NAL players face recruiting disadvantages against MLS NEXT and ECNL competitors, but can stand out by creating every-touch video reels, attending showcases, and running a strategic email campaign starting with lower-tier Division I schools before targeting top programs.
If I play NAL and I have a 3.8 GPA, can I play Division I college soccer? The short answer is no, you cannot play Division I college soccer from NAL. It of course has happened, we have helped students do it, but on paper the coaches will pick kids from MLS NEXT 2 before you, even ECNL RL before you, and probably even ECNL or MLS NEXT before you. Now NAL does depend. If your NAL team is going to showcases, you could be the exception. If you're going to playoffs, you could be the exception. But otherwise, honestly, it's very difficult. Having said all that, I'm not implying that you should leave your team. I'm implying to ask the right questions to figure out how you're gonna get exposure despite playing quote unquote NAL. One of the ways to do this is to make sure that you have more video, you go to more camps, and you make sure that you send emails with a question. Do not just say, here's my highlight video. You have to say, are you looking for my position for the class of blank? I'm working on coming to one of your games this fall. Which game should I recommend you, which game do you recommend I attend? And with that email system where you're asking questions that are polite but also semi-aggressive, as well as your videos where you have every-touch videos and highlight videos, and you email schools that are below your top schools because you need significant interest from the lower levels before you can attack the upper for two reasons. One, if a top D1 school says to you, who else are you being recruited by? And you say nobody, that's gonna be really weird to them, especially since you're already playing NAL. It will just certify what they already think of NAL. And second is, you may wanna go to your dream school, but if they don't respond to you, then you have nowhere to go. And now all of a sudden you can't play college soccer. So you email your backups because one, you do need a backup, and two, the Division I schools want to know you're being recruited by other people because if you're playing NAL, maybe you're the exception, maybe you're the diamond in the rough. So if other college coaches have confirmed that for them and you've been recruited by 7 other schools, they'll be like, oh, you're that NAL kid that lives really far and doesn't have an MLS Next team nearby or an ECNL team nearby. And now that I know other coaches like you, could you come to my camp? Or we'll come to your showcase. And all of a sudden you are now being recruited. If you want more help playing college soccer, give me a call. Links in the bio. If you want to know what club teams are in your state, comment in one word, CA club or IN depending on what state initials you are. Club, make sure it's one word and I'll send you a list of schools. Or excuse me, a list of clubs. If you want more help, give me a call. Links in the bio. Talk to you soon. Goodbye.
