NCSA caught up with rising soccer star Cailin Crosbie to talk about her high school career and the opportunity to compete at the next level.
NCSA: How do you show a college coach that you are really interested in their program?
Crosbie: To show a college coach that I am really interested, I research their team's statistics and congratulate them on their progress thus far.
NCSA: What are you doing to “take charge” of your recruiting process?
Crosbie: To "take charge" in my recruiting process, I have made a spread sheet of colleges I am interested and created tabs with contact information, what division they are, and various information. I have also contacted several coaches via email and telephone to set up visits, talk to them about their soccer program, talk to them about their Psychology Department (this is my desired major), and if they have had a chance to see me play or not. I have also kept tabs on what colleges need keepers for the 2010 year.
NCSA: How do you handle nerves when communicating with college coaches?
Crosbie: I got over my nerves after having a pep talk with Allie Kabat from NCSA, she was a wonderful help! (Thank you, Allie!!). She went through how to initiate a conversation with a coach as well as what to expect.
NCSA: How do you deal with disappointment in the recruiting process? Can you give an example?
Crosbie: I deal with disappointment well now. For example, after coming back from the CASL tournament I was disappointed to not see my inbox filled with emails right away from coaches I had contacted. I realized shortly after that they must have tons of emails to write and decided to bide my time by checking in with them via email. Sure enough, I did receive replies from various coaches who wanted to talk to me!
NCSA: What are your goals for this club/high school season?
Crosbie: My goals for high school season: To improve my shutout record, to get coaches to come watch me play, and to have a great season with my team!
My goals for club: To improve my stamina, to improve my power dive, to improve my reaction time, and to better my relationship with my goalie coach.
NCSA: Who is your favorite college athlete?
Crosbie: Lauren Osterello (Loyola). She is a family friend that I have admired ever since I started playing soccer. I hear nothing but terrific things from her coaches and she has a great drive.
NCSA: Overall, how has the recruiting process been for you so far?
Crosbie: NCSA has really helped me reach my goals so far in the recruiting process. They have helped me establish strong, valuable connections with coaches and have helped me bond with my dad over the recruiting process as well.
