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How do I get noticed by college coaches? You can get noticed by a college coach in any number of ways, but most often players get noticed through one of four methods. 1. The Coach Sees Me Play at a Random Game College coaches attend a number of venues including tournaments and Olympic Development showcases looking for players. Coaches will attend these tournaments with a list of players to watch and an idea of what positions they need to fill in their upcoming recruiting class. By the end of these showcases, coaches often leave with evaluations of the players that they intended to see, and a list of new players to contact. If you impress the coach and they feel that you could be a valuable part of their upcoming recruiting class, then your name will be taken down and you will be added to the coach's list of potential recruits to be further evaluated. 2. The Coach Network Because college coaches do not have a significant amount of time and money to devote to their recruiting, they often turn to their colleagues for advice. Coaches will express their recruiting needs such as, "If anyone knows of a goalkeeper graduating next year, tell me" at tournaments and other college coach gatherings. Many players are not initially seen by the coach they are eventually recruited by, but by a friend of that coach. Your name may be passed along during a quick chat or over dinner. 3. Awards and Publications A number of college coaches track the awards given by reputable organizations such as NSCAA, Parade, and USA-Today. These publications can be a great entry into a Division I program's recruiting list. The more locally a school recruits, the more likely they are to check local awards and honors such as all-league and all-district nominations. Regardless of what level of soccer you are looking to play in college, being on these lists can offer a way to get noticed and a way to back up your playing experience with credentials. College coaches also follow ODP lists for district, state, regional, and national teams. Being on one of these lists is an extremely effective way of getting noticed by college coaches. Additionally, ODP coaches act as wonderful references. 4. Making Contact with the Coach The best way to take control of your recruiting destiny is to make direct contact with college coaches yourself. By sending a coach a package, you are getting the message across that you are interested and they should make a strong effort to find out more about you. Your best bet is to send a "look at me, I'm interested in going to your school and playing soccer" package to between 5 and 25 coaches during your sophomore and junior year. This package should include a cover letter, resume, list of references, schedule, picture, and possibly a video. After you send the coach a package make sure to follow up that package with a phone call to reinforce your interest. |
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