So I am curious how much money the players typically get. I have kids in college and the most important attribute regarding scholarships is need. FASFA determines that. While the coaches and programs "can" get a player a full ride due to their athletic ability from what I am hearing the vast majority do not. There are always the unicorns. Lets not kid ourselves 95% of ECNL parents are quite wealthy compared to average families so what the school can give them is pretty limited based on need. We have ECNL players going to schools "on scholarship" but honestly they are getting the same as they would get if they didn't play soccer due to academics. Parents are so proud they have achieved "the dream" of D1 soccer scholarship but when you ask how much they really got most would have gotten it anyway due to grades. Soccer is not paying their bills.
Granted most ECNL families are able to pay for college regardless of athletics I am seeing tons of kids going to lesser academic schools so they can play and literally handicapping their future career prospects just so they can sit on a bench. On the other hand there are a select few that are very high ability that are using soccer to get to a school they would not have been able to be accepted to without soccer but those are very rare. How much of this is hype and what is the reality of ECNL helping kids get to college?
Granted most ECNL families are able to pay for college regardless of athletics I am seeing tons of kids going to lesser academic schools so they can play and literally handicapping their future career prospects just so they can sit on a bench. On the other hand there are a select few that are very high ability that are using soccer to get to a school they would not have been able to be accepted to without soccer but those are very rare. How much of this is hype and what is the reality of ECNL helping kids get to college?