how do you get recognized?

[CtownGK]

when you play for a alright team that doesnt win too many games and doesnt rank at all how do you get recognized by scouts and such i really want to play at college level maybe at a div 1 school but i dont know how to get recognized except by parents and coaches whenever i play good teams... any help let me know

[drsoccer]

To get the attention of a college coach, you should send them a letter with your soccer resume and academic accomplishments. Tell them when your club team is in a tournament and invite them to come watch. Check out the school and team on a website to discover the nuances of the program and the particulars that you want in a college education. Follow that letter with a phone call a couple of weeks later if you haven't been contacted.

Many schools now have email buttons on their soccer sites in order to directly contact a coach. Once in awhile a coach will come to a high school game, but not very often. Coaches are busy and don't have the staff that other college sports have. The whole idea is to be proactive and contact them in your junior year if possible. Good luck.

[Edited by drsoccer on 4-11-03 10:03P]

 

[TDJ85]

Almost without exception your colleges recruit from the club/travel teams and ODP. Forget trying to get recognized at the high school level especially from D-1 coaches. D-III

coaches do not get out that much and tend to recruit closer to home. Also they rely on the player to send game film for them to evaluate. You might also pick a school that you are interested in and attend their summer camps. Unfortunately unlike football, unless you are an elite national team player you have to do a lot of self promotion ( letters, game film etc. ) to get noticed. Otherwise find a highly competitive travel team that goes to major tournaments, that is where all the coaches are. Good luck.

[Edited by TDJ85 on 4-11-03 10:15P]

 

[realsoccer]

If you're looking for a scholarship - forget it! Compliments of Title 9, there are so few available, coaches have to slice and dice among a 19 player roster. Your better hope is to do well in school. Maybe a DIII coach can help you get into the school of your choice with some grant in aid financial help.

 

If you're a DI prospect, play for a competitive ODP team and travel team, some one will contact you. Otherwise, plan on studying.

[Edited by realsoccer on 4-12-03 11:17A]

 

[TDJ85]

D-1 schools are limited to 9.9 scholarships total to be divided among 20-24 players. Only a select few receive more than 1/2, some only books. D-2 has even less available. The previous post was correct, there is more money available in academics than minor sports. Strive for the best of both worlds. It can be done.

 

Unlike some post I've seen on other threads, because of budget retraints, coaches recruit almost exclusively through ODP and competitive travel tournaments.

[titansfan05]

Also remember that coaches cannot contact you until your junior year, so don't send things too early. Div III coaches will come to high school games oocasionally, but big time Div I coaches look at club soccer mostly. Super Club tournaments, State and Regional tourneys, and several other tourneys around the country are loaded with scouts.

[Irish17]

If you are looking to get noticed by coaches then all of the previous posts are correct. Most good soccer schools will send there staff to the big name club tournaments. Also they usually have a list of teams they are looking for so sometimes it is good to get a team manager to try and coax them to come watch your team play. Be careful about contacting and talking to coaces, because of all the strict NCAA rules. Some of the premeir tournaments in the south are : Germantown Invitational, Tampa Sun Bowl, Raliegh Shootout, Dallas Cup, and any of the Super Clubs tournaments. Go to these tournaments and either make a final in the second flight or play in the first flight and you will get seen by plenty of coaches. Otherwise be proactive and send stuff to different schools showing interest.

[Edited by Irish17 on 4-13-03 10:44P]