According to NCAA Data, roughly 5% of high school players get recruited to play college soccer. The truth is that college teams have a lot of prospective players to select. Depending on the college, you are most likely competing with hundreds of recruits for only 4 – 10 roster spots. Most players are taking the process seriously and doing all they can to get recruited, and so should you. Below are the 5 essential things you NEED to do to increase your chances of getting recruited.

1. Complete EVERY Soccer Questionnaire

Almost every college team has a questionnaire that is available for prospective students to fill out. A completed questionnaire allows potential recruits to put themselves in the college coach’s system of communication. Once you have identified the college programs of your choice, go to their websites and fill out their soccer questionnaires immediately. 

2. Play in front of 75 colleges at Future 500

In 2018 – 93.4% of the coaches that attended Future 500 contacted multiple players identified from camp. Coaches need to see you to identify and recruit you. Future 500 has 85 coaches at each camp from a carefully selected mix of D1, D2 and D3 schools – to provide exposure to players of all levels. Future 500 generates interest, communications, and new college options for you. Find out more about how Future 500 greatly assists your process, through 5 key features, here. 

3. Make your Highlight Video

This is extremely important for the recruiting process. With so many players and so few college coaches, it is almost impossible for coaches to make it out to see everyone play. A soccer highlight video will give the coach a chance to see you play early in the recruiting process and could put you on the short list for that team.  Future 500 offers high quality game footage shot from elevated towers – learn more here.

4. Give Coaches your showcase tournament schedule (every time).

Let coaches know what soccer tournaments you are playing in. Coaches have limited resources and need to prioritize what tournaments to go to and who they will be seeing. Factor yourself into the coach’s decisions by giving them your soccer schedule early on in the process.

5. Be Consistent and Responsive

If you are not diligent about responding in time and/or following up with the coach, he/she may think you are no longer interested in his/her college. On the other hand, not getting an email back from the college coach in a timely fashion or not getting one back at all does not necessarily mean that he/she is not interested. College coaches sometimes get over a hundred emails a day, so make sure you follow up. Persistence makes you more visible and shows that you are interested in the college.