I have been researching online about recruiting as my son is getting a lot of response. Trying to figure out the do’s and dont’s. He currently is a sophomore and has been playing at a high level since U11… DA, PDP, regional ODP selections etc. After some showcases, he has been invited to fill out questionnaires and attend ID camps. Last summer, he was invited to a top D1 on east coast along with several D2 and D3’s. And after the last showcase just recently has been contact by another 3 D1’s and good amount of D2/3. I am wondering after showcases if this is kinda common… I mean some of these contacts are kinda crazy that he has been getting. Im leary 1. the actual prospect of getting recruited by some of these schools… and 2. how much of it is just a money grab?
As a parent i am as about object as anyone else is regarding there child … but I do think if he continues to progress he could play at the highest levels. His GPA is currently 4.0 with a PSAT of 1200. So if he maintains his GPA… and after retaking the SAT … and gets 1300+ … I think he is pretty solid academically as a recruit. He is almost 5’11" and currently 145#.
My question is … is this flurry of contacts common? Any general advice on handling recruiting? He has been answering every email and has signed up for 1 D1 ID camp that is located fairly close to us.
Yes, it is fairly common but that doesn’t mean he isn’t deserving of the attention and a top prospect. You’ll have to pick and choose which camps and showcases to go to because otherwise he’ll be exhausted. Going to one close to home is a good idea.
As a sophomore, it’s good to keep everything open. If he already knows the type of school he wants (big, small, top in soccer, top in academics) he can start concentrating on those. Having good grades opens up a lot of opportunities.
My son is a sophomore as well and in a similar position. Post showcase there is a barrage of camp invites, some from realistic programs and others from reaches to downright impossibilities. My son emailed a lot of schools pre-showcase so he’s now on an equally large number of mailing lists.
I’m sure a decent percentage of the schools reaching out to your son have some level of interest in them. Camps are a big money maker, though. My son has participated in a few school specific D1 camps, both in-state and distant out-of-state. Those have generated significant interest from those schools, which has really helped his confidence. Now he goes into a camp with a better understanding of what to expect and a reasonable expectation that he can compete.
Look for camp invite emails that mention something specific about your son. “Dear XXXX, we were impressed with your play in the showcase game against Team A.” If your club provides information regarding coaches in attendance for each game you can easily cross reference if they were there. It’s somewhat early in the process so attending the camp close by should help determine a baseline. If his camp assessment is very positive you may want to choose another camp this spring at a school he has more interest in. There’s a lot of good information on this forum. Search all of the soccer threads. Good luck.
As you must know, D1 coaches can’t communicate with recruits other than to invite them to ID camps until June 15 after your son’s sophomore year. I agree with @gkunion that if there is something personal in the email (“We saw you at XYZ tournament and were impressed with your play in the midfield, especially your willingness to tackle”) then that means your son is definitely on their radar. However if it is just a nonpersonalized invitation to an ID camp then it usually means nothing.
Because D3 coaches don’t have that constraint, they can communicate with players any time. Is your son getting specific feedback from D3 programs? If yes, then obviously he’s on their radar, and also may be getting some attention from D1 programs. If no recruiting interest from D3 at this point then probably none from D1.
I would say the single best thing to do at this point is to get your coach’s assessment of where your son falls on the recruiting spectrum and go from there. It doesn’t hurt to email coaches before tournaments etc, you never know when one will “hit”.
There are all kinds of strategies and goals with athletic recruiting, you have to figure out what makes the most sense for your son. My son’s goal is to get into the best academic school he can, using soccer recruiting to boost his chances. As a result, although he’s a low D1 player, and has received some interest from low D1 programs, he’s not pursuing those schools, he is targeting high academic D3’s where he wouldn’t get in without soccer, and where his soccer level makes him an impact player. Other kids on his team want to play at the highest level possible and are less focused on the academic side.
ID camps where you get specific feedback from the coaches is a good idea too. My son attended 4 ID camps between his sophomore and junior year, and we tried to do a mix of small/big urban/rural so he could check out the different colleges as well as the soccer. We added on an extra day at each school so he could do the tour and attend an info session.
Yes the generic emails or spam we have been pretty much ignoring. Just focusing on the email’s where coaches have been introducing themselves and mentioning of the event that just occurred… and personally inviting him to camp.
We have noticed that the D1 schools are much more conservative or careful in their communications which make sense as he is still a sophomore. The D2/3 are much more aggressive.
The D1 emails usually consist of an assistant coach introducing themselves, mentioning of the event, talking about their program, inviting him to camp, and sometimes filling out questionaire. Mention, of play is usually generic… “I was impressed with the quality of play…”. The D1 emails never address him individually except when inviting to camp… “… I really hope to see you at camp and look forward to working with you…”.
The D2/3 are much more direct… like … "I was impressed with your movement from your position deep middle field triggering attacks… etc.
We are talking about what he desires are concerning school and soccer. Figuring more of that out…
Some of these invites are pretty insane though… like Norte Dame… although my son has decent soccer resume and plays on top ranked national team at highest tourneys … he not on YNT. But his skill level stand’s out… his soccer IQ and passing stands out no matter who we play.
@jdfranklin
As many have said camps are a money grab and it is standard to receive tons of invites after showcases. Hearing “we look forward to working with you” tells you nothing unfortunately. Personal emails w/o reference to a camp are best. I can feel your excitement for ND, but it sounds like a standard one. Have your son keep working hard, prep for higher SAT scores because a 1300 will likely not cut it at ND. He’s only a sophomore they will go up!
D3 will be there later. I would not waste my time on D3 camps if he is that talented. Plenty of assistants at D1 camps will be D3 and he can meet them there. I would advise watching the teams your son seeks to play on. Then investigate their rosters. Be honest with yourself-by looking at the roster is he big enough (of course he may grow but…). Size can be a big factor in D1 college soccer. Check his social media & make sure it represents him well.
I agree they are a money grab, but also serve as a useful tool for coaches and players that play high level from what I gather. Also, due to the D1 recruiting rules, I would not expect any explicit language from a D1 coach … but that does not mean that there is not any legitimate interest. We are only responding to invites where the coaches introduce themselves, mention of recent event, and provide contact info etc… ask to fill out questionnaire etc. Or is this very common? I would think personal invitations by D1 would be more reserved and different than mass invite.
I understand that the recruitment process … a lot is about having coaches see your kid play and developing contacts/relationships and getting on their radar. For this upcoming ID camp … guess we are just dipping our toe and hopefully get some feedback from the coaches at camp.
His PSAT was 1200 … but yes for his SAT I think for sure he will do better and be greater than 1300. In regard to ND … the expectation there would be like wining the lottery lol. And even then not sure it would be the best place for him.
I have been looking at roster pedigrees for high level programs and there are a lot of overseas players. And most Americans are from DA programs. Although, my son no longer plays DA (his choice and I did not push it … actually think he made right decision) he plays at a level where the competition he is exposed to is comparable imo. He currently is 5’ 11" and 145 so size wise I think he is good.
Thanks for reply and will provide update on camp experience.
“We are only responding to invites where the coaches introduce themselves, mention of recent event, and provide contact info etc… ask to fill out questionnaire etc. Or is this very common?”
That’s very common and often maybe pretty much always indicative of a mass email.
I haven’t seen you mention where your son’s coaches peg him. That is the most important information and the most useful in terms of targeting the right schools. If he is high D1, I’d expect you already know that. Those players are outstanding as 9th graders.
My own son is not a high D1 player (though he plays with many). For him, D3 coaches were in touch – minimally, though personally – his sophomore year. Now that he’s a junior the recruiting interest has ramped up. We are taking the approach of sending lots of emails/casting a wide net. All of a sudden (January) it is becoming hard to manage. I’ve had my son ask where the schools are in the recruiting process to know if he is actively being considered. (He is focusing on D3, with a few conversations with D1 coaches)
That’s all a little off topic, but I include it in case it’s helpful for someone.
He has playing a very high level since U11 and had has played at highest level tourneys at very tech position. As mentioned, he gets explicit mention of his play by D2 and D3.
Not specific mention of his play by D1 yet… but this is expected from D1. He is a sophomore and D1 can’t do much more than invite you to camp… explicit recruiting not allowed yet for him. Although they can talk to him at camp… or by phone if my son calls I think.
In my limited experience, coaches at ID clinics will not project what level your son will play at in college when he’s a sophomore. Some camps have a form where they give feedback, with the division level, but will only circle the d1 or d3 for rising seniors. While irritating at the time, i now understand that this is because boys can change over the years, up or down, so they are probably right.
Again, ask the ODP coach, his club coach etc for their opinions – they know him best and have seen him play the most, right?
I’m pushing the above (but having made my point will stop now ) because it is a really good starting point to figure out the level of soccer, which is a first step in narrowing down the hundreds of possible schools out there. It’s always a good idea to go to some camps and see what they are like, see the school, meet the coaches etc.
Good luck, and enjoy it! I love watching my son play, and seeing him at ID camps has been fun.
Yep I hear what you are saying. His club coach (some time ago) told him it would be up to my son what he wanted to do. At that time I was not very keen on my son playing college ball and still unsure… I think focusing on school is better for him… and coach knew that… so think his response was reserved. But coach thinks we have many D1 players and several possible pro (which is pretty unlikely). My son pretty much has the best touch and soccer IQ on the team (imo)… but how objective am I lol
ODP coach says if he does what he says he will make every team… not sure what that even means.
We have been around the block a lot with teams, coaches, playing international teams… and I can say there is a wide range of opinion on what coaches value in players. So i take some of what they say as a grain of salt… many coaches aren’t too good imo (not saying that about his current coach) and yes even at some of the highest levels.
But it is fun watching your kid play… and it would be cool to be able to do that as long as possible.
Will get my son to talk to his coach more for feedback.
Also, we are considering all levels… so were looking at attending a mixture of camps.
Yes, a flurry of emails and invites after tournaments and showcases is common. Programs can get the roster lists of teams meeting certain parameters, and email the players who meet certain criteria. Unless a student is getting personal emails from the recruiting staff which shows they watched your player, it is not personal to your student. Coaches start with a wide funnel in order to have the players they want and need when the recruiting “music” stops and everyone is rushing for a seat. Getting those emails is better than not getting them.
For D1 camps, this coming summer would require strategic planning. Don’t try to do too many camps, and don’t do them too close together as players need time to recover before they head back in to a new camp. Summer, especially on the east coast, can be hot and humid and the campers are often sleeping in un-airconditioned dorms with strangers, not the best conditions for rest.
We live in Indiana so attending ND or IU camps is normal for many players in the area, for pre-season training and overall coaching. ND says that almost all its recruits have attended its camps, including international students. ND runs 2 separate camps of 150 kids per camp. Unless it’s changed under Chad Riley after Bobby Clark’s retirement, ND elite camp results in a written evaluation by player’s main camp coach, for players who are rising juniors, which includes a prediction for range of recruiting.
Sounds like you have done this in vague terms, but get projections from coaches and others familiar with his play where they think he will go. If they are good at scouting future talent (not all are) that will be extremely helpful.
Different sport, but I had club and HS coaches (both with extensive college coaching experience) telling me S was a potential high D1 recruit early in HS, even though he was borderline top 5 on a team that hadn’t had a D1 recruit in 20 years. After soph year, his HS coach told me he needed to contact a particular top 10 D1 program, because he was a good fit there (HS coach has zero connections to that program or its coaches). I thought the coach was crazy to think they would even bother to reply but we sent them video and an email.
S is a frosh at the top 10 D1 program now.
I will say that by the end of his junior year it was obvious he was a high D1 recruit. But I don’t think most people would have seen that a year or 2 earlier. I know I didn’t. I figured he was high D3 recruit or maybe a practice partner at a crappy D1 program. Getting an evaluation from a coach who knows the player and is familiar with the sport on a college level is invaluable.
The evaluation from the last D1 camp my sophomore son attended had both a circled D1 level and a written note projecting his trajectory. It was a nice confidence boost for him, knowing that someone in a position to make an informed decision appreciated his effort and work rate.
I personally know many college coaches from my own playing/coaching days. One who coaches at a nearby successful D3 program was kind enough to sit with my S21 for an hour, even though my son has no interest in that program. Coach simply offered to talk to S about the recruiting process so that he could be better prepared when speaking with programs of interest.
One interesting tidbit of information he shared was that he received 1200 emails last year from prospective players. Some were very well written and provided good information, while others stood out for how poor they were, simply asking “What do I need to do to get on your radar?”.
He also showed me the books they receive from the various tournament showcases with team rosters. He said he uses those books to send camp invites, even if he didn’t see the player.
The onus is really on the kid to start the communication and keep it open. Follow-up regularly, provide updates, visit, attend the camp, etc. If your kid is of interest, he’ll respond in kind. But realize they’re looking at kids in a funnel. Lots of communication at first, and then it slowly starts to filter down to fewer kids as both coach and player communicate their true interest.
… but I do think if he continues to progress he could play at the highest levels. His GPA is currently 4.0 with a PSAT of 1200. So if he maintains his GPA… and after retaking the SAT … and gets 1300+ … I think he is pretty solid academically as a recruit. He is almost 5’11" and currently 145#.
) because it is a really good starting point to figure out the level of soccer, which is a first step in narrowing down the hundreds of possible schools out there. It’s always a good idea to go to some camps and see what they are like, see the school, meet the coaches etc.