Can I play in NCAA? Opinions wanted!

[FutbolNewbie]

Ok,
Here goes, I have decided to be the oldest NCAA player ever (I am 35 and aiming for about 4 years from now). I have never played anything but rec leagure from age 6-13, and was an average player. I have started working ball-control skills off of tapes and will be joining a rec league this year to get my feet wet.
I am from Canada and know little about the NCAA Divisions (what is the relative differnence between Div 1 and 4?). Call me CRAZY ( I am.)! I just want to be the oldest NCAA soccer player ever, even if I only play one game.
Be brutally honest with me, what are my chances? Slim to none? I figure I only have this one life, and if I don't do it know I never will get another chance. Am I totally off my rocker? Will my skill-set be too far behind the young 'uns?
Currently I practice 1 hr. 4 days a week (since May0 getting comfortable with the ball. I started to practice juggling on my own for a the past few months,plus a few ball movement drills, etc.

I know I sound crazy - but if Rudy lived his dream then so shall I, goshdarnit!
Any help/feedback/flaming/laughing?
I thought this forum seemed the friendliest, that is why I posted here!
thanks,
FutbolNewbie

[goyoureddevils]

Sorry to tell you this but thanks to our military teams turning out veritable pro players who travel the world playing "friendlies" against pro and national teams, the NCAA has put an age limit on incoming freshman that can participate in sports...... seems they frown a bit on older, wiser, nastier competitors such as yourself.

I for one think it's crap, I played in college against a guy that was a senior at Norther Kentucky U. He was a 28 year old senior who had come out of the military. In short, he kicked alllllllllll of our asses up and down the field that year. Every coach in the conference voted him onto the 1st team, and the rest of us just had to shake our heads and congratulate him after the games. He told me after our match was over that he kinda missed the tougher competition he got with the Army team while stationed in Germany for three or four years......

[FutbolNewbie]

Thanks for the advice! There must be some way around that clause,I am sure I could argue age discrimination. i am sure if put to the test they would have a hard time saying, "yes you can attend our university, but no you cannot participate like other students". There is a 60-year old female golfer currently in the NCAA. I am neither nasty or even experienced.
One question though, in soccer, what is the relative skill difference and eas-of-entry into the different divisions of NCAA. E.g. what is the difference between Div. 4 and 1, or Div. 3 and 2?
thanks for your help so far!
FutbolNewbie
P.S. I am confused, why would the military be able to churn out high-level players? Why did that guy kick your asses up n' down the field? What it his conditioning?

[Bleacherbutt]

I think playing for an NAIA school might be an option. NAIA is not as restrictive on age and residency issues. Check out www.naia.org .

I saw one-time there was father and son playing on a pointy ball team somewhere.

[house18]

I am a college coach and I, both as an athlete and a coach, have never seen any sort of age limit. As long as you haven't started your "clock" you are ok. Last year there was a college football team with a guy in his thirties (South Carolina I think). Once you take a college class your "clock" starts, age has nothing to do with it.

[PirateJohn]

I am a college coach and I, both as an athlete and a coach, have never seen any sort of age limit.I was an NCAA Div-I athlete and the age limit was 25.

[goyoureddevils]

Yeah I thought that both D1 and D2 had the same age limit now. As for ease of entry, do you mean that you want to know which level to go for...if so I would say try an NAIA school or D3. You said in an earlier post that you are neither nasty (precludes you from playing in the hackfest D2), or experienced (D1 is out) and in anycase you are too old for either one. Go for a smaller, competative school and see what happens, especially one in a major metro area or just outside of one. The smaller specialized schools in rural areas are usually full up with younger players from that geographical area as the choices for students around there are slimmer.

[house18]

Ok, I guess I need to offer the actual rule that shows there is no age limit (it is my job to know these things)

21-Year Age Rule
There is no age limit on who can participate as a student-athlete, however, a student-athlete who has turned 21 years old and has never attended a college or university as a full-time student will utilize a season of competition for every calendar year beginning with his/her 21st birthday in which he/she participates in organized competition in his/her sport while not being enrolled as a full-time student.

[truthandlife]

You might be a freak of nature but at 39-40 years old and being a senior at 44, I think the odds are greatly against you. I am currently 35 and back in the "day" played D1 soccer on a soccer scholarship. I don't think I would be able to keep up with the pace now even though I am in very good shape. College soccer is very physical and you need speed to play. You could maybe walk-on to some D1 program and they might put you on the team as a publicity stunt but I think you will be very surprised how fast the game is.

Good luck and let us know how things go.

[goyoureddevils]

Ok, I guess I need to offer the actual rule that shows there is no age limit (it is my job to know these things)


OUCH! The truth that hurts is usually the most accurate!

I wonder then why I have heard so much talk in the last few years about an age rule amongst all of my college coaching friends?

Most especially I have heard talk that NAIA wants to put age restrictions on paper due to schools like Lindsay Wilson recruiting 25 year old african students who beat the ever-loving crap out of the 18-21 year olds at other schools..... I gotta tell ya I even saw them beat a team of IU alumni at the NSCAA 4v4 tournament a couple of years ago in Charlotte.

Thanks though for clarifying the rule, even if it does make me look like an ass! A fact which my wife is taking great pleasure in :)

[spartanpele]

...hehe...haha...LOL! Sorry, but this thread just made my day.

My take is this, if you want to tryout for a college team at your age, then more power to you. But be forewarned...the typical college players runs 100mph, all day long, is nasty, physical, never tires and does it day in and day out.

I suspect that you'll be heaving your guts out when you have to start doing two and three a day tryout practices, and after a few nasty slide tackles from your teammates (lets remember that you're trying to take away one of their spots), you'll be looking for the ice packs and ibuprofen. I suspect you'll quickly come to your senses and drift back to rec soccer after a few weeks of college ball.

If you want to know in a hurry if you can handle it, then volunteer at a local high school and run with the JV or varsity (16-18 yr olds) for a few weeks. I think you'll find out that most kids will fly by you and run you into the ground. If you can handle the young kids, then drift to the mens competitive league in your area (18-22 yrs olds) and see how you do.

But as I said, if you want to do it, and can do it, then more power to you.

Let us know how it turns out...

Best of luck!

[house18]

Goyoureddevils- It's all good, I am a college coach so I have to know this stuff. Most schools don't want to deal with older players, too many questions and potential prolems about what they have been doing instead of college (like playing for money).


Spartanpele- I have to say that first paragraph is completely untrue. Yes they are fast, physical and have better endurance then a 35 year old, but you are kidding yourself if they "run 100mph and never get tired day after day."

The biggest problem with an older player is recovery. It's a lot easier for a 19 year old to recover from a friday game for a sunday game then a 30 year old.

[spartanpele]

Hey house18...you must be a blast to be around at the parites! Are you kidding me? You mean you can't tell sarcasm from fact? You mean players really can't run 100mph?! You mean they actually get tired? Wow, I'm in shock. LOL!

Seriously, compared to the typical mens Over-30 rec league, most normal college players (unless they're very slow, lazy or out of shape), will run circles around the typical 35 yr old rec player.

I applaud the idea of an older playing going for it, but realistically I have to think that injuries, stamina and speed of play are going to be a hinderance to an older rec player...especially one who hasn't played in 22 years...and even then played rec, not competitive.

I don't want to rain on the guys parade, but he has an upward hill to climb. Thats a figure of speech, not a fact...LOL!

[JohnW]

I don't want to rain on the guys parade, but he has an upward hill to climb. Thats a figure of speech, not a fact...LOL!

He's got to be a sockpuppet.

[goyoureddevils]

Seriously, compared to the typical mens Over-30 rec league, most normal college players (unless they're very slow, lazy or out of shape), will run circles around the typical 35 yr old rec player.



I am 32, two reconstructed acl's and I still run circles around college and high school kids. I am smarter, meaner, sneakier, dirtier, faster and stronger than all but the Div 1 kids, and even some of them don't like playing me 1 on 1 either....... oh and by the way, I still have two years of eligability left seeing as I left college soccer after two years to go into the semi-pro's........ so coach, you need an expierenced left middie?

[PirateJohn]

I am 32, two reconstructed acl's and I still run circles around college and high school kids. I am smarter, meaner, sneakier, dirtier, faster and stronger than all but the Div 1 kids, and even some of them don't like playing me 1 on 1 either....... oh and by the way, I still have two years of eligability left seeing as I left college soccer after two years to go into the semi-pro's........ so coach, you need an expierenced left middie?I remember a few years ago playing an alumni game against my old high school's varsity team. All I could think was, "was I that small, too?!"

[goyoureddevils]

Just played in a high school alumni game with a team full of 30+ guys..... we smoked the varsity 6-2. They never stood a chance on a big field with lots of space as they were not smart enough to beat us even when we started to fatigue as a team.

My wife, afterwards asked me if I thought I could be as good in high school ball now as I was back then....basically if the level of play now was better or worse. I thought about it and had to admit that there are a whole lot more "Athletes" playing the game, you know, the really big, fast, strong ones that are quitting the football team in middle school to play soccer instead........ the sad thing is that I know I was smarter as a player then than any three of these kids now combined, even though they have better facilities, training, coaching, ect.

Wonder why that's so? Can't be the same for everyone, but I have heard some of the old timers at our local Sport Club (old immigrant's club), talk about how "dumb" some of these kids are as players. There was one of the varsity kids, I swear to you he was on the all-conference team last year, that we caught offsides at least 15 times. Hell, even an ape would have figured it out by half-time!

Ohhhhhhhhhh, to be 16 again eh fellas?

[spartanpele]

I am 32, two reconstructed acl's and I still run circles around college and high school kids. I am smarter, meaner, sneakier, dirtier, faster and stronger than all but the Div 1 kids, and even some of them don't like playing me 1 on 1 either....... oh and by the way, I still have two years of eligability left seeing as I left college soccer after two years to go into the semi-pro's........ so coach, you need an expierenced left middie?
You're obviously the exception to the norm and its sounds like you're not in the same league (technically, tactically, physically, mentally) as the original rec style poster. Two reconstructed ACLs and still going strong.... let me know how the knees feel in the next 10-15 yrs when the arthritis kicks in.

JohnW... what the hell is a sockpuppet?...or is that your way of enflaming?

Just a parting comment on an otherwise bizarre thread. Most of us older players who played HS and college back in the 70's, 80's, etc, have gained a world of experience since those younger days. We're obviously smarter and have gained more skill from when we were playing back then.

But the simple fact is that time sooner or later catches up with you physically whether you like it or not. You can't stay young forever, even though you can try to relive the "glory days" by playing well into and sometimes past your prime.

[JohnW]

JohnW... what the hell is a sockpuppet?...or is that your way of enflaming?



A sockpuppet is an alias someone uses to post, often to get a rise out of other posters. We actually used to have someone who would periodically come in here and start threads like that.

Anyway, I didn't really think of it as either flaming or enflaming. I just find it hard to believe that there is actually someone out there who honestly thinks he will be able to make an NCAA roster--in any division--taking up the game at age 35 but not actually trying out until age 39.

Most of the posters seem to disagree, though, as evidenced by the sincerity of their posts.

[spartanpele]

Ahh...got it. Sorry for any confusion. I usually call those people trolls or flamers.

I've played against some very talented O30 players, some who could probably hold their own vs the college kids, but this particular persons case seems a bit of a stretch.