A few questions for all of you who have been there, done that:
- At what age/grade did your daughter begin to email coaches prior to playing in a college showcase?
- My DD was born in 2003, but is in 8th grade. Most of her team is in HS, and the team will play in some showcases this fall and spring. Should she even bother emailing now?
- Do those ages/grades apply to all players, or is there a different recruiting age for GK's?
Thanks!
The girls side starts a little earlier than the boys side because 98.54127% of girls are pretty much fully grown 2 years after puberty ... boys still have another spurt at 16-17, but its only an inch or two. Because we are talking about GK's, v. field players, the process is a little different [note, my son is a 2003 - 6'1" GK projected to be 6'3" to 6'4" and I'm getting ready to start in the next year].
The good news here is she plays in SoCal, a hotbed for talent, which means accolades and team awards (finishes, etc.) mean something.
The stuff that get's college coaches
immediate attention without seeing her and makes the road very easy, in order:
- Height - 5'10"+ for women GKs (note, not determinative), but get's their attention (5'7" is a minimum for D1). Also note, weight should be in line for the athlete's height.
- Team - ECNL or DA or ODP or some other high level team that finishes strong in various regional and national level tournaments.
- Save Percentage (GAA can be skewed if the team she is on has a strong defense).
- GPA above 3.0
If your player is outside of the above, no worries ... its going to take a little more work to get her in front of the college coaches. To get maximum exposure (and the best offer for your player) you are going to want to commission or make your own 2-3 minute player video so college coaches around the nation that are interested can view her abilities can click a link in the intro email that she sends, includes elements such as:
- Physical Abilities
- Leaping ability - especially for the shorter girls
- Aggressiveness - fearless in 1-1s.
- Leg strength and accuracy in goalkicks (does she hit the half) and punts (clear the half). Can she kick from both feet?
- Quickness between the sticks, getting up again after making a stop and ready for the volley back to goal.
- Ability to catch the hot balls (catch, catch, catch v. punch and spill).
- Mental
- Positioning - how big is her arc in game play, does she increase/decrease the GK arc properly based on location of ball and possession.
- Demeanor after giving up a goal (yes, show a failure or two and how she overcomes the mistake in a positive manner).
- Verbal command of the field ... talk, talk and talk with relevant instructions (pinch in, shift, cover number 10, push up).
- Ability to play out of the back - pass backs, putting ball back into play (throws, bowling, etc.).
Good goalkeepers are sought after, so even if your player is under 5'7" she still has many opportunities, but it will likely be at the non-D1 schools.
So, do you start now? Maybe if she has fully matured and won't grow anymore. My advice is start compiling some video for the highlight video now, but your real work will begin after her sophomore year.
See also:
http://www.ncsasports.org/recruitin.../womens-soccer-recruits-recruiting-guidelines