EC United 93: College Information

Monday, March 23
COLLEGE RECRUITMENT INFORMATION:
 

SOCCER RECRUITING GUIDELINES:

Division I:

ODP Experience:
     National Team/Pool
     Regional Team/Pool
     State Team NOT Pool
     Adidas ESP Camp

CLUB Experience:
     Premier Club Experience
     Attend Major Tournaments & College Showcases

High School Experience:
     All-American
     Varsity starter
     All-State
     All Region/Conference/Sectional



Division I Soccer Notes:  Most Division I soccer players have club experience and play for a high level premier/elite club team that attends out of state tournaments. The majority, but NOT ALL Division I players have ODP experience at the state level or higher. High level club tournament play and ODP soccer come closest to mirroring the college game, and this is where most collegiate scouting takes place. Nearly 100% of all Division I soccer players who played for their high school teams have earned at least All-Conference recognition. Most have also received All-District, All-State and All-Region honors.

Division II:

ODP Experience:
     Tryouts/Camps
     State Pool
     Club Experience:
     Team travels to out of state tournaments
     High School Experience:
     Varsity starter

Division III/NAIA:

Club Experience:
     Travels to Tournaments
     Not AYSO or REC
     High School Experience:
     Varsity Starter

Division II/III Soccer Notes:  Over 95% Division II, III, and NAIA soccer players have club experience. Nearly 70% of Division II, III, and NAIA soccer players have earned individual recognition at the high school level if they played high school soccer.

Preferred Grades for All Divisions:3.0 GPA +24 ACT + 1000 SAT (out of 1600) (No scores needed for underclassmen)

Soccer by the Numbers

Schools Offering Soccer
Varsity Men Women
NCAA Division I 196 301
NCAA Division II 174 227
NCAA Division III 395 418
NAIA 206 214
NJCAA 199 162
Total 1,170 1,322
Athletic Scholarship Opportunities
Division I(per school) 9.9 14
Division II (per school) 9 9.9
NAIA 12 12
Student-Athlete Participation
NCAA Division I 5,496 7,630
NCAA Division II 4,274 5,025
NCAA Division III 10,023 9,054
High School 358,935 321, 555
Note:  Division III schools offer merit, academic, and need-based scholarships.
Information from NCSASports.org  (http://www.ncsasports.org/recruiting-tools/soccer/soccer-guidelines)

 SCHOLARSHIPS and FINANCIAL AID:

FAFSA Tip:
Remember that January 1st is the first day you can submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. FAFSA forms are evaluated on a first come first serve basis so you are strongly encouraged to submit yours on or near January 1st. Many states have a March 1st deadline, and in some states the deadline is February. You do not need to be admitted to college to apply for financial aid! However, you must be admitted to actually receive funds.The FAFSA form is free so there is no reason not to apply. You can get a copy of the FAFSA from your guidance counselor, from the financial aid office at a local college or by calling 1-800-4-FED-Aid. The online version is available at fafsa.ed.gov. There is also more detailed information about this form and financial aid in general on this website.
 Education loans come in three major categories: student loans (e.g., Stafford and Perkins loans), parent loans (e.g., PLUS loans) and student loans (also called alternative student loans). A fourth type of education loan, the consolidation loan, allows the borrower to lump all of their loans into one loan for simplified payment.  READ MORE AT:  http://www.finaid.org/loans/

There are many college playing opportunities for high school graduates. There are many schools with soccer programs. The colleges and universities vary widely in size, location, and academic offering, and the soccer programs sponsored range from moderately to very competitive.
 

Steps in the process include these points

  • Preparing academically
  • Preparing athletically
  • Completing administrative preparations
  • Identifying realistic college options
  • Generating contacts among these options
  • Following up on contacts
  • Making a selection and committing
  • For players of equal academic and athletic ability, those who have the opportunity to create more contacts, and those who are more diligent about communicating effectively, do better in finding good opportunities to attend school and play soccer.

Special Opportunities for Women

The tremendous increase in the number of women's college soccer programs has exceeded the rate at which information about recruiting, scholarships, college soccer, and college life for student athletes can be presented to potential college players. In response, many college and youth coaches and club programs have worked hard to prepare information for players that is presented in person, through newsletters, in brochures and guides, and recruiting pages on web sites. This information is intended to help provide a good understanding of the level of play in college, the various types of college programs, schools, and conferences, to explain the recruiting process, and to eliminate misunderstandings and myths.

Communicating with the Coach

Good communications are essential. Complete forms carefully and return them promptly. Follow up by mail and phone. Return phone calls immediately, and remember that the NCAA coach can not usually call more than once a week. If you have a message, call back and keep calling until you get through.If you fail to return phone calls promptly or to return paperwork or get your paperwork into the NCAA Eligibility Clearinghouse, the coach will have to move on to other players, giving your playing opportunity and financial aid to another player who was prompt about returning paperwork and phone calls.When the coach calls, the coach wants to present the school and soccer program, to learn more about you, the player, and to arrange to move you further along the recruiting pipeline, possibly to a home visit or to an official visit to the school. If you are not interested, save everyone time and be honest about it. However, if you are interested, there's a lot you need to find out about the school and program so that you'll be able to make a good decision. See What to Ask.For access to team web sites for many NCAA and NAIA schools, see the Brucebrownlee College Soccer Teams page.

Recruiting Guide to College Soccer Teams and Coaches

For a printed guide to all soccer programs, Sports Source offers The Official College Athletics Guide, a popular paperback handbook for college bound soccer players published by Charlie Kadupski in Plano, Texas. Charlie's paperback, about the size of a thick romance novel, describes each women's program, and gives mailing addresses, names, phone numbers, and program information (style of play, conference, scholarships) about each soccer program and academic information about each school. This guide also gives an excellent and realistic explanation of the college recruiting process and gives practical instructions on preparing a resume and contacting college coaches.

Your Meeting with a College Soccer Coach

When you enter your senior year in high school, you may have a chance to speak with a college coach who calls, stops by, or sees you during a visit to the coach's college or university. When the coach takes time to talk to you and to introduce the school, program, and playing opportunity, you have the chance to ask questions that will help you make your decision, and, at the same time, help you and the coach decide if the school and playing opportunity is a good match for your interests and for the team needs. If it turns out that there is a good match, your having asked these questions will help the coach feel confident that you are serious about the opportunity.

About the College

Is this a four year or two year school?
Is the school public or private? Church affiliated?
Where is the school located?
Is this in the country, a small town, or in an urban area?
What is the campus like?
How large is the school, what is the undergraduate enrollment?
What are the strongest degree programs offered, and which are the best academic departments?
What degree programs are popular with current soccer players?
Do most students live on campus or in off-campus apartments?
What is the student housing like?
Do the members of the soccer team room together?
What transportation is possible from my home to the campus?
What is the academic calendar - quarters, semesters, trimesters?
What computing resources and library services are available to students?
What do you do to help players with their school work? Is tutoring provided?

About the College Soccer Program and the Team

In what division does the school play? (NAIA, I, II, III, NJCAA)
In what conference is the team?
What important non-conference teams are scheduled?
Can you provide a schedule for next fall?
What was the team's conference and overall record this year?
How many players will there be on the roster next year?
How many will travel with the team?
What training happens between seasons?
What is the pre-season schedule?
What is the practice schedule after school starts?
Including meetings, training, travel, and matches, how much time is required?
What facilities and staff are available to take care of injuries and rehab?
What is the style of play you want to see?
What are your goals for the team?

About the Coach's Needs for the Soccer Team

How many seniors are graduating?
Are there red shirt players returning?
Where would I play in the team?
How much playing time should I expect as a freshman?
How many other players are playing that position?
Are your recruiting other players for that position? Have you committed to any?

How to Go Forward

Where am I on your board now?
Have you seen me play?
Which tournaments will you be attending? (appropriate before January)
Do you have our team's schedule for this fall? (appropriate in the Fall)
Have you talked with my coaches?
Do you have a copy of my playing resume and references?
What's the next step? What should I do? Do you see me as a serious possibility?
After this last question, let silence work for you. Listen carefully and let the coach explain fully.