Quote from: Another Mom on November 17, 2025, 01:24:07 PMI am rooting for Lynchburg.  They are a strong team, and they don't get a lot of attention on the forum. (I know probably because of the Flo Sports paywall) (which, by the way, I took great pleasure in canceling yesterday)

Agreed. I'm rooting for Lynchburg too.

Quote from: Kuiper on November 16, 2025, 09:32:21 PMUPDATE:  Trinity 1 - Texas Lutheran 0 (25th minute)

Trinity passes beautifully in the box and Trinity's Julian Lopez takes advantage of the TLU keeper's aggressive play to come out for through balls and draws the PK.  Luke Mayfield scores it.  Incidentally, I admire Lopez for actually playing for the contact since TLU's keeper is listed at 6'2" and 260 lbs.

HALF:  Trinity 1 - Texas Lutheran 0

Game is getting a little testy, including among the fans.  Trinity leading in shots 10-5 and TLU hasn't registered a shot on goal, but Trinity has tightened up defensively since the PK.

UPDATE:  Trinity 2 - Texas Lutheran 0

Samuel Theiss dances around the endline and kicks it over the sliding goalkeeper, who is playing for the square ball, with the outside of his foot and into the net.  A bit against the run of play as TLU almost scored a few minutes earlier

FINAL:  Trinity 2 - Texas Lutheran 0

Trinity just is too good at passing in and around TLU in tight spaces and killed off the game after the second goal.  The Tigers advance to the third round for the second year in a row.

TLU is going to be tough in the coming years.  Their GK Avila, who played pretty well, is a freshman, and their big striker Robert Palmer is a sophomore.

Living in the area it's great to see both teams in the tournament. I recognize most of the players from high school and club soccer and can attest- playing club in South Texas is not remotely the same as it is in Austin or Dallas. Plenty of talent, but it's a tough environment. Quality club coaches are hard to come by, and there's little if any guidance on the college pathway- definitely not D3. 

Hopefully, there's a trickle down effect. Each round a S.TX college advances, local players are watching guys they know. They're seeing colleges they've probably never heard of and the legitimacy of the D3 soccer. It's not just D1 or bust!

Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on October 23, 2025, 11:08:56 AMThe W&L v. Lynchburg game is big on Saturday. Should be a good one.

Ooph.. Not a pretty game to watch.

Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on October 27, 2025, 12:19:04 PM

Quote from: jknezek on October 26, 2025, 08:33:53 PM

Quote from: Hillcountryview on October 26, 2025, 04:39:35 PM

Quote from: FBALLISLIFE on September 19, 2025, 06:58:11 PMIs it too early to question where Shabazz will be next year?

Is there talk that this might be a possibility?

Very much doubt it. W&L has never required coaches to be national contenders. If Shabazz recruits and graduates players and is competing in the ODAC, he will be fine.

Yup, absolutely agree. W&L will always have a full roster of paying players which, imo, is the purpose of the team. Any success is cherry on the top.

From a recent NY Times article, near the end - Experts say universities not only shape their classes with early decision but also benefit financially. By locking in students early, they stabilize enrollment and secure tuition dollars, often before students have the chance to compare financial aid offers from other schools. Critics have long argued that the system favors wealthier applicants and deepens inequality in the college admissions process.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/26/business/tulane-early-decision-colorado-academy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.wU8.oKdL.aHJA7xCVra6C&smid=url-share&fbclid=IwY2xjawNseN9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFLaXNOOG5RNGJIZGxDZ0NRAR4UP_7hRB_OVTX8yDfizxc0L8yI6TtuN9YQy8AlDnq-yXPeFmqvA0D-V_2UqA_aem_975uaDlu5P-lWcMKY66dew

It happen to us.

As to soccer kids, almost all parents have spent so much money getting them to a level where schools like W&L to accept them and play soccer. We all know W&L players have parents who paid for them to play. So either well off or just below. Therefore and again imo, the soccer team is a scheme to get paying (most if not all) tuition kids.

So Shabazz has nothing to worry about as long as he carries a full roster.

This is an interesting perspective I'd never thought about. I assume your referring to parents who have paid for years of training, playing, and traveling leading up to college?

It definitely does lock players in early before they can compare financial aid packages- and leaving most parents hoping they'll get something. Granted, your player may receive aid, but the player is long committed before you know the amount.

What strikes me most is the significant variation between top academic D3 schools in how they determine "need." Some institutions provide full aid for families earning up to $150-160k annually, while others set thresholds around $75-80k. The system definitely favors families who are either knowledgeable enough to use EFC calculators proactively or wealthy enough that the variation doesn't matter. Having helped friends navigate college searches for non-athletes, the differences in institutional aid policies can be genuinely shocking when you dig into the data. Covid definitely set the stage for ED and EA.

It'll be interesting to see how things play out for Shabazz. He is definitely not Singleton and the environment is very different.

As we head toward tournament season, I'm excited to see so many new programs rising in the rankings and coaches making measurable differences- quickly. Players are now considering schools they wouldn't have looked at even 2-3 years ago. Hopefully this momentum continues and influences how college administrators, athletic directors, consider the role having a competitive program plays in applications. Small academic schools have a high percentage of student/athletes- and those grades give them a lot of choices!

Quote from: FBALLISLIFE on September 19, 2025, 06:58:11 PMIs it too early to question where Shabazz will be next year?

Is there talk that this might be a possibility?

Quote from: Kuiper on June 03, 2024, 03:27:40 PM

Quote from: Ron Boerger on June 03, 2024, 01:54:15 PM

Quote from: Hillcountryview on May 30, 2024, 02:19:16 PMAny members or @SimpleCoach familiar with Coach Lumumba Shabazz?

Ten years at Kalamazoo before announcing he would step down the day before you asked about him:  https://hornets.kzoo.edu/sports/msoc/coaches/shabazz?view=bio

I think the question was prompted by my post about the announcement of his departure the day it happened (but if not then we need to get @Hillcountryview to start a Fall 2024 predictions thread so we can find out now who is winning it all this season!).

@Kuiper, you are correct. After reading your post, I just started thinking about all of the promotions we've seen this year (especially some well-know Asst's becoming HC's) and simply wondered who was left on the carousel.

Any members or @SimpleCoach familiar with Coach Lumumba Shabazz?

I'm not familiar with Kalamazoo. However, the (assistant) coaches I might have expected to be on the list have already made moves.

Any ideas who's in the final interviews for W&L? I can't come up with one other than Freeman -and my fingers are crossed for him.

My son is a rising senior and has verbally committed to the admissions process at a top academic school in the E/NE. Another Mom and Kuiper have given you great advice! Read and re-read.  It also helped us know where he fit academically and where it might give him an edge. Although, most times, it felt like ALL boys in the NE were top students AND great players:)

Because we are also "geographically" challenged (living far far away), we mapped his "likes" and "maybes." Then, taking the advice of the experienced parents here, he started with 2 short (college specific!) ID camps the summer between 9th/10th- just to get his feet wet and within driving distance to several of the colleges on his list. It's crazy how many great schools and soccer programs you can pass by and not know are there. Don't pass by them. Seeing the campus and soccer fields gave him something concrete to attach to the name. It also gave him a feel for what it was like to play in the NE, which was extremely motivating. And definitely, be strategic and carefully curate the id camps!

By the time the real recruiting began, he had seen most of his top schools, had a feel for the campus vibe and the academic environment. For him, this made it much easier to have a natural conversation with a coach and ask relevant questions.

Zach Ward has resigned from Haverford.

Quote from: Another Mom on August 05, 2022, 09:48:31 AM
Surprised there isn't discussion of the Bates change. My son liked Tyler Sheik, and I've only ever heard positive things about him. Was it that he didn't turn the program around fast enough?

Any updates on a Bates head coach?

Super helpful!! Thank you.

I'm noticing that most of the NESCAC, UAA, and ODAC colleges are choosing to stay "test-optional" for 2024's. Having a 2024, we've been on quite a few college tours, and admission officers are stressing that students "may" submit test scores; however, students will not be penalized if they choose not to submit scores.

The big question is- does this apply to athletic recruits? Are coaches at NESCAC schools still asking for test scores?

I think it's safe to say that a student-athlete who wants to apply to a top academic D3 school knows what it takes to get into one of these schools. However, it would be a huge relief if he could scratch test prep off his list and continue focusing on his soccer, academics, and other application pieces.

Any wisdom or experience would be appreciated!

When

Quote from: Another Mom on December 08, 2022, 01:13:48 PM

Quote from: Newenglander on December 08, 2022, 11:15:43 AM
Recruiting Question - I assume most NESCAC schools are done with the bulk of their 2023 recruiting correct?  Most schools ask they commit Early Decision?

I think you can safely say that *all* the NESCACs want a player to ED in exchange for coach support.  Most offers are made in July/August (after prereads) or at least they were 2 years ago when my son went through the process.

If offers are usually made in July/August, when and what should a recruit have ready for prereads? Specifically, do they need to have the college's required essays ready submit for a preread?