A Division I soccer recruit explains four mistakes that nearly cost him his college career: refusing to leave his home state, skipping ID camps, relying on one showcase, and going silent with coaches. Proactive outreach to Valparaiso's coach Mike Avery got him a full-ride scholarship instead.
3 mistakes I wish I never made in order to play Division 1 college soccer. Number 1, I wish I understood that if I was open to leaving my state, I'd have 5 times more opportunities. Number 2, people kept telling me ID camps were a complete scam, but I was a baller, so if I went to the ID camp, it actually would have worked really well. Number 3, I thought one showcase would be enough to get recruited, but truth is they needed to see me a lot more, and I wish I knew that. Number 4, I got an offer to play at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and the offer was taken away from me. I wish I knew to stay in touch with more schools throughout my process. Ended up committing to Valparaiso University, and I got put on this poster because I was a Division I athlete, and it was really freaking cool. My coach ended up offering me a full-ride scholarship because of how I approached him from the airport to the facility. And he explained to me— he's now Mike Avery, an amazing coach who's now the professional coach of Fort Wayne, and they're going to do amazing— told me, based off your personality, we think you're going to be a leader here. Then he ended up giving me a full-ride scholarship, which has changed my life to this day. It's the reason I get to talk to all of you. So if you want more help playing college soccer, give me a call. Links in the bio.
