Are Soccer ID Camps a Waste of Money?

Yes, they sometimes are a waste of money.

An ID camp is worth it when a specific coach has already shown interest and invited you, or when it’s run by a program you’re genuinely targeting and can realistically play for. This is so important. Also, this is why a camp can become a live audition.

It’s usually not worth it when it’s a giant, generic “showcase” camp with 200 kids and coaches from schools you’d never actually attend.

The mistake a lot of families make is treating camps like a lottery ticket — pay the fee, show up, and hope you get discovered by someone. That rarely happens.

Coaches mostly use their own camps to take a closer look at players already on their radar. So the move is to email the coach first, tell them you’re attending, share your video, and ask them to keep an eye on you. Now you’ve turned a $300 camp into a targeted meeting instead of a raffle.

Be honest about level, too. If you’re a D3-level player spending money at a top D1 program’s camp with no prior contact, you’re mostly funding their budget. The same money spread across two or three camps at schools that actually match you will do far more for your recruitment.

The best way to make sure the investment is worth your while is to do the upfront research first. I wrote an article, ‘How to Choose the Right Soccer ID Camp‘ that might be helpful for you.

Before you book anything, use Ninety to figure out which programs are a realistic fit — then spend your camp budget only where a coach might actually recruit you.