College Recruiting Process

1. College Recruiting Process Presented By Krystle Seidel, Salvo Girls College Advisor Email: Kseidel@salvosoccer.org Phone: 612-269-3834

2. Where do I begin? • Self Evaluate • What is my commitment level toward soccer? • What do I want my college experience to look like? • What role does/could soccer play in that experience?

3. Why should I consider collegiate soccer? • Be part of a team • Friendships that last forever • Strong network and support system • A sense of purpose • Academic accountability • Healthy living and stress relief • Academic support • Support in admissions • Structure and time management • Leadership and teamwork • Mentorship • Life preparation • Love of the game

4. What are the options? • NCAA Division I –334 Women’s (Full & Partial Athletic Aid, Academic Aid) • NCAA Division II –265 Women’s (Partial Athletic Aid, Academic Aid) • NCAA Division III –441 Women’s (Academic Aid) • NAIA • JUCO • Club Sports • Intermural

5. What are the differences between divisions and/or conferences within divisions? Overarching Division Differences • Length of regular season and non-traditional seasons (spring) • Athletic scholarships Additional variances • Amount of travel • Strength of schedule • Funding • Path to Post-season tournaments

6. What factors should I consider? • Location • Academics • Size • Cost • Coaching Staff • Roster- Size and who fills it • Conference/Strength of Schedule • Culture of Program • Results/Rankings • Time Commitment • Program Funding/experience

7. NCAA Division I Contact Rules Sophomore year  • June 15: June 15 after sophomore year, coaches can start conducting off-campus communication and extend verbal offers. Coaches may contact athletes via all forms of private electronic correspondence, including text messages, instant messages, direct messages and emails, as well as all recruiting materials. Coaches may also start calling athletes at this point.Off-campus communication may also take place at camps and clinics, however coaches cannot communicate with athletes specifically about recruiting. Junior year  • August 1: August 1 before junior year, athletes may also begin taking official or unofficial campus visits. Athletic departments can start participating in an athlete’s recruiting process, helping to schedule on-campus visits, events or meetings with coaches.

8. NCAA Division II Contact Rules The NCAA women’s soccer recruiting rules for Division 2 schools are slightly more relaxed than those for Division 1, with most contact starting in the summer of the athlete’s junior year: • Any time: Athletes can receive brochures for camps, questionnaires, NCAA materials and non-athletic recruiting publications. • June 15 after sophomore year: Coaches may begin calling athletes. They can also conduct off-campus communications with athletes and/or their parents. At this time, athletes may start taking official visits.

9. NCAA Division I & II Non-Contact Periods • Dead periods: Coaches may not have any in-person contact with recruits and/or their parents. In other words, coaches are not allowed to talk to recruits at their college campus, the athlete’s school, an athletic camp or even the grocery store. Athletes and coaches are still allowed to communicate via phone, email, social media and other digital communication channels.  • Division 1: Nov. 11–14, 2019 (Monday through Thursday of the initial week for the signing of the National Letter of Intent) • Division 1: Dec. 15, 2019 – Jan. 5, 2020 • Division 2: Nov. 11 (7 a.m.) – 13 (7 a.m.), 2019 (during the 48 hours prior to 7 a.m. on the initial date for the signing of the National Letter of Intent)

10. NCAA Division III Contact Rules D3 women’s soccer colleges have the most relaxed recruiting rules among NCAA division levels: • Recruiting materials: Athletes can receive recruiting materials at any time. • Telephone calls: There is no limit on when college coaches can call athletes. • Off-campus contact: After the athlete’s sophomore year, college coaches may begin to conduct off-campus communications. • Official visits: Athletes can begin taking official visits after January 1 of their junior year.

11. How do I get recruited? • Be proactive with communication and interest • Start with a large pool of schools that fit your criteria • Be sincere • Attend events or camps to be evaluated • Follow up after events and expressed interest

12. When should I contact coaches? • Early high school. It doesn’t hurt to write in your early years of high school, especially on the women’s side. But keep a broad list of schools. Divisions and schools within divisions have different recruiting timelines. • Senior year is late in the process. A lot of programs across all divisions are likely beginning to limit roster spots or scholarships when applicable by senior year. Waiting until then could limit your opportunities.

13. How do I contact coaches? • Introductory Email – 1st Contact- Short and impactful • Introduce Yourself • Name, Grad Year, Position, Club Team • Briefly list Accomplishments or Strengths- Capture their interest • Why do you have interest in program- display a genuine interest through a connection or show that you have researched the program • List your upcoming events • Attach a player profile with more details • Attach Highlight video or film if accessible

14. Individual Player Profile Sheet • Personal- Name, Grad Year, Email, Phone, Address, Position, Height • Academics- High school, GPA, Class Rank, ACT/SAT Scores • Soccer- Team Name- including birth year, Jersey Number, Position(s), Club Coach Name, Email, Phone, High School Coach Name, Email, Phone. • Achievements- Team and Individual Soccer achievements, Academic achievements, other sports, extra curriculars, and volunteers, AP or IB classes taken

15. Highlight Video • Is it Mandatory? No, it is not mandatory if you don’t have the ability to make a quality video. • Could it help me get recruited? Yes, It provides an opportunity to get a quick evaluation and possibly generate interest especially among schools that have limited opportunity to see you play. • What should it look like? It should highlight your strengths, the best clips first. It should display physical, technical, and tactical strengths. It should be short- under 5 min. You need to be easily identifiable.

16. Recruiting Services • Positives • They can help find schools that meet your criteria • They have large database of contact information for coaches • Negatives • They are expensive • Communication from them lacks personability

17. What should I do after a coach comes to watch me? • Follow Up Email • Thank them for attending event • List individual or team successes when applicable • Ask for specific feedback and if there is an interest • Stay in contact

18. What happens if mutual interest? • Continue to research school and program online • Visit the school to get a feel for the fit- have questions in mind that you want answered based on criteria and don’t be afraid to ask • Stay in contact with coaches via email, phone, text • Look into college camp- see coaches in action and be coached by them

19. What impacts coach’s interest? • Graduation year, class size, roster size • Positional needs • Player + student + person + family • Coaching style and philosophies • Location- where you are from • Player initiative and drive

20. What happens if interest isn’t reciprocated? • No answer may not been not mean disinterested- continue to write to express interest and disclose events attending • If told you do not fit, do not be discouraged. Remember how many opportunities there are and continue to reach out to schools and programs that fit your criteria.

21. What are the major things to remember? • Be honest with yourself about your commitment level to soccer and what path is the right fit • If you wait around hoping to be recruited, you will likely miss out on opportunities. Be proactive and active in your recruiting process. • Don’t wait too long to start the process. • Be personable, Be observant, and Ask Questions- Find the Right fit both ways. • Just because one program doesn’t see you fitting, doesn’t mean another will feel the same way. There are factors that you may not even be aware of so stay optimistic.

22. Questions? Presented By Krystle Seidel, Salvo Girls College Advisor Email: Kseidel@salvosoccer.org Phone: 612-269-3834