Should I transfer to play Division 1 soccer ?

I am a freshman that plays college soccer for a private liberal arts NCAA division 3 school and I was wondering if I should transfer this year to play Division 1 or wait one more year to transfer as a sophomore?
Throughout my first college season I managed to play in 14 games out 19 and start 2. I registered 5 shots and 1 assist as a freshman.

Here is the situation, initially I wanted to transfer after my sophomore year because i had tore my ACL prior to college which slowed me down last season however a recent head coaching change to my dream school which is D1 caused me to start rethinking if I should leave this year. Also they have a lack of recruits (only two right now, a goalie and a midfielder) and are very behind on there recruiting right now because of the coaching change which gives me an unusual window of opportunity. I can’t contact the coach of the school yet because I would have to ask for my release from my current coach because of NCAA rules and if I don’t end up going I would mess up my relationship between my coach. I am in a tough spot since I’m not 100% sure if the coach would offer me a walk on tryout for next season (I’m pretty sure though considering the lack of recruits) and if I contact him and he says no then I’m screwed with my current coach. To be honest though I don’t really like the school I am at currently but I love the team at my current school and the coach really values me as the future of his program but it would be my dream to play at this division 1 school since its a state school and alot of my friends go there. With the schools lack of recruiting this year and with alot of seniors leaving and with the alot of the players on the roster being redshirted in the past it gives me a very good chance of making the team if offered a walk on tryout. I don’t even mind being reshirted since I would still be on the team of my dream school. However I could wait one more year and transfer as a Junior to my dream school and play D1 but I believe right now the window of opportunity is perfect and maybe next year I might not have that good of a chance since the coach might bring in more recruits and more quality recruits. Another problem I have is that when I applied to my dream school as a senior I got wait listed for months and then denied so I’m not sure if I would get accepted this time around with 3.1 GPA so far at my current which academically is actually a pretty good school. Since I would be applying I a transfer I don’t know what my chances are for being accepted this time around.

What should I do? Should I take this chance and go for it? Or wait and transfer after my fall season? I’m struggling with this decision and I don’t have much time left. Please help.

Did you get any interest from DI schools while you were in high school? I wouldn’t assume you can make the jump from D3 to DI unless you had interest from DI schools before. Also, while a coaching change could impede recruiting this year, it won’t hurt recruiting in subsequent years, so others could be recruited to take your place. The school may also have more than the two recruits this year that you know about. It sounds like you are in a good place now both academically and soccerwise, so I would recommend waiting another year before trying to make a move.

I would be very careful if the only reason you are transferring is because of soccer. There is a world of difference between d1 soccer and d3 soccer. Also, since you didn’t mention the school, there is also a world of difference among d1 schools.

A d3 player who only started 2 games at d3 is likely not going to find much help from the d1 coach.

Tyberius makes some excellent points, including the fact that you seem to be in a good fit academically and soccerwise, i.e., 3.1 GPA suggests you are a solid student but still being sufficiently challenged at the school, and starting 2 games and playing 14 suggests you are a strong freshman player but not necessarily a superstar at the D3 level – at least not yet. So, all else equal, Tyberius’ advice to stay put for now makes sense.

Significantly, however, all else is not equal. Rather, you “don’t really like the school” you currently attend. Further, the transfer school you are considering is your “dream school.” Given these additional facts, it’s a much closer call.

You need to ask yourself a couple of tough questions. First, can I be happy at my current school, or will I always feel I’m missing out on a chance to be at my dream school? If the answer is that you can be happy where you are, then stay for at least another year. After all, you might end up loving the school. You also might end up scoring 10 goals and being all conference, which would certainly give you a better chance of making the D1 team if you still wanted to try.

Second, if you do not believe you can be happy at your current school, then ask yourself whether you could be happy at the D1 school if you didn’t make the team, or if you never made the travel squad and rode the bench for three years. Would the fact that it’s your dream school still make it worthwhile to transfer even under those circumstances? If the answer to this second question is No, then I would recommend you wait another year before deciding whether to transfer.

However, if you decide you’ll never be truly happy at your current school and that you could be happy at the transfer school even if you didn’t make the team or play, then I say go for it immediately. Under those circumstances, it’s risky and takes guts, but IMO it would be worth it.

Good luck!

Also remember that you are a freshman, and almost every freshman has feelings of doubt and homesickness. It’s a big transition and is emotionally difficult. It’s also completely natural. A lot of people who transfer end up realizing that the problem was internal to them, not a problem with the school. And a lot of people who are kind of lost freshmen year end up loving their college experience.

I was being recruited seriously by two D1 schools another one was interested in me however I tore my ACL in december before a showcase and a few camps so they could go any further with me. Besides that I was being recruited by three D2 schools and alot of small D3 schools.

Also the school I’m talking about won there conference this year and finished in about #100 in the college soccer rankings. Just to give more background too, alot of the players I have played with before have gone on to play division 1 so it makes me even more motivated to take the chance however I don’t like my school that much I really love my team and especially the coach who has been so good to me so I could probably stay one more year, which makes this decision really difficult

I currently play division one soccer in the A-10. If you want to live and breathe soccer, with high expectations that often seem overarching and unreasonable, and you feel comfortable and ready for that, then I suggest you pursue this. I love my teammates, but the coaches at the d1 level are extremely condescending and can be very cutthroat and mean. If you are sure that you are passionate about this sport and you will not quit like I might, then I say go for it. If you are not 100% sure that this is the life you want for 365 days a year, then do not continue to pursue this.