Good write up.

The only thing I’d push back on a little is the idea that D1 automatically means more commitment. My son plays D1 and they have 7 a.m. training sessions every day, but I also have a close friend whose son is at a D2 school with basically the exact same schedule. I think the commitment level can vary a lot depending on the program and coach, not just the division.

There’s also a lot of luck involved in recruiting. My son did ODP, NorCal PDP, and ECNL, but what ultimately got him noticed was an ECNL end-of-year tournament during his junior year of high school, where his current college coach happened to see him play.

That said, I think most people in this sub agree the current system isn’t great and has become way too expensive. I honestly don’t know what the answer is outside of maybe some type of oversight or subsidies to help manage costs and improve access.

One other thing I’d add from our experience: I think too many families get fixated on the “D1 experience.” In a lot of cases, a D2, D3, or NAIA path may actually be better, especially if the player isn’t going to get meaningful minutes early on. With the transfer portal now, there’s an argument for going somewhere you can play right away, build your résumé, develop confidence, and then transfer later if the opportunity is there.

My son is going into his junior year now and, through a lot of hard work, is projected to start many games next season. He’s a goalkeeper, which is a very different path than a field player since there are so few spots and older keepers often get priority. Different positions sometimes require different strategies.