National Letter of Intent Day for Minnesota Soccer Players
Today was the National Letter of Intent day where students can sign with their schools of choice for fall sports. It’s a very exciting day in the lives of student athletes and their parents. The process can be grueling with many options and choices. Also with the choices lie golden opportunities that will shape them for the rest of their lives.
Congratulations to these Minnesota soccer players that will take the field next fall as Division I and II collegiate athletes.
To see the list click
BOYS’ SOCCER
PLAYER HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE DIVISION
Atli Einarsson, Chanhassen: Wis.-Parkside – D II
Tyler Dixon St. Paul Central UW Parkside – D II
Trevor Flynn Chanhassen Detroit Mercy – D I
Nick Forsgren, St. Paul Academy: Vermont – D I
Isaac Kanneh, Prairie Seeds: Northern Illinois – D I
John Marinelli, Benilde-St. Margaret’s: Army – D I
Eric Miller, Woodbury: Creighton – DI
Nicolas Salas-Velazquez, Rogers: Upper Iowa – D II
GIRLS’ SOCCER
PLAYER HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE DIVISION
Devyn Alberts, Farmington: Wis.-Green Bay – D I
Riley Allen, Eden Prairie: UM-Duluth – D II
Aliha Ballon, Rogers: North Dakota – D I
Jessie Bowe, Anoka: MSU Mankato – D II
Bianca Diaz, East Ridge: Rice – D I
Jess Dickhaus, Hopkins: Upper Iowa – D II
Kiltie Finsand, Edina: Northwestern – D I
Tori Fuglister, Edina: Washburn (KS) – D II
Caleah Hager, Osseo: Drake – D I
Mariah Heieie, Minnewaska: Crookston – D II
Mary Krambeer, Park Center: North Dakota State – D I
Hailey Kramer, Anoka: UM-Duluth – D I
Karalyn Leetz, Park of Cottage Grove: Minnesota – D I
Emily Moris, Woodbury: MSU Mankato – D II
Madi Myers, Anoka: South Dakota – D I
Jackie Ormsbee, Osseo: North Dakota D I
Amber Paul, Rogers: DePaul – D I
Kaiti Porter, Prior Lake: South Dakota – D I
Shade Pratt, Rosemount: Maryland – D I
Brianne Price, Eastview: Minnesota – D I
Megan Pyrz, Wayzata: DePaul – D I
Jenny Ranallo, Centennial: Mo.-Kansas City – D I
Colleen Reeves, Rogers: South Dakota – D I
Lauren Reid, East Ridge: Wisconsin – D I
Sheridan Reiners, Kennedy: Minnesota – D I
Becca Roberts, Centennial: Minnesota – D I
Shauna Rodman, Anoka: Winona State – D II
Jess Rohana, Chaska: St. Cloud State – D II
Alex Ronchak, Mounds View: Wis.-Milwaukee – D I
Caitlin Schnorbach, Edina: Iowa – D I
Olivia Schultz, Holy Angels: San Diego – D I
Jennifer Smith, Bloomington Jefferson: UM-Duluth – D II
Sonya Smith, Anoka: Northern State – D II
Taylor Stainbrook, Apple Valley: North Dakota State – D I
Breanna Steele, Eagan: MSU Mankato – D II
Annie Thoresen, Minnetonka: Augustana – D II
Katie Thyken, Eden Prairie: Minnesota – D I
Alaina Trowbridge, Farmington, Concordia-St. Paul – D II
Rachel Trudeau, White Bear Lake: North Dakota State – D I
Taylor Uhl, Eden Prairie: Minnesota – D I
Candace Ulmen, Lakeville South: North Dakota D I
Tristan Walczak, Burnsville: North Dakota State – D I
Amber Warzala, Woodbury: St. Cloud State – D II
Taylor Wodnick, Wayzata: Minnesota – D I
Emma Worthington, Mounds View: Wis.-Milwaukee – D I
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Congrats to all who are playing in college. The power of Title 9….although I wish there were more men’s college soccer opportunities.
Isn’t Title 9 partly the cause of less men college soccer teams at the D1 level?
Isn’t that what Cheryl was saying? She’s happy so many women get to play but she also feels bad because there are so few opportunities for guys, especially here in MN.
The main reason there are less opportunities for male soccer players in college is due in part to Title IX, but really has a lot to do with college football, which allows 90 full scholarships for Division I.
Title IX basically mandates that a school have an even number of athletic scholarships for men and for women. There is no comparable female sport that gives out 90 scholarships, so many D1 schools have either added sports like women’s soccer in order to balance things out or gotten rid of non-revenue men’s sports like soccer (or baseball, gymnastics, wrestling, etc).
Sadly, the number of D1 women’s soccer programs dwarfs those on the men’s side. Women’s programs tend to be fully funded, while programs on the men’s side are only allowed 9.9 scholarships. (Don’t ask me how the hell they came up with 9.9, btw…)
The only men’s soccer program added in recent memory is Michigan, while women’s programs continue to be added almost every year. The sad truth is that college football (and men’s basketball) are the engines that drive college sports so things probably will never change.
I’m certainly a supporter of equal opportunities for women in sports, but the unfortunate efffect of Title IX is less opportunites for men in non-revenue sports which, as I mentioned earlier, means all men’s sports except football and basketball (or men’s hockey if you’re talking about Minnesota).
I’ve always found it rather ironic that a statute that is meant to create equality ends up taking away opportunities for men, at least in the manner in which it’s applied.
The total scholarships for women’s soccer is 12. Also, just wanted to clarify that fully funded signifies that at program offers the total amount of available scholarships. There is one other women’s sport has is allowed to offer a large amount of scholarships. That’s rowing that can offer 20. I agree that football is the counter weight that reduces non revenue sports. But I thought the ratio also relates to the make up of the student body. For example if you have more women students you should be offering more sports to them. Also, found this site that lists # of scholarships sport.
http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/scholarships_by_sport.htm
And Michigan was also added with Title XI as the governor. I can’t remember which two womens sports were added, but the annual funding for the three new Big Blue Sports (Mens soccer and two womens sports) were developed with the addition of 8,000 new seats and subsequent season ticket licenses from expansion of the football stadium at Michigan. Would be nice if the Gopher heavy legislature or the “what should be” influential MYSA would step up to the plate and develop a plan to lobby state and or leverage the University (NCAA I) and state universities (six at NCAA II) to get with it. No offence to Golf, Tennis, Swimming and to an extent many other sports, but soccer is higher in participation – youth – high school – and NCAA. It just is. Minnesota and the states directly west of it are really slacking and lacking. But I think its garbage that no one in the leadership roles in Minnesota soccer or higher education has seen or provided a vision of this. Its time.
I am at little DCTC in Rosemount, and while we only serve a certain or specific student community, technical, academic or economic driver – I always say its extraordinarily SAD, yet we are proud to be the only mens college program in the state of Minnesota allowed to give soccer scholarships.
Sad. But come on – let’s go!
Well said Cam, well said.
M points out that the majority of the issues with Title IX stem from the over abundance of scholarships for football.
The funny thing about men’s golf at Minnesota was the sport was almost elimanated the year after they won a national championship. It was only saved because some alumni made very large donations to keep the sport.
If it wasn’t for football you would have a lot less sports in colleges.
I wonder if a case could made that the problem facing the Gophers getting funding for a mens soccer program isn’t that football gobbles up so many scholarships and resources but since the program is so crappy it’s doesn’t generating enough revenue on the investment.
Just happened across this today. The author makes some interesting points:
http://www.stanforddaily.com/2010/02/05/belch-ncaa-scholarship-system-is-unjust/
I trying to figure out why sports in general are a part of the college experience? Why are colleges and states funding the developement of the NFL MLS, NHL, PGA and the NBA, which is purely entertainment? It not like these players are developing a product for the Universities or an academic idea that the college or state will profit from.
It would seem to me that all professional organizations that heavily recruit from colleges should be paying for these programs. I think the cost of college would go down in general. Are the students at college to get an education or at college as the next step to a professional career in entertainment? If their were no athletic scholorships offered, professional leagues would have to organize and develop their own talent would that not be a better for everyone?
@PollyAnna:
I think that’s the way things should be. It would be great for soccer in particular because the NCAA rules and regulations end up slowing the development of players (ie, the length of the season, amount of time that a team can spend training in the offseason, the ridiculous substitution rules, etc) which in turn slows the advancement of the game in the US.
I have to say, though, that there is a very obvious incentive for D1 schools to be de facto farm teams for the professional sports leagues in the US. It’s called $$$ and they make it hand over fist at places like Michigan and Ohio State where their football stadiums are packed with 100k fans for every home game.
NCAA Sports (football and basketball, that is) are a huge business. Not only do they make actual dollars, they also get massive publicity for their school when they are constantly on TV and the media in general.
Polly Ann at D1 level colleges and states are not funding the major sports as much as you seem to think. Look no further than the Gophers football program. They get money from the ABC/ESPN TV deal, The Big Ten Network, the BCS Bowl games. The BCS Bowl money is I beleive is a few million dollars a year alone for a game they have never actually played in. In the Big Ten the schools equal divided the $20 plus million they get for that game.
I think one of the most telling observations that I have made is one regarding Tom Obarski. I know his family and so this situation is one I am fimiliar with and I am sure there are other like his. He had a few D1 soccer offers, but chose to play D2 football instead. He would have had to move far from home and take far less money to play D1 soccer as opposed to a D2 football team. It just doesn’t seem like there are many options out there for our boys even though they have been much better competing at the regional level the last couple of years and it seems as though many teams they play with or even beat have between 7-10 or more kids who end up at D1 schools and our MN teams have 2-3 at most. Congrats to those who were able to take their talents to the next level! Hopefully things can change soon in the future and MN can showcase their boys to the next level, the academy program should help with this.
@The Chosen One & M
I agree that there is lots of incentive for D1 school to have D1 Football. I have a hard time believing that the Gophers get a lot of money from ABC or from bowl games. Does Huskers probably but they also don’t have a profession football team in Nebraska. Would they do just as well if it was a semi pro team?
My question to college administrators and boards of regents what is your charter and how does football, basketball or even sports in general fit with that charter? Will it change, probably not, NCAA makes too much money, the colleges make too much money and professional sports get backhand subsidy.
Title IX isn’t the problem…..
@PollyAnna:
The Big Ten shares the revenue from TV and Bowls equally amongst all the schools, so yes, the Gophers DO make a boatload of money from it.
PollyAnn this is from an ESPN article when it was announced Nebraska was joining the Big Ten.
Fatter paychecks will be coming to Nebraska, eventually. Nebraska received about $10 million from the Big 12 in 2009, half the $20 million received by Big Ten members (thanks largely to bigger television contracts and the in-house Big Ten Network).
The Big Ten told Perlman that no current member would receive a reduced share of revenue from the conference because of the addition of a new member. Perlman said Nebraska has been assured it would not receive less than it did in the Big 12, however, if it joins the Big Ten.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5276551
The Observer,
Ya, I didn’t list Tom like the papers did because of my soccer focus but I did totally notice. I know he really enjoyed kicking for the football team the last several years. I really think Obarsksi has some excellent skills and it’s too bad. But he gets to make the choice. Perhaps we will see him in the NFL some day.
Chosen one, thanks for that. Pretty interesting stuff. For sure college sports is big business.
Thanks for the link guys. I really don’t pay much attention to college football, but I do know it is what drives the athletic programs at colleges. Do the colleges in Europe or anywhere else in the world fund sports?
I don’t know how it is done in other parts of the world. I do know it is the same way in Canada as it is here. I had a friend get a college scholarship to play volleyball in Canada. He didn’t have very many options because there aren’t very many men’s programs here.
I’ve heard that in Europe that players get offer to play for a academy and at the end of the academy they are either offered a contract or let go. That alot of those players end up here in the United States either playing college or in the MLS. Don’t know that for a fact just what I’ve heard. I would be interested to here if it is actually correct.
What about the outstate players that signed NLI’s? Your headline is Minnesota not Metro…