I had a DM from a parent asking about player rankings. PrepSoccer.com has made a huge push in this area and is causing a stir! So the question was “Would love a take on the "top player" lists. At least some seem to be like recruiting services where they require payment, so unclear if coaches find them useful”
So this same question has hit our house recently as well. PrepSoccer came out with their top player rankings in our area for the 2026 class. Some of my daughter's teammates were on it, some were not. IMMEDIATELY the texts between the parents started to fly. Kids were proud, kids were upset, and worst of all they were comparing themselves to others. Don’t compare people, don’t do it! Try to be the best version of yourself everyday and be the best YOU can be. Don’t worry about everyone else. Easier said than done I know but…let me give you an example of why they DON’T matter and then I will tell you what value they do have.
A few years ago I was working at a third party camp. The first session we played 11v11. Coaches were supposed to rank the players - 1 is the best, 5 is the worst. I ranked a player a 5, the worst player on the field. I then compared notes to the coach standing next to me watching the same game at the same place. He had that same player ranked as a 1! I had her as the worst player on the field and he had her as the best. No joke, no exaggeration, that happened. I have never forgotten that.
So player rankings have limitations. They are created by recruiting services or websites to try and give us some sort of order of who are the best out there. But those fees man…those fees, they are hard to justify coughing up and they are what gives those guys jobs. They prey on parents wanting their kids to be the best and see where they stack up. But you know what…as a parent, it’s hard! It’s hard to figure out where your kids stacks up in the bigger picture, and what that might mean for recruiting and at what level your kid may be able to play at. For that reason there is some value to rankings.
However, never forget my example - coaches see things through different lenses, we all value different things in a player, my 5 might be another coaches 1 and vice versa, so rankings well…they are what they are.
It’s important to keep in mind that player rankings are not a definitive measure of a player's talent or potential. They are subjective assessments that can be influenced by many factors such as biases, personal opinions, or limited exposure to certain players or regions. Rankings can and will change rapidly based on a player's performance, injuries, or other factors, and they may not always reflect a player's long-term success or development.
Lastly - I have to be honest. When I see a kid in the Top Drawer Soccer Top 150 it makes me pay closer attention. But it does not make or break my decision on that player. We have kids come in who were not on that list and start for us and even make an All-Conference team as a freshman. I saw a top 50 kid play recently, in my opinion they MIGHT be good enough to make our team, but not impact it and not scholarship worthy! Again, we all see different things.
So yeah, rankings can have some value in terms of recognition and exposure, but they should be viewed as just one of many factors in evaluating a player's potential and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Phew–that was a lot!
Thanks for reading!
The Recruiting Dad
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