And you have to be comfortable with it.
I’m paraphrasing Kayli Combs who was profiled in the News-Leader because of her decision to leave Missouri State, and her D1 starting guard position, for NAIA College of the Ozarks.
It’s an aspect of the game that I see for our local men and women, playing for Drury and Missouri State, and it has been an eye-opener for me. Something to ask about as your favorite player is considering life after high school.
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Good article. You would not believe the list of good players from SMS and Drury that have quite soccer becuase they lost the love for the game for some reason or another. Some of the younger kids looking at college’s need to think really hard about how they will fit in at a program? I think one of the most important aspects kids forget to look at is do you like your coach? Will you respect him or her for four years.
As the parent of a soccer player who has just completed his freshman season at Truman State, I have to agree with everything Kayli Combs has to say. Luckily, our son Nick got wise advice from several people (including Jeremy Alumbaugh) to look at all a college has to offer. Nick visited Truman and immediately connected with the coach and the players. And more importantly, he discovered Truman has an excellent exercise science program and would be academically challenging. It seemed to be the total package, and after the first season, Nick couldn’t be happier with his choice. He got a lot of playing time off the bench and is glad he made the choice he did. Soccer in college is a totally different game and different commitment level, and if you don’t like your coach and your teammates, it wouldn’t be worth all the effort and dedication, not to mention all the time you spend together. It is a job, but it should also remain a joy for the player. Each athlete will have a different criteria, but we would advise each one to visit with the coach at length, talk to the players about the coach and the program, get out and play with the team, and above all, check out the academics, because as much as our children dream about living their life playing soccer, that’s not realistic. At least make sure the next four years of college soccer are enjoyable and rewarding, because for the vast majority, the competitive game will stop there. Our family couldn’t be more thrilled with the Truman experience. Good luck out there to all the seniors who will be making important choices in the coming months.
As a parent of a junior trying to sort this recruiting stuff out and steer my kid into healthy decision making, I really appreciate this info. I encourage any past and present college athletes to share their experience on Steve’s site and other venues. I know high school athletes enthusiasticly read this site and some are anxious to make wise decisions for their college years. Too many college athletes drop out, in heart, losing the love of the game, long before they graduate college.