Getting recruited to a Women's Div.1 Soccer Team.

mikecerang · 09-06-2009, 02:42 AM

Woman's profile

11 grade
3.0 GPA
varsity captain for two years and possibly all of her h.s. career
named best player of h.s. soccer league 2008-2009
latina
Is not part of a club team

Will she be able to be recruited by a Div 1 school? If so, which ones?

Is it really necessary for her to be in a club team? If so, can u recommend any in the Los Angeles area?

She really loves soccer and it is her PASSION. She sees herself playing soccer after high school but she is not familiar with the recruiting process and the coach is not helpful at all in the process.

mpicz · 09-06-2009, 12:48 PM

My advice would be to join a good club ASAP if it's her passion. The club coaches will be way more helpful.

FauxNom · 09-06-2009, 01:05 PM

It would be unusual to be recruited by a top level DI school without club experience, but there are probably some less well-known schools that might take a look at her if she has some good film to send in, or if she can attend some college soccer camps over spring break or next summer.

It might be too late to get on a club team for this year, but she should figure out if she has any friends on good club teams, which might help her identify some prospects. In looking for a team, she should find one that travels to important showcases. She should sign up to guest-play at the Thanksgiving Surf Cup in San Diego, if nothing else.

Just offering my two cents, but wouldn't it make more sense for this girl to figure out what kind of college she might like for academics/social aspects, not just sports? If she can identify some that she likes, then she can figure out what level of soccer they play. DI's range from fairly mediocre to highly competitive, so she needs to be able to assess that, and predict whether she might fit in to the level of play of the schools she likes.

If she wants to take the "soccer above all" approach, and she's not on a club team that helps out with this, it might be worth hiring one of the sports recruiting counselors to help identify possible colleges that match her skills. If not, she's going to have to do a lot of research herself, both in college matches and in how to market herself.

strykermom · 09-06-2009, 06:13 PM

I have a daughter playing D-1 soccer and we are from the Los Angeles area. I highly reccommend getting on a club team if you can, Just off the top of my head, clubs with a good reputation for getting girls onto college teams include the So Cal Blues, the Irvine Strikers, the Eagles, Real So Cal, and Arsenal. A lot of the recruiting goes on at club tournaments so not playing club is going to make it harder to get seen. If your daughter has freinds who play for good club teams, she may be able to guest for them at some tournaments.

keylyme · 09-06-2009, 08:09 PM

The main season for club soccer is spring (it's year round....but I guess you would consider spring/summer the main season(s)). In any case, it shouldn't be too late to go to a tryout; I think most tryouts are in the late fall. My son's team tryouts are in November. And most definitely....she needs to get on a club team or at the very least get to a good showcase; contact a club and ask if she can be a guest player.

Shrinkrap · 09-06-2009, 08:23 PM

I don't claim to have the most expertise, but to me, it's not just being on a clubs team. It's the level of training and competition that brings the scouts. At least in N.Cal. It's really hard to get into a club system as a U 17. It can be done, but it's about having the skills to play at that level, not just paying the club trainer fees.

OTOH, maybe she plays in one of the hispanic leagues. Do girls do that? Boys around here do, and they look got at US Club events (more then at cysa events). I believe there is a program to help those kids get recognized, at least for boys. I'm going to try to find a link.

http://www.youthsoccerfun.com/2009/0...al.html#000153

mikecerang · 10-16-2009, 09:34 PM

any more advice??

strykermom · 10-17-2009, 12:10 AM

Many colleges have summer or spring camps for HS hage kids - they get to be seen by college coaches and they get to see how they compare with players who are seeking to play in college. They are not free, but if you can swing one or two, it is probably worhwhile.