Does anyone have any experience of US football scholarships?

[beasmithwentworth]

My friend isn’t on MN but she’s a good / old friend and I’d like to help her out.I have no knowledge of this topic!

My friend’s son is 17. He’s always been very good at and passionate about football. Plays to a high standard but has not been scouted. He is/ his parents are / in touch with a company that arranges / facilitates football / soccer scholarships at US universities. They are selling him all of the benefits and aiming to get both parents on board too . My friend’s husband seems to be happy to let him to follow his dream. My friend less so for a number of reasons. Ie will it amount to anything? They don’t have loads of money so this would be a huge and potentially risky investment for them.

Will it put him in a better position football wise?
What kind of costs are associated with it?
Also the recruitment company (I work in recruitment myself so I knew they have their own interests) say that he can definitely get a job as long as it’s on campus but surely everyone is after those jobs?
Are these recruitment companies trustworthy about any of this plus is there anything else to consider?

My friend feels as if everyone in her family and wider family are all on board and she is trying to be the voice of reason / be cautious.

Any advice grateful received.

One of my close friends currently has a daughter in the USA on a football scholarship and her son was at a different US university doing the same... both talented footballers. She's not on MN but happy to ask.

Her DS was good, but not scouted here . He enjoyed his time out there but did have a few injuries which ultimately led him to giving up the idea of trying to make it his career. Her DD is very good and it wouldn't surprise me if she ended up back here for England one day!

Getting the visa for her DD (since Trump) was a ballache and stress, I do know that!

Has he done anything to try to be "scouted" here? Gone to any trials etc especially at lower level clubs? What level football has he played here?

What sort of investment are the family having to make? I only really know about swimming scholarships and the people I know on those haven't had to pay a penny. Classes, accomodations, food, flights and an amount towards general living expenses all paid for by the University.

My understanding is that even with a scholarship it is still a considerable investment and not for the faint-hearted.

As a previous poster said, the visa process for international students is becoming increasingly difficult and changes quickly. Living costs are high, flights home add up, there are no guarantees at the end of it. Remember that the agents are selling a dream.

Will he be in a better position football-wise? Nobody can possibly tell. Staying injury-free will help but there are thousands of young people chasing the dream of a professional football career and very, very few make it. If he hasn’t been picked up by an academy over here I’d be asking questions about why that is.

If they have the funds to give him the experience of 3 or 4 years playing soccer in the US, see it as an opportunity to give it a go, live in a different country and gain a qualification then go for it but I’d advise that the family needs to go into it with eyes wide open.

I would suggest your friend watches the documentary ‘No Hunger in Paradise’.

Thankyou this is all very useful to pass on.. including the programme recommendation thankyou