(Everything still applies for ECNL players with appropriate modifications)
Now that players have, for the most part, decided to play or not play for one of the four ECNL clubs, I thought that I would pontificate on a plan to get recruited. Being on a good team or playing at the right events isn't enough.
Maybe if you are the one in a generation player who has it all;
Size, strength, pure speed, technical speed and tactical speed;
You can just show up and you will be recruited.
For everyone else, the key to getting recruited is to get seen while playing well, against good competition by the right college coaching staff.
Not a real complex objective:
• Get seen.
• Play well.
• Play good competition.
• Identify the right college staff.
I suggest that you start with the last point first – identify the right college staff. Not every player is a good fit with UNC, Stanford, ND, etc. You must have an honest discussion with your coaches, identify your strengths and weaknesses and determine which level of collegiate play is most suited for your game.
Should you be looking at top 20 D1 teams, mid-level major conference teams? Are teams in the Ivy League or Patriot League a better fit? Would a top level D2 be a good fit or should you be looking for a less competitive situation. Be realistic about who you are and where you could be a productive player.
Once you have identified the level of play that would best fit your game, start evaluating the schools that play at that level for things other than soccer: location, environment, costs, available majors, best fit for your academic level and post-graduate ambitions
.
From the soccer evaluation and the non-soccer evaluation identify a number of colleges (10-15) that are the best fit for YOU.
With this list, look into their soccer programs. Who are the coaches, how long have they been there? What does the current roster look like, are they thin at your position? Make an effort to go watch these teams play. How do they play the game? Does their style of play fit with your skills?
With this information, start a letter writing campaign with the head coach and lead recruiter. Let them know why you like their school, their program and the league that they play in. Show them that you have invested some time into learning about their program and that you are not just sending out mass mailings to random schools.
Let them know about your soccer accomplishments and why you think that you would be a good fit with their program.
Have your coach get in touch with the college coaches. Your coach should tell them about your team and why he (she) thinks that you would be a good prospect for them to evaluate. Have your coach find out where they are spending their recruiting dollars, which tournament they will be attending and would the college coach make an effort to evaluate you if your team was in attendance, or if not the team, if you were to guest play at those tournaments.
Now you call the coach. (Remember that you can call them anytime, but there are restrictions on when they can call you, so keep calling until you talk directly to them.) When you get them on the phone reference the letters that you have sent them, your coaches call to them. Be prepared to let them know your level of interest, your soccer accomplishments and where your team will be playing.
Given the emergence of ECNL, be prepared to offer a non-defensive explanation of why you are not playing on an ECNL team (costs, travel time, great training with current team, or even an honest, “our local ECNL team is really good and I felt that playing on my current team would get me more game experience – it was a tough decision, but I think that it has worked out for me”. Be mature and don’t bad mouth any other team. Make sure to ask directly if the coach will be willing to evaluate your play. Thank them for their time and consideration.
With a commitment from the college coach to watch you play at an agreed upon event, have your coach confirm with the college coach your game schedule and inquire as to when the college coach will be there so that the coach can be sure that you are on the field and fresh when the college coach is there.
Now play well! You don’t need to be concerned about the level of the competition, because if the college coach is at that particular event they are already aware of the level of competition and it must be acceptable or they would not have spent their recruiting budget to attend.
And don’t worry about the game score or if your team won or lost. The coach was watching you and probably doesn’t really care who won or lost, but were evaluating your play based on the game situation. Where you protecting a lead? Did your team need to gain possession and get a score? They will be more concerned about your execution and your knowledge of the game situation, than they were influenced by whether your team won or lost.
Now contact the college coach after the event and see what he thought of your play. Does the coach think that you would be a good fit with their program?
Additionally, find out which soccer camps the coach will be participating in over the summer. (Many coaches will “guest coach” at another schools camp). Ask the coach if attending the camp would give him a better opportunity to evaluate you and which camp would he recommend.
Finally, if the coach is interested don’t stop communicating with them! This is the time to ramp up your letters, keep them informed of your soccer progress, your academic progress and your continued interest in their program. Do not stop until you have signed the Letter of Intent with the school. A coach’s interest in your sophomore or junior year isn’t a done deal. Stay in touch!
Getting recruited is a process. It is not just showing up with a good team at a high level event and expecting to be found. It is making yourself known to the right coaching staff prior to the event.
Now that players have, for the most part, decided to play or not play for one of the four ECNL clubs, I thought that I would pontificate on a plan to get recruited. Being on a good team or playing at the right events isn't enough.
Maybe if you are the one in a generation player who has it all;
Size, strength, pure speed, technical speed and tactical speed;
You can just show up and you will be recruited.
For everyone else, the key to getting recruited is to get seen while playing well, against good competition by the right college coaching staff.
Not a real complex objective:
• Get seen.
• Play well.
• Play good competition.
• Identify the right college staff.
I suggest that you start with the last point first – identify the right college staff. Not every player is a good fit with UNC, Stanford, ND, etc. You must have an honest discussion with your coaches, identify your strengths and weaknesses and determine which level of collegiate play is most suited for your game.
Should you be looking at top 20 D1 teams, mid-level major conference teams? Are teams in the Ivy League or Patriot League a better fit? Would a top level D2 be a good fit or should you be looking for a less competitive situation. Be realistic about who you are and where you could be a productive player.
Once you have identified the level of play that would best fit your game, start evaluating the schools that play at that level for things other than soccer: location, environment, costs, available majors, best fit for your academic level and post-graduate ambitions
.
From the soccer evaluation and the non-soccer evaluation identify a number of colleges (10-15) that are the best fit for YOU.
With this list, look into their soccer programs. Who are the coaches, how long have they been there? What does the current roster look like, are they thin at your position? Make an effort to go watch these teams play. How do they play the game? Does their style of play fit with your skills?
With this information, start a letter writing campaign with the head coach and lead recruiter. Let them know why you like their school, their program and the league that they play in. Show them that you have invested some time into learning about their program and that you are not just sending out mass mailings to random schools.
Let them know about your soccer accomplishments and why you think that you would be a good fit with their program.
Have your coach get in touch with the college coaches. Your coach should tell them about your team and why he (she) thinks that you would be a good prospect for them to evaluate. Have your coach find out where they are spending their recruiting dollars, which tournament they will be attending and would the college coach make an effort to evaluate you if your team was in attendance, or if not the team, if you were to guest play at those tournaments.
Now you call the coach. (Remember that you can call them anytime, but there are restrictions on when they can call you, so keep calling until you talk directly to them.) When you get them on the phone reference the letters that you have sent them, your coaches call to them. Be prepared to let them know your level of interest, your soccer accomplishments and where your team will be playing.
Given the emergence of ECNL, be prepared to offer a non-defensive explanation of why you are not playing on an ECNL team (costs, travel time, great training with current team, or even an honest, “our local ECNL team is really good and I felt that playing on my current team would get me more game experience – it was a tough decision, but I think that it has worked out for me”. Be mature and don’t bad mouth any other team. Make sure to ask directly if the coach will be willing to evaluate your play. Thank them for their time and consideration.
With a commitment from the college coach to watch you play at an agreed upon event, have your coach confirm with the college coach your game schedule and inquire as to when the college coach will be there so that the coach can be sure that you are on the field and fresh when the college coach is there.
Now play well! You don’t need to be concerned about the level of the competition, because if the college coach is at that particular event they are already aware of the level of competition and it must be acceptable or they would not have spent their recruiting budget to attend.
And don’t worry about the game score or if your team won or lost. The coach was watching you and probably doesn’t really care who won or lost, but were evaluating your play based on the game situation. Where you protecting a lead? Did your team need to gain possession and get a score? They will be more concerned about your execution and your knowledge of the game situation, than they were influenced by whether your team won or lost.
Now contact the college coach after the event and see what he thought of your play. Does the coach think that you would be a good fit with their program?
Additionally, find out which soccer camps the coach will be participating in over the summer. (Many coaches will “guest coach” at another schools camp). Ask the coach if attending the camp would give him a better opportunity to evaluate you and which camp would he recommend.
Finally, if the coach is interested don’t stop communicating with them! This is the time to ramp up your letters, keep them informed of your soccer progress, your academic progress and your continued interest in their program. Do not stop until you have signed the Letter of Intent with the school. A coach’s interest in your sophomore or junior year isn’t a done deal. Stay in touch!
Getting recruited is a process. It is not just showing up with a good team at a high level event and expecting to be found. It is making yourself known to the right coaching staff prior to the event.
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