Wondering what college coaches think about high school players giving verbal commitments to schools and then backing out with little notice to go pro. It seems like top schools build their recruiting class around certain players and if those players skip out and go directly to the pro team, it leaves them high and dry. Is that just the cost of doing business or do coaches think there should be more accountability on the player's end and the pro team that takes them on??? I believe on the men's side if a pro team takes a player on from an academy team at a different club that there is money that has to be paid. Obviously the academy-to-pro is different from college-commit-to-pro but just curious if this continues to happen doesn't it screw up the college recruiting process?
Coaches do not have any accountability when they leave recruits high and dry for another job. They move for more money, better job, etc. Why shouldn't players be able to?
It’s the “cost of doing business” for UNC, Stanford and maybe 1-2 others in a handful of cases and a mute issue for 99% plus of the programs. I’ve found decommittments also pretty rare (as compared to college football).
Look at rosters of teams that went deep in NCAA tournament. What % of their rosters are US kids? Do that math and you'll see how little of an impact US kids turning pro has on their roster building. People said MLS homegrown contracts would kill college soccer and make the MLS draft useless. But neither has happened due to influx of foreign players.
didn't really have a strong opinion about it one way or another, was just curious how college coaches and programs felt about it. Seems like it could start happening more often. Definitely agree that coaches can move on or get pushed out and there is no accountability to the recruits that were expecting that coach to be there.
Maybe scholarship commitments should go back to year to year across the board so there is no guarantee for the athletes just the same as there is no guarantee for the coach that the athlete won’t jump in the portal anyway.
I can see the logic in that, but there is such a massive difference between P5 and even mid-major programs that I don't think a single rule makes sense either way. I think the variation in levels is a good thing, but regulating it without screwing alot of players is probably beyond NCAA's capability.
Again, the percentage of US players that actually care or know about these instances is extremely minimal. I can’t speak for everyone, but in my experiences of coaching and recruiting in double-digit states, literally no one (PSAs or parents) talks about the international make-up of college teams — men’s or women’s.
probably not right thread but here goes; my daughter just got an job as an assistant coach for an brand new soccer program at an JC(which happens to be an big deal in our rural state &,requires overnight stay) She’s in charge of recruiting. Problem been it’s hard to find new recruits as quite a few good players don’t seem to want to play college ball anymore. I wonder if it’s a bit due to the post pandemic world where places McDonalds are offering up to 21 dollars an hour to kids? to add that rising cost of room & board(as she can only offer free tuition scholarships). It’s funny; we went to one important district, high school game to scout someone, but she wasn’t there. On the way home we stopped at an fast food restaurant & finally found our would be recruit working behind the counter, lol
well she did ask me to….she’s only 23, brand new to recruiting /holds down 3 different jobs while still going for an online masters & coaches an mid school team.
So this thread has gone completely from one end of the spectrum to the other! I believe Alyssa Thompson is the only player just drafted not showing a 'college'. That is, came straight from HS/Youth soccer. (tweet and google doc linked below) Of course, it still is pretty rare (if there was only one this year) and I'd say if you have recruits "de committing" that are good enough to get drafted or sign as pros overseas, you're probably doing just fine! and should be proud of them. How could a coach be offended by that? ON the other end, one of the most disappointing things I see in recruiting, is the number of pretty good to very good players that walk away from the game early and choose to not play in college or even choose to not be pros after college. Bottom line - these are smart people with lots of options! (although I would say working fast food is awful) Chris Henderson's Draft board in case you missed it. His twitter feed is now full of players signing overseas who maybe were not drafted and others getting invited to NWSL preseason camps as undrafted free agents. (great work he does!) https://t.co/zL5wE5BlRtCheat sheet big board is updating as players get picked...Now with neat colors!— Chris Henderson (@chris_awk) January 13, 2023