1. What does a Division 1 coach look for in an athlete?
One of the great things about our profession is that every coach looks for, sees, and needs different qualities to fit that coach and programs personality. Speaking soccer specifically, there are generally four areas that I will try and focus on when looking for players to fit into our program and the environment created here at the University of Miami.
1. Physical - I need to find players who will be able to match up against and along side the best women’s soccer players in the country that play in the Atlantic Coast Conference and at the University of Miami. Speed, quickness, size, strength all come into play. Not everyone has to be the biggest and the strongest, but rather needs to be “special” in one or more of the areas.
Athletes who can come in fit and on top of their game from the start will have a much easier transition into the college game than those who have to spend the first year trying to get fit enough or those who tend to be injury prone. Not amazingly lack of fitness and injuries go hand in hand.
2. Technical - Your ability with the ball. Technical speed is so important to keep yourself on the field and to keep things connected during the run of the play. First touch, finishing ability, driven, lofted, and bent services, and the ability to run at defenders 1v1 are all important among many others.
3. Tactical - Being great in the technical areas doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t know how and when to apply it. The game moves fast, both defensively and offensively, having an understanding of the game that keeps you and gets you in good spaces at great times can be heroic. Watch and study the game as much as you can whether it be college, or professional.
4. Psychological - I find there are few players who come into the Division I environment mentally tough enough for the challenge that lies ahead. Coaches are so demanding on the athletes everyday, that it can become a burden to some. On top of that there are psychological demands put on them in everyday by teammates and professors. This is one reason I really think fitness tests and training 2-3 times a day can be important. Sometimes even the most talented players are not mentally tough enough to get through it.
2. What should an athlete do in order to get a school to look at them?
The most important thing in getting a school of YOUR choice to see you play is to market yourself. Write, email, call the coaching staff. Let them know you are very interested in your school. Be specific, don’t just call them coach. I want a letter that reads: Dear Coach Freeman, I am very interested in the University of Miami. Too many times I get “Dear Coach, I am very interested in your school.” That tells me you’re not really that interested if you can’t take the time to change the email or figure out my name.
Tell them where you will be playing next. Every time you go to a tournament or have some type of showcase event send them an email, invite them to come see you play.
Next step would be to go see the school. The way the recruiting process is going, most players make decisions by the end of their junior year in high school, so your going to need to be prepared to take some trips and see some schools. Getting on campus and putting a name with a face can be very important. It also lets the coach know that you are very interested and that coach needs to figure out a way to see you play. Camps are a great way to see the school, spend time with the coach, and allow them to see you play. Find a good camp with lots of college coaches in attendance, that way you get looks by more than one school.
3. In your opinion, what should a player’s timeline entail in terms of the recruiting process?
The Division I timeline has really moved up in the last couple years and the other divisions are not far behind.
Early Sophomore year - begin sending letters, emails to coaches. Let them know you are out there. Make a couple calls if you need to, but know that coaches are now watching players your age. At this time coaches CANNOT write you or call you back with the exception of discussing camp. Initiating the recruiting process with a sophomore in high school is an NCAA violation, the only exception would be if you are on campus on an unofficial visit. College coaches could be calling your club or high school coach to let them know they are interested in you.
Junior Year - Go on your visits. If you can do it in the fall and see the college team play that will give you a good idea of the style of play the coach uses, you will get to know the players, and get a feel if you will fit into that environment. But definitely by the spring of your Junior year you need to have taken the visits to the schools of your choice. On your visits ask the tough questions. “Do you see me playing right away?” Ask about scholarship money, this usually gives you an idea about how interested they really are in you. Ask the players about the coach. Make sure their personality is similar with what you need. If the coach is a yeller and screamer that may or may not be what you need. When you have made your decision you will give the coach a “verbal commitment” meaning you will be attending that school. The coach is committing scholarship money, a roster spot, whatever you discussed at that point and you are committing to attending the school. This is NOT something that should be broken so take it seriously. After September 1st, college coaches can now write you via email or regular US Mail. Take your SAT and register with the NCAA Clearinghouse.
Senior Year - You’ve probably already made your decision. So know you will go on your official (all expenses paid) visit to see a game and meet the team again. After July 1st preceding your Senior year, college coaches are allowed to call you once a week. Apply for school during the summer before you Senior year.
For soccer, during the first week in February you will sign your National Letter of Intent, thus a binding contract you will be attending the school. Coaches now have unlimited phone calls to you and can text message with you as well.
4. Does an athlete’s current position impact a coach’s decision on the recruiting process, or do you solely look at the individual player’s skill and ability to adapt to play different positions at the next level?
Again I think that varies with the coach and the program. Most schools definitely look for specific positions to some degree. We will keep a player’s current position in mind, however they may not be playing in the place that they will be best at the college level. I like to find the best players we possibly can find and get, no matter what the system of play we use or what positions we need, and then fit the system of play around those players. Good players are generally adaptable enough to play in different places. Goalkeepers are the obvious exception to the rule.
5. What is the importance of high school, club, and ODP?
For soccer high school is the least important of the three. I still like that players play high school soccer if it is a safe environment for them. High School soccer helps players develop a sense of pride for their school, and gives them something to rally around. In HS you are also training everyday which with a few exceptions is going to help.
Club Soccer gets you out there, gets you seen by the colleges, and helps you develop as a soccer player year around. Showcase tournaments, state and regional tournaments all attract hundreds of college coaches.
ODP is a great thing for those kids who make it to the state team and beyond. Making the regional team, or national pool gets you seen by the top programs across the country on a consistent basis. However for those who don’t make a state team or pool, it could be a waste of time and money. Also, some of the best players I have ever coached NEVER participated in ODP, so it is by no means an end all for those wanting to play in college.
Whether its high school, club, or college do things with a level of commitment you are proud of.
6. What can a player expect at the collegiate level?
Some of the hardest, most difficult times you could ever imagine in athletics made even more difficult by injuries, time spent on the bench, study hall, missed class time, and coaches who you personally feel are not trying to help you. Some of the best friends you could ever imagine and then some, a sense of pride that makes me swell up with tears just thinking about it, shedding blood, sweat, and tears, for your teammates, your program, your coaches, your university, and most importantly yourself. You will achieve things you never thought possible, meet people you will be close to for the rest of your life and graduate with a degree from a college you are proud of. Student-Athletes who make it through all four years of college are some of the most mentally tough, strong, active, and most sought after graduates by employers. They understand what it takes to get a step ahead of the rest of society and are willing to do what it takes to get there.
“I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - VICTORIOUS.” (Vince Lombardi)
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