The college soccer recruiting process can be extremely competitive, and unfortunately, it does not always come down to how well you perform on the field. According to the NCAA, only 5.6% of high school players make the jump to play in college.
In order to give yourself a chance at becoming a part of the 5.6%, you will need to be extremely proactive and assertive. Begin the process early; high school athletes can begin speaking to college coaches after June 15th of their sophomore year.
Before completing any of the steps below, it is essential to plan and do research. Look up the schools you would want to play college soccer for, is it a big or small school, do they have the major you want to study, is it in a part of the U.S. you would like to live in?
Make a school list separated into your dream schools, and then your fall back schools — the school in your hometown or a lower division than you are shooting for. Remember that the more schools you reach out to, the higher the chance that one will recruit you, so cast a wide net.
Here are 5 Tips To Help Get Attention From College Coaches:
#1 You are the one trying to play, not your parents
When communicating with college soccer coaches, you need to ensure that you always reply and talk to coaches on the phone, not your parents. You are the one that will be playing and attending the school, so it is vital that coaches genuinely know you are interested.
If you have your parents do all the talking, then coaches will not take you seriously.
#2 Have game film
When reaching out to a coach, one of the first questions they will ask is, do you have any game film?
It does not have to be professional filming. Just have your parents or friends grab a camera and track your positioning on the field.
All you high school athletes - Nick Saban just said he watches EVERY SINGLE PLAY of his recruits HIGH SCHOOL CAREER on film. Think abt that!
— Anthony Savage (@Savage_ADS) November 4, 2013
A player can hype himself up as much as he wants, but a coach will always need to see your game film in order to move forward with the recruiting process.
#3 Give coaches your playing schedule
Make sure that coaches are aware of your showcase and tournament schedules.
College soccer coaches dedicate a certain amount of resources for recruiting trips, so try to factor yourself into their trips by attaching your playing schedule to every email you send.
#4 No need to go to college ID camps, unless you are invited
Often, college ID camps are just a fundraising ploy for the college soccer programs.
Unless the college is in your home town or the coaches explicitly request you to attend the ID camp, it is not worth spending the extra money for hotels and travels. Just continue to send game film along with your updated showcase and tournament schedule.
#5 Academics are just as important as your playing ability
Grades are just as crucial in the college soccer recruiting process as your playing ability. The minimum GPA for an incoming athlete to compete at the NCAA Division I level is 2.3 or higher. It required that one earns a 900 or higher on the SAT or a sum score of 75 on the ACT, via National Scouting Report.
Dear High School Athletes Care About Your Test Scores(SAT/ACT) & Grades The Same Way U Do About Your Play!!!!! 💪🏾 #WinningFormula
— Plies (@plies) August 5, 2019
As great as it is to want to earn a full-ride scholarship, the reality of that happening is low. DI college soccer programs have just 9.9 full scholarships that get split amongst the team.
Having a high GPA will allow you to earn additional scholarship money through academics, making you more attractive to college coaches.
ALSO READ: How Many Scholarships Does Each Collegiate Sport Offer? | GMTM
