You love soccer, and you know you want to keep playing in college. You’re ready to start finding the college team that’s right for you. Before you reach out to individual coaches, take a moment to read through our list of information you’ll need before you contact college soccer coaches.
Talk to Your Family
Make sure you and your parents are on the same page about what type of schools you’re considering. Are you looking to travel far from home or stay close? How much can your parents contribute to tuition, and how much are you willing to take out in student loans? Having an idea of the geographic area and cost of schools will really limit your search, and you can start collecting a list of schools from there.
Figure Out What You’d Like to Study Academically
You don’t need to know exactly what you want to study, but make sure you pick a school that has majors in the areas you’re interested in. If you love math, you might want to rule out colleges that don’t have an engineering school. We know you’re there to play soccer, but you’re also there to learn, and you want to make sure the courses offered are right for you.
Create a List of Schools
Make sure your list contains only schools that are reasonable for you both academically and as an athlete. Are you going to be looking for D1, D2, D3, D4, or NAIA schools? Learn the differences between them and figure out which are the best fit for you.
Begin Contacting College Soccer Coaches
You should contact all the coaches on the list of schools you’ve created! Students are allowed to contact NCAA coaches at any time, but there are restrictions on when coaches are allowed to contact you.
Make an Online Profile Here
The first step to recruiting is the college coach hearing about you either via a tournament or your online profile, so make sure to take the time to make it shine. Give any details that would be relevant for a coach looking to recruit you, and make sure you’re going to the tournaments where scouts can see you. What was widely know as the “NCAA Clearinghouse” has been renamed the NCAA Eligibility Center. It’s the starting point to begin research.
Create a Soccer Resume & Highlight Reel
A soccer resume should include your team’s accomplishments and honors as well as your personal achievments. Other personal information should include references and speak to what makes you unique. The harder piece of content to create is a highlight video that allows a coach to get an idea of what kind of player you are. There are lots of platforms that offer guidance and hosting to create a player profile. Pick one and build it out. Many Berky girls have chose Hudl in the past.
Email the Coaches
Email is the preferred method for most college soccer coaches, and 98% have their email listed on their homepage. Send them a personalized email about why you’re interested in their team in particular, and let them know where they can see you play. There are restrictions on when college coaches are allowed to reach out to individual students, so also include the contact information for your coach. This way, the college coach can get in touch with your coach if it’s too soon to get in touch with you.
And, of course, don’t forget to keep your skills sharp! Visit https://berkshiresocceracademy.com to learn more.