<p>I’m pretty sure Surf Cup has a guest player list. Unfortunately, guest players on my sons team sometimes get more time than those paying $$$.</p>
<p>This is for the “college cup”.
<a href=“http://www.surfcup.com/collegecup.html[/url]”>http://www.surfcup.com/collegecup.html</a></p>
<p>Bflogal…Do you have an Academy team near you? If so, that is where your son should be aiming to play. Most DI coaches attend academy events when scouting now, not so much ODP. And…when you set up unofficial visits to schools, make certain you set up a time to meet with the coach while you are there. Very important. Recruiting really heats up the summer before junior year, so make certain your son gets to showcases and top tournaments then if possible. Make certain he contacts coaches of schools he is interested in well before these tournaments and showcases to let the coaches know he will be there and to invite them to come and watch him play.</p>
<p>BfloGal: S should try to play for a high level club team that at the appropriate time will be playing in college showcases that attract coaches from the colleges your S would be interested in attending and likely to be able to play for. </p>
<p>As a parent, I performed the role of S’s “executive assistant.” For S, academics came first and his hope was to be able to play soccer for a college that he’d be able to get a great education at. His soccer team played in a lot of top East Coast showcases. While he worked on his schoolwork (critical to getting into these colleges), I printed out lists of coaches who’d be at the tounaments so he could see which schools he was interested in and then he would send e-mails to their coaches. I updated his soccer profile before the tournaments with new grades, team honors, etc. From what friends and other parents have said, I don’t think most teenage boys are likely to do all this “administrative work” themselves. I saw S’s schoolwork and soccer training as his “job” and was willing to be his “back office.” It worked out very well.</p>
<p>keylyme, great advice, esp the timing aspect, thank you. The nearest Academy to us is 45 min away, so not convenient, and also VERY competitive. I think son would have a shot, but not sure how good of a shot. I will be able to gauge that better when I see how far he gets in ODP.</p>
<p>royal73, S already plays on a high level club team (is a starter and plays whole game), at one point we were ranked in top 45 in USA. Problem is our team can’t get into the very top tournaments (eg, Surf Cup), so maybe guest playing is the way to go. When you say you “updated his soccer profile”, where exactly is his profile? Also, thanks in general for your post-- when I said in my OP that I wanted to know what I should do as a parent, your reply was exactly what I was after. Thanks.</p>
<p>@shrinkrap-- thanks for that link. S is too young this year, but bigger problem I see is that high school soccer starts before the dates of Surf College Cup, and according to FIFA rules (as I understand them), as well as California Interscholastic Federation rules, a kid cannot play for more than one soccer team at a time. So, there’s no way he could do Surf College cup if he were on the HS team, unless he got released from the HS team for the tournament. There must be other kids with this same dilemma. Wondering how they dealt?</p>
<p>My mother helped me pack for my only OV…that is the extent of her help. That is not to say she was not supportive, but I preferred it that way. It really depends on the athlete.</p>
<p>BfloGal,
it’s still very early for you. You son may change his mind about soccer (my kid dropped it after freshman year after having played year-round since U8, switched to a different sport, and never to looked back; was a top recruit in that other sport). </p>
<p>At this point, I think you could start thinking about what your son/you are looking for in a college: Does your son want to play for a very competitive college team which may be academically less selective, for an academically very selective college which may be less competitive athletically; a combination of both; athletic scholarship or good financial aid; Div. I or Div. III, ivy league; on the academic side: Is there any indication what he may want to major in (e.g. engineering).</p>
<p>Then:
Look at the NCAA Web site for soccer, e.g. [NCAA.com</a> ? The Official Website of NCAA Championships - Men’s Soccer](<a href=“http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-soccer/division_i1.html]NCAA.com”>http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-soccer/division_i1.html)
to identify potential colleges. Also look at D2 and D3 colleges. That will give you an idea of the top colleges athletically in each division. Look at their web sites, team roster, etc. to see what the player’s athletic background is.</p>
<p>Brainstorm other potential colleges based on academics, location, climate, whatever; then look at their soccer team sites to get some idea. </p>
<p>If you are near some colleges, maybe look at them next year to give your son some idea what he may be looking for in a college (city, rural, big/small) — although if he is like one of my kids, freshman year was waaay to early while my other kid was already refining the college list.</p>
<p>However, keep in mind that all this is preliminary at this point, and plans will change over time.</p>
<p>The last few posts reminded me of this cute thread…</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/athletic-recruits/956880-my-new-role-lighthearted-look.html?highlight=fishymom[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/athletic-recruits/956880-my-new-role-lighthearted-look.html?highlight=fishymom</a></p>