Top tips for college soccer recruitment

Recruiting season can be both stressful and exciting for all involved.

Coaches dedicate a huge amount of time travelling to showcases and matches, watching videos, sending emails, waiting for responses – the list goes on. For players, the uncertainty and pressure can be very challenging, too.

But getting recruited as a prospective college soccer player is not as simple as assuming they will find you.

Players cannot hope the coach they want to play for will show up at the right time for their game and notice them while they are having a moment of brilliance. 

While that would certainly make life for all involved a fair bit easier, it is simply not realistic - and leaves way too much to chance for those who are serious about playing college soccer. 

Being recruited is a lot of work but dedicating the time and effort can reap rewards. If you have players who are looking to get recruited by a college, here are my top tips to share with them...

 

01 Identify your schools 

Be realistic and prepared. Talk to your coach about your level and be prepared that it may be a tough conversation. Coaches should be prepared to have honest, realistic conversations with them.

Find schools that fit your location, size, soccer ambitions but, most importantly, your academic goals. Have a range – do not focus on just one school, there are plenty out there and there will be more than one great fit.

 

02 Be persistent

Email the coach every time you’re at a showcase. Seeing your name repeatedly will garner some recognition. Include key information such as your name, graduation year, playing position, jersey number and colors and game schedule.

Include a highlight film so they can get an idea of the type of player you are. Also, ensure you include something individualized to that coach - it’s easy to send 100 coaches the same email, but they are also easy to delete.

 

03 Keep coaches updated

Be helpful to coaches and respectful of their time and efforts. Be sure to email them any changes that happen in your schedule as early as possible.

 

04 Meet and greet

If you see a coach who you have contacted at your game, make sure to follow up on your email with a personal ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’.

Many coaches are looking for great people and team members, as well as good players, so this personal acknowledgement of their efforts will go a long way to impressing them.

05 Nail your highlight film

Thousands of players will be sending coaches highlights reels, so make sure yours is memorable. 

 

If you have done one bicycle kick in your life, it’s cool to show it, but make sure you also include your ’go-to’ moves and skills. Some tips:

• Start with your very best highlight.
• Show defending and goal scoring – you need to be a complete player.
• Include more than just the immediate highlight. Show the 1-2 seconds before and 1-2 seconds after - we want to see the play unfolding and how you made something happen. Context is key.
• Keep it short. 3-5 minutes is ideal.
• Background music is a choice. At least 50% of coaches will mute it, so make sure it’s appropriate and don’t spend ages on it.