https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/07/sports/college-sports-diversity-amherst.html
Coaches want to win, and Amherst men’s soccer is #1 in the country, so Serpone is doing something right. “Given preference” therefore doesn’t mean “taking a weaker player”. I do think it means looking a little harder, and maybe in different places, than in the past, which is a good thing. So many sports, including soccer, are pay to play and talented kids are left out.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Closing thread. I can’t tell if this topic veers into the verboten Affirmative Action discussion or not, since the OP did not deign it important to give users a summary.