My college recruiting for women's soccer is nearly coming to an end with my commitment to Florida Atlantic University. It's a great relief and a huge weight off my shoulders because I can relax a bit now in my upcoming senior year and concentrate on school and training. The day I received the scholarship offer was a day of great joy for me. The best part was when they told me they really, really wanted me on their team. That meant a lot because FAU has always been my school of choice. I just can't wait for signing day next year!!
My recruiting started less than two years ago when my Dad contacted. All the letters, the travel on unofficial visits, the college showcases were, at times, a burden. There were many ups and downs with encouraging moments and times of great disappointment. NCSA helped me during these times, especially my recruiting coach, Allie Kabat. We would talk on the phone and she would give me encouragement when I felt like I would never get recruited. She helped me to stay focused and helped me make the right decisions. Without the help of Allie and NCSA, it would have been very difficult for me.
When I look back now, the biggest disappointments were not the outright rejections or the letters that were never answered, it was the very promising leads and campus invitations that looked so good but never materialized into anything. My advice to freshmen and sophomores just starting the recruiting process is to be flexible. Don't set your recruiting goals on too narrow. Colleges approach the recruiting process as a business. They are looking for the best available talent but they are also looking for the right fit and other factors: a player that fits into their style of play, qualifies for academic money, someone that can fit in comfortably with the team, and many other factors. My best suggestion is to stay focused and disciplined, know what you truly want, get help from professionals like NCSA and use their tremendous resources and finally, study hard and train hard.
