NESCAC

[PaulNewman]

All of us want the dang ball, I think.  That's the shared and competitive space we all reside in, and I mean well beyond the D3 soccer fields of dreams.

Preferring a Nescac is also fine and very understandable.  But let's not sell that the kid as now described is far better than any recruit ever at F&M...... or Lynchburg or Centre or Wartburg.

[midwest]

Am I right in thinking that NESCAC does not have a spring season? D3 spring training (and the length of fall pre-season) varies by conference, and I thought I heard somewhere that NESCAC does not permit any "official" spring season whereas other conferences, such as NCAC or Centennial, allow a specific number of spring coach-led practices and a specific amount of spring competition. Maybe I'm misremembering, but I thought I also heard that NESCAC does not do the international pre-season training trips which would be allowed by NCAA D3 rules but again, varies by conference.

And to the soccer mom who asked about getting a feel for team culture -- yes, the fall visit generally involves coach meeting, going to class with soccer player, hanging out with members of the team, watching a game or practice. There is plenty of opportunity to get a feel for the guys and the team culture. Several coaches told my kid that the "report" from his guys about the prospect was a key factor in the recruiting decision, so "fit" with team culture works both ways.

[blooter442]

Am I right in thinking that NESCAC does not have a spring season? D3 spring training (and the length of fall pre-season) varies by conference, and I thought I heard somewhere that NESCAC does not permit any "official" spring season whereas other conferences, such as NCAC or Centennial, allow a specific number of spring coach-led practices and a specific amount of spring competition. Maybe I'm misremembering, but I thought I also heard that NESCAC does not do the international pre-season training trips which would be allowed by NCAA D3 rules but again, varies by conference.

NESCACs do not have an official spring seasson; however, they (or at least some) have been known to go on international trips during the summer (although I believe each team can only do so once every four years, or at least officially).

[amh63]

Just a few comments wrt Nescac soccer in general and Amherst in particular.  There is no spring time practice sessions in the Nescac.   As to international trips, Amherst had one not to long ago to Europe...Paris workouts and some games in Monaco.  The Prince of Monaco...Grace Kelly's son...played soccer at Amherst and still takes interest in Amherst activities.  A neighbor's son who played at Amherst with the Prince...kept in touch when his parents were stationed in London. 
There has been other early practice sessions off campus with Alum contacts...all up front...like in New Jersey where the pro Soccer Club...Red Bulls?..has a facility/field next to the NFL stadium.

[Brother Flounder]

D4 Pace, I'm curious as to your opinion (as a former Academy player and experience with a top-tier D3 program) about the idea that U16 and U17 Academy teams would crush the top 15-20 D3 teams in the country.  Maybe it's just me but I find some of the romanticizing of the Academy experience (and level) a little over the top.

I'm also curious as to whether some of these posters just have incredible integrity in terms of "keeping it real" (a la the Chappelle segment) or are oblivious to what they blurt out.  If you hint that you are from some obscure area in the Midwest and are one of the top recruits in the nation drowning in attractive D1 offers with board scores in a certain range with a specific GPA, one might figure that even these shoddy NESCAC coaches might figure out who you are.  And I imagine the entire midfield of a NESCAC squad includes actual people with names, who might even be good friends with the wonderful defenders on said team.

Also curious as to all the lamenting and angst about the horrible level of play in D3, and all the opportunities to go D1 instead, and yet the decisions to focus on D3 anyway.  I know the usual responses about blowing out a knee and going abroad and go where you's still be happy if not playing soccer, but still....some of these alleged super-skilled intuitive studs might not find D1 so appealing and so friendly to "beautiful soccer"....they might not get to play... and there are plenty of places where I'm sure many kids who "choose" D3 would still be plenty happy if they blew out a knee or never got off the bench in D1.....like, for instance, my alma mater, Davidson (a D1 in D3 clothing), Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, the Ivies, etc, etc.  And if you could be a starter at Duke or UCLA or Cal or Stanford or UVA or UNC or Wake Forest, why wouldn't you go there?

So he can play for the love of it and be a bigger fish in a little pond. He'd probably sit on the bench at Wake Forest. He knows he's not "super stud." I offered to send him to Holy Cross or similar to at least find out where he stood with that lot, but he said no.

Finally, re: the topic of a super-stud picking a NESCAC, I'm going to give a big vote to Colby....no school has had such a dramatic rise up the USNWR charts, and it is a beautiful campus, and a place where one could bask in the process of taking a program from the bottom all the way to the top.  Improvements already have been noted, and what a thrill to be a leader of a program who could knock off the usual NESCAC heavyweights and make some NCAA noise.  If not seduced by Williams or Amherst, not really needed at Tufts, and not the kind of kid who has a passion for the slightly more unique vibe of a Wesleyan, then I personally would be all over Colby.

Colby has been the big mystery this year, and the one nescac that has dissed him completely. Timeline: Son reached out in the fall, they watched him play a tournament, they expressed a lot of interest, kept up communication here and there. Then son told Stanton he wasn't sure if his ACTs would be good enough, at which point response was, don't give up quite yet. Then when he got the decent score, he reached out. Radio silence. Reached out again: hey, are you still there? More silence. So he gave up. So we don't know if they saw him play again and changed their minds, or Stanton is a flake, or what. But I think it is very odd that they do not have an ID clinic series posted on their website? They have never sent out clinic-related correspondence of any kind, ever. What is up with that??

Geez, I know many USSDA players who went on to top D3 schools (academic and/or soccer).  Many USSDA players to to D1 schools and never play.  I know USSDA players who chose D3 who had better talent than other USSDA players who went to D1 schools....  How can u complain by going to schools like U of C, Wash U, Amherst, Bowdoin, Oberlin, Tufts, Emory, Kenyon, etc....

[mom1234]

So based on your comment regarding your son's team it sounds like the NESCAC is the perfect level.  I know throughout the conference their are kid that played all across the spectrum of academy, with some starting on legit top ten academies, but more at the mid tier and lower academies, as well as plenty of kids from top club teams like your sons. In terms of meeting players, I know Tufts always has like 7 or 8 current guys at the clinic so he will definitely have the opportunity to talk with them.  I took official visits to the final schools I was deciding between my senior fall and that is what pushed me to Tufts. I would definitely encourage you to reach out to coaches once you make your final list of schools about taking a visit.  That is the best way to really see what it would be like to play at that school and also what the school itself is like.  You usually follow guys around to a couple classes, eat in the dining hall, sleep in the dorms...etc.

Thanks! Looking back on previous posts, I gather that it is uncertain whether Tufts has a need for midfielders for their '19 class. His chances aside, Tufts would be a different experience from other NESCACs due to its size, and I wonder if you can speak to that from your experience. I can only assume that against Hamilton et al., Tufts doesn't compare when it comes to the small school offerings, which are important to son: small discussion-based classes, professor interaction, academic support, etc. On the other hand, aside from liking skiing, son is a city boy used to city options, not to mention had a year of living in Europe nearly independently his entire 10th grade... and thus the locale of Tufts may suit him better than somewhere remote like Middlebury. Any thoughts?

[Ejay]

Where's the eating popcorn emoticon when you need it?

[d4_Pace]

Yes I think for most of the guys on the team Tufts' size and location are two of the biggest selling points. One of the schools I was strongly considering was Davidson, shoutout to Paul Newman with the perfect description of a d1 in d3 clothing, but the school was half the size of my high school.  The same thing applied to some of the other nescacs and Haverford where I was looking. Second being close to Boston really is a huge advantage.  The school has joint internship programs with some of the top companies in the city that a lot of the econ/finance guys on the team take advantage of.  Also unlike the other Nescacs Tufts has engineering which makes up probably a quarter of the guys on the team.  I think ultimately having the city there is what you make of it.  In the season you don't have a ton of time to go explore, but in the spring we will pop in to hangout and once you turn 21 some people have been known to venture into the city.  In terms of the small school advantages you mentioned I think Tufts despite its larger size still offers many of those, apart from your big intro courses you will have plenty of classes where you have 10 people and can't escape from the professor no matter how much you'd like to.  The professors also are very accommodating of our travel schedule for soccer and I remember walking into a class after one of the national championships to see the professor showing the highlights of the game on the projector.  So overall it depends on what you are looking for but I think Tufts does a great job of taking advantage of its larger size while still maintaining some of the traditional aspects associated with the Nescacs.  Hope your son has a good time at camp this weekend!

[d4_Pace]

Also, with any of the schools, if your son is good enough the coaches will take him regardless of what positions that have penciled in as their "needs"

[PaulNewman]

Where's the eating popcorn emoticon when you need it?

I can't decide whether to go with some traditional Orville R, moderate-liberal Smartfood Cheddar, or some more Wesleyan-esque Trader Joe's Herbs and Spices.

This is great stuff and hopefully will spiral into a regular blog as the saga unfolds, with the side benefit of some of us (including me) reminding everyone another time or two about the cool, elite places WE and our kids went to college.  I'm in.  The college search was a great, exhilarating time, when, before actual realities and decisions roll in, everything and every place is possible.  Great stuff for those of us who loved making and re-making lists and would love to go through the whole thing again.

So many nuances.  Too Jewish.  Midfield plays the way we like but doesn't need us.  Too rural.  City is great except if its Hartford.  Classes too big but at least mimics Europe.  Better than any strong Academy players that have played at F&M but not even playing Academy and might not even make a good Academy squad.  Could get bored.  Needs the ball but might not get off the bench.  Well, at least will be able to pull the strings for the scout team and use that intuitive decision-making in practices.  One national title coach is a jerk (proven fact apparently) who plays crap soccer.  Colby might have a flake.  The Wesleyan coach is cool but he keeps it real about realistic academic chances, and who wants all that deconstructive chalking in Middletown anyway?  So many schools that aren't good enough even though there's no signal about any suggesting admission.  Live in the Midwest but can only consider what works with Logan Airport.  Rochester has an airport.  In fact, all the UAA schools do.  No consideration of the excellent schools that sound like actual fits....Gettysburg, Dickinson, Denison, DePauw, Centre, Rhodes.

Several people have suggested what to do.  Pursue what you think you like broadly.  Pick some places to visit that want you to visit, and be sure to include at least a couple where you're very confident that admission is not an issue.  Go on said visits, and then decide on small vs big, rural vs city, campus cultures, team cultures, coaches, playing styles, likely playing time at places where you think playing style fits, etc, etc. 

[blooter442]

Where's the eating popcorn emoticon when you need it?

I have raised the issue of there not being a laughing emoji. I will add popcorn to the list of desired emojis I am preparing to send to The Emoji Committee.

Several people have suggested what to do.  Pursue what you think you like broadly.  Pick some places to visit that want you to visit, and be sure to include at least a couple where you're very confident that admission is not an issue.  Go on said visits, and then decide on small vs big, rural vs city, campus cultures, team cultures, coaches, playing styles, likely playing time at places where you think playing style fits, etc, etc.

[Applause emoji]

[mom1234]

Where's the eating popcorn emoticon when you need it?

I can't decide whether to go with some traditional Orville R, moderate-liberal Smartfood Cheddar, or some more Wesleyan-esque Trader Joe's Herbs and Spices.

This is great stuff and hopefully will spiral into a regular blog as the saga unfolds, with the side benefit of some of us (including me) reminding everyone another time or two about the cool, elite places WE and our kids went to college.  I'm in.  The college search was a great, exhilarating time, when, before actual realities and decisions roll in, everything and every place is possible.  Great stuff for those of us who loved making and re-making lists and would love to go through the whole thing again.

So many nuances.  Too Jewish.  Midfield plays the way we like but doesn't need us.  Too rural.  City is great except if its Hartford.  Classes too big but at least mimics Europe.  Better than any strong Academy players that have played at F&M but not even playing Academy and might not even make a good Academy squad.  Could get bored.  Needs the ball but might not get off the bench.  Well, at least will be able to pull the strings for the scout team and use that intuitive decision-making in practices.  One national title coach is a jerk (proven fact apparently) who plays crap soccer.  Colby might have a flake.  The Wesleyan coach is cool but he keeps it real about realistic academic chances, and who wants all that deconstructive chalking in Middletown anyway?  So many schools that aren't good enough even though there's no signal about any suggesting admission.  Live in the Midwest but can only consider what works with Logan Airport.  Rochester has an airport.  In fact, all the UAA schools do.  No consideration of the excellent schools that sound like actual fits....Gettysburg, Dickinson, Denison, DePauw, Centre, Rhodes.

Several people have suggested what to do.  Pursue what you think you like broadly.  Pick some places to visit that want you to visit, and be sure to include at least a couple where you're very confident that admission is not an issue.  Go on said visits, and then decide on small vs big, rural vs city, campus cultures, team cultures, coaches, playing styles, likely playing time at places where you think playing style fits, etc, etc.

That's quite the stand-up routine... whatever the popcorn flavor, I'm throwing it at the screen watching this reel of "facts" which are quite "nuanced" themselves! A few corrections are in order before this commentary is permanently stamped on the collective mind of this board regarding our poor non-superstud:
- "Better than any strong academy players that have ever played at F and M." You mean all one of them? [burn emoji] What I actually said: Better than the incoming freshman. Small nuance...
- "Not even playing academy and might not even make a good squad."  Truth: Played middling academy before, then made squad this year again but turned it down. (You can pick on that decision all you want, but consider driving 25 miles in rush hour straight through a huge city four or five night a week and get home at 11pm... If you survive to apply to college, see if any nescac school thinks you are "well-rounded.")
- "Lives in midwest...."  Fact: Never said that. Guess another region...
"..But can only consider what works with Logan Airport." That's right. Or Philadelphia. Unless you are offering to give him your frequent flyer miles on American Eagle, he's going Southwest, heck, maybe even Spirit.
- "Could get bored." Fine. Son (and you all) have put to rest that silly Mom Concern. As an alum of a nescac school, I have duly warned him, however, that if he is bored, it won't be because of the soccer, it will be due to the lack thereof during a long, miserable winter stuck on a hill outside of New Hartford or Pittsfield or some other exciting place...
- "So many schools aren't good enough..."  Huh? I assure you, they are all more than good enough."... but no signal about any suggesting admission." Sure they are, but I'm not going to tell you which...
- "No consideration of the excellent schools that sound like actual fits....Gettysburg, Dickinson..." These two were and are, but I hadn't brought them into the discussion.

On that note, it's probably time for Mom to spare this board any more of the recruiting "saga." We'll suffer through the madness on the sidelines.

For the record I get that my kid is not superstud. Just don't be mean to poor Mom on some future date if he ends up sitting on a bench!

[truenorth]

I would make the general observation that most kids--athletes and non-athletes alike--who attend NESCAC schools seem to have a very positive college experience, receive a great education, and end up with a great network of friends and alumni connections.  I don't think you can go wrong at any of these schools.

That said, I can only offer anecdotal observations about a few of the coaches, as my spectating days as a parent date back six or more years.  At this point, most of the coaches are at the younger end of the age spectrum.  Russo (Williams) and Sayward (Middlebury) each retired within the past few years after decades of coaching.

I would thus make the overgeneralization that most of the current NESCAC coaches are reasonably tuned into academy soccer and "modern" tactics and style of play.  Serpone (Amherst) is certainly tactically aware...he just chooses to recruit big athletes and bludgeon other teams into submission...which has worked more often than not.  Wiercinski (Bowdoin) is certainly tactically savvy and usually finds a way to get the most out of his starting 11.  Wheeler (Wesleyan) is a really good guy and coach, and has generally dealt well with the fluctuations in overall talent level in his teams over the years.  Murphy (Conn College) was an assistant at Brown when my older son played there.  He is definitely a demanding personality.  I don't personally know most of the other coaches, but clearly Shapiro (Tufts) has done a great job.  Many of the others seem relatively new to the job within the past few years and the jury may still be out.

[Mr.Right]

Speaking of Nescac and Academy Commits.....Was told that an Academy player from Kendall SC out of Miami has committed to Amherst. While that is usually just ho hum news, ok another academy commit, this particular player is one of the leading goal scorers in the country for Kendall. Forgot his name but apparently committed to Amherst last year when he was a decent player but not scoring goals and then this past year just took off and started blitzing the net.  Something to watch for but I am more impressed he kept his commitment to Amherst because if he started scoring goals I am sure he attracted attention from D1's and the like but he kept his word.

[rangerfan]

Speaking of Nescac and Academy Commits.....Was told that an Academy player from Kendall SC out of Miami has committed to Amherst. While that is usually just ho hum news, ok another academy commit, this particular player is one of the leading goal scorers in the country for Kendall. Forgot his name but apparently committed to Amherst last year when he was a decent player but not scoring goals and then this past year just took off and started blitzing the net.  Something to watch for but I am more impressed he kept his commitment to Amherst because if he started scoring goals I am sure he attracted attention from D1's and the like but he kept his word.

You are correct. He ended with 31. And 5 yellow cards.

Stats: http://kend.ussoccerda.com/sam/teams/index.php?team=3940200

Commit info: https://www.ussdakendallsc.com/2018/02/07/congratulations-on-signing-day-to-our-committed-players/