A soccer coach breaks down five steps for sophomore players seeking college recruitment: create a 1:30 highlight reel with professional production, pick the right camps based on your level, understand that no platform guarantees offers, use short Instagram clips to keep coaches interested, and start conversations with Division III coaches who may lead to Division I interest.
If you're a sophomore, here are 5 things I would be really worried about. The first one is if you don't have good videos. It takes many games to create what would be a 1:30 really good highlight video. Having said that, when I say good footage, I mean a really nice camera angle. So a VOR trace, or if you hire a professional who can zoom in on you and make you look really pretty, just because it's high quality footage goes a really long way. Number 2 is which camp you should go to. If you're a really high level player and you're playing MLS, at ECNL as a sophomore, you should be going to Division I and Division III individual camps. If you're not as a high-level player, there's an argument to start with a Mass ID camp with multiple schools, get feedback from them, literally ask them after the camp, "What level should I aim for?" and relay that back to mom and dad so you can get realistic quickly. Number 3, there is no agency, including myself, and I'm not an agency, I'm an education system technically speaking, that is going to get you recruited. No company has a platform that would just have you get recruited. Number 4, you would take shorter clips, like only 1 minute's worth or 30 seconds worth, and you'd put it on Instagram, and then you would email that Instagram link after, say, you have nothing to say to a coach for a couple months and there's been no games or nothing eventful has happened. You go, hey coach, I have a great Instagram page, here's a moment that I had the other day. Even if it's from footage they've already seen, it's going to look different because you better zoom in. Do not have it be horizontal, make sure it's zoomed in. Number 5, softboards. You will begin talking to the Division III coaches in a very, very real way. The Division I coaches will actually also talk to you if they like your emails and you go to their camp. If they like you, they will talk to you and they will start recruiting you. That's how kids commit. If you want more help, call me. Links in the bio.
