2014 Recruiting Classes

Started by MidwestAficionado, July 28, 2014, 06:47:48 PM

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MidwestAficionado

It seems more and more that DIII soccer programs are posting their recruiting classes.

Please post any Athletic Department Press Releases about incoming classes. Hopefully our posters from across the different regions can peruse the different conferences nearby and see what has been posted. Here are some I have found:

Messiah
http://www.gomessiah.com/news/2014/3/13/MSOC_0313140832.aspx

Wheaton
http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2014/5/28/MSOC_0528144257.aspx

St. Thomas (MN)
http://www.tommiesports.com/sports/msoc/2013-14/releases/05-14-2014-large-freshman-class-to-join-mens-soccer-team.html

Greensboro
http://greensborocollegesports.com/sports/msoc/2014-15/releases/RECRE1

Hood (MD)
http://hoodathletics.com/sports/msoc/2014-15/releases/20140528aspi39





deutschfan

I don't have the links but the University of Chicago and Case Western in the UAA, and St. Lawrence and Hobart in the Liberty League have announced their incoming classes.  The trend in D3 recruiting seems to be Academy centric.  It is difficult for a good high school or non-Academy player to get noticed anymore, at any level. 

jknezek

You are going to see more and more academy centric recruiting at top programs. It makes simple sense. The academies already "thin the heard" so to speak. They tend to get the best of the best regionally and put a lot of focus on soccer. So those kids are already good and then are intensively trained to be better. It will be hard for anyone but the very best late bloomer coming through a powerhouse h.s. program/club affiliate to compete with the academy kids. Especially as the academies continue to expand in their recruiting and scouting efforts. Less will slip through the cracks. That being said, there are exceptions since there are still huge areas of this country only lightly covered by academies. As MLS, NPSL, USL Pro etc., continue to expand that area will also shrink.

It's an exciting time for soccer in this country, but I do think unless college soccer makes some drastic changes it's going to increasingly miss out on top talent. You can't really develop as a professional level player, especially compared to international prospects, with the limits placed on college athletes.



Saint of Old

The name of the college game is constant development.
90% of these boys, like most of us has beens will struggle for playing time and form their first years. The ones going to solid programs however will become much better and stronger players 365 days from now.
This happens by competing against sick players day in and day out.
The talent these freshmen posses is amazing, simply to be recruited to the above programs. That talent for most of them is burried beneath the surface, and it will take good coaches to bring it to the fore.

Watch Pre-Season scriomage when the Jr. Goes up against the Freshman on that 50/50 ball when both are stuck in. The Jr. will usually win, not because of inate talent, but because:
HARD WORK BEATS TALENT IF TALENT DOES NOT WORK HARD.
This is the lesson that these new signings will soon learn.
The sooner they learn this the quicker they will play.