Reserve Teams

[Kuiper]

Junior varsities are an interesting part of intercollegiate sports, and they're definitely not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Some programs run their JV teams as a true junior squad, in which underclassmen who will definitely get promoted to varsity somewhere down the road, and who may in fact end up being key players by their junior or senior years, get the necessary development, refinement, and game experience they need. Some use it as a dumping ground for walk-ons and/or marginal recruits; IOW, a JV team whose purpose is more programmatic than developmental and which is run with little or no expectation that anybody useful for varsity purposes will arise from the JV roster. Some programs are a mixture of the two philosophies. Some JV teams get a lot of involvement and input from the head coach. Some don't, and are considered to be a means for younger assistants to develop their head coaching potential. Some play extensive schedules, some don't. Some run schedules that go all of the way through the season, some don't (for example, JV football teams often stop playing games in early October, due to the sport's natural injury attrition). Some programs publicize that they have a JV team, while with others you have to actively inquire or search to find out if the JV team even exists. Some programs have JV teams every year; others only operate them when there's an excess of players. And, as we've been discussing, some have rosters discrete from the varsity, while others are simply culled from one large general roster on a game-by-game basis.

My suspicion is that the transition from JV teams to student-run club teams at many schools was because the model of using the JV team as a dumping ground for walk-ons made them not as useful for development of either Varsity players or coaches and students taking ownership of the teams as part of a club sports program overseen by the university's athletics department or rec sports department was more satisfying for the players and more cost-efficient for the university. As some smaller schools struggle for enrollment and team sport recruitment has become one part of an admissions/enrollment strategy that involves assigning coaches a "quota" that involves larger rosters, I wouldn't be shocked to see some movement back toward the JV/reserve team model.  Of course, like youth soccer recruiting for the "B" team, which often involves luring players to tryouts for the "A" team and then trying to convince marginal players that the B team would be great for them, being very upfront about the reserve team in recruitment might be counterproductive unless you can show it is a true pathway to the first team.

[LibbyMoore]

All you need to do is look a prior seasons' rosters. If there are 30-40+ kids listed then there's a good chance they have a reserve team. If not, then there's a bunch of kids who will never see the field in any capacity (in this case a reserve team is good). I've seen these teams used both ways (development & home to those who don't make the main roster). It's competitive, and there are always new commits & transfers so never a guarantee of playing time regardless of the age of the player.

This is so interesting. Just listened to a podcast that mentioned a story involving a D3 team that made an "offer" and called player a "commit" and gave no indication that there was a chance this might not work out. The player arrived to find 40 or so guys at preseason and learned that cuts would be made. Cuts were indeed made, the player was sent home to await the beginning of the school year, and had no further role on the soccer team ever again. This was a few years back, but evidently that the coach is still there. Is this a common practice in D3s?

[Another Mom]

Was it Bates?

I don't think overrecruiting to that degree, with resulting large numbers of cuts, is common. My son was focused on high academic d3s, and with those schools  that kind of overrecruiting wasn't an issue.

That said, every year a few players leave my son's team, either because they see the writing on the wall, or because they are cut. Every player on that team was recruited, so cuts do happen to kids who were once recruited.  But I believe they happen junior year -- not freshman year, as in your example.

[Ejay]

Most teams that I'm familiar with offer their commits a guaranteed 1 year roster spot.  After that Fr. year, all bets are off and they need to earn the right to keep their spot each year going forward.

[Spartan94]

From my experience playing, (many many years ago), at the D2 level, and as a part of my son's recruiting process, not all JV/reserves are created equally and for good reason.  Some coaches with no reserves my son spoke to said he would come in and most likely not get many minutes his freshman year, but thought his IQ and skills were good, just needed to improve speed and put on some size which would help on their lifting programs.  Others said, we have a reserve team, and would have you play there year 1, so you could continue to develop, and get competitive minutes, and train with the 1st team and get called up if/when your performances are good and you are needed.  Other coaches, had a reserve team, didn't mention it and we know from families whose son's went to these schools they were either placed on that team from the get go, or just sat on the end of the bench and never played.  I think each school, each coach and program ... and more importantly each kid is different so I think making sure to ask a lot of questions and get clarity from a coach is really important.

[OWU Dad]

Hey, new to the board and first time posting. This has been a great resource.

So, my son is an upcoming sophomore at OWU and had decent playing time as a freshman. A number of his HS soccer buddies attend schools that utilize reserve ('JV') teams, and unfortunately, that's where many of them ended up their freshman years--on the JV team. In talking with some of these kids as well as some of their parents, they're nervous that they'll never see the light of playing on the main squad. They feel that only a few ever get to move up. What are the thoughts on this board? If true, it almost begs the question: why do they even have JV teams?

[soccerpapa]

Short answer:  $$.  Increases enrollment at school.  Some kids are well aware they are not top team material and are OK with playing JV.  others not so much.  His HS friend likely have one year to make it to the varsity team - no varsity minutes as Sophomores the chances of seeing time as juniors/seniors is unlikely

[SimpleCoach]

Hey, new to the board and first time posting. This has been a great resource.

So, my son is an upcoming sophomore at OWU and had decent playing time as a freshman. A number of his HS soccer buddies attend schools that utilize reserve ('JV') teams, and unfortunately, that's where many of them ended up their freshman years--on the JV team. In talking with some of these kids as well as some of their parents, they're nervous that they'll never see the light of playing on the main squad. They feel that only a few ever get to move up. What are the thoughts on this board? If true, it almost begs the question: why do they even have JV teams?

Do you or have you ever been a soccer player for OWU?  If so, are you the player that kicked a soccer player in the head in 1986, during a night game, and knocked him unconscious?  I WANT THE TRUTH!

SC.

[OWU Dad]

Ha! I wish I could've played at OWU back then, or any place else, for that matter. Our son actually defied the genetic odds to play at this level.