How to Decide if You Should Attend a Camp One of the most common questions we get from recruits is: How do I know if it will be worth it for me to attend a particular recruiting camp? We often hear from concerned recruits and parents about camp invites they receive, wondering what they mean. Questions like: - “Am I being recruited?” - “Do I have to go to this D3 school’s elite camp to get recruited?” In this post, we’ll answer these questions and more to help you decide if attending a D3 recruiting camp is the right move for you. If you’re aiming to play a college sport, you’re probably familiar with recruiting camps. They go by many names, including: - Elite Prospect Camp - Recruiting Showcase - Exposure Event - ID Camp - These camps are often marketed as opportunities for recruits to gain “exposure” or be scouted directly by college coaches, potentially leading to college offers. But here’s the truth: Not all recruiting camps are created equal. While we do our best to compile a list of trustworthy camps in our Annual Recruiting Camps List, many recruits and their families still have doubts when they receive an invite from a D3 coach. The big question is: Are D3 recruiting camps worth the money? When D3 Recruiting Camps Are Worth It Yes, if… - The camp is hosted by a school you’re genuinely interested in, and you want their coaching staff to see you play. - You’ve been in contact with the coaching staff ahead of time, and they’ve shown interest. - The camp has a strong “recruit conversion rate” (the percentage of attendees who end up on the team). This information is often available on the team’s website or can be asked directly to the coach. For example, the SUNY Cortland Elite Camp run by Head Coach Mo Kearney has a proven track record of converting camp attendees into team members. If you’re interested in playing for Coach Kearney, attending this camp would be a smart move. When D3 Recruiting Camps Might Be Worth It Maybe, if… - Your focus is on skill development, and the camp’s level of play will challenge you to improve. - It’s an “exposure” camp with multiple D3 schools attending. Always check the staff list to ensure schools you’re interested in will be there. - You’re willing to bet on yourself and play your way onto a coach’s radar.

I just got an email for this camp. Anyone interested in going, the link is below. MA ID Girls - 3/27 | ID Sports USA

Due to winter weather we are moving our ID clinic to SUNDAY FEBRUARY 1st. Location and time are the same. To register www.goherdsoccer.com Thanks, Kelly

A recap of this past weekend’s National Coaches Showcase at Stetson. There was a fairly large group of coaches in attendance… Most were Division 1, but there were a few from Division 2 and there were a handful there who were not listed originally on the registration form. 4 or 5 of the coaches were from the power 4 including Duke and Wake Forest. They held a 1 hour training event on the first night which I would have to say was not really as much about training as it was about the girls getting to know their coaches and teammates. The coaches panel in the morning ran for almost an hour and was probably the most enlightening part of the camp from my perspective. The athletes asked some very good questions about all aspects of playing at the college level, not just the recruiting process. The handful of power 4 coaches in attendance didn’t take the mic and answer any of them. It appeared to me that they were there primarily to draw people to the event. The best advice came from the head coach at Creighton who spoke about being realistic about your ability and your level of play and made sure that the girls understood that unless they were clearly the best player on the pitch in every showcase game, they would not be noticed. I appreciate those kind of honest statements from coaches. They played 3 showcase games against players from all over the country and I was pleasantly surprised by that experience. It was actually very high level soccer thanks to the invitation system used to get the athletes there. This was the 4th camp that Lucy attended and by far the highest level of play from the girls top to bottom. Their teams did not switch coaches between games like some of the other camps did. At first, I was a little disappointed that Lucy would not be able to interact with more of the coaches, but it turned out to be a much better experience for her in the end. She was able to play 3 games for the same three coaches which enabled them to get a good feel for how she plays the game. She really enjoyed the coaching she got from them and the feedback she got.

From the perspective of someone who has been on the evaluating side, what does a player do to stand out ? It seems everyone there is in full ball hog mode trying to do their fanciest step over moves (I haven't seen anything memorable yet). It's hard to showcase teamwork and soccer IQ when it's pure chaos and people aren't willing to pass. I understand that the coach isn't evaluating the entire field as a team, but similarly do you really want the prima donna ?