“Recruited athlete” means that if you were to go out for a professional soccer team, you could do it right now, and be paid to be on that team, at an international level.
“Recruited athlete” also indicates players who are known and regarded in the sport for years; many of them have been in their sport since the toddler ages, much like international tennis players.
It should not be regarded as an “afterthought” because now you want to try to get into a prestigious college. I have a daughter who was a ranked athlete. Yet, even at her level, she was not at IVY recruitment levels. We do think it helped her admission to several universities as an athletic EC.
Yes, you can list an EC as being a soccer player, but unless you can put people into the stands, you wouldn’t be considered an athletic recruit.