I definitely hear what you’re saying, but 24 coach-led practices is a big leap and I would think that there’s a possibility, at that point, of differences in preparation beginning to show. There’s a huge difference between 24 coach-led practices and zero coach-led practices. Obviously there will be differing opinions on this, but I’m hoping they find some happy medium at least; I can’t imagine the NESCAC will adopt the 24 coach-led policy, but maybe 16 like they did last year. I’m curious when they’ll announce what changes (if any) they’ll adopt.
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@Crosbylane, if asked to predict, I would agree that the NESCAC would revert to Captain’s practices. The NESCAC is proud of its emphasis on academics. These schools like that their students can take lab classes and take a term abroad in the off-season, not to mention their handful of 2 and 3 sport athletes. The off-season practices are supposed to be voluntary. Once you have the coach present, its pretty hard for the practices to be truly voluntary. Sure, I get it, the captains are going to talk to the coaches anyway, but it is one step removed.
There are other pieces to the equation that go both ways. Typically, the school insurance does not cover injuries during a captains practice because it is not a school activity (our experience anyway). On the one hand, coach practices should reduce injuries (in theory anyway), but on the other hand it may add a bit to the cost of insurance (given that there are some 25 or so sports to cover).
Anyway, the point is that NESCACs want athletics to come second. They don’t need coach directed off-season practices to compete at a pretty high level in D3 athletics. There are usually several NESCAC schools that make it to the NCAA playoff brackets. In women’s soccer last year, five NESCAC schools qualified/were invited. https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/soccer-women/d3/2022
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I agree, whatever the NESCAC is doing, it certainly is working! In men’s soccer it is widely considered the top league (d3) in the country. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I will push back a little on the “NESCAC wants athletics to come first” narrative, though. What, the University of Chicago, Wash U, Emory, washington and lee (cough) are academic slouches??
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While captain’s practices aren’t designed to create coaching experience, that is a benefit. I know SO many former NESCAC athletes who coach club and school teams in their communities as well as a few who are earning their living as coaches. I’d imagine that many discovered they liked coaching and cut their teeth as coaches this way.
Yes, that was my point. Of course the NESCACs have a focus on academics, but there are plenty of extremely high academic D1s and D3s that somehow manage to have off-seasons just fine and are viewed as highly selective academic institutions. I’m just wondering if at some point, the lack of any coach-led practices in the off-season (if they don’t change that) in comparison to a significant amount at other high academic schools outside the NESCAC, could lead to some high caliber athletes choosing other schools/conferences.
Of course there are great D3 schools other than the NESCAC schools. Your list omits other notable greats, like MIT, JHU, Pomona, and a ton of others. I am just predicting what the League would say when addressing coach vs. captain practices. I also suspect whether coach or captain run the practice has little actual impact on academic achievement. But, it’s all just a guess.
After my D23 sent in the deposit for her ED1 and called the coach, the coach congratulated her and then basically told her that if she wasn’t in game ready shape before pre-season, D23 would never see the field. Out of 30 players, 11 start and the 19 hope.
So, it doesn’t really matter if it is 16 or 24 coach lead practices.
It doesn’t change the player’s motivation, skills, and drive that got her there in the first place. Over the 7 years, I can think of the private lessons, extra workouts, training camps, state/regional training, etc outside of club soccer, while maintaining a heavy school work load and living life as a teenager. I don’t think college will be any different.
I don’t know what the experienced recruited athlete parents are feeling, but I am starting to feel detached from her sport. We drove her to practice, training, camps, games, tournaments, etc for so many years. We helped her in the recruiting process, flying across the country for ID camps, showcases, OVs, overnights, etc. I have grown to love her sport and I still love watching her play, but my time is done. It is up to her to do whatever she wants: to play, to quit, whatever. It is her story now. Maybe a fitting end to our journey and a start to her new one. Good luck!
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My dd actually likes that she has the fall season “off” for her spring sport. It actually allows her to schedule her more difficult classes with labs in the fall so she has a less intense academic load in the spring while in-season and doing a lot of travel to games.
I also think it gives her a much-needed mental and physical break from her sport which she never really had while in HS. She still is a “high-caliber” athlete who puts in the work in her off-seasons on her own. It is pretty amazing how quickly these athletes can dust the rust off and come together as a successful team come spring.
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My older daughter quit her sport, or she chose a college she didn’t want to play her sport at? Anyway. I understand that sense of detachment. We had worked so so so hard as a family to support her and she had given up so much to be a stud on the field. Then she was like “meh. I’m never going pro. And I want to do research and academic things that I’ve missed out on. I’m done.” It made so much sense and she’s had a great time in college, despite not doing the one thing she used to love the most.
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I was talking to my daughter, a former D2 athlete who did have off season practices (they actually played ‘fall ball’ with schools in the conference and others not in the conference, including D1 schools). She said there is a big difference between capt led practices and coach led, but that it didn’t really matter because those who were going to work out were going to do it, spring or fall. She was one who would grab the goalie and just go to the field to shoot. She practiced with boys. She worked out almost every day, even when no lifting was scheduled. She arrived back at school every year in shape (having run at altitude all summer) but many of her teammates did not. She was a capt and she said no one listened to her.
She also pointed out that the coaches don’t get paid for capt led practices. Her coach was a full time coach, but there were assistant coaches who were only paid for official practices or games, fall or spring. There were trainers who only went to official practices or games. They also had additional equipment (not much but some, like they could break sticks or ruin cleats) for the fall season, travel costs, game costs. So the NESCAC schools could have an additional cost if they make practices official or play some scrimmages.
There is probably a happy medium, like a handful of coach-led practices such that the team meets “officially” but without becoming a recurring burden of time at the expense of academics. As it is, though, the captain’s practices and workout sessions are regularly scheduled off-season.
As others mentioned, the off-season is a time to take harder classes and devote time to research, extracurriculars, and social endeavors. But the players still want some official team meetings and practices to remain committed.
Hi this thread has been really helpful as my 2024 GK son pursues NESCAC recruiting this year. My question is he was invited up to visit and play with a NESCAC team who wants to take ‘recruiting to the next level’ with him. I assume this is a good sign given the time and expense involved? Did others have an unofficial visit with the NESCACs who made offers? Thank you and congrats to those of you with committed 2023 athletes the process is nervewracking.
Unfortunately we did not have that opportunity as Covid hit during that time for my 2021 grad. However, yes, I would take that as a good sign as a “We want to get you on campus and get to know you better” visit.
Good luck!
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Could be a very positive sign or it could be generic “marketing” of camps run by teams to generate money for the coaches/programs. Even if it is a camp with a bunch of other potential recruits, it is always a good thing to get live reps in front of coaches. As an fyi, coaches are looking as much at attitude as skills in these types of camps.
Let me ask this - has he been having conversations with this specific coach already? My initial assumption was that he was.
Hi it is not a camp, coach invited him up to play with the current team and 2023 recruits…
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Yes this was his third conversation…and it’s not a camp coach asked him to send a few dates that worked for him for a visit…
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Great sign then!!
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you may want to change your user name - not using your real name - if that is it 
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Very exciting and headed in the right direction! My D had a similar “unofficial” visit last February (committed July 1st) and that visit (spending some time with the team and coaches individually) was, in our opinion, a key part of her recruitment. They also saw her play in 2 showcases and on their campus 2 separate times- basically, when she knew the school was one of her top choices, she visited and played for them as many times as she could. Have they mentioned the pre-read process yet? If seriously recruiting him, they will ask for a pre-read (his transcript through junior year, standardized test scores, awards/honors, school profile, etc.). They typically won’t gather this info until June and then they can’t make official offers until July 1st, which is when NESCACs can get the results back of the pre-read from admissions. Top NESCAC recruits often get offered a supported roster spot on or shortly after July 1st. Good luck and keep us posted!
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