| By Eric Bucchere, UC San Diego Men's Soccer Assistant Coach
For most young soccer players in America the college soccer recruiting process begins with marketing yourself. It may seem a daunting and confusing venture, but can be easy and rewarding for those willing to take a little initiative.
1. Figure out where you would like to go to school
It doesn’t need to be set in stone, but making a list of 10-20 colleges that you are interested in is a great way to narrow down the process. Pick schools based on academics, location, and cost, as well as what you know about the soccer program. Make sure you include your dream school even if the you might think the academic or soccer team level may be a bit out of your reach. Also include schools that are realistic for you and your academic and athletic ability.
2. Send an email
Once you have your list of 10-20 schools, check in with each school one at a time. Most coaching staff email addresses can be found online. Write the email to the head coach, and cc any assistant coaches listed on the website. Don’t send a mass email. Keep the email short and include your name, graduation year, GPA, SAT score or when you plan to take it, position, team, and where the coach can see you play. Your email should look something like this:
Dear Coach Smith and Coach Yee,
My name is Lionel Messi and I play right-wing or up top for CV Manchester BU17 Red. I’m graduating from Mt. Carmel High School in 2011, and I have a 3.6 and I’m taking my SAT test this May.
My CV Manchester team is playing in Albion Cup this weekend and Surf Cup in August. I posted my team’s schedule and game locations below. I’d appreciate it if you could watch me play.
Thanks,
Lionel
The best time to start writing emails to coaches is during your junior year in high school. Due to NCAA rules, most coaches are not allowed to write emails to players about recruiting until September of their junior year, so if you write an email to a coach before then don’t expect a response. If you’re playing in a tournament near a college you like, don’t hesitate to ask the coach if there is a time you could stop by the office and say hello. Most coaches will take ten minutes to meet you and show you around.
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