I could really use some advice and perspective on my daughter’s situation. She’s a sophomore and plays as a goalie in ECNL, maintaining an impressive 4.0 GPA as an IB student. Recently, due to my military service, we had to move, and unfortunately, this has affected her playing time due to club dynamics.

She has been invited to several Division 1 camps, but with my military salary, we simply can't afford to attend them all. I’m deeply concerned about how this might impact her chances of securing a scholarship. It’s disheartening to feel like I'm failing her during such a crucial time.

Has anyone else faced a similar situation or have any insights on how we can navigate this? Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

How do you guys recommend contacting coaches and getting scholarship offers into good academic schools

I’m a freshman at a D1 school, not playing soccer right now, but I really want to get back on the field. I’ve got offers from several D3 schools and one D2 school. I’m trying to figure out the best choice for transferring so I can play for the next 3 years—and maybe even stay for my master’s at a D3, since I think they allow up to 5 seasons (I’d have 4 left if I transfer for Fall 2025). Correct me if I’m wrong.

Also, do I need to pay for the $70 NCAA account to transfer?

I’d appreciate any advice on either of these questions. Thanks!

Hello,

I am looking to transfer to an NCAA D2 program (mens soccer) from an NAIA program and I am confused on which NCAA account I need. Any help with this would be appreciated.

I am asking for one of my boys who plays d3 soccer who wants to sign up for a tournament where the winner gets a cash prize. This tournament is not set up by an official organization it’s just a pick up tournament where everyone pays to play and winner gets all the money. Is he allowed to play and can he take the money if he wins?

I’m going out to America from the UK on a soccer scholarship next year. I’m signed with an agency and just wondered if anyone else who is going with an agency has received any offers yet as I haven’t.

Was emailing coaches and accidentally referred to a team wrong and forgot to change it before sending. Fortunately it was towards the bottom, but is this a massive deal? Thanks

Getting recruited to play college soccer is easy. I'm seeing many guys here asking for advice so here is my honest advice from my personal experience. I got offers from Michigan, UC Davis, UC Barkley, UofT and more. I've been there and done that. One thing you should do is stop wasting money on open trials or showcases because all they are is just money grabs.

All you have to do is email, get invited to tour, and commit to the team.

In the email here is what you need.

1. You need to have a good template so you can send many emails (I can share with you guys)
2. Have a highlight tape that you would want to watch if you are the coach
3. Include a solid CV & references to back your playing history up.

That's all it takes and you just send out emails everyday.

My son is a senior goalie from a small town in New Mexico. He has a lot of talent and has been encouraged by coaches to peruse a college program. Unfortunately we don’t know what the next steps are. He has had some good exposure, and great coaching, but we can’t afford the pay to play camps. Is it too late in the game for next season? What should we do next? Any help and guidance would be huge. I’m happy to send clips if anyone is interested. One of our problems is that we don’t have a lot of great videos and the schools footage is low quality.

Does anyone know of a reliable sportsbook that offers NCAA soccer?

Bovada has in the past, but it is very sproadic and hasn’t posted a new fixture since September.

Is it just me or does anyone else think that WVU got screwed with their seeding? They won the Sunbelt Conference regular season, won the Sunbelt Conference tournament and still have to see a Marshall team, who finished second in the regular season and conference tourney, get a first round bye and a home game. Does not make sense.

I was at an id camp with my daughter this weekend and it’s at a smaller D1 school. The question was asked how they are going to drop their numbers to 28 seeing they now have 47( varsity and JV squad) The head coach said they are opting out of the lawsuit so they can keep numbers for two teams and everything for them will stay the same. We have been to a lot of id camps this summer and this is the first we have heard of that. I didn’t know a conference could opt out of this and how will this help or hurt a program or conference?

Anyone know of any sites streaming the NCAA 2024 women’s tournament besides ESPN+?

I really wanna move out of my country and play college soccer after I graduate from high school, I’m about to enter high school with a soccer scholarship, I wanted to contact UT at Austin but I recently learned they don’t have a team in ncaa, would I even be elegible for the draft if I joined UT?? I’ve heard UTRGV is good.

Hi everyone, varsity high school coach here, trying to find accurate and up-to-date details on fitness levels for our seniors next year, as we prepare for our winter season.

What is a realistic expectation for seniors and varsity players preparing for college for the beep test for example?

I’ve seen anywhere from level 11 to level 16, which is very broad. Let me know what division college and what levels they expected. Thanks!

Does anyone know if there are any bracket apps / websites for the women’s or men’s college cup? I’m thinking of something similar to the March Madness ESPN or CBS app which allows you to select picks, join leagues / groups with friends, and calculates points as the tournament goes on.

Hi I’ve been invited to an ID camp for 2 colleges after I was invited to an all-star game that I attended. Is that a good thing and should I attend? They cost a lot of money but I can get the money. I’m a sophomore but I haven’t been playing for very long. (Btw I’m an international boarding student so I don’t really understand college recruiting.)

Edit: missing info

Alabama should have made it in. But 10 SEC teams made it. That is a lot.

My daughter started and played 14.5 min of her first D1 collegiate game when she tore her ACL. The season ended a few wks later and surgery is next wk but the coach is having his end of season meetings with the girls now and she is so worried that he will cut her. She probably won't be cleared to play until at least Sept. 2025 Could she red-shirt for her Sophomore yr without being cut? Can the coach cut her? She worked her butt off to prove to him she was ready to play and was playing great up to that moment. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Hey fellow parents,

I wanted to take a moment to share some important insights about the youth soccer landscape, particularly concerning MLS Next and non-academy teams (they do not have a direct affiliation with a MLS Club). If your child hasn't been accepted into an academy but has the desire and talent, I highly recommend aiming for ECNL or ECNL-RL. Keep working at it until they can make it on an academy team.

One of the biggest issues with non-academy teams is that they can be significant money drains. Club fees typically range from $2,500 to over $3,000 per season, and don’t forget about the additional costs for uniforms (which need to be purchased every two years) and travel expenses, all of which fall on parents. Unfortunately, many families discover that their child or team isn't even close to academy standards after investing so much and traveling across the country.

It’s essential to understand that academies prioritize “skill development,” while non-academy teams often focus on who can pay. I've heard reports that some non-academy teams inflate costs through travel and other expenses, potentially keeping additional funds on the back end, so it's crucial to ask the right questions. Inquire about how travel is handled, and if the club bills you, don’t hesitate to ask for an itemized bill and proof of expenses.

From my experience, the training at non-academy teams isn’t significantly different from what you’d find in lower leagues. These teams receive the same opportunities as ECNL, ECNL-RL, and other lower leagues, which can be misleading because ou think higher team, higher cost, higher training and level Of play. Unfortunately, this is not the case with many non-academy teams.

Another critical factor to consider is that MLS Next prohibits participation in school sports unless kids have a scholarship that requires them to play. Why limit your child’s opportunities to just MLS Next when there are so many avenues for exposure? If you’re not on a top-tier team, scouts likely won’t attend your games, unless you’re playing against an academy team. You can almost say non-academy teams are just there to give academy teams more playing time.

Lastly, be aware that scouts typically pay attention to players that the club or coach highlights. If your child isn’t one of the “favorites,” they might not receive the recognition they deserve on any team regardless of their talent. So, its better to get them as much exposure as possible and not limit them to just MLS Next.

I advise everyone to do your homework and carefully consider your options. Ask teams for track records of kids being scouted and picked up by either academy’s or other league opportunities. Don’t be quick to jump on a wave because its the “new thing.” Much of it is an opportunity for others to benefit off parents and kids aspirations.

There’s a lot to navigate in youth soccer, and it’s essential to prioritize your child’s development and opportunities. This is based on my personal experience having kids play in MLS Next (non academy), ECNL, and lower leagues.

I’m an international student playing D3 soccer now (6’3 Centre back) and the assistant coach that really recruited me wasn’t here anymore by the time I came and my first year I did not touch the field at all even though teammates and everyone could see that I should get an opportunity, My second season just ended we got a new coach and I had improved so much but for wtv reason I never seemed to be looked at after a couple meetings with him he made it seem like I was gonna get a chance especially cause one of the starting Cbs at the time was making a lot of mistakes isn’t very fit and very slow but I was told he is playing cause he’s a senior I got a couple minutes(like 20 maybe) on a couple road games but I just feel I’ll never get the opportunity I deserve so I’m thinking about transferring and going to a coach who actually will use me.

Any advice ?

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Hi there,

I played my first year of soccer in naia in 2022, transferred back home to a community college and didnt play in 2023. 2024 I played this season with a community college but Im just wondering. If I dont play in 2025, how does that affect my time clock? I will be transferring to a university but I just want another year to myself. Im getting an associates in arts but Id rather have an associates in Science, but in order to do that I need to work an extra semester. Would I still have 2 years of eligibility?

I realize that ID camps are often just a cash grab, but assuming you want to go to them.

Does it make sense to go as a hs freshman and build a relationship with the coaches who attended or should they wait until junior year and show them the form they will see as a coach.

I am asking on two peoples behalf's, but one of my friends has around 220 minutes and the other one has 29 minutes. They are both looking to redshirt so they can play another year, but I don't know if it is possible or not because of all the information online has been giving them. They play at a D3 school and if there is anything else I can inform you guys on with their situation just send a comment below.

What do you think are some of the biggest problems or challenges to getting recruited to NCAA D1 or D2 schools?

Hi Guys

So I’m from Sweden and played in the second highest u19 serie where we tried to qual to the highest. So basically I’m considering to study in US to combine soccer with studying and looking for a college with a good soccer team.

I have made a highlight video but don’t really now what to do next? Should I try email coaches even if the chances of receiving a reply is slim, or should I try something else?

Might want to aim for D1 but also D2.

Will be 20 in January if that’s interesting

/ Thanks in advance 🙏⚽️⚽️