Gunston Soccer Club
College Scene
For players that wish to continue to play in college then you need to get noticed by the coach of the school you wish to attend. There are many ways to get noticed. The NCAA allows each division 1 soccer program 9.9 scholarships for men and 12 for women. In division 2 the ratio is 9 for men and 9.9 for women. If you are good enough of course then a full ride soccer scholarship is always on the cards.
Women's soccer is one of the fastest growing intercollegiate sports mainly due to the application of TITLE IX so there are many opportunities out there for women.
There are a number of things that you can do to increase you chances of playing soccer at college level. It is important that yo
u play for a good club as well as for your high school. You MUST, MUST, MUST get involved with the Olympic Development Program (ODP). Tryouts are open to club members and if you make your state team then your well on your way. Participation in the ODP has helped many soccer players get recruited. There is more chance of being spotted at a ODP regional camp than a local high school game.
The ODP gives you access to regional and national camps and hence much greater exposure. Your "Soccer Scholarship Resume" will look a whole lot better with the inclusion of your ODP participation.
Many fine young soccer players are overlooked each year because they didn't submit their soccer scholarship resume to the "right" colleges or left out vital information. It’s also a fact that many colleges simply don't allocate all of their soccer recruiting funds because "suitable" athletes didn't approach them.
The NCAA eligibilty Center is an agency of the NCAA that certifies the initial eligibility of all perspective student-athletes who want to compete as a freshman athlete at NCAA Division I and II member institutions.
If you want to participate in Division I or II athletics as a freshman, you must first register and be certified by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. Refer to the NCAA Academic Eligibility section to determine the initial-eligibility standards that apply to you. If you don't register you will not be eligible to play or practice during your freshman year.
Athletes who want to compete at College level must file a form with the Clearinghouse. This form is available from your high school counseling office. The NCAA Clearinghouse website is https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common/.
High school Freshman and Sophomore year and these rules also apply until September 1 of your Junior year.
Coaches are allowed to:
Send you athletic or sports camp brochures, NCAA Educational Information and Questionnaires. A coach can also accept phone calls from you as long as they are at your expense but remember that if you leave a message on an answering service the coach is NOT ALLOWED TO CALL YOU BACK
Coaches are not allowed to:
To call you on the phone.
A coach cannot send you any written recruiting information.
Here is a sample Soccer Player Profile for our GSC soccer players to send to college coaches.
The above information was provided from the following websites:
http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/soccer.htm