Should You Go To A Soccer College
Of course, you should carefully determine if you have the skills necessary to play at the next level. The best thing to do is get opinions from those you trust and blend those with as accurate of a self-assessment as possible. Its great to have an inner drive and belief in your abilities, but its also important to focus on where might be the best fit for you. That includes academically and socially as a place that might be amongst the best soccer programs in college might not fit you mentally or emotionally off the field, and that aspect of your college experience is crucial too. You want the best overall fit, not just as it relates to soccer.
Its also important to consider whether you want to be battling for playing time at a more significant program or have a significantly more likely opportunity to play extended minutes from the start at a smaller school.
How do you get a college soccer scholarship? Regardless of where youre considering, in nearly all cases, one of the most important things that you can do for a scholarship is gain more exposure. Exposure can increase by playing for a top club or high school team thats in the youth soccer rankings and performing at top competitions, but that is not a requirement. Also, participating in soccer camps can help, especially soccer camps taking place at schools that youre considering.
What Star Level Recruit Are You
There are a couple of ways you can identify where you stand: you can research college rosters, or be evaluated by a third-party.
If youre interested in a colleges program, go to the schools athletic website and take a look at the roster. Do your key stats fall in line with the other players in your position? Do you have similar achievements as everyone on the team? If you have comparable measurements, then you probably qualify for that level of competition. If you arent quite there yet, take a look at a lower division level until you find a good fit where your skills fall in line with the rest of the team.
College coaches evaluate more than just your athleticism and academics. They also pay attention to your character and coach ability, too. Demonstrating your coachability to college coaches can help set yourself apart from other recruits.
Apply To Schools That Support Athletes Studying Abroad
Many universities are acknowledging the value that study abroad has for their student-athletes and are making it more accessible. Some are even focusing on it, like Macalester College and NC State. Even the NCAA is getting on board. They report that more and more student-athletes are spending summers not only studying abroad but interning, volunteering, and working overseas, too.
So, if you know in the college application process that study abroad and keeping up with your athletics are important to you, research the schools you apply to and see how open they are to their athletes heading abroad. This may be the best bet to getting everything you wanted out of your college experience!
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How To Gauge Your Talent Level
Next, youll want to have a third-party evaluate you to see how you really stack up against recruits across the nation. Knowing where you stand will help you target the right programs and maximize your opportunities.
There are a couple of ways you can go about this. First, you can ask your high school or club coach for feedback. College coaches often reach out to high school and club coaches for input, so theres a good chance yours is already in the loop. Or you can turn to an online service. Some coaches use scouting services, such as National Preps or Scouting Ohio for football, while others use recruiting tools, such as NCSA. Were the largest recruiting network in the country, with more than 35,000 college coaches searching for prospects.
Of course, you can always attend a showcase or camp where college coaches check out talent in person. However, most coaches arrive knowing which athletes they want to evaluate, so you should make sure youre in contact with coaches ahead of time.
Demons Get Offers To Play College Football
Luc Jaramillo was offered a chance to play at Midway University, a private Christian school in Kentucky between Lexington and Frankfort. The school plans to launch a football team in what is called the Midwest Sprint Football League in the fall.
Sprint football is open to players who weigh no more than 178 pounds. Although Midway is an NAIA member, its football team will join five other schools as an independent in sprint football.
Listed at 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds during his senior year at Santa Fe High, Jaramillo passed for 1,317 yards and 15 touchdowns in leading the Demons to a 6-4 record. He also rushed for 321 yards, scoring once.
His backfield teammate, running back Martell Mora, received a scholarship offer from Eastern New Mexico last week. He rushed for 1,230 yards with 17 touchdowns this season, cracking the century mark in five games while averaging 8.4 yards per carry.
He also received offers from Hiram College, an NCAA Division III school in Ohio, as well as a spot with Fort Pierce Athletic Academy in Florida. Fort Pierce is a post-graduate prep program that helps players prepare for college opportunities.
Santa Fe High outside linebacker Adan Chavez has received offers from Midway University Saint Mary University, an NAIA school in Leavenworth, Kan. and Bethany College, an NAIA program in Lindsborg, Kan. He also received an offer from Clarke University, an NAIA member in Dubuque, Iowa.
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Is There An Age Limit To Play College Sports
Its Saturday morning, Im here watching some college football, and once again Im struck with the thought that a lot of those huge, 275-pound players are 5, maybe 6 years younger than me. Dang it, Im actually getting old. But then, I realize that I have friends who are my age, are still eligible, and are currently representing their schools. How? And is this really fair? When I was in college, I was always a little mind-blown when we would have a freshman teammate who looked like had just finished going through puberty playing against an opponent who looked old enough to have a kid in college. I never really understood how eligibility rules work, so I figured I would try answering the question that has been in my mind for a while is there an age limit to play college sports?
There is no such rule that establishes an age limit for college athletes. There are several rules that will determine whether an athlete is eligible or not, but an athletewill not be considered ineligible solely based on age. So, if youre 30 years-old, your dream is to be a college athlete, and youre reading this there is a very small chance you might still be able to pursue that dream. However, first you need to make sure youre eligible according to the following rules:
Five-Year Rule
Divisions II & III 10 semesters / 15 quarters
Exceptions
Religious Missions, Armed Forces, and Foreign Aid Services
Academic Study Abroad Exception
Pregnancy Exception
What Ncsa Can Offer
Every year, soccer in college is a goal for high school seniors, and, in many cases, they are confused as far as what soccer recruiting entails. Fortunately, NCSA has decades of experience helping soccer in college became a reality for several student-athletes as well as helping soccer coaches fill their rosters with top players and students. Many at NCSA also understand intimately what is being experienced during this sometimes-overwhelming period of student-athletes lives thanks to personal experience and help everything make sense and be more organized.
Numerous players have voiced thankfulness at the assistance that they received from NCSA. For example, one who headed to Shenandoah University for the experience of soccer in college said that she felt like her options had increased considerably once she made an account and that this helped give her an edge over other athletes she was competing with for a spot. Im glad I was able to commit to Shenandoah University, and I have NCSA to thank for that.
Having more than 35,000 college coaches, not just those involved with soccer in college, in the NCSA network has a lot to do with the continued success that student-athletes who work with the organization have experienced over the years. Coaches are also thankful for these services as they help them fill out their rosters with players who are closer to the fit that theyre looking for.
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Seniors At South Washington County High Schools Signed Letters Of Intent In November To Play Collegiate Sports
WOODBURY, MN With the high school fall sports season now over, many student-athletes across the state will be turning their attention toward the next stage of their playing careers.
More than 30 student-athletes from South Washington County’s three high schools signed letters of intent in November to play collegiate sports next year, including two dozen seniors from Woodbury.
East Ridge High School letter signers
Differences Between Mens Soccer And Womens Soccer
As far as the rules go, there are no differences between the genders in soccer in college. Matches are the same length, and substitution rules are identical and so on. However, a few other differences exist between the mens and womens sides of the sport, most notably related to scholarships. Although the limits are identical in Division 3, NAIA and junior college soccer , there is a slight difference in Division 2 soccer and a significant difference in Division 1 soccer .
What do college soccer coaches look for in recruits? Whats necessary to be recruited to play soccer at a university will differ some but are similar in many areas as it relates to mens and womens players.
Also, consider that many soccer colleges only sponsor a mens team or a womens team, to ensure that a school youre considering offers a group in your gender. This difference is especially pronounced in Division 1 with 204 schools sponsoring mens squads but 322 offering womens teams.
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How To Include Your Sports Experience On Your Resume
All your resume is, is your personal introduction to any employer. It is often times the first glimpse of you a company or hiring manager will get.
Weve all heard the old saying First Impressions Are Lasting Impressions, so its very much worth your time to spend the effort and energy to make it stand out when applying for jobs. Throughout the internet, there are many resources that can help you build a powerful resume. You can find formats, verbiage, and samples to guide you. While it is important to take advantage of them, you might think it’s hard to find one suited specifically for athletes.
A format that is commonly used with student-athletes who are just entering the workforce is what is called a behavioral resume. A behavioral resume focuses more on the character, traits, and accomplishments of the individual than the work history since most athletes don’t have extensive work experience. This works great for transitioning students with lots of talent and potential, but little experience.
Remember, most companies looking for entry-level talent are generally more interested in whats in your head and your heart than your experience. They love student-athletes because they believe that all the dedication, determination, focus and goal orientation and other traits developed through your sport will translate into a being a peak performing employee. Use this to your advantage.
Are You Good Enough To Play College Sports
Its easy for high school athletes to picture themselves at their dream school, competing at a prestigious university and playing against the best of the best. But its harder to grasp some of the gritty details, such as rigorous training programs, winter breaks spent on campus and little-to-no free time.
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Instead Of A Collegiate Career Try Club Sports Or Intramurals
Depending on your athletic intensity, this option may be for you like it was for me. I didnt want a full-time commitment to soccer to limit me in my college career. However, I missed being on the field and turned to club sports and intramurals to fill that void. From cycling to rock climbing, crew to rugby, you are sure to find a team that fits your schedule and your physique.
Furthermore, club teams are still mostly recognized by your university and have very competitive seasons. These teams usually consist of high school athletes that have more of an agenda than sports in their college career, but miss the camaraderie of a team.
Club sports are also more lenient about who plays during which season. For example, when I decided that I wanted to play rugby, I spoke with my coach about studying in Italy before joining. She told me to go have fun, and not to eat too much pasta. After my return, I was back on the pitch the next season.
When Will Sports Get Me Into College
Sports will be the determining factor in a college admissions decision only rarely. In order for sports to get you into college, a few factors need to line up for you.
First, you need to be a top athlete. This doesnt just mean that youre the captain of your schools sport team or are the top scorer for two seasons running. It means that you consistently perform well at the highest competition levels available in your sport. Typically, students who get into college for sports are competing at the least at the top of the state level and more likely at the national level in their sport. This usually means that you also compete beyond your school team, participating in club, regional select, and Olympic development teams as well.
Next, you need to be interested in attending a school where a heavy emphasis is placed on your sport. This means most likely a Division I college or university with a well-funded sports program. These types of schools typically have more money for the sports program, including sports scholarships. They generally have a big sports following and televised sporting events.
In order for sports to be the single determining factor in your college admissions decisions, you need to be a national-level athlete interested in attending a Division-I school without exceptionally stringent academic requirements for admissions.
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When Will Sports Be An Advantage On My College Application
Even if sports dont play a significant role on your college applications, they may still work to your advantage. Ultimately, participation in sports will be an advantage similar to any other extracurricular activity on your application.
If you participate regularly in sports over a prolonged period of time, youll exemplify dedication, passion, and commitment. In addition, you may be able to build up to a leadership role or win other recognition in the form of coachs awards or all-star team status. Any of these achievements is an advantage on your application the same way that any other extracurricular achievement can be.
In addition, sports can act like a hook the same way that other highly specialized skills and talents do. Hooks are essentially niche skills or characteristics that fulfill some type of institutional need during any particular application cycle. For example, if the very successful tennis team is graduating all of their top doubles teams, they may be more likely to look for tennis players during the next application cycle.
A hooked applicant isnt given automatic preference for admissions, but if you are comparable to many other applicants and are otherwise completely qualified for admissions, you may have an edge over other qualified applicants who do not fill one of the institutions specific needs at that time.
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When Will Sports Play A Significant Role In College Admissions
Even when sports are not the single determining factor in your college admissions, they can still play a significant role in your college acceptance. In order for sports to be significantly weighed on your college applications, a few factors will need to be considered.
First, you will still need to be a top athlete, often at the state or even national level. While you may not need to be the single top-ranked player in your sport, you will need to be competitive at the highest levels in order for sports to play a significant role in your college admissions decisions.
Next, you need to be interested in attending schools that are actively seeking athletes in your sport. Sometimes, a school is in the position of actively trying to build a stronger football or golf team. If you are a highly competitive and successful football player or golfer, these skills might be considered particularly important to your college admissions.
Finally, you will generally need to be at least minimally qualified to attend the school academically. This means that while your test scores and grades dont necessarily have to be in the top 50% of admitted students, they shouldnt be ridiculously below the schools average either. Schools will often be willing to give you some leeway, but they wont completely bend the rules to accommodate you.
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The Pros And Cons Of Playing A College Sport
By Wynter Davisin College on June 23, 2015
When I was in college, hearing my alarm go off at 4:45 a.m. was the worse sound Id ever heard. Knowing the snooze button was out of the question was the true icing on the cake, which deepened my hatred of early-morning practices. I know that ball is life but there has to be a point where you throw in the towel. After practice I had to run across campus, looking like a hot mess I might add, sweat glistening on my forehead. I barely made it to my 8:30 a.m. class, huffing and puffing trying to catch the little breath I had left. I could feel the eyes of classmates looking at me with horror because they had to sit next to the sweaty girl. In my head, Im yelling, No Im not crazy, Im just an athlete!
Contemplating playing a sport in college is a huge decision for most students. For me, before I was a sophomore in high school, I knew that I wanted to play in college. As a student athlete there will be a lot of ups and downs, I will admit. Check out the list of pros and cons of playing a college sport:
Financial Need
Academics
Playing time
Sleep habits
Dedication to your sport
If you have any stories or advice for future college athletes comment below!