# 10 things:  Recruitment advice from a college coach



## Mystery Train

This week I had a fantastic hour long conversation with a college women's coach.  He's a 15 year college coaching vet in the east & south with assistant/recruiting experience at D2 and D3 and the last decade as head coach at the NAIA level.  (Disclaimer: this advice is probably not for players targeting National Team exposure or strictly Power 5 Division 1 starting positions, but rather the other 98% of youth soccer players out there.)

Here are the notes I took from him on the recruitment process and women's college soccer in general that were helpful to me and my player:

1. In deciding what level is appropriate for your player to aspire to, remember that the variation in the quality of soccer programs within each division (NCAA D1-D3 & NAIA) can be wildly unpredictable.  His quote: "You can find bad soccer at every level of college, and you can find great soccer at every level, too."  Don't focus too much on the division, focus on the individual school's program.  For example, his NAIA school has better facilities and more resources for athletics than the local directional D1 State school (i.e. South Western Bamasippi State) and can compete with them for recruits. 

2. The most commonly successful way to get on a coach's radar is to reach out directly to them.  Almost 100% of his current players made the first contact to him, and usually it was via an email introduction. 

3. Even at his small school, he gets "hundreds" of emails a day.  If you don't personalize the salutation of the email (ie. "Hello Coach Smith" vs. "Hello Coach") he will automatically delete it.  Likewise, he will dismiss any email that doesn't include some sort of indication that the player has researched the school and mentioning reasons they are considering the school.  With that volume of emails, it just becomes overwhelming otherwise.

4. The second most common way to get on his radar is from club or HS coaches he knows recommending players to him.  That being said, such recommendations don't mean much unless the kid expresses a desire to go to his school and demonstrates that by reaching out.

5. Scouting at showcases is the least effective way to be discovered. He told me that at any big showcase there are probably 5-6 girls on every team that could potentially play for him.  To maximize his time watching, he needs to focus on kids that are in communication and on his radar already.  (note:  there is no restriction on communication between NAIA coaches and players before junior year like there is for NCAA D1).  He said that ID camps were dependent on the school: "Some run them as money makers, but we did our first one and I got several new recruits out of it that I might not have seen otherwise."

6. Don't put music on your video highlight reel.  If you must, make it instrumental. He just had one this week that "had lyrics so vulgar, I was blushing.  And I'm not a prude." 

7.  As a recruit at an NAIA school or D3, you can actually practice with the team on a campus visit.  There may be some restrictions on the time of year you can do this, but at his school, it was pretty wide open and according to him, "the best way for me to evaluate the player's fit with our program." 

8. He "almost never" gives out a full ride athletic scholarships.  Usually it's a 1/3 or 1/4 athletic scholarship, supplemented with academic scholarship money and other financial aid.  At his school, he only has about 6 full scholarships available per year (I was shocked), but it varies from school to school at the NAIA level, some having as much as 12.  For example:  He had a recent commit who is getting a 10k athletic scholarship, 10k academic (3.7 GPA), and 5k in other financial aid packages for a school that runs 31k/year.  That means she'll be going to school for about 5-6k in tuition.  Not a bad deal.  He said that is very typical for his school. 

9. As most people on here already know, your player's GPA is a BIG, BIG deal.  But besides all the obvious reasons (indicator of success in school, no eligibility question marks) at the NAIA level, kids with GPA's from 3.8 up to 4.0+ do not count against the NAIA athletic scholarship per-school $ limit (3.5-3.8 GPA's counts only 20% against the cap).  This means he almost never gives out athletic money to students with grades worse than 3.5.

10. What he looks for in a player:  "At our level, we're a top 20 NAIA school, so I always want at least 3-4 players on my roster who could have played D1 ball.  This year, I only had two, and it was tough.  There are three attributes I tell my coaches to evaluate:  Athletic ability, technical skill, and mentality which means soccer IQ.  In order to play college soccer at any level, you have to be EXCEPTIONAL at two of those things. If you are exceptional at all 3, you're probably already being recruited to a top D1 soccer program.  But I want a player who is exceptional at any two of those things.  We can work on the third enough to be competitive."

Bonus #11:  Every coach in other parts of the country knows how high the quality of soccer is in Southern California and love them when they come calling.  When I told him my kids' size, position, GPA, and club team ranking, he said, "If she's on a good team in Southern California with a high GPA, she'll have lots of opportunities out here in NAIA, D3, D2 and even in a lot of D1 programs.  Guaranteed.  Coaches will take a hard look at her.  She just has to be persistent." 

There were lots of other topics covered specific to her position and tactical soccer philosophy, plus some hilarious criticisms of the club soccer scene in general (which we all know too well) but this is stuff I thought any parent starting the process could benefit from.


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## Sheriff Joe

Mystery Train said:


> This week I had a fantastic hour long conversation with a college women's coach.  He's a 15 year college coaching vet in the east & south with assistant/recruiting experience at D2 and D3 and the last decade as head coach at the NAIA level.  (Disclaimer: this advice is probably not for players targeting National Team exposure or strictly Power 5 Division 1 starting positions, but rather the other 98% of youth soccer players out there.)
> 
> Here are the notes I took from him on the recruitment process and women's college soccer in general that were helpful to me and my player:
> 
> 1. In deciding what level is appropriate for your player to aspire to, remember that the variation in the quality of soccer programs within each division (NCAA D1-D3 & NAIA) can be wildly unpredictable.  His quote: "You can find bad soccer at every level of college, and you can find great soccer at every level, too."  Don't focus too much on the division, focus on the individual school's program.  For example, his NAIA school has better facilities and more resources for athletics than the local directional D1 State school (i.e. South Western Bamasippi State) and can compete with them for recruits.
> 
> 2. The most commonly successful way to get on a coach's radar is to reach out directly to them.  Almost 100% of his current players made the first contact to him, and usually it was via an email introduction.
> 
> 3. Even at his small school, he gets "hundreds" of emails a day.  If you don't personalize the salutation of the email (ie. "Hello Coach Smith" vs. "Hello Coach") he will automatically delete it.  Likewise, he will dismiss any email that doesn't include some sort of indication that the player has researched the school and mentioning reasons they are considering the school.  With that volume of emails, it just becomes overwhelming otherwise.
> 
> 4. The second most common way to get on his radar is from club or HS coaches he knows recommending players to him.  That being said, such recommendations don't mean much unless the kid expresses a desire to go to his school and demonstrates that by reaching out.
> 
> 5. Scouting at showcases is the least effective way to be discovered. He told me that at any big showcase there are probably 5-6 girls on every team that could potentially play for him.  To maximize his time watching, he needs to focus on kids that are in communication and on his radar already.  (note:  there is no restriction on communication between NAIA coaches and players before junior year like there is for NCAA D1).  He said that ID camps were dependent on the school: "Some run them as money makers, but we did our first one and I got several new recruits out of it that I might not have seen otherwise."
> 
> 6. Don't put music on your video highlight reel.  If you must, make it instrumental. He just had one this week that "had lyrics so vulgar, I was blushing.  And I'm not a prude."
> 
> 7.  As a recruit at an NAIA school or D3, you can actually practice with the team on a campus visit.  There may be some restrictions on the time of year you can do this, but at his school, it was pretty wide open and according to him, "the best way for me to evaluate the player's fit with our program."
> 
> 8. He "almost never" gives out a full ride athletic scholarships.  Usually it's a 1/3 or 1/4 athletic scholarship, supplemented with academic scholarship money and other financial aid.  At his school, he only has about 6 full scholarships available per year (I was shocked), but it varies from school to school at the NAIA level, some having as much as 12.  For example:  He had a recent commit who is getting a 10k athletic scholarship, 10k academic (3.7 GPA), and 5k in other financial aid packages for a school that runs 31k/year.  That means she'll be going to school for about 5-6k in tuition.  Not a bad deal.  He said that is very typical for his school.
> 
> 9. As most people on here already know, your player's GPA is a BIG, BIG deal.  But besides all the obvious reasons (indicator of success in school, no eligibility question marks) at the NAIA level, kids with GPA's from 3.8 up to 4.0+ do not count against the NAIA athletic scholarship per-school $ limit (3.5-3.8 GPA's counts only 20% against the cap).  This means he almost never gives out athletic money to students with grades worse than 3.5.
> 
> 10. What he looks for in a player:  "At our level, we're a top 20 NAIA school, so I always want at least 3-4 players on my roster who could have played D1 ball.  This year, I only had two, and it was tough.  There are three attributes I tell my coaches to evaluate:  Athletic ability, technical skill, and mentality which means soccer IQ.  In order to play college soccer at any level, you have to be EXCEPTIONAL at two of those things. If you are exceptional at all 3, you're probably already being recruited to a top D1 soccer program.  But I want a player who is exceptional at any two of those things.  We can work on the third enough to be competitive."
> 
> Bonus #11:  Every coach in other parts of the country knows how high the quality of soccer is in Southern California and love them when they come calling.  When I told him my kids' size, position, GPA, and club team ranking, he said, "If she's on a good team in Southern California with a high GPA, she'll have lots of opportunities out here in NAIA, D3, D2 and even in a lot of D1 programs.  Guaranteed.  Coaches will take a hard look at her.  She just has to be persistent."
> 
> There were lots of other topics covered specific to her position and tactical soccer philosophy, plus some hilarious criticisms of the club soccer scene in general (which we all know too well) but this is stuff I thought any parent starting the process could benefit from.


Thanks for taking the time.


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## Fact

@Mystery Train this is the best synopsis I have seen on recruiting on this site. I would like to emphasis how important #3 is to make a good first impression. I well structured email with specifics on th college, not just the college's soccer program, is very important, especially for the NAIA, Div. II and III.  Coaches can see right through kids casting a wide net without putting in the time and effort.  On the other hand, just like a cover letter for a job, a lack of effort with typos will get your email in the trash bin.


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## MakeAPlay

Mystery Train said:


> This week I had a fantastic hour long conversation with a college women's coach.  He's a 15 year college coaching vet in the east & south with assistant/recruiting experience at D2 and D3 and the last decade as head coach at the NAIA level.  (Disclaimer: this advice is probably not for players targeting National Team exposure or strictly Power 5 Division 1 starting positions, but rather the other 98% of youth soccer players out there.)
> 
> Here are the notes I took from him on the recruitment process and women's college soccer in general that were helpful to me and my player:
> 
> 1. In deciding what level is appropriate for your player to aspire to, remember that the variation in the quality of soccer programs within each division (NCAA D1-D3 & NAIA) can be wildly unpredictable.  His quote: "You can find bad soccer at every level of college, and you can find great soccer at every level, too."  Don't focus too much on the division, focus on the individual school's program.  For example, his NAIA school has better facilities and more resources for athletics than the local directional D1 State school (i.e. South Western Bamasippi State) and can compete with them for recruits.
> 
> 2. The most commonly successful way to get on a coach's radar is to reach out directly to them.  Almost 100% of his current players made the first contact to him, and usually it was via an email introduction.
> 
> 3. Even at his small school, he gets "hundreds" of emails a day.  If you don't personalize the salutation of the email (ie. "Hello Coach Smith" vs. "Hello Coach") he will automatically delete it.  Likewise, he will dismiss any email that doesn't include some sort of indication that the player has researched the school and mentioning reasons they are considering the school.  With that volume of emails, it just becomes overwhelming otherwise.
> 
> 4. The second most common way to get on his radar is from club or HS coaches he knows recommending players to him.  That being said, such recommendations don't mean much unless the kid expresses a desire to go to his school and demonstrates that by reaching out.
> 
> 5. Scouting at showcases is the least effective way to be discovered. He told me that at any big showcase there are probably 5-6 girls on every team that could potentially play for him.  To maximize his time watching, he needs to focus on kids that are in communication and on his radar already.  (note:  there is no restriction on communication between NAIA coaches and players before junior year like there is for NCAA D1).  He said that ID camps were dependent on the school: "Some run them as money makers, but we did our first one and I got several new recruits out of it that I might not have seen otherwise."
> 
> 6. Don't put music on your video highlight reel.  If you must, make it instrumental. He just had one this week that "had lyrics so vulgar, I was blushing.  And I'm not a prude."
> 
> 7.  As a recruit at an NAIA school or D3, you can actually practice with the team on a campus visit.  There may be some restrictions on the time of year you can do this, but at his school, it was pretty wide open and according to him, "the best way for me to evaluate the player's fit with our program."
> 
> 8. He "almost never" gives out a full ride athletic scholarships.  Usually it's a 1/3 or 1/4 athletic scholarship, supplemented with academic scholarship money and other financial aid.  At his school, he only has about 6 full scholarships available per year (I was shocked), but it varies from school to school at the NAIA level, some having as much as 12.  For example:  He had a recent commit who is getting a 10k athletic scholarship, 10k academic (3.7 GPA), and 5k in other financial aid packages for a school that runs 31k/year.  That means she'll be going to school for about 5-6k in tuition.  Not a bad deal.  He said that is very typical for his school.
> 
> 9. As most people on here already know, your player's GPA is a BIG, BIG deal.  But besides all the obvious reasons (indicator of success in school, no eligibility question marks) at the NAIA level, kids with GPA's from 3.8 up to 4.0+ do not count against the NAIA athletic scholarship per-school $ limit (3.5-3.8 GPA's counts only 20% against the cap).  This means he almost never gives out athletic money to students with grades worse than 3.5.
> 
> 10. What he looks for in a player:  "At our level, we're a top 20 NAIA school, so I always want at least 3-4 players on my roster who could have played D1 ball.  This year, I only had two, and it was tough.  There are three attributes I tell my coaches to evaluate:  Athletic ability, technical skill, and mentality which means soccer IQ.  In order to play college soccer at any level, you have to be EXCEPTIONAL at two of those things. If you are exceptional at all 3, you're probably already being recruited to a top D1 soccer program.  But I want a player who is exceptional at any two of those things.  We can work on the third enough to be competitive."
> 
> Bonus #11:  Every coach in other parts of the country knows how high the quality of soccer is in Southern California and love them when they come calling.  When I told him my kids' size, position, GPA, and club team ranking, he said, "If she's on a good team in Southern California with a high GPA, she'll have lots of opportunities out here in NAIA, D3, D2 and even in a lot of D1 programs.  Guaranteed.  Coaches will take a hard look at her.  She just has to be persistent."
> 
> There were lots of other topics covered specific to her position and tactical soccer philosophy, plus some hilarious criticisms of the club soccer scene in general (which we all know too well) but this is stuff I thought any parent starting the process could benefit from.


Great post!!  Extremely relevant.  There are many paths to Rome....


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## push_up

MakeAPlay said:


> Great post!!  Extremely relevant.  There are many paths to Rome....


Rome.  Really?  You are so dumb.


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## MakeAPlay

push_up said:


> Rome.  Really?  You are so dumb.


And you are a dipshit pedophile with a scrub kid that will be lucky to go to junior college.  Now what mitch?


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## MakeAPlay

push_up said:


> Rome.  Really?  You are so dumb.


Did your anal plunging go badly this morning?  You sound like a whiny bitch.


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## Sheriff Joe

Well, that went south in a hurry.


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## Sheriff Joe

MakeAPlay said:


> Did your anal plunging go badly this morning?  You sound like a whiny bitch.


Does that game really start at 8 tonight?


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## MakeAPlay

Sheriff Joe said:


> Does that game really start at 8 tonight?


From what I understand if you get there at 7:30 you are going to have a tough time getting a seat.  I remember it was standing room only last year.  

I won't be there.  My player is sitting out the spring and my hoops team plays at 6.


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## Sheriff Joe

MakeAPlay said:


> From what I understand if you get there at 7:30 you are going to have a tough time getting a seat.  I remember it was standing room only last year.
> 
> I won't be there.  My player is sitting out the spring and my hoops team plays at 6.


Ok, maybe I will catch up with you in Long Beach.
thx


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## MakeAPlay

Sheriff Joe said:


> Ok, maybe I will catch up with you in Long Beach.
> thx


I look forward to it sir.


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## Dubs

MAP, do you have any insight into UCLA's recruiting process, in terms of what can get a kid from being "on their radar" to being actively recruited?  I understand each graduating class from a recruiting perspective has their own needs, in terms of how many players get signed based on players graduating and other factors, so I guess what I'm asking is... If it's early in the process and the kid is on the radar, what can move them into a place where they actually get some $$.


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## Simisoccerfan

Fact said:


> @Mystery Train this is the best synopsis I have seen on recruiting on this site. I would like to emphasis how important #3 is to make a good first impression. I well structured email with specifics on th college, not just the college's soccer program, is very important, especially for the NAIA, Div. II and III.  Coaches can see right through kids casting a wide net without putting in the time and effort.  On the other hand, just like a cover letter for a job, a lack of effort with typos will get your email in the trash bin.


What experience do you have to offer this insight?


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## Fact

Simisoccerfan said:


> What experience do you have to offer this insight?


What permission did your mommy give you to play on the internet Pansy?


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## Fact

Simisoccerfan said:


> What experience do you have to offer this insight?


Don't like my advice don't follow it Pansy.


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## Simisoccerfan

Fact said:


> Don't like my advice don't follow it Pansy.


So name calling and cyber bullying are your areas of expertise?  Well good luck with that.


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## Fact

Simisoccerfan said:


> So name calling and cyber bullying are your areas of expertise?  Well good luck with that.


Cyber bullying pansy? First of all, I was just trying to provide further incite into the recruiting process that might help someone who has a child worthy of playing in college.  And yes I have been through it twice in 2 sports.  
Second, you started this with your snide remark up above.
Finally, don't you call me names in DMs Pansy?

Obviously you cannot move on Pansy.


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## Fact

Fact said:


> Cyber bullying pansy? First of all, I was just trying to provide further incite into the recruiting process that might help someone who has a child worthy of playing in college.  And yes I have been through it twice in 2 sports.
> Second, you started this with your snide remark up above.
> Finally, don't you call me names in DMs Pansy?
> 
> Obviously you cannot move on Pansy.


*insight Pansy

Don't ruin a valuable thread Pansy.


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## outside!

Fact said:


> *insight Pansy
> 
> Don't ruin a valuable thread Pansy.


Back at you. Don't feed the trolls.


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## MakeAPlay

Dubs said:


> MAP, do you have any insight into UCLA's recruiting process, in terms of what can get a kid from being "on their radar" to being actively recruited?  I understand each graduating class from a recruiting perspective has their own needs, in terms of how many players get signed based on players graduating and other factors, so I guess what I'm asking is... If it's early in the process and the kid is on the radar, what can move them into a place where they actually get some $$.


Part of getting actively recruited by that particular school involves staying in touch with the coaching staff, performing well when they come watch on multiple occasions, getting and being open to the feedback from the coaches as to what the player needs to improve upon and enacting that feedback.  Finally, performing well in their positional camp helps alot (unless of course if your kid is a Fleming or a Pugh that just jumps out).  They typically are going to have 3-4 prospects in mind at any particular position and they typically are going to offer their top 1-3 prospects depending upon that particular classes positional needs.  Also how they rank a player based upon their observations might not necessarily be how TDS or some of the other player rankings rate a player.  Most of the domestic players currently on the team got offers their sophomore year (sometime between the summer prior to the sophomore year and the summer prior to junior year) although there are some notable exceptions.  

A good way to know if your player is transitioning to active recruitment is the frequency of coaches watching your player play (in my experience they will come to every major showcase and watch at least part of every game and watch some league games).  They will also make it clear to your team manager/coach and/or whomever is handing out player profiles that they are coming to see your player.  Also the communication with your coach will be frequent and quite specific and detailed (it will likely include requests for your player to call them at specific times). 

I hope that helps.


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## Dubs

This is very helpful.  Thank you.  She is currently in the situation you describe, in terms of frequent communication with coaches from a few schools.  Some of which she is interested in and some she is not really.  I'm trying to figure out how we get the others she's interested in in the same cycle as the ones that are coming to see her on a regular basis.  We have showcases coming this week and next month, so hopefully she can show well and create some real interest.  The part you mention about their particular positional needs in her grad year is important feedback we'll need to keep in mind.  Thanks again!


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## mirage

MakeAPlay said:


> Part of getting actively recruited by that particular school involves staying in touch with the coaching staff, performing well when they come watch on multiple occasions, getting and being open to the feedback from the coaches as to what the player needs to improve upon and enacting that feedback.  Finally, performing well in their positional camp helps alot.........
> 
> A good way to know if your player is transitioning to active recruitment is the frequency of coaches watching your player play (in my experience they will come to every major showcase and watch at least part of every game and watch some league games).  They will also make it clear to your team manager/coach and/or whomever is handing out player profiles that they are coming to see your player....


Just want to add for schools that are far away.

While everything above by MAP is true, if you're looking at schools that's at a significant distance, they will not come see the player multiple times, if at all.  However, they do request a entire game videos (in addition to on the field time markers - e.g. started, out at 35.07, back in at 40.033 and so on - never miss a chance to promote the player by noting the highlights of the game by the player in minute markers on the video also).  If you kid is in DA/ECNL playoff or showcase, then its easy - they all are there and will see the player.  In other words, they have to manage their travel budget wisely so keep that in mind.  The value of their ID camps becomes more significant for those fly-away distance schools.

The other thing is the communication between the club and college coaches.  Some coaches don't reach out to the club coach early on, if at all (only one of my kid's recruiting coach reached out to the club coach and was contacted at the very end of the process as a formality to confirm rather than an early filter - he was recruited by 4 schools).  They all did have a regular contact with my kid throughout the process via text, emails and phone calls.


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## Dubs

Thank you for that.  My daughter want's to stay pretty close to home.  Only a few schools on her list that are within 1-2 hour flight.  I believe those schools will be represented at the showcases we're doing.  Hopefully our team will be in playoffs/finals etc... certainly would make things easier.


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## jojosoccer

Lots of very good information.
Club coaches are a huge help, so make sure your club is reaching out to the college coaches. It seems like The Blues get a fair share of players to UCLA. Do they have a direct line or something?
I know UCLA freshman with 4.0+ GPAs that were recruited, but do not play much.  
My daughter chose a very good academic Midwest D3 school @ $49k a year. With all the academic scholarships we ended up paying $6000 a year. Excellent education and loving D3 soccer.


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## CopaMundial

jojosoccer said:


> Lots of very good information.
> Club coaches are a huge help, so make sure your club is reaching out to the college coaches. It seems like The Blues get a fair share of players to UCLA. Do they have a direct line or something?
> I know UCLA freshman with 4.0+ GPAs that were recruited, but do not play much.
> My daughter chose a very good academic Midwest D3 school @ $49k a year. With all the academic scholarships we ended up paying $6000 a year. Excellent education and loving D3 soccer.


Did she target that school or did they come after her? Just curious, because there's a lot that goes into play in this decision and love to hear success stories.


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## jojosoccer

She researched the school and reached out to the College coach.
Her club has college program advisors that gave her info about the college coaches and anything they knew about that school. They strongly urged her to consider this school, mostly because of the coach.
The Midwest coach saw her play in  LV and the communications started from there.
Her club coach typically makes calls for the players upon request. He also texts coaches before showcases.
Yes, being from So Cal made her very desirable.


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## jojosoccer

In addition, she has friends that stayed to play in So Cal D1 D2 & D3. We noticed they did not get the same scholarships that my daughter did. I’m guessing desirable sunny So Cal schools probably have more players to chose from. Her other friends at out of state schools also did very well on their financial packages.
My daughter wanted a change, she wanted to have all 4 seasons and meet new friendly Midwest people. She likes wearing cute boots, scarfs and sweaters for a few months....her college coaches are good and she is grateful her club had some insight and different schools to think about.


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## MakeAPlay

jojosoccer said:


> Lots of very good information.
> Club coaches are a huge help, so make sure your club is reaching out to the college coaches. It seems like The Blues get a fair share of players to UCLA. Do they have a direct line or something?
> I know UCLA freshman with 4.0+ GPAs that were recruited, but do not play much.
> My daughter chose a very good academic Midwest D3 school @ $49k a year. With all the academic scholarships we ended up paying $6000 a year. Excellent education and loving D3 soccer.


The Blues don't have a direct line to UCLA, however, they do get a fair share of good players.  UCLA tries to get the best SoCal players to go along with the best international and out of state players so I wouldn't say that playing for any particular club gives a player an edge.  My player for most of her club career played for a middle of the pack ECNL team (with a GREAT coach!) and she has started every game of her college career.  With regard to the 4.0 GPAs not playing much, most of the players on UCLA's team were 3.7+ in high school and were star players on their club teams.  Once you get on campus it is the Hunger Games and every minute on the pitch is earned in every training session, practice and finally games.  For the most part the best 18 are going to play and there are several positions that have players that are going to suck up 80+ minutes so the opportunities at those positions are limited.  The good news is that the coaching staff will play the players that give them the best chance to win regardless of whether they are freshman or seniors.  If a player is looking at UCLA or Stanford they just have to realize that they are looking at joining an all-star team so they better really love the school.  

Just my 2 cents.


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## Banana Hammock

jojosoccer said:


> In addition, she has friends that stayed to play in So Cal D1 D2 & D3. We noticed they did not get the same scholarships that my daughter did. I’m guessing desirable sunny So Cal schools probably have more players to chose from. Her other friends at out of state schools also did very well on their financial packages.
> My daughter wanted a change, she wanted to have all 4 seasons and meet new friendly Midwest people. She likes wearing cute boots, scarfs and sweaters for a few months....her college coaches are good and she is grateful her club had some insight and different schools to think about.


Now that the first year is behind her, can you give an update?


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## jojosoccer

Still loving D 3 soccer. Her D 3 school
has small class sizes  18:1,  and her rigorous academic schedule works out well with her soccer schedule. She combines work/study to give her scheduled study time near the soccer Complex. She was able to join a few clubs and even a sorority ( the sorority understands that soccer comes first, especially in the fall). That helped a lot her first year when she was homesick for the first 2-3 weeks.
We are noticing our little soccer playing focusing on academics more than we ever have seen before.
That’s probably maturity, but also the academic environment she is now in.


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