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Post by OTPSoccer on Oct 1, 2019 14:56:40 GMT -5
I'd be interested in hearing from other parents that have gone through the college recruiting process on the boys side. What did you do right? What would you have done different? Recommendations on the process to be seen by colleges? How does the initial contact work? What is the process like?
If you know of resources that are specific to college soccer recruiting, I'd appreciate any recommendations.
Knowing that many on this forum have gone through this process and invested countless hours, I appreciate any words of wisdom that you're willing to share.
Thanks
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Post by soccerguru on Oct 2, 2019 11:44:39 GMT -5
My advice:
1. Identify schools early (8-9th grade) and start attending the schools ID camps. Letting the coaches get to know your kid early is a must.
2. Start taking video early also (9th grade). Every Coach wants a 3-4 minute video clip of your son playing. It's tougher than you think to build
a clip with exceptional highlights.
3. Over Communicate by your player to the coach, relationship building is key
4. Some coaches get players scholarships just by their word, think RD and TA. I know several players where the college coaches have never
seen them play but a coach put in the word and they were accepted on the team, without the coach knowing the player.
A couple of other suggestions:
Be honest with your kid and yourself about the level of soccer they can play. College coaches are lazy and you have to recruit them, they actually don't go out and recruit many players, just the exceptional ones. They tend to believe that all the best players are at the MLS academies and even though we know that's not true, it's the benchmark for college coaches.
AT D1 schools there are 9 scholarships for 28 players, not a lot of money going around.
There is nothing wrong with D2, D3 and smaller schools, if their dream is to play college soccer there is a place.
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Post by SoccerMom on Oct 2, 2019 13:31:48 GMT -5
Dont overlook NAIA schools....they have $$$$
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Post by Keeper on Oct 2, 2019 16:01:35 GMT -5
Dont overlook NAIA schools....they have $$$$ And are typically just as good and competitive as some D1 schools! Plus that added benefit of zero to little student debt after graduation. |
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Post by OTPSoccer on Oct 2, 2019 21:56:10 GMT -5
I looked at the rosters for a few NAIA schools. Granted, just a few data points, but their rosters were dominated by international players. Much more so than what I've seen on D1 rosters. What's the story here?
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Post by Keeper on Oct 2, 2019 22:48:26 GMT -5
I looked at the rosters for a few NAIA schools. Granted, just a few data points, but their rosters were dominated by international players. Much more so than what I've seen on D1 rosters. What's the story here? Have you met the NCAA? You know that group of corrupted old men that enjoy making absurd rules so they can make millions of dollars. It’s tough for international students to get cleared by them. Plus if local kids aren’t wanting those scholarships and roster spots then someone else is going to take them. Why I was almost a HS soccer player turned Clemson cheerleader. 🤷🏻♂️ |
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Post by guest on Oct 3, 2019 7:02:42 GMT -5
This has been an enlightening thread. I wasn’t aware that there was much men’s college soccer other than just a few token programs. Are there any local schools that have a men’s program? Any schools that have football as well? I understand that if you don’t have a football program you can offer whatever sports you want.
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Post by OTPSoccer on Oct 3, 2019 9:47:05 GMT -5
This has been an enlightening thread. I wasn’t aware that there was much men’s college soccer other than just a few token programs. Are there any local schools that have a men’s program? Any schools that have football as well? I understand that if you don’t have a football program you can offer whatever sports you want. A quick search shows the following NAIA teams in GA: - Georgia Gwinnett - Point University - Brewton-Parker College - Thomas University - Middle GA State University - Truett-McConnell University - Reinhardt University |
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Post by Keeper on Oct 3, 2019 17:00:15 GMT -5
This has been an enlightening thread. I wasn’t aware that there was much men’s college soccer other than just a few token programs. Are there any local schools that have a men’s program? Any schools that have football as well? I understand that if you don’t have a football program you can offer whatever sports you want. A quick search shows the following NAIA teams in GA: - Georgia Gwinnett - Point University - Brewton-Parker College - Thomas University - Middle GA State University - Truett-McConnell University - Reinhardt University Add in these also in Georgia. Brenau University Covenant College Dalton State College Emmanuel College Georgia Southwestern State University |
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Post by blu on Oct 4, 2019 8:52:09 GMT -5
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Post by guest on Oct 4, 2019 16:25:07 GMT -5
Well that’s more programs than I thought. Just curious do any of these schools also offer American football?
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Post by footy on Oct 4, 2019 16:25:11 GMT -5
Go to the web pages for all the college teams of interest and fill out their recruit questionnaires. This will put your kid on the school's radar so he will hear about their program and camps. Your kid can include upcoming tournaments so college coaches might come watch him. There are certain rules as to when coaches can contact players, but players can reach out to coaches any time. www.ncsasports.org/ncaa-eligibility-center/recruiting-rules |
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Post by soccerparent02 on Oct 4, 2019 20:39:03 GMT -5
College coaches have limited budgets. They rarely if ever go to a high school game. They do not attend tournaments with lower level teams. They attend the showcases where all the top teams play. This saves them time and money. If your team doesn't attend one of these, go to their ID camp. You will quickly know if they are interested. By the end of their sophomore year, coaches know if they want your player.
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Post by infoguy on Oct 7, 2019 6:20:40 GMT -5
To get to your original question:
My son (HS senior) has one D3 offer, which he is seriously considering, and the coach told us that he first became interested in my son based on his video highlight reel, which is posted on his NCSA profile. NCSA is worth the money alone, just to search and use their database of universities/colleges with soccer programs. After a personal invite to one of their ID camps (I stress personal), they liked what they saw and after another camp, they made an offer toward the end of his Junior year. This is also after a number of emails back and forth, not letting the ball drop from our end. It felt right the whole time.
My son has been in competitive leagues, but not DA. So really, coaches have only shown up at the big showcase tournaments. We tried a number of methods, such as multi-school ID camps, etc. None of those things bore fruit for us, but it's not to say that others aren't ID'd through those channels. Bottom line (my take): DA games and showcases are where the D1 coaches go to seriously recruit with their limited time.
It's OK for you/your son to be direct to gauge the genuineness of emails, etc. We've let coaches know that we are interested in their program, when we get these mass emails, but we won't blindly travel up to NE just to go to a one day ID camp, unless they can express their level of interest and what they know about my son. You'll know what's real and what's not over time.
Good luck, and PM if you have other questions about our specific experience.
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