Playing College Soccer

Just wanted to ask for those that have been though this before. My daughter would like to play Soccer in college down the road. She is 11 at the moment and college is a long way off well maybe not that far.. I tell her that she can do anything if she tries hard enough but I was just wondering how difficult it is to get on a college team. A scholarship would be great but I know that would be hard to get but just if she wanted to play. I know that there are different Divisions but what does it take to play for a team that is Div 1 / Div 2 / Div 3. Like if a Div 1 team does not come calling is your daughter SOL playing for that school. I find it interesting as I look at the Rosters for College's and notice that most do not have but a few players from the local area. I would think that a College here in the Dallas area would have a Roster filled with players from North Texas but that does not seem to be the case.

Thanks for responding.

There is an opportunity to play in college for most any girl that wants to and is willing to do the work.

The big variables you have to trade off are:
. What level team your dd can contribute to in college
. Hours your dd wants to spend on soccer in college
. Academic level of school your dd wants
. Amount of $ if any she wants/needs

There are dd's that played with my dd's who have gone on to full ride at D1 NCAA National Champion, small $ at NCAA D2, and $0 at D3 and all are equally happy with their situations as it fit their academic, soccer and financial parameters.

What level does your DD need to play to make it into each Division. I would assume that to play on a Div 1 team she would have to play on a top level team as well as play Highschool soccer and have some sort of state or district awards etc.

Do they need to play High School soccer? Sorry for all of the questions I just find the whole process interesting and like to hear from folks that have experience first hand.

ECNL or D1 provide best opportunity for College D1.

High School is optional, for fun.

Old Timer wrote:ECNL or D1 provide best opportunity for College D1.

High School is optional, for fun.

But a whole lot of fun!

High School is not that imporant when it comes to playing college soccer at least in this area. I lived in Missouri for a while and there were sometimes local coaches that would scout hs, you could prob get a local coach to come watch a hs game. They look primarily at club. I dont think division matters to an extent. Example I played in Arlington (this was pre division 3 lake highlands we could beat everyone in arlington, all the plano teams, and had a 2-2-1 record against the bottom 4 of d 2. I went on to play Division 2 soccer. Had some opportunity to play D1 but didnt want to go to a bigger school (yes i know there are smaller d 1 schools) d2 was a better fit academically. Also my decision came down to coaching as well, the team in general. I chose my school based on the team when I went on my visit coach was awesome (some may not agree with me on that one he is an interesting character and his personality did not fit well with some but he sure made me a better player then i thought i would be we beat teams who were better then us because were better coached, the team together was hardworking and very dedicated), the girls on the team welcomed me right in (i had a few schools who went and partied and left me at the school ultimately by myself.) Anyways a little of topic to play at the elite schools like North Carolina, Standford etc you are going to have to play for a good club at a high level. There are D1 schools that i know of where players have committed that are in D1 LH and D2, and D3 (would be D2, D3, Plano/Arlington with ECNL teams there). You can also play in Plano and Arlington and get recruited I know players for both who get recruited even now do d2,d3 programs. Everything has to do with the right fit both athletically and academically. Also your coaches knowing the college coaches or your daughter having connections to skills coaches etc that know college coaches can also help. I know many college coaches that are friends with the club coaches makes it easy to call up and ask about a kid. I dont think there is really a set division your kid has to be in to get a scholarship or to go on to play college soccer. Like I said higher level d 1 soccer definatly going to most of the time come from higher level ECNL, LH, or any other top league in the US. I know some of the other gk's who played against me went to d1 schools out of Arlington, i also know other players who played at all levels d2,d3, NAIA, and Junior College.

Uncle Numanga wrote:

Old Timer wrote:ECNL or D1 provide best opportunity for College D1.

High School is optional, for fun.

But a whole lot of fun!

Depends on the HS and the coach. For many it is much more fun than Club, however there are a few HS coaches who make it a nightmare to play even if they want to.

Uncle Numanga wrote:

Old Timer wrote:ECNL or D1 provide best opportunity for College D1.

High School is optional, for fun.

But a whole lot of fun!

Says the dad who's kid plays for a HS with numerous girls committed to play college soccer!

Gunners wrote:

Uncle Numanga wrote:

Old Timer wrote:ECNL or D1 provide best opportunity for College D1.

High School is optional, for fun.

But a whole lot of fun!

Says the dad who's kid plays for a HS with numerous girls committed to play college soccer!

Yep.

How exactly does one balance being on a top level club team as well as playing HS Soccer. I assume that the club team would be practicing 3 days a week. Sorry for all the questions but when it comes to the future I have no clue.

Old Timer wrote:

Uncle Numanga wrote:

Old Timer wrote:ECNL or D1 provide best opportunity for College D1.

High School is optional, for fun.

But a whole lot of fun!

Depends on the HS and the coach. For many it is much more fun than Club, however there are a few HS coaches who make it a nightmare to play even if they want to.

Amen to that comment!!!

something else to concider.. when you DD is looking at schools.

http://www.examiner.com/article/d1-college-soccer-jeopardy-as-ncaa-moves-to-eliminate-spring-competition

Offsides wrote:How exactly does one balance being on a top level club team as well as playing HS Soccer. I assume that the club team would be practicing 3 days a week. Sorry for all the questions but when it comes to the future I have no clue.

my dd plays ECNL, and plays HS mainly for 'fun'.

Her HS games are frequently on the same nights they have ECNL practice. So far, ECNL coach has not minded her missing a practice for a HS game. At the beginning of the year, ECNL coach did say there were other teams/nights she can make up practices with him. If we feel it necessary, we will do a make up practice.


Some HS games are early enough that she can attend ECNL practice after. If there were ever a true conflicting issue between the two, ECNL would win out, as HS knows which team dd has main commitment to. Luckily, we have a HS coach that understands.

tallsoccerdad wrote:something else to concider.. when you DD is looking at schools.

http://www.examiner.com/article/d1-college-soccer-jeopardy-as-ncaa-moves-to-eliminate-spring-competition

that article is over a year old and said D1 Spring games could end by Spring 2012. Did this happen? Perhaps you should look for an updated article on this topic....

golgolgol wrote:

Offsides wrote:How exactly does one balance being on a top level club team as well as playing HS Soccer. I assume that the club team would be practicing 3 days a week. Sorry for all the questions but when it comes to the future I have no clue.

my dd plays ECNL, and plays HS mainly for 'fun'.

Her HS games are frequently on the same nights they have ECNL practice. So far, ECNL coach has not minded her missing a practice for a HS game. At the beginning of the year, ECNL coach did say there were other teams/nights she can make up practices with him. If we feel it necessary, we will do a make up practice.


Some HS games are early enough that she can attend ECNL practice after. If there were ever a true conflicting issue between the two, ECNL would win out, as HS knows which team dd has main commitment to. Luckily, we have a HS coach that understands.

Sounds like you have reasonable coaches on both fronts which makes it easier to balance.

You don't have much control over who the HS coach is but you do have control over which Club coach you choose. You may want to think about College soccer goals and balancing w/ HS soccer if she wants to do both.

Offsides wrote:How exactly does one balance being on a top level club team as well as playing HS Soccer. I assume that the club team would be practicing 3 days a week. Sorry for all the questions but when it comes to the future I have no clue.

Our coach gets it as did our district last year. We had an ECNL Tournament in February. Our district didn't schedule any games on the Friday everyone would be gone. Our club team takes a bit of a break in January and then after the February games.

This is my dd's 4th year of HS and Club soccer. The conflicts for her have been minimal. Maybe she's an exception.

Another thing to consider if they're playing in LHGCL is that when they're in High School Lake Highland's will start the U15 and higher season later in the spring. Normally High school season will finish in the beginning of April. Then the Boys and Girls from High school will start their season. They'll normally have games on Saturday and Sunday's for 4 to 5 weeks to complete their select spring season.

As far High school and scouting "most" coaches will not attend a High school match to see one kid. When they can attend a showcase and watch 100's of kids for the same travel time and cost.

Also, most kids with desent skills and soccer IQ should be able to find a school if they want to play soccer. Don't get stuck on my child has to play Div I only. You also have NAIA in addition to Div I, II & III.

In my opinion, there are a few important things to keep in mind.

1. Make sure your daughter is looking at schools matched to her academic needs and abilities. She must succeed academically and get a quality education that will serve her for a lifetime.
2. Does she love playing soccer enough to make the major commitment to play in college? The commitment is higher than you think it is. If ths is a "pride ride" for the parents, you may be dealing with major disappointment soon.
3. The college choice must be left up to your DD. She must take responsibility for this major decision, not you (guide, but do not decide).
4. Make sure you check out the coach thoroughly. The quality of the coach is a make or break for many college experiences.
5. The campus atmosphere must be appealing to your daughter overall. Some like big and cold, some like small and warm, some stay close, some want to travel away. In the end, visit as many schools as you can as early as you can. Your DD's experience level is so low, they need heavy preparation before they even think about possibilities.
6. The decision about where you want to look and where you want to go is YOUR RESPONSIBILTY, not the coach's. You must remain in charge - you alone have the best interests of your DD in mind. Coaches sometimes can be very helpful, but some get an ego boost about where their players go, not worrying about whether it is appropriate for the kid. Let them help you as much as they can, but do not let them control the process.

What do you need to prepare your daughter? Make sure she is having fun. No fun, no play. Leave the coaching to the coach. Parents should always be supportive. If you have nothing positive to say, keep your mouth shut. Get on the best team you can, but don't sacrifice playing time for it. If you don't play, you don't get better. I've seen so many players/parents want to play on a better team, but they end up riding the bench and don't get seen by coaches. Coaches want players, not bench riders.

One word on high school. My daughter plays high school for very different reasons than playing club soccer. How your high school team performs means nothing from a college recruiting standpoint. Most college coaches are correct in their assessment that high school soccer sucks and watching it is a waste of time. Whatever you do, hope your daughter doesn't get injured!

I really believe there is a place for every ECNL and LHGCL girl to play, but your expectations should be reasonable, a trait a few parents have. Like it or not, only players in the highest leagues will get the necessary looks from major DI schools. I've heard people talk about the potential for coaches to find "diamonds in the rough" in the lower leagues. I've heard of unicorns, too, but never seen one. Listen to your coach or other coaches you know and trust them to give you an honest assessment of your DD's skills and potential. Trust me - - your assessment as a parent will be way too high.

Just a few thoughts for you to consider from someone that's been through the process..

Shooter wrote:

I've heard of unicorns, too, but never seen one. Listen to your coach or other coaches you know and trust them to give you an honest assessment of your DD's skills and potential. Trust me - - your assessment as a parent will be way too high.

Interesting post Shooter. I agree to some extent as parents we do tend to overestimate how good our DD's are. I am curious though; before your DD got into soccer, did you play the sport or know anything about it? I am curious if past experience with the sport makes a parent a better judge or just as bad as everyone else. I played in HS & College, and think I'm fairly objective about my DD's abilities, but always try and keep myself in check too as I know I am their completely biased parent. Just looking for your experience in that area; thanks.

I also have an 11 year old and have been wondering the same thing (i.e. just how many girls in the area get an opportunity to play in college). I would think that leagues like LH would have statistics on the average % of girls from LH D1, D2 & D3 that go on to play in colleges at various levels. I wonder if anyone else has seen any information like this released?

Slow down and enjoy the ride. My dd wanted to be the next Olympic goalie at age 11. She still plays select, but plays basketball, volleyball, tennis and is in advanced drama and choir...trust me...what their tastes are at the age 11 will change at the age 13. My daughter went from cute zebra attire to a gummy bear shirt with its ears cut off saying, "I can't hear you." in just 2 years. Sigh...

mcsoccer wrote:I also have an 11 year old and have been wondering the same thing (i.e. just how many girls in the area get an opportunity to play in college). I would think that leagues like LH would have statistics on the average % of girls from LH D1, D2 & D3 that go on to play in colleges at various levels. I wonder if anyone else has seen any information like this released?

https://sites.google.com/site/soccerrecruits/

This will give you the most accurate list of girls going on to play college soccer. You can sort by club at the bottom of the spreadsheet.

How can a 2015 graduate show a college commitment?

verbal commitment