Transcript EMFC College Recruiting Presentation December 5, 2011

1. Recruiting by college coaches is often a two-way
deal
 Many times it is the player that initiates the
communication
 Very few kids are just sought out based on soccer alone
 If you do receive a letter or questionnaire from a school
make sure you respond in a timely manner
 I ALWAYS suggest that the player (not parent) initiate
and continue the communication
2. Many different levels and there is most likely a
place for almost everyone.
 If you really want to play, you CAN make it somewhere
 NCAA Divisions I, II, II
 NAIA
 Junior Colleges
 Just know your level and ability. Ask your HS or Club
coach for an opinion.
 Be realistic about scholarships and the opportunity to
earn one. Walk-on a possibility???
3. Know what you are looking for and do your research
 Create a list of schools with a few “dream schools/programs”, 4 –
6 “realistic opportunity schools”, a few “not my top choice but I’d
consider it…”
 Think about all aspects of the school, not just soccer, i.e –
location/weather, class sizes, school size, potential academic
major…
 I know that we coaches are influential, but what if we leave , or
worse yet you get seriously injured?
 Get on the internet, go to games, make unofficial visits
4. Timeline of Recruiting
 **This has changed dramatically over the past 3-4 years and
is possibly changing again as we speak …
 Freshmen – start to gather research, keep your grades up,
meet with an academic counselor at school to make sure
you are taking the right core courses, play in tournaments
where coaches can begin to evaluate your game
 Sophomore – “see above”, contact coaches, take visits,
attend ID camps, some (very few) are making
commitments at this age
 Junior – “see above”, attend Jr Day to see a game, make
unofficial visits, many are committing sometime during
this year, PSAT, SAT, ACT, Clearinghouse
 Senior – “see above”, make official visit(s), apply for FAFSA,
KEEP YOUR GRADES UP!
5. Why go to tournaments all the time?
 Be seen by schools you are interested in
 Be seen by new schools (attending tourneys in
different geographical areas will expose you to
different coaches)
 Coaches may watch for a friend if he/she can’t make it
 Get good games on video
 Play against good competition
6. Why are academics important?
 Your soccer career will eventually end, your work
career and life will keep going…..
 There are two piles of letters . . .the ones a coach can
get into school and the ones you can’t . . .which pile do
you want to be in?
 Helps with academic scholarships
 The truth about athletic scholarships…
7. NCAA Rules for College Coaches
 No Texting!
 Letters and emails after Sept 1 Jr year
 Phone calls (1 per week) and Home Visits after July 1 Sr
Year
 Unofficial Visits can be made at anytime
at your cost, you can stay with players, you can talk to
coach about anything, you can make as many as you
want
 Official Visits - make 5 after you start your SR year of
HS
 You can call a coach anytime and discuss anything
8. How to contact a college coach
 Start with a letter and resume
 Letter- make it personal and never send a generic
email, always include any reference as to WHY you are
interested in their school (friend, you saw them play,
like their specific academic program, etc)
 Resume – grad year, position, # on field . . .don’t miss
the obvious ones
 Follow up with an email or phone call, be persistent
 Video is an option but not the ideal way to see a player
 many coaches have different ideas of what they want to
see, so ask first what positions they are looking for in
your class, will they accept recruited walk–ons,
 Show sample resume and take questions………