UTC's improvement and interest from local players?

[Playerscoach]

20 hours ago, MountainVol said:

Is your daughter committed to UTC?

It does appear to be an up and coming program.

No she isn't committed. She's not really said what she's doing other than we require her to wait until her season is over. Probably be January before she decides. She's blessed to be in this situation and is talking to each coaching staff. ACC/SEC/So Con/Div II it makes no difference. She just talked to Lee the other day because they can contact you before Div 1 schools and he was fantastic.  As a family we've been researching all of them and she takes note of those that put pressure on her or negative recruit against other schools. UTC has done neither to her and that's one reason we want that program to succeed and win big regardless of her decision. In fact, those guys have made every right move with her from a parents perspective. 

One interesting thing though is seeing all these rising juniors committ. You can tell alot about coaching staffs by the players they are taking early. It is a good indicator of the direction of the programs IMO. 

 

[MountainVol]

I was talking with a parent last spring who said their daughter had committed early to college because of the attractive offer.  Another parent who waited was upset because her choice had run out of money for her year and could no longer match their original offer.  She had to reluctantly accept her second choice.

It appears to all be about timing.  If you like a school yet wait too long to commit, your offer could go to someone else.  It's not as bad as football, but I can see it getting there in the future.

[1925Kee]

Football cannot offer partial scholarships, so in some ways, soccer is even more tricky when it comes to timing because soccer coaches can offer various size scholarships and reduce or enlarge them on a whim. Seems to be a growing trend for girls to commit earlier and earlier in their high school years. That's tough on players and coaches who have to project out 3-4 years and predict the future. 

[MountainVol]

I wonder if the coaches who pull those shenanigans get a bad rep with future recruits?

[1925Kee]

I'm not trying to say that soccer coaches are sleazy. I'm just saying it's a difference between football scholarships and soccer scholarships. It's a strategy tool for soccer coaches to use as necessary. That tool could be used for good or bad. A good coach will use it effectively. A bad coach could abuse it. It's also a potential tool for a coach to attempt to affect a player's behavior. "Perform well, make more scholarship money." A good thing in a good coach's hands. A bad thing in a bad coach's hands. 

[Playerscoach]

16 hours ago, MountainVol said:

I wonder if the coaches who pull those shenanigans get a bad rep with future recruits?

Coaches get bad raps amongst other coaches all the time. 

Yesterday I talked to a coach about my daugher being interested in touring the campus because they had been trying to get her to come stay overnight in Feb. We declined because we didn't want our 15 year old staying with kids we didn't know in a college dorm. That coach told me they would love for her to come and tour. He said he had heard she was going to commit to another school from coaches and I told him she had in fact eliminated that school. He was suprised and said they'd love to sign her but they already took committs from multiple mids and had no money but that could change. This is where waiting and not communicating kinda got her.  It happens but coaches can't wait forever. It's why they ALL ask the kids "whats your time line"? 

That same coach said he heard she was interested in, and had visited a team in the top 25 last year. He knows the coach and wanted to see what we thought. I told him that coach sold us on the fact he loved her game, was ready to offer, and would talk money when we got there. After driving 7 hours he rolled out the red carpet, had his entire staff with him, set up meetings with players, then sat her down at the end of the day and said he wasn't sure how much $$$ he had at that time?  She was bothered by it and we relayed that experience to her club coach. The coach I was talking to from another college had heard about it but didn't know it was my family. The coach expressed his disappointment and said he would not help that coach ever again. It will hurt that coach now with access to players from my daughters club coach and recommendations given by other colleges IMO. These coaches all talk about players. It's a weird dynamic to say the least.

So, yes coaches do appear to talk and give each other bad, but earned reputations, when this stuff goes on. 

[MountainVol]

Your daughter's story is similar to the mother who kicked herself for having her daughter hold out a little longer.

She is a midfielder who had a decent offer from her choice.  She finally relented and agreed to accept the offer because she loved the school and staff only to learn all midfielder money for her year was gone.  It scared her so badly she immediately accepted another offer from a school she had not seiously considered.  Now she's getting ready to go play for a school she really doesn't want to be at.

Tough beginning to college!

[Booger]

On 7/13/2017 at 4:03 PM, MountainVol said:

Your daughter's story is similar to the mother who kicked herself for having her daughter hold out a little longer.

She is a midfielder who had a decent offer from her choice.  She finally relented and agreed to accept the offer because she loved the school and staff only to learn all midfielder money for her year was gone.  It scared her so badly she immediately accepted another offer from a school she had not seiously considered.  Now she's getting ready to go play for a school she really doesn't want to be at.

Tough beginning to college!

when parents focus on the highest college bidder in which to sale their kids to, by far the majority quit and come home....better b for landing at a school you get that education at and not the coach or soccer team......

 

Booger just sayin

Edited July 17, 2017 by Booger

[MountainVol]

No doubt about it.  Many parents see their child as the next Mia Hamm and cannot understand lukewarm interest from college coaches.   Truly sad for the child.

[Playerscoach]

16 hours ago, MountainVol said:

No doubt about it.  Many parents see their child as the next Mia Hamm and cannot understand lukewarm interest from college coaches.   Truly sad for the child.

 

I actually don't know any parents going through this process that don't understand it's a business for these coaches. The days of thinking their kids are Mia or Abby ended years ago. Maybe it's a product of playing for a large club that shows you aren't in Kansas anymore? Seeing more athletic and talented players almost weekly can do it. For us, those kids we saw in Atlanta at u10 who stood out are in the National pool now. 

The kids are bombarded by coaches selling their programs and telling them all kinds of stuff. I've witnessed my share of negative recruiting and promises of early playing time. The kids have to make the decision on their timeline and unfortunately the coaches unwilling to wait sometimes miss out on kids at the top of their board. 

With the transfer rate, and drop out rate where kids just stop playing, the parents are better served to assist the kids with gathering information and then let them make the decision. 

For my family we always talk to her club coach first to get information about the coach then we research the school/program. If she is interested whatsoever we make the requested call so she can get to know them. 

Our daughter asks questions and has some sort of idea what she likes in a school and program or she wouldn't have eliminated as many as she has. Its definitely a crazy process though that's filled with twists and turns. However, if it were me I would have already made my decision so mom and dad could see all my home games but it's not my journey.

[MountainVol]

Your daughter sounds like she is doing it the right way.  

I still see many parents who are blinded to reality, though.  They dismiss poor performances and embellish successes.  It is also not a gender thing.  Both parents join in.  The good (or bad) thing is ID camps or playing elite teams exposes the reality of a player's ability.  It can be painful, but it is better to learn it early than to get to a college and find out one is too slow or too small or not tidy enough to compete.

[Playerscoach]

8 hours ago, MountainVol said:

Your daughter sounds like she is doing it the right way.  

I still see many parents who are blinded to reality, though.  They dismiss poor performances and embellish successes.  It is also not a gender thing.  Both parents join in.  The good (or bad) thing is ID camps or playing elite teams exposes the reality of a player's ability.  It can be painful, but it is better to learn it early than to get to a college and find out one is too slow or too small or not tidy enough to compete.

I hope she is doing it right? We just want her to find the right school for her. That means the academics first then the program. There are tons of schools to choose from with good programs. Sometimes kids get wrapped up in Div 1 but she's actually had one of her best experiences with Lee.  That coach is a class guy with a great school and program to sell. 

Like I said before she's a decent, not great, player that's incredibly lucky to be on this journey. It's a wild one for sure.