International Soccer Club: College Bound Program

    At International Soccer Club we continue to strive for success of our players and the program. Our goals are not just providing a quality playing environment, but to offer opportunities to move beyond the club level. Our College Bound Program has been established to offer further information and education to those who have thoughts of moving into the college ranks as a Student-Athlete. The information below will be offered throughout our Club for you.

• General Application Process
• Choosing Your School
• College Soccer “The Game Itself”
• Being a Student-Athlete

     The CB Program will maintain focus on the proper information so that you may understand what is involved in being a student as well as a college player. We will provide instruction through guest staff who are current College Coaches, Players and Former Players. We hope you will take the time and attend this program as we are excited to offer this to you.

CB Program

•   Your college options and the decision variables to consider when selecting a college. 
•   What you need to do in order to play college soccer
•   What it takes to be a college soccer player
•   What it’s like to be a college soccer player

Scholarships – The Myths and the Facts:

FACT – Less than 5% of all soccer players get an athletic scholarship (not like football). 

MYTH 2 – SCHOLARSHIPS ARE 4 YEARS IN LENGTH.

FACT – They are 1 year contracts, renewable annually. 

MYTH 3 – SCHOLARSHIPS CAN NOT BE TAKEN AWAY.

FACT – They can be revoked or reduced for a variety of reasons.

On the positive side:  They are also routinely INCREASED.

 Decision Variables in the College Selection Process 

1.  SOCCER PROGRAM

        a.        Level of play 
        b.        Schedule  
        c.        Style of play (do they play 4-4-2, 3-4-3?) 
        d.        Needs (center-back or forward?) 
        f.         Scholarship (how much is available?) 
        g.        Team/player commitment (off-season workouts?)

2.  ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

        a.       G.P.A. 
        b.       ACT/SAT 
        c.       Majors 

3.  SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

        a.       Is there campus life/housing? 
        b.       Is it a primary commuter school? 
        c.       Is it the #1 party school in America?

4.  LOCATION

        a.       Close to home/Far from home
        b.       Warm climate/Cold climate 
        c.           College town/College IN town 
        d.       Close to beach

5.  COST   

          a.        Private/Public 
        b.       In state/Out-of-state 
        c.       Academic scholarships 
        d.       Financial Aid  

What you need in order to play college level soccer. 

DEVELOP YOURSELF ACADEMICALLY

• Take as many CORE courses as possible – 14 is minimum going to 16 in 2008 
• Develop good study habits early on 
• High school GPA transcripts start your FRESHMAN year 
• Prepare for ACT/SAT exams – New SAT (essay) 
• Register with Clearinghouse – After junior year
  
  

DEVELOP YOURSELF ATHLETICALLY

•    Play for a club that will develop your skills 
•    Continue to work on your own technically 
•    Participate in ODP teams 
•    Attend a couple of college camps 
•    Play for a competitive team that will expose you to some quality tournaments 
•    Play for a club that rotates it’s coaches every few years 
•    Play for a club/team where your coach is well known among college coaches
  
  

REALISTICALLY ASSESS YOUR ABILITIES

• Academically 
• Athletically – watch games
  
  

•    Include academic and athletic profile 
•    Denote graduation date 
•    On-line profiles are big advantage
  
  

FIND A COLLEGE THAT HAS A NEED FOR YOU TYPE OF PLAYER


PARENTS AND PLAYERS EVALUATE COLLEGES ON ALL LEVELS
    

What it takes to be a college soccer player

• Excellent physical characteristics- Must excel in at least on physical area – speed, size, strength,  endurance 
• Possess the necessary technical skills to perform your primary job 
• Possess an excellent work rate 
• Be able to make decisions quickly and play with fewer touches 
• Be able to play when games are tight 
• Must be responsible on and off the field – coaches get fired 
• Be able to work with and care for your teammates 
• Must be extremely competitive
  

IT'S VERY TIME DEMANDING

• Train 5-6 days a week – practice, games, weights, travel, training room 
• Academic workload – study hall, papers, exams, group projects, advisor appt 

IT'S PHYSICALLY DEMANDING

• 20 games in 12 weeks 
• Not much rest or time for injuries 
• Style of play is very physical