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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 8,417
World Cup
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World Cup
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 8,417 |
Quote:
I would reinforce the comments about college recruiters. Over the last 3 seasons, I've watched approximately 90 high school matches. I can count on two hands the number of times I've seen college coaches at those games, and THEN, it was clearly to monitor kids who had already committed.
Conversely, during the recent Academy playoffs in Dallas, I saw dozens of coaches, with a minimum of 5-10 schools represented at each match.
Guess what I'm saying is, Academy is NOT done at the expense of the traditional "American" college/education model. In fact, practically speaking, it generally supports and serves that model.
The concepts are not mutually exclusive.
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The following collegiate coaches were in attendance at the 2012 Palmetto Cup hosted by Brookland-Cayce High School:
Mark Berson, USC
Brian Cronin, Clemson
Geoff del Forn, USC Upstate
John Keating, Belmont-Abbey
Troy Lesesne, Charleston
Spencer Lewis, USC
Bert Molinary, USC
John Murphy, Clemson
Ike Ofoje, USC Aiken
Ralph Polson, Wofford
Warren Turner, Erskine
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 263
Corner Kick
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Corner Kick
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 263 |
As a parent, if I had a child who was truly desiring to play soccer in college, I would probably be following suit and doing whatver, Academy, ECNL etc, to get my child the maximum exposure.
But really at this point and going forward, you really have no choice.
The "Monster" the ECNL's, the Academy's of the world have created dictate this.
Obviously they created it this way to lure you in and keep you in. You feel, "you have to do it".
But to have to go to Chicago, Texas, New Jersey, Washington state, etc... to be seen by "hundreds' of college scouts really lacks good logic. Because if you are living here in good ole South Carolina, let's face it, very, very few players will play outside of a 3 state region. And most will play for small colleges in this state. If they play in college at all.
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,062
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,062 |
Can't speak for Berkeley County or the Upstate. Can only tell you that, between uniforms, "encouraged" booster club support, ticket cost, etc., playing h.s. soccer at one school runs about $500/year.
As to the article in question, the player, as quoted says nothing about exposure or playing professionally. He talks about the toughness of the decision, the relative quality of training, and his desire to remain supportive of the high school program.
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,521
hat-trick
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hat-trick
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,521 |
It costs around 200/year for my kids to play h.s. ball.Probably spent 1500 for club..No regrets..Would do it again in a skinny minute..If kids choose to play academy and not school ball..It's a choice..That's where they want to be..Most high schools have a player or two that play at that level where most do not..The only teams that are going to get watered down are the few that carry three or more..
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,062
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Hi Kyle: A fair point about the Palmetto Cup, though having been there, I'd say your list represents total attendance, over multiple days and matches. I've been at several PC matches over the last 3 years where no college coaches were in attendance. Not a knock, 'cause it's a great tournament!
As to regular-season matches ... you see my point.
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I'd also add that, anyone BOY who chooses affiliation based on exposure to college coaches is kidding himself. Very, very few domestic male NCAA Division I college soccer players receive more than fractional grant-in-aid support ... especially as freshmen. In general, those who receive support initially attracted attention as 12-13-year-olds in club and camp environments BEFORE THEY PLAYED A MINUTE OF HIGH SCHOOL (OR ACADEMY) SOCCER.
Continued development in those environments merely confirms skill and commitment levels. That's why the REAL issue FOR THOSE KIDS is development; i.e., the best environment to maximize potential. With no more than a handful of exceptions in our state, boys' high school soccer does not provide that type of competitive training environment.
That's not a knock on high school soccer, which can be a great experience in many important ways. That's why many reasonable people support letting kids do BOTH.
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 451
Goal
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Goal
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 451 |
If this has already been posted or is a topic of another thread(which I could not find) I apologise.
I spoke to several coaches at Carolina's Elite camp this past weekend who informed me that apparently the Academy vs H.S. decision will not affect kids in private schools- something to do with educational rights and some type of judicial decision made in the Mid West.I was told it wasn't final but looked extemely probable.
The fisrt thought that crossed my mind--how many Jablonski's of the world will now be pursued by local private schools in order to play both.
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 182
Goal Kick
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Goal Kick
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 182 |
I was talking with a player recently about his team mate who was also giving up his senior year for academy. This young man was also considering trying out for academy, but he was being urged to do so by his father to help get opportunities to play in college. He heard an acquaintance was offered a spot by a college coach who had never seen him play, but signed him simply because he was on the roster for an academy team.
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,659
world cup
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world cup
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 5,659 |
Quote:
I was talking with a player recently about his team mate who was also giving up his senior year for academy. This young man was also considering trying out for academy, but he was being urged to do so by his father to help get opportunities to play in college. He heard an acquaintance was offered a spot by a college coach who had never seen him play, but signed him simply because he was on the roster for an academy team.
You mention "college" twice in your post. Academy is not about preparing players to play college soccer, it's about preparing them to become professionals. No secret that European clubs want kids when they are young. It's been stated many times that 15 or 16 is the age that separates "the men from the boys". In a perfect world, if all academy kids found a professional home by age 18, the colleges would be left with only recruiting RPL and classic/challenge players.
Would it be a terrible thing if the quality of American college soccer was suddenly "downgraded"? 
Kids play sports because they find it fun. Eliminate the fun and soon you eliminate the kid.
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,062
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Hurst: Agreed on your basic statement of Academy being a "pro" prep. Then again, there's practical reality. Look at the 2011-12 SCUBDA U17-18 roster, and see how many are going pro out of high school vs. attending college.
While I don't endorse Academy as a cost-effective vehicle for pursuing a college grant-in-aid, it does effectively showcase kids (to college coaches) in high-quality training and competitive environments.
By the way, so does high-level club soccer, such as CESA.
High school soccer ... not so much. I mean, just how relevant or telling is a 5-assist or 3-goal "outburst" in many high school games? How often have folks here debated the merits/cruelty of 18-0 thrashings in high school? (Answer: Often enough for all of us to recognize they happen WAY TOO OFTEN.)
High school soccer merely confirms what most coaches have learned in camp, club, Academy or ODP settings.
Moreover, the endless comparison between CESA and Academy in this state is largely pointless. My guess is, the reason MANY kids (and their parents) choose one or the other is geographical convenience. CESA is more convenient for many upstate kids; Academy for many Lowcountry and Horry/PeeDee kids.
In the case of the player in the article cited early in this thread, I feel certain he weighed what he saw as the relative merits of high school and Academy soccer, then (with no small regret) chose the latter.
That adults on BOTH sides of the high school/Academy issue couldn't find common ground and, at least, grandfather previously dual-affiliated kids through ...
I'll leave it there.
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 182
Goal Kick
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Goal Kick
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 182 |
Quote:
You mention "college" twice in your post. Academy is not about preparing players to play college soccer, it's about preparing them to become professionals. No secret that European clubs want kids when they are young. It's been stated many times that 15 or 16 is the age that separates "the men from the boys". In a perfect world, if all academy kids found a professional home by age 18, the colleges would be left with only recruiting RPL and classic/challenge players.
Would it be a terrible thing if the quality of American college soccer was suddenly "downgraded"?
That's great, I hope that comes to fruition. However, the role Academy serves was not the point of my post. My point was two-fold. First, a player, and his father, views Academy as a way to play in college. Second, and more significantly, he had been told a college coach signed a player the coach had never seen play, but made an offer simply because his commit was on an Academy team roster. I thought that was interesting.
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