How many scholarships per team is typical?

How many scholarships per select team is normal?

A friend's kid joined a team. He was showing me the fact sheet. It lists Number of Players on Part of Full Scholarships: 5

Isn't that a lot for a team of 18?

In most cases they're dividing the scholarship between the 5 kids.
If not, you'll be doing a lot of raffles and car washes.

Depends on how much the club is willing to give a team and how the team distributes the $$ given. Seems about right, maybe 1 or 2 more than I would think usual.

SilvaTheGreat wrote:How many scholarships per select team is normal?

A friend's kid joined a team. He was showing me the fact sheet. It lists Number of Players on Part of Full Scholarships: 5

Isn't that a lot for a team of 18?

I have seen as many as 4 before on a mid size club team... 2 full and 2 half on a roster of 18. On a roster of 16, the most I had seen is 2 full.

I have heard that Andro is throwing a lot of scholarships around this year and also DT on their top teams.

SilvaTheGreat wrote:How many scholarships per select team is normal?

A friend's kid joined a team. He was showing me the fact sheet. It lists Number of Players on Part of Full Scholarships: 5

Isn't that a lot for a team of 18?

Before I opened this string and saw your comment about an 18-player roster, I was thinking in terms of a 16-player roster. For a 16-player roster, I was going to say 2-3 depending on the needs of the team. On an 18-player roster, 4-5 seems close to normal. Those scholarships could be divided up any number of ways.

I imagine you’re probably asking this because you’re wondering which kids on your BB’s team are on scholarship. You can certainly ask the team’s manager but, in all seriousness, you’re probably better off not knowing. It’s probably better for you to assume everyone on the team is paying exactly what you’re paying. I say that because, if one of your scholarship players misses practices regularly but continues to start ahead of your son, you’ll really frustrate yourself (and indirectly your BB) dwelling on the idea that they’re playing on your dime.

There’s still 362 days left in this contract so try not to get too amped up right now. If you have some type of relaxation technique that will allow you to forget this issue, I’d recommend that.

Actually not my kid in this case. Like you said the friend's concern was about the 5 scholarship players getting all the playing time. The keeper is supposedly not one of the scholarship players. That in his mind leaves 5 spots for the remaining 12 players. He didn't sign yet and was thinking about finding another team.

My advice was to just go with that team if they liked the coach and the training. I really wasn't sure just because they are on scholarship means they are starters. I would think maybe there really is a need basis.

FYI. My kid is going back to rec. Don't hit me with stones. He liked the coach. Coach asked if there was anything he could do to change our minds. Wife said nope.

SilvaTheGreat wrote:Actually not my kid in this case. Like you said the friend's concern was about the 5 scholarship players getting all the playing time. The keeper is supposedly not one of the scholarship players. That in his mind leaves 5 spots for the remaining 12 players. He didn't sign yet and was thinking about finding another team.

My advice was to just go with that team if they liked the coach and the training. I really wasn't sure just because they are on scholarship means they are starters. I would think maybe there really is a need basis.

FYI. My kid is going back to rec. Don't hit me with stones. He liked the coach. Coach asked if there was anything he could do to change our minds. Wife said nope.

I can understand your buddy's thinking, particularly if the goalie isn't one of the kids on scholarship.

We'd assume that IF there are 5 scholarships deployed on the team that all 5 are starters but that's not necessarily the case. I personally believe that scholarships should be used as recruiting tools by the coach to improve the team's level of play. Lots of other folks on this board will argue that they should ONLY be awarded based on need.

People can drive themselves nuts dwelling on this though. "THAT KID DOESN'T EVEN GO TO PRACTICE (and my kid does) AND HE'S A SCHOLARSHIP KID?" or the other side of the spectrum "MY SON IS BETTER THAN HIM, HOW DID THAT KID GET A SCHOLARSHIP?"

If this issue really could drive your buddy away from a team that his son likes, he should just stop guessing and just go asked the manager (or coach) for the truth.

Congrats, by the way, on making the decision that's right for your son with returning to Rec. If that's where he's happiest then that's exactly where he should be. If he isn't going to enjoy this environment then it's definitely not worth it. Love for the game has to come first. If you take away the love and desire to play, everything you've built for him quickly falls apart after that.

How about this approach. Decide whether or not competitive soccer is worth the price based on your and you kids goals. Pick a team that fits your needs as far as coaching, development , parents etc. Write your check and let the club and coach worry about what they do with THEIR money that you agreed to pay them..

bigtex is very wise. I would agree with his original point.

I'd say, at least the team is being truthful. Some coaches don't put the real number down; instead they have "understandings" with certain players that they can skip a few payments and still get to play so there are unwritten scholarships, too.

I'd love to know my amount I'm helping with scholarships...we could take it off our taxes as a donation!

Soccerinsanity wrote:I'd say, at least the team is being truthful. Some coaches don't put the real number down; instead they have "understandings" with certain players that they can skip a few payments and still get to play so there are unwritten scholarships, too.

I'd love to know my amount I'm helping with scholarships...we could take it off our taxes as a donation!

When your kids go to college are you going to want a tax deduction because the school scholarships athletes? Once the check is written it is their money. Those understandings probably come directly out of the coaches pocket. Why does he owe anyone an explanation of how he chooses to alocate his income? I honestly do not understand the preoccupation with what others do with their money. Does anyone really think the fees would be lower if they did away with scholarships?

SilvaTheGreat wrote:Actually not my kid in this case. Like you said the friend's concern was about the 5 scholarship players getting all the playing time. The keeper is supposedly not one of the scholarship players. That in his mind leaves 5 spots for the remaining 12 players. He didn't sign yet and was thinking about finding another team.

My advice was to just go with that team if they liked the coach and the training. I really wasn't sure just because they are on scholarship means they are starters. I would think maybe there really is a need basis.

FYI. My kid is going back to rec. Don't hit me with stones. He liked the coach. Coach asked if there was anything he could do to change our minds. Wife said nope.

I thought the purpose of scholarships was to deny paying kids playing time...lol. I know what you mean about returning to rec. 2 of my boys are so fed up they are sitting this year out. Club ball passed the rediculous limit this year and 2 of my boys came to us and said they would sit this one out...


If the club expects the other parents to bear the burden of the scholarship players, then 5 is rediculous. If the coach takes it out of his comp, then he can do what he likes. I get the comments that say you should not worry about it...that is not reasonable. My kid sits and I pay additional dough...then I get a say...this year, like many others, I am covering for kids on the team in a jam personally. Coach is also covering a couple. Times are tough and the balance is we still want to see the boys play...that many kids means there will be hard feelings. But don't worry, if years back is any indication, next year the kids you sacrificed to scholarship will get a better offer and dump the team in a NY minute.

Uh, college tuition is tax deductible, so heck yes, I want to deduct it!

And since most soccer clubs are 501(c)3, anything that isn't going directly to pay for my bb, could be, too...Why would you be irritated that we'd use a legal tax deduction? The scholarship player and club would get the money they need, and we'd get a benefit from it.

And btw, 501(c)3's aren't classified as "businesses" who pay taxes. They are "non-profit organizations." The coaches pay taxes, not the clubs.

The rumor I always heard was that FCD and Texans allocated funds such that every team could have one full (or several partial) scholarshipped player if they wanted. I am sure further scholarships would be possible at the discretion of the club, and certainly older/better teams would receive more of that consideration.

Then of course you have the other type of scholarship which is provided by the team, i.e., parents pay more $ in dues and/or do lots of car washes as mentioned above.

I also agree that it is better to use the "don't ask, don't tell" policy with respect to who is getting a scholarship. It just saves you from needless irritation. Pay the money the club asks you to pay and let the club/coach do the rest.

Soccerinsanity wrote:Uh, college tuition is tax deductible, so heck yes, I want to deduct it!

And since most soccer clubs are 501(c)3, anything that isn't going directly to pay for my bb, could be, too...Why would you be irritated that we'd use a legal tax deduction? The scholarship player and club would get the money they need, and we'd get a benefit from it.

And btw, 501(c)3's aren't classified as "businesses" who pay taxes. They are "non-profit organizations." The coaches pay taxes, not the clubs.

Because charitable donations being tax deduductable is in my opinion nothing more than a government subsidy to entice people to give. Want to save some money don't pay 3-7k per year for soccer.

Because for years I have heard people of the mostly affluent select soccer community rail because part of their fess went to a kid that otherwise may not get a chance to play.

Because for the overwhelming majority the tax write-off would be less than they would spend on a good dinner out with friends or family.

I've never bothered to try and find out who had "scholarships" on the team. There are only two things that would bother me if I knew. First, if a scholarship player's parent(s) were the sort who were always running their mouths about how the team should be run. That would bother me. If your kid is being given a gift, a little parental humility should be in order. Second, if I learned that we are having to raise extra money beyond our contract fees to pay for the scholarship, that would bother me. I assume that scholarship money is already built into the fee structure. One other thing I've never seen, but which might be nice: have you ever heard a scholarship parent thank the team for the help? I've never heard of that.

Freeatlast wrote:I've never bothered to try and find out who had "scholarships" on the team. There are only two things that would bother me if I knew. First, if a scholarship player's parent(s) were the sort who were always running their mouths about how the team should be run. That would bother me. If your kid is being given a gift, a little parental humility should be in order. Second, if I learned that we are having to raise extra money beyond our contract fees to pay for the scholarship, that would bother me. I assume that scholarship money is already built into the fee structure. One other thing I've never seen, but which might be nice: have you ever heard a scholarship parent thank the team for the help? I've never heard of that.

If a player is on scholarship then the parent(s) of that player should be required to do SOMETHING (if they are physically able)to help the team. Whether it is helping the manager or leading fundraising activities, there should be some acknowledgement by these parents that they are receiving something of value and some effort to assist. My experience when managing a team which had a couple of scholarship players was the opposite - the parents of these players were among the least helpful on the squad. The coach was partially at fault because he awarded the scholarships without setting expectations to the parents about their role in the team, but most of the fault I put at the parents feet.

I do think they should help. Doing the field marshall duties would be a good place to start

As the manager of a classic league team last year, my experience was that the scholarship families (1 full, 4 half) all had a serious case of 'entitlement fever'. They never volunteered for any active role with the team (field marshaling, fund raising, tournament coordination, etc.) and were the kids most likely to be no-shows at practices and late for game-time warm up.

The funny thing is, these kids were 'needs based' scholarships - save for the full ride - and they STILL had that attitude. Ungrateful if you ask me!

[quote="01SoccerParent"]As the manager of a classic league team last year, my experience was that the scholarship families (1 full, 4 half) all had a serious case of 'entitlement fever'. They never volunteered for any active role with the team (field marshaling, fund raising, tournament coordination, etc.) and were the kids most likely to be no-shows at practices and late for game-time warm up.

The funny thing is, these kids were 'needs based' scholarships - save for the full ride - and they STILL had that attitude. Ungrateful if you ask me![/quote]

I've seen that myself. Kids with a free ride not showing up for practice or making it to the game 5 to 10 minutes before starting time.

Probably not realistic, but since a soccer club is a nonprofit entity (even if in name only) I believe in full disclosure.

I would want as thorough as possible a breakdown of exactly where my fees were going. It's only fair.

How much goes to the coach. How much is prorated for the DOC/TD. League fees, other admin overhead...and definitely scholarship money allocation.

My question would be how the scholarship thing works. Does the coach or club approach the parents and make an offer? Or do the parents approach the coach/club?

Ideally, at least at the older age groups, the top 2 players on a (top level) team should probably be playing for free. Or at least a drastically reduced rate.

Family finances should have no bearing at all either.

personally I think the scholorships should only be needs based. But really doesn't matter to me. Coach can scholorship all he wants as long as it comes out of his pocket. I will not pay higher fees so another get can get the free ride. I also think the scholorship should come with certian obligations

You just hit on a point I was about to make with your comment about “these kids were 'needs based' scholarships”. In another post made earlier on this string I wrote “I personally believe that scholarships should be used as recruiting tools by the coach… Lots of other folks on this board will argue that they should ONLY be awarded based on need.”

I definitely agree with you all that if a player is on a 'needs based' scholarship, that family should be leading the charge for any volunteer activity.

However… If the scholarship that was awarded to the BB as a recruiting tool (and not 'needs based') then I don’t think that player or that family has any extra responsibility. If the scholarship was awarded by the coach to make the team more competitive, your team is paying for that boy’s services. Your coach has agreed to cover the cost of that boy participating.

I don’t expect athletes on college scholarships to try to raise money for their college. I expect them to attend and pass their classes, stay out of trouble, and play the sport they were signed for to the best of their ability. That’s it. I don’t expect them to be organizing weekly bake sales.

I have a 6 year-old BB. He really enjoys goalkeeping and regularly asks me to teach him new things about it. He’s already showing signs of becoming a very strong keeper. (We’ve spent time every day for the past 2 weeks working on dropkicks in our yard. He literally just came into this room and asked if I wanted to go out into the yard right now to do more work on dropkicks. He thinks it’s a blast.) When the time comes for us to sign a select contract, I will tell the coaches that come to recruit him that they need to be willing to discuss scholarships if they want him on their team. It will not be a 'needs based' scholarship and I do NOT plan on becoming his team’s newest fundraising chairman.

The problem with that metality is college and youth soccer are not the same and the college player is expected to be an ambassador of the University and does have more obligations. But if a coach recruits with scholorships what about the kid who may already be on the team who is better, How does he feel that yes they may improve the team but I am a better player so why should I pay. Also what if his production isn't there? Does he then have to pay or can you just cut him? In youth soccer you are paying for the training. I had this conversation with a coach going into select. I knew 2 kids had been on scholoship in academy and where looking for the same in select. I mention the scholorship for bb and he asked "do you really need it? Because if you do then I will definitely have to give it to him but then these kids will not have the opportunity to play." Sounds like you are new because with that attitude you may find your bb out of any decent team and only playing for a team that is so desperate that they are willing to let a parent bully them into a scholorship

bigtex75081 wrote:You just hit on a point I was about to make with your comment about “these kids were 'needs based' scholarships”. In another post made earlier on this string I wrote “I personally believe that scholarships should be used as recruiting tools by the coach… Lots of other folks on this board will argue that they should ONLY be awarded based on need.”

I definitely agree with you all that if a player is on a 'needs based' scholarship, that family should be leading the charge for any volunteer activity.

However… If the scholarship that was awarded to the BB as a recruiting tool (and not 'needs based') then I don’t think that player or that family has any extra responsibility. If the scholarship was awarded by the coach to make the team more competitive, your team is paying for that boy’s services. Your coach has agreed to cover the cost of that boy participating.

I don’t expect athletes on college scholarships to try to raise money for their college. I expect them to attend and pass their classes, stay out of trouble, and play the sport they were signed for to the best of their ability. That’s it. I don’t expect them to be organizing weekly bake sales.

I have a 6 year-old BB. He really enjoys goalkeeping and regularly asks me to teach him new things about it. He’s already showing signs of becoming a very strong keeper. (We’ve spent time every day for the past 2 weeks working on dropkicks in our yard. He literally just came into this room and asked if I wanted to go out into the yard right now to do more work on dropkicks. He thinks it’s a blast.) When the time comes for us to sign a select contract, I will tell the coaches that come to recruit him that they need to be willing to discuss scholarships if they want him on their team. It will not be a 'needs based' scholarship and I do NOT plan on becoming his team’s newest fundraising chairman.

I think you need to read what go99 has stated below and rethink about the scholorship thing. In my view, scholarships should be needs based only at the youth soccer level. If you start thinking your kid is so good that the team must pay his way, even if you are capable of paying, then you need to be ready for the criticism he will get if he does not play up to expectations.

Performance based scholarships would put a great deal of stress on the player and parents receiving the scholarship. What happens if your son becomes a great keeper and a team says, "ok because you have said you want a scholarship, we will give it to him, because he is a top keeper." All the paretns on the team know about the scholarship and then your kid has a bad game and lets a few easy goals in. Are you ready to hear the parents complain that your kid is not that good, he should not be on scholarship and the rest of the grumbling that will come along with it?

That could cause a lot of problems between your son, you and the rest of the team.