Does your child dream of playing college soccer? No matter where they are in their journey, it’s important to understand the college recruiting timeline and the steps involved. Ultimately, you may find that it’s well worth the effort.

For kids who love the sport, there are many advantages to playing college soccer. Ranging from earning scholarships and gaining exposure for the opportunity of potentially playing professionally to building important life skills such as leadership, confidence, and resilience.

If your child currently plays youth soccer or is on a high school team, this guide can help you understand how to play college soccer and the steps that can help get your child recruited.

How to Get Recruited for College Soccer

If you’re wondering how to get recruited for college soccer, there are many ways to do it, but the earlier you start, the better your chances. The process for choosing players for any college sports team, including soccer, is competitive. It’s important for players to spend their high school years building their reputations and perfecting their skills at the same time. That includes perfecting academic skills, not just what players can do on the field.

Key Steps for Getting Recruited

The path toward playing soccer in college might look a little different for everyone, but there are some key steps that can help players get there. They typically include:

• Improving skills: Whether kids play for their high school teams or local clubs, improving skills and staying in great shape should be a top priority.

• Researching schools: Have an idea of the schools of interest to ensure players meet their requirements, both for playing soccer and academic purposes.

• Creating a highlight reel: Put together a three-minute reel of your player’s best plays and moments on the field. You can use it to grab a potential dream school’s attention.

• Reaching out to coaches: When you narrow down a list of schools, it’s time to reach out to the soccer coaches with an email. Attach your player’s highlight reel and a list of their accomplishments. Express your interest and make sure you are polite and courteous. Sell yourself as the perfect candidate for their teams.

• Being persistent: For most players, the college soccer recruiting purpose is a long one. Players must prove themselves before they are accepted, so it’s important to remain persistent yet patient.

Maintain Strong Academics

While many young athletes are concerned with their performances on the field, they often forget that their performance off the field is just as important. Coaches want players on their team who are also dedicated to their studies and maintain high GPAs. Many colleges and universities, especially NCAA schools, have some strict academic standards for student athletes. Make sure you find out what they are as soon as possible and work hard to meet them.

Attend Camps and Showcases

Another step in the process of college recruiting for soccer that many young athletes overlook is the need to attend camps and showcases. This is a great way to get their name out there and build a positive reputation. College coaches typically attend these types of events to look for potential players for their teams. This gives players a chance to show off their skills in person.

Understanding the College Soccer Recruiting Timeline

Obviously, everyone’s college soccer recruiting timeline will look a little different. However, most players will actually begin taking steps toward making their dreams a reality during their freshman year of high school. It may seem early, but it’s never too soon to start.

Freshman and Sophomore Years

Although most players won’t start reaching out to colleges and coaches during their freshman and sophomore years, they will want to start preparing well in advance. That means focusing on performance on the field, building skills, and focusing on weaknesses. This time can also be used to attend camps and play in tournaments. In other words, players should participate in as many soccer-related opportunities as possible. During this time, it’s also important to focus on improving academic performance and raising grade point averages.

Junior and Senior Years

During players’ junior and senior years, the real fun begins. This is when they start narrowing down their choice of colleges, sending out their highlight reels, contacting coaches, and visiting campuses. By the end of players’ junior year, they should have a good idea of which school(s) they want to attend. Commitment letters are typically signed during players’ senior year.

Researching the Best College Fit for You

Before anyone begins a journey toward becoming a college soccer player, it’s important to do some research. However, this involves doing more than just searching something like “what colleges have a good soccer program.” It’s necessary to narrow down the best fit for each player’s personal goals. Ask the following:

• What are my academic goals?

• What are my athletic goals?

• What are my professional goals?

• What is the school’s/school’s soccer team’s reputation?

• Does the school offer scholarships?

• Do they have walk-on opportunities?

• How do the schools support student athletes?

• Do I like the coach?

NCAA Divisions, NAIA, and Junior Colleges

It’s also important to note that schools and their athletic programs can be divided into three categories: Junior Colleges (NJCAA), NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics), and NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association).

Junior colleges are two-year schools that aren’t quite as competitive as the other schools. Young athletes often attend to improve their grades, improve their athletic skills, or both before transferring to a four-year university. Junior colleges are less likely to offer scholarships, though their entrance requirements are more lenient.

NAIA is made up of about 237, mostly small schools throughout the United States. Players typically receive more personalized support from coaches and professors, but the level of play is a bit more competitive than it is at junior colleges. For example, you might compete against lower-division NCAA schools. There are also more scholarships available. Many pro players have attended NAIA schools.

There are more than 1,200 NCAA schools, and they are divided into three divisions: DI, DII, and DIII. DI schools have the most competitive programs, and their teams receive the most attention from the media and fans. Many pro athletes start out at DI schools. DIII schools are focused more on academics and do not offer athletic scholarships, while DII schools fall somewhere in the middle.

How Playing College Soccer Can Benefit Young Adults

Whether players are just looking for scholarships to get into school or they hope to become professional soccer players, there are numerous benefits of playing college soccer. Many of them will set players up for lifelong success. They include:

• Access to an education and professional development

• Health, body, and skills development

• Life skills, like time management, teamwork, and discipline

• Bonding and building lifelong friendships

• Path to a future in soccer, from coaching to playing pro

Learn how to play soccer in college with the Northeast Rush College Advisory Program. Its goal is to help youth soccer players and their families with their recruitment journey. Northeast Rush offers numerous resources, including dedicated full-time regional CAP directions that are committed to delivering personalized year-by-year guidance to each player with college soccer aspirations.