1. Freshman Year
You should be well settled into your School and enjoying High school sports. You should be playing soccer with a local club and participating in ODP as well. Keep your coaches informed about your sporting achievements inside and outside of the high school environment. Concentrate on starting off on the right foot in terms of your GPA. The NCAA requires a 2.0 GPA to be eligible for NCAA Division I or II sports. Get involved in student government, leadership camps, local community groups, other volunteer organizations etc. These activities are a big plus when it comes to the awarding of athletic grants in aid.
2. Sophomore Year
Check out the NCAA Academic Requirements. Make sure you are on track. You might be a great player but if you don't meet the NCAA Academic Requirements you don't play. It's that simple. Make sure you are on track in relation to "core requirements".
You should be playing high level club soccer, high school soccer and ODP, surrounding yourself with quality players and coaches and playing in high level games are key to getting noticed by college scouts.
Make a list of the colleges you would like to attend and send an introduction letter to the coaches at those colleges. Your list of colleges should be determined based on the academic (what are you interested in studying beyond high school..these schools should have quality programs in those areas) and athletic aspects (what level of play do they compete at, what is their style of play, what is their coach's philosophy, what is his coaching style) of the school as well as the size of the school, the distance from home, and other important issues for you. Include updates of your sporting and academic achievements. At the end of your sophomore year send a further update to these coaches.
Now is the time to monitor the academic entrance requirements of the colleges you wish to attend.
Prepare a videotape that showcases you as a player. It should show two or three 15-30 minute increments of a game that you played in. Coaches don't have the time to watch a full 90 minute game nor do they want to see 15-30 second highlights of you scoring goals...they need to be able to get a feel for the quality of the game, your team, the opponent and they need to see you performing within that quality environment. Make sure to include a section of game play where you showcase a number of your positive attributes within that 15- 30 minute window (beating someone on the dribble, quick combinations in tight spaces, driving long balls over distance, getting stuck in on a tackle, communicating effectively with teammates, winning the ball in the air, and obviously, shooting and scoring goals). Coaches want to see how you perform as part of a team, don't just prepare a "highlights" tape.
3. Junior Year
Have you Registered with the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse? Do it now.
Send your ACT and SAT scores to the NCAA clearinghouse.
Work hard on your studies and keep focused on the NCAA Academic Requirements. Check to see if they have changed.
Prepare an updated DVD similar in content to the first from a recent game. Contact the coaches from the schools where you are interested in attending and let them know of games or tournaments that you are playing in close to where they are or that they may be attending and ask them to come and watch you play.
At the end of the season send out another update letter to all the colleges on your list.
At the completion of your junior year you are permitted phone contact with college coaches. You can make as many calls as you like but keep in mind that coaches can not phone you until July 1st when you have completed your junior year.
4. Senior Year
Focus on the NCAA Academic requirements. Study hard and you will reap the benefits.
Send out a further resume and updated DVD with all of your updated information and achievements including your team schedule. Contact the coaches from the schools where you are interested in attending and let them know of games or tournaments that you are playing in close to where they are or that they may be attending and ask them to come and watch you play. Ask for feedback after they have had a chance to watch you. You want honesty from them so that you can solidify them on your list of possible choices or you can look elsewhere if they are not interested. BE PERSISTENT!!!!
Check with the NCAA about the "letter of intent' signing date for soccer.
If you are offered paid college visits TAKE THEM. During your visits don't stop asking questions. Now is the time to prune your short list even further. Take into account what a college can offer you academically as well as the college's sporting programs.
This is the time when you may be asked to make an "official visit". The college pays for your travel, accommodation etc. during these home weekends.
Don't just give up on other schools keep on the phone to the college coaches.
important. Any commitment you make now is not binding until you sign a National Letter of Intent, [NLI], and an Offer of Financial Aid. If you sign and then change your mind you will lose at least 1 year of eligibility. The college is also not bound by anything they have said or offered you until after you have signed.
