A Division I soccer coach breaks down how to get recruited: most D1 players come from MLS NEXT or ECNL, but if you're not in those leagues, you need 10-12 video clips, multiple ID camps, and 2-6 in-person showcases. Even top-tier players must email coaches six months ahead and show up multiple times. Use your club coach as a reference in recruitment emails.
Division 1 college soccer coach at a top academic school, and here are his— Most of the time, if you're not playing MLS NEXT or ECNL, you're not going to play Division 1 soccer. That's just the way it goes. There are exceptions to this rule. There's a left back that's playing for UCLA that played Elite Academy, and he's playing for UCLA. If you are not playing MLS NEXT or ECNL and you want to play at a Division 1 soccer team, you are going to have to focus on the local school. Your college coach is going to have to be a reference. You're going to need 10 to 12 videos, and you're going to have to go to multiple ID camps, and you must be seen in person 2 to 6 times at showcases. And typically, if you're not playing MLS Next or ECNL, you're not going to those showcases. So that's why you typically don't play. It has nothing to do with you're not good enough. It's just you're not getting enough exposure. Number 2, if you are playing MLS Next or ECNL and you expect to get noticed at the showcase, you're out of your freaking mind. You have to have multiple communication before the showcase, like 6 months beforehand with phone calls, emails, follow-up video, so they can confirm they're actually going to see you. And they have to see you 2 to 6 times in person at a showcase, not including camps. To recruit you. Number 3, you must put your coach in your email as a reference because if they know your coach, they can maybe call them. Yes, your coach can maybe call them, but it's very unlikely because your coach is so busy. So better to put your coach in your email, and if the college coach recognizes their name, they'll be more likely to call. And they probably already know who it is, but this way they can double confirm because they're like, oh, I know that person and I like this player. Let me call that coach. If your coach is willing to call people for you, that's great, but they'll probably only call 3 to 4 schools, maybe 5 if you're lucky, 'cause they can't call everybody forever, and the college coaches almost never pick up the phone, especially on a cold call. Even if they know the person, they're still not gonna pick up the phone. So you have to follow up after the fact and say, "Hey, my coach called you. I just wanted to politely follow up and left you a message." It doesn't even matter if your coach gets them on the phone, just the fact that your coach called is enough for the college coach to go, "Okay, I'm sure they were gonna say great things, and the kid followed up with me, so they really wanna come to my school." And they must be good because the coach called me. So you know what? Let me find out. Let me watch the video. Let me figure out if I actually want this player. If you want more help playing college soccer, give me a call. Link's in the bio. Bye.
