By Sydney Reese
Do you want to play at the next level? While the recruiting process may seem long and scary, if you really want to continue playing your sport in college, going through the process will be worth it. Personally, I found the recruiting process exhausting and overwhelming, but now, as a senior, I couldn’t be more excited for the next four years of collegiate soccer. Here are some tips and reminders I would give to anyone looking to continue their sport at the next level.
- Start early! Start collecting highlight film and scanning through different colleges that pique your interest as early as sophomore year. By the end of sophomore year, I had a two to three minute highlight film and a long list of colleges I would love to play for. I would advise keeping the list long at first, then as you get closer and closer to senior year and wanting to commit, keep crossing off colleges.
- Email profusely! Out of your long list of colleges, start emailing the head and assistant coaches. While they can’t email you back until January 1st of your sophomore year, email them anyways. Simply getting on a college coach’s “radar” is one of the most important first steps. Don’t get discouraged when the coach doesn’t email back. Email them again! Show that you are truly interested in their program and school. While you are mass emailing, try personalizing the email to fit each school as much as possible.
- ID camps! For me, this is specifically how I got recruited for soccer. Other sports might not have as many ID camps, but if your sport does, I highly recommend attending them. At ID camps not only do you get a feel for the coaches, team and athletic program, but also you get a feel for the school and what it would be like to attend as a student.
- Build connections! Connections with club coaches, college coaches, and administrators in general will incredibly benefit your journey through the recruiting process. For example, I went to an ID camp at Colorado State University and loved the assistant coach and program. After the ID camp, we stayed in contact. Even though I didn’t end up going to CSU, the coach at CSU connected me with other coaches, leading to more options and opportunities for me. Unfortunately, having coaches speak for you is more valuable and reliable than you speaking for yourself.
- Be confident! Whether you are at an ID camp or just training in general, confidence is noticeable and stands out. Typically, coaches are drawn to confidence. However, overconfidence bordering cockyness can also disinterest a coach. Therefore, confidence with an outstanding work ethic is a safe way to interest a coach. Typically, if you work hard enough, your confidence will be justified by your work ethic.
- Trust the process! You will end up wherever you are meant to be. While everyone claims there is a “perfect fit”, I think that idea is flawed. There is no such thing as a “perfect fit”, just many good fits for a specific person. Choose the college and level that is best for you, not what your friends or other people think is best for you. Everything will work out in the end. Please remember that you are not defined by the college or level that you play at!