diminish the accomplishment based on scholarship size is frankly cynical and mean spirited.

But you wouldn't argue that an extremely high percentage of the most talented soccer players are priced out of the sport. As a result the actual best players are not always committing to play for colleges or going pro. Unlike Basketball which is open to anyone with talent not only those who can afford it.