I've been hearing this story way to much lately

Good friend of mine daughter played the last 3 years of high school in ECNL FC dallas team. She was an elite soccer player and was heavily recruited by soccer teams all over the US... Notre Dame, OU, UT, Santa Clara, Auburn, Alabama, Virginia, Maryland ETC... you get the picuture. Most of the top colleges couldn't guarentee any playing time until maybe her 3rd year of college. The college she chose is a D1 college in Texas. They offered her a full ride and playing time in her Freshman year. So her and her dad, decided they would much rather be playing than sitting out (while practicing just has hard as everyone else)..so she chose the Texas D1 college. The last 3 years of her high school career, she has been battling an ankle injury off and on, i believe she even sat out most of her senior year high school team (she may of played 1 or 2 games).. Long story short, she trained all summer at paradigm getting ready for her freshman year...she also took summer school credits to get her 12 college credits. I was talkin to her dad just the other day and he said the ankle is bothering her and soccer may not be in her cards and now they are looking at plan b. For the first time i have ever talked to him, he mentioned plan b... her entire high school career was set to get the scholarship..she got it. Full ride at that, most colleges give less than 1/2 scholarship. He said most of the D1 colleges split there 6 yearly scholarships into 18 scholarships..only giving 1/3. So for you parents that think your child is set for a full ride, doesn't happen much. Sure Mia Hamm will get a full ride. Ok anyways, moral of the story, is she worked her butt off and now the pot of gold looks like its gone.

I mentioned i've been hearing this way to much lately. I have talked to parents that got their kid into college on a scholarship and the kid quits during the first year. College soccer becomes a job and not fun anymore. I don't think our kids realize what is awaiting them at the college level. Its almost strictly business.

so bottom line, just be aware of this as a possiblilty and that all this club soccer may not even make it to the college level with the most gifted athlete. Keep soccer fun for these girls and let them have a life away from soccer.

my dd played D1 and ECNL and was offered spots on D1 to D3 colleges. Not a full ride at the D1 by any stretch, but was told playing time as freshman. She turned all the soccer offers down and accepted a substantial academic scholarship at a small private school in Memphis and decided she doesn't want to play soccer any longer. Her high school coach was shocked, said she needed to play. She has been a good player since 8 years old, scored goals in every division she played all the way to the highest level and was always told she was 'soccer smart' by every coach... read the field well, made good decisions, etc.

Luckily, we knew soccer was not going to be our only plan, and that's why her grades and other accomplishments got her where she wanted to be.

I don't know if she felt it was going to be too much 'work' or what. I think she'll miss it and start playing intramural or something, but whatever the reason, she's grown up and has the freedom to do what she wants! I sure wish she would play, but her education and happiness are what's most important.

golgolgol wrote:my dd played D1 and ECNL and was offered spots on D1 to D3 colleges. Not a full ride at the D1 by any stretch, but was told playing time as freshman. She turned all the soccer offers down and accepted a substantial academic scholarship at a small private school in Memphis and decided she doesn't want to play soccer any longer. Her high school coach was shocked, said she needed to play. She has been a good player since 8 years old, scored goals in every division she played all the way to the highest level and was always told she was 'soccer smart' by every coach... read the field well, made good decisions, etc.

Luckily, we knew soccer was not going to be our only plan, and that's why her grades and other accomplishments got her where she wanted to be.

I don't know if she felt it was going to be too much 'work' or what. I think she'll miss it and start playing intramural or something, but whatever the reason, she's grown up and has the freedom to do what she wants! I sure wish she would play, but her education and happiness are what's most important.

No matter if she ever sets foot on a pitch again, the discipline and life lessons she learned from years of club soccer will undoubtedly serve her well in college and life beyond. My guess is that in your case, even though she did not accept an athletic scholarship, that every penny you spent on club soccer over the years was still money well spent.

Actually, just so everyone has a clear picture of college soccer and the scholarships for NON-REVENUE sports (as soccer is....this means the sport brings in less revenue than it spends)...Mia Hamm went to UNC on a half. Anson does not give full soccer scholarships until AFTER said player makes COLLEGE all-American. This was true for not only Mia, but Christine Lilly, Carla (Werden) Overbeck and so on.....

Players must prove themselves to be good college players.....which is an entirely different level. Elite club/high school/ ODP players don't always transition into the speed and physicality of college soccer.

During recruiting, a the whole student/athlete is assessed. Grades, test scores, and community involvement, along with athletic ability are considered before any talks of money.

Be realistic.....and make sure to bring more to the recruiting table, than just soccer ability.

Was told this statistic from a coach  -  after Freshman year of college, 25% - 30% of female soccer players will either:

1)  remain at school signed with, but stop playing soccer
2)  transfer to another school and continue to play soccer
3)  transfer to another school and stop playing soccer
4)  quit school


Can't confirm the accuracy of this statistic, but the above scenarios can be applied to several 95's  (class of 2013).  Some made it one semester (fall) and transferred to a new school for spring.  A few signed NLI's for a particular school, then never attended that school.

I doubt anyone in NTX has any expectation that Select Soccer is a college investment.  The money spent each year actually invested in a College fund would more than cover most Schools. I think most parents see a talent in their kids and want to support them in developing that talent. The intensity of the sport or the parent may cause them to quit. However it does teach some very valuable life lessons about team work, commitment and the rewards for hard work and perseverance.

Our youngest is the only one of our kids that has shown an interest in competitive soccer. I will say that our older kids have done just fine without it.

If your kid was good at Ballet it would cost more, so do Art classes and don't get me started on Basketball or Singing.

Talent pops up and as a parent you can choose to invest time and money developing it or not. People rarely choose their talent, it kind of chooses them.

Talk of college scholarships or appearances in Carnegie Hall are fun fantasy but really?

I will say talent at a young age is a bit of a burden but it can always be ignored and diminished. Very few of us want to do that to our kids though. You also get a great opportunity to hang out with your kid if you take it. How much is that worth?

Do you live in NTX?   I think that exact expectation would make the "Top Ten" list of what's wrong with youth soccer in NTX every time.

newbiefornow wrote: Talent pops up and as a parent you can choose to invest time and money developing it or not. People rarely choose their talent, it kind of chooses them.

   Great parenting

Athletic scholarships for almost all high school athletes should be a plan B. Full athletic scholarships are pretty darn rare on a percentage basis of the full sample of athletes involved in sports throughout high school. Plain and simple.

boy friends/girl friends-slash-INJURIES-slash-DRUGS is why only a fraction of good athletes make it to the very top. less than 1% make it. i find it hard to believe soccer parents haven't done the math.

dewyoxburger wrote:Good friend of mine daughter played the last 3 years of high school in ECNL FC dallas team.  She was an elite soccer player and was heavily recruited by soccer teams all over the US... Notre Dame, OU, UT, Santa Clara, Auburn, Alabama, Virginia, Maryland ETC... you get the picuture.  Most of the top colleges couldn't guarentee any playing time until maybe her 3rd year of college.  The college she chose is a D1 college in Texas.  They offered her a full ride and playing time in her Freshman year.  So her and her dad, decided they would much rather be playing than sitting out (while practicing just has hard as everyone else)..so she chose the Texas D1 college.  The last 3 years of her high school career, she has been battling an ankle injury off and on, i believe she even sat out most of her senior year high school team (she may of played 1 or 2 games).. Long story short, she trained all summer at paradigm getting ready for her freshman year...she also took summer school credits to get her 12 college credits.  I was talkin to her dad just the other day and he said the ankle is bothering her and soccer may not be in her cards and now they are looking at plan b.  For the first time i have ever talked to him, he mentioned plan b... her entire high school career was set to get the scholarship..she got it.  Full ride at that, most colleges give less than 1/2 scholarship.  He said most of the D1 colleges split there 6 yearly scholarships into 18 scholarships..only giving 1/3.  So for you parents that think your child is set for a full ride, doesn't happen much.  Sure Mia Hamm will get a full ride.  Ok anyways, moral of the story, is she worked her butt off and now the pot of gold looks like its gone.



I mentioned i've been hearing this way to much lately.  I have talked to parents that got their kid into college on a scholarship and the kid quits during the first year.  College soccer becomes a job and not fun anymore.  I don't think our kids realize what is awaiting them at the college level.  Its almost strictly business.  

so bottom line, just be aware of this as a possiblilty and that all this club soccer may not even make it to the college level with the most gifted athlete.  Keep soccer fun for these girls and let them have a life away from soccer.

You say you have been hearing this way too much recently and then point out a conversation with 1 Dad AND bring up 4 different topics:

1. College Playing Time
2. Scholarship money$$
3. Injuries
4. Need of a Plan B

A little confusing, but really just the topic, as you brought up some great points. We could talk at length on each of the 4. I did want to clarify the Scholarship numbers you mentioned above:

-- Each D1 team (over 300 I believe) carries an average of 25 players on the Roster and they have to replace an average of 6 players each year...

-- Each D1 team has 14 Scholarships available and will have 3 to 4 full scholarships worth of money each year on average

-- So to use easy numbers, schools typically have 3 Scholarships worth of money for 6 spots

-- They also get any other money available.

College Coaches can break it up how ever they want or can. A typical year will look like this:

- 1 Full Ride for who they believe can be a 4 year starter
- Another 4 year starter with 1/2 Academic & 1/2 Soccer
- 3 other good players who split the remaining 1 1/2 Scholarships at 50% each for soccer and whatever other money that may get
- 1 Walk on player

Each team, each year will be close  to this break down. Still eye opening, but not as bad as the numbers above

soccersounder wrote: -- Each D1 team has 14 Scholarships available and will have 3 to 4 full scholarships worth of money each year on average

Not all teams fully fund the 14 available scholarships.

Mr T wrote:

soccersounder wrote: -- Each D1 team has 14 Scholarships available and will have 3 to 4 full scholarships worth of money each year on average

Not all teams fully fund the 14 available scholarships.

Hence the word available

315 D1 schools in Women's soccer. 130+ of those have football and WILL fund 14 Women's Soccer Scholarships. (Title IX)

Of the rest, many will and many will not, based upon their Title IX obligation..

there is so much talk about going to these showcase tournaments having your kid play ECNL so college recruits will see them etc... if you talk to these parents involved often times you hear them talking about scholarships they hope their kid will get.
As long as i've been involved with playing select soccer most of the parents i've talked to have that vision for their child. Sure not everybody but most of you involved on this forum, probably do.

I have talked with a lot of parents lately who's kids got burned out before starting college or right after starting college. The sport wasn't fun for them anymore and they just quit playing. I even talked to a few this week, who child quit club soccer and just wanted to play soccer for their high school.

It happens. It is expected. So what if they burn out, or get hurt, or simply decide they don't want to play after high school?

Does that mean the time, money and life lessons learned playing club were a waste?

Does it mean they shouldn't have traveled to so many tourneys, or played showcases, odp, or ecnl? Maybe they shouldn't have done the two-a-days in texas summer heat to get ready for QT at u11?

Do we make sure our kids don't work too hard chasing dreams because they might happen to fail?

If mine quit tomorrow, we got our money's worth and the time was well spent. It's the journey, not the destination.

Or what is wrong with just working to be the best that you can be, and learning how to work yourself up the ladder to the top, be it soccer, academics or both.  

They may or may not choose to take soccer $ and play in college, or go on academic $.

There seems to be a frenzy or tunnel vision that sets in during the sophomore and junior years to get committed somewhere, anywhere, so they can say they are committed.  Some seem to lose sight of bigger, longer life goals and overlook the selection of the school and the fact that playing in college soccer is equal to having a full time job.

In hindsight, my luckiest day was the day mine decided NOT to take soccer $ or play in college.

so by many peoples logic. Only about 60% of kids go on to college with the vast majority ending up in community college. Of those less than half actually finish college so most kids after all the money and expense never even get a degree. Don't even need to consider the large percentage that end up under employed and not using their degree. Might as well not even bother and waste all that time studying and working hard because the odds are it won't work out anyway.

MY advice to kids is don't listen to your parents. Play soccer because you love it. Work hard to be as good as you can in whatever it is that you want. Dream big and chase it as hard as you can and don't be affraid to fail at it. A cubicle and a pressed white shirt may be the reality most of us end up in but it sure as hell shouldn't be the dream we aspire to as kids.

haterinho wrote:It happens. It is expected. So what if they burn out, or get hurt, or simply decide they don't want to play after high school?

Does that mean the time, money and life lessons learned playing club were a waste?

Does it mean they shouldn't have traveled to so many tourneys, or played showcases, odp, or ecnl? Maybe they shouldn't have done the two-a-days in texas summer heat to get ready for QT at u11?

Do we make sure our kids don't work too hard chasing dreams because they might happen to fail?

If mine quit tomorrow, we got our money's worth and the time was well spent. It's the journey, not the destination.

i totally agree with this. It is a well worth journey. No question about it. Its a great activity for our kids to be involved in. I also agree with strive to be the best you can at all times, nothing wrong with that philosophy at all. Bottom line, we should let the kids have fun and not worry about ECNL, LH, PPL or REC whatever makes them happy. Because in the end, this journey more than likely ends in high school and for some, sometime in college. But if we push the kids to play at at level that seems like work for them, then this sport will burnout quicker than a match...This is supposed to be fun and from what i see, many of the kids hitting middle school to high school have hit the burnout lane.

University of New Mexico cancels women’s soccer game over reports of hazing

Published August 20, 2014

The University of New Mexico women's soccer game against Texas Tech has been canceled due to an investigation into possible hazing that reportedly may have led to two students being hospitalized and two others quitting the team.

Paul Krebs, the University of New Mexico vice president of athletics, announced Tuesday that the team's season opener in Lubbock, Texas, scheduled for Friday was canceled. He says the alleged hazing took place Sunday night.

One parent told KOB TV Monday that freshmen on the team were sprayed with urine, forced to strip naked and consume large amounts of alcohol. Krebs said to his knowledge, the players denied the report that anyone was naked and “there is no evidence of anybody throwing urine.”

The Albuquerque Journal reported Wednesday that the incident led to several players becoming extremely intoxicated.

The father of a former player on the team told the station that his daughter faced a similar situation during her time on the team.  He told the paper his daughter dreamed of playing Division 1 soccer, but was met with similar treatment.

The Lobos now will open their season on Sept. 5 against Marquette in the Colorado College Invitational in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Officials say neither Texas Tech nor New Mexico will have its season record affected.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Never understood why this school didn't do a better job recruiting in TX. Hmmmm.....

[quote="dewyoxburger"][quote="haterinho"]It happens. It is expected. So what if they burn out, or get hurt, or simply decide they don't want to play after high school?

Does that mean the time, money and life lessons learned playing club were a waste?

Does it mean they shouldn't have traveled to so many tourneys, or played showcases, odp, or ecnl? Maybe they shouldn't have done the two-a-days in texas summer heat to get ready for QT at u11?

Do we make sure our kids don't work too hard chasing dreams because they might happen to fail?

If mine quit tomorrow, we got our money's worth and the time was well spent. It's the journey, not the destination.


I think of it the same way I would the Gifted and Talented (Quest) programs in school. If your kid shows that they have this ability/talent, why would you say "No it might be a lot of hard work and then what if they get burned out on school?" We have 3 so if it leads to a scholorship that would be great!!!!! 'cause we have 3, but if not that is fine too.

AKeepersMomma wrote:

dewyoxburger wrote:

haterinho wrote:It happens. It is expected. So what if they burn out, or get hurt, or simply decide they don't want to play after high school?

Does that mean the time, money and life lessons learned playing club were a waste?

Does it mean they shouldn't have traveled to so many tourneys, or played showcases, odp, or ecnl? Maybe they shouldn't have done the two-a-days in texas summer heat to get ready for QT at u11?

Do we make sure our kids don't work too hard chasing dreams because they might happen to fail?

If mine quit tomorrow, we got our money's worth and the time was well spent. It's the journey, not the destination.


I think of it the same way I would the Gifted and Talented (Quest) programs in school. If your kid shows that they have this ability/talent, why would you say "No it might be a lot of hard work and then what if they get burned out on school?"   We have 3 so if it leads to a scholorship that would be great!!!!!  'cause we have 3, but if not that is fine too.

burn out doesn't exist!!! i had two of my kids "burn out" in college if it does exist. burn out is when effort exceeds results. some things are just not meant to be........