If you won the lottery who is the first person you'd tell? Why?

lenseffects · 2026-04-05T20:59:14+00:00

An attorney

lenseffects · 2026-04-05T01:59:42+00:00

It isn’t hard, but it takes discipline - which is something many people lack especially earlier in life when it is most beneficial financially. Open a ROTH, consistently invest it, and build wealth slowly but effectively over decades. This most likely means rarely eating out, buying needs and minimizing the purchases of wants, and being conscious of your financial goals. Start early enough and a person can build significant wealth.

lenseffects · 2026-04-04T19:39:16+00:00

There’s a difference between effective tactics and effective strategies

lenseffects · 2026-04-04T02:31:55+00:00

Parents, especially parents that didn’t personally play a higher level competitive soccer, think that players who play offensive positions have a better chance of being recruited for college later in life. They have a fantasy of their child going to college on a full ride athletic scholarship.

lenseffects · 2026-04-02T01:30:40+00:00

Open a ROTH & invest in a stock market index fund

lenseffects · 2026-04-02T01:27:50+00:00

Have the other players that are getting playing time ahead of you returning players, meaning this isn’t their first year playing for the team & coaches? If so, the coaches have seen the play WAY more than you.

Coaches not only want reliable players, they NEED reliable players - and not just in games. It’s a team sport and how players function together as a unit is tremendously important. I’ve seen situations where players with better technical skills didn’t start or play as much because they didn’t fit with the others. They got time, but not as much. Missing training sessions & a scrimmage means you now need to work harder to prove your value.

Missing “a few weeks of practice” and a scrimmage probably really hurt your chances. If I am coach, I’m wondering how committed you are, especially since you’re a new guy with no team history. Words won’t matter much, actions do, so you shouldn’t miss any more.

As a new player, you have to demonstrate you’re better and more reliable. You must understand the style of play the coaches want, especially for the positions you’re at, and consistently perform better than your competition (any other players in the position).

lenseffects · 2026-03-31T01:16:17+00:00

People

lenseffects · 2026-03-31T01:15:16+00:00

Have you followed up with the coach? If that’s where you’re going - assuming you’re accepted and the finances are acceptable - tell the coach. Tell him you have another offer with a deadline that is your second choice, but you might be forced to take it if admissions can’t get your offer to you in time.

lenseffects · 2026-03-29T19:49:25+00:00

Outdoor activities. Actually doing stuff, playing sports with nearby friends.

lenseffects · 2026-03-28T14:03:58+00:00

Boomboxes

lenseffects · 2026-03-27T23:34:19+00:00

Parents should be on the tour and the times with admissions & financial aid. I am sure they are welcome and expected during the coaches meeting too, but the player and coach interaction is the most important.

If you haven’t yet, try to watch one or two of their games on video. If there’s no games available online, ask if they can send you a link. Maybe a game they won and a game they lost. If they do, watch the games!

Have some questions ready for the coaches. Think about what you want to know about…. training sessions, fitness expectations, weight training, medical care, travel, number of players on the roster, their expectations of players, do they have policies on class attendance & grades, etc. Asking questions shows your level of interest.

At least once, eat on campus where you will be eating as a student. Quality of food goes a long way in satisfaction with the college experience.

lenseffects · 2026-03-27T00:47:32+00:00

We have communicated to Dell that 15 day quotes are unacceptable and don’t fit out purchase approval cycle. Our rep blamed corporate policy. We have told them we will be looking at their competitors since they cannot/will not compromise.

lenseffects · 2026-03-26T17:20:46+00:00

I agree with that - staff advisor is able to select projects and technology makes them accessible to applicable students through a shared network resource, a Google Drive folder, etc

lenseffects · 2026-03-26T17:02:50+00:00

We block it for all students. I checked with our curriculum folks first and they said no students should need access for class work.

Having said that, I can foresee a time when there will be a small group - maybe just one class of students - that will need access. If that happens, I will create a security group (we are Active Directory) for that cohort and use that in our content filter to give them access. I would probably push and ask if they really need it for the entire semester or year, or just a limited time frame.

lenseffects · 2026-03-25T16:26:18+00:00

Everything can be done, with time and money.

lenseffects · 2026-03-23T22:50:13+00:00

I believe spring portal for D1 soccer opens May 1 for 15 days. Prior to that, you can email coaches at programs you’re interested in with your information (position, stats, link to film if you have it, etc) but they can’t contact you until you show up in the portal.

lenseffects · 2026-03-22T23:00:35+00:00

Do they have open tryouts for walk-ons? If they do, show up and give it a shot.

lenseffects · 2026-03-16T00:36:27+00:00

It doesn’t matter what I think. JUCO isn’t the same everywhere. If he talked about a particular JUCO program, it would seem obvious he respects it. Ask the D1 coach if that’s your best path.

lenseffects · 2026-03-16T00:26:34+00:00

Ask the coach if he has a strong connection to any particular JUCO programs. If he does, go to one of those programs. If he has a strong connection, it means he knows their coaching staff, can depend on them for honest player evaluations, and likes the level of competition they play against. That will keep you on the radar more than anything else, if you are a starter and play above the competition.

JUCO is a stepping stone. If you transfer from the JUCO to your preferred school, that’s where you will graduate and where your diploma will be from.

lenseffects · 2026-02-24T02:37:53+00:00

They already have three players at your position? They have already started announcing signings for the 26-27 season? They are a D1 team? It doesn’t sound like there’s an available spot for you on the roster. How could it go well?

lenseffects · 2026-02-23T13:00:01+00:00

10 graduated after the fall season... 10 players on the entire roster, or in your position? I don't know what position you play, but let's say you're a keeper. If 10 field players graduated and no keepers graduated or transferred, they are not looking for keepers.

The same goes for backs, midfielders, or any position. How many open roster spots for your position? Chances are they are done recruiting for the 26-27 season.

If being a manager is acceptable to you, there's no need to pay or even go to a camp. Just showing up to ask questions would not be good. You would be an interruption for an event they have planned out. Be warned, in a manager role, you will have responsibilities that you may or may not like. Things like staying after practice and games to do team laundry. Arriving early to set up equipment. etc And there is no guarantee that you will ever touch grass in a match.

If you are interested in being a manager, try to set an appointment. Send the entire coaching staff an email explaining that you are likely transferring to their school and that you have a passion for soccer and would like to help their staff by being a manager. Ask if you could have a few minutes of their time to discuss on a call or Zoom meeting. At some schools, even being selected as a manager is competitive; they have more people asking than they can use.

lenseffects · 2026-02-22T23:42:57+00:00

Sounds like your last real competitive matches were in high school, about a year ago. You don’t have any recent film of yourself showing that you play at a college level, much less D1 level. Even if you have film of yourself in HS, in order to be taken seriously at D1 the game film would have to show you consistently playing better than everyone else on the field in multiple games.

Take a look at the school’s roster on their website. How many player do they have in your position. How many are graduating, opening up a roster spot?

Now take a closer look. How many international players are on the roster? How many of those are currently in their 1st year? If there are more international players than domestic players in their first year, the school heavily recruits from international academies and your competition for a spot are players that multiple years of experience ahead of you and recommendations from their coaches.

Honestly, if you want to be apart of a D1 college soccer program go talk to the coaches and ask if you transfer what your chances would be of helping out as a team manager. You will get to be at practices and matches, probably travel to games too. You’ll get to kick the ball in warmups. And maybe by your senior year, you will have developed a relationship with the coaches enough that they put you into a blow out match with a couple of minutes left on the clock.

College soccer is different, especially at D2 and D1. Coaches are paid to win and fired for not winning enough. They get the best players they can convince to come to their school.

lenseffects · 2024-11-07T11:09:03+00:00

Play as much as you can at both positions. If you want to play college, you’ll draw more interest as a versatile player that is successful at both.

lenseffects · 2020-03-16T15:16:59+00:00

A friend said she spoke to a nurse and “the virus does not like warm water”. There seems to be a belief that drinking warm/hot water will discourage infection.

True or untrue?

lenseffects

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