NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

Many student-athletes fail to look at the whole picture when they explore colleges and universities. It is fairly common for athletes to have unrealistic expectations about where they can receive an education and play college soccer. They start their research with the top universities and like what they see. It can be very easy to become stuck on the idea of playing Division I soccer, but that may not necessarily be the best path for you. There is nothing wrong in aiming high, as long as you are open to all opportunities that come your way.

There are 1,471 colleges and universities in the country that have a women’s soccer program and 1,361 that have men’s soccer. That is a lot of opportunities and most of those are schools you have probably never even heard of. However, just because you haven’t heard of the school, does not mean that it won’t have a strong soccer team or be strong academically. Be open to any college or university you hear from and don’t rule it out until you have done your research!

When you begin your research, you should start with the college’s website. Read about the institution and what it can offer you academically. Then, you want to see what it can provide you athletically. Read the player and coach profiles to see what their backgrounds are and to see how you measure up.  Also, read about past or current seasons to get an indication of the strength of their program. If you like what you see on their website, try to speak with the coach or a student to get a better idea of the school and team. Whenever possible visit campus so you can see for yourself!

There are a few factors that you should consider about the actual soccer program regardless of division, when you do your research:

• Will you have the opportunity to grow and thrive in their program?
• Are you going to have a role on the team that you desire?
• Is the program going to be challenging enough for you?
• Did there appear to be a good team moral?
• Could you see yourself fitting in with the other players on the team?
• Do you like the coaching style?
• When you watched a game, did you think that you would be able to play at their level?

Then there are things you need to consider outside of soccer:

• Are you going to receive the level of education that you desire?
• Will the average class size work for you?
• Does the school offer degrees that you are interested in?
• Is the size of the campus too big, too small or just right?
• Are there adequate activities you will be able to get involved in other than soccer?
• Will you receive the academic support you need?
• Can you really see yourself living in that environment for four years and being happy?

When you research colleges and universities you should always ask yourself these questions. If you answered mostly “yes,” you are off to a good start; if you answered “no” to the majority of questions, that program may not be the best fit for you. Good thing you have so many to choose from! Try not to get too caught up in the division or where your friends are going; this is about you and finding the best fit for you! The college decision process is not an easy one, but if you do your research the right way you will have successful results and an enjoyable college experience.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 10th, 2008 at 5:13 pm and is filed under Athletic Scholarships, College Soccer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.