COLLEGE RECRUITING PROCESS

From Lehigh Valley Travel Soccer to the Collegiate Level, we have all the Tips to get players into the right Collegiate Soccer Program!

ENCO United is committed to helping our players continue the development process in their soccer journey for as long as they possibly can. As a travel soccer club in the Lehigh Valley we have been helping players reach the collegiate level for over 30 years, read more below to see the best ways you can work with your coach and get the attention of a college program that is right for you!

For anyone with further interest in discussing the recruitment process with one of our Showcase Coaches please contact our Director of Coaching, Tim Hall, for further assistance

I want to play college soccer, where do I begin?

Getting noticed by college soccer coaches takes time and effort. However, if you follow the process, you can be successful and play college soccer. The best starting point is to identify the level of play that would be right for you. This would mean evaluating Division I, II, or III options, NAIA, or even Junior College Programs. The best way to determine where you would succeed is to discuss with your coach. Our ENCO coaching staff holds a lot of experience and a great willingness to help guide players to the right destination!

Should I factor academics and the social environment into my decision?

Absolutely! All players need to consider the fact that their college life will have other things going on than just their soccer commitments. It is very important players consider what kind of campus they would be comfortable living on, what courses they would enjoy studying, and how far they would want to be from their home. The resources to help you succeed of the field are just as important as those that help you on the field. You cannot have the right soccer program without everything else!

When can I begin to reach out to coaches? What is the best way to do this?

After you identify the proper level of play and school environment for you, it is time to reach out to coaches. It is important you reach out to them with your club name, preferred positions, and your academic standing. College coaches receive countless emails from players, it is important to stand out. Find the right balance of being respectful towards their recruiting process. The coaches of ENCO Showcase teams have great advice on how to build a proper email template. All players have different goals in what they are looking to achieve after their club career, it is very important to work with your coach to build a template that is right for you!

Film is another key piece of the recruitment process. College coaches will of course want to see you play! Having strong footage ready for them to view shows off your technical skill, in game IQ, and all around good character. Creating content like an "every touch video" or clips of your defensive involvements is key, and it is important for you to include these in your initial email to a college coach. Strong showing in this footage opens encourages coaches to come see you at your tournaments, and pay more attention to you during ID Camps. ENCO allows all High School Showcase Teams access to VEO Recording Software to obtain in-game footage from tournament and league games.

What are good guidelines to making a good video?

There's some good rules to follow when making good highlights of yourself. These tips help you be respectful of the coach viewing your footage, while also showing the best of your play:

Keep your video between 3-5 minutes. This duration allows plenty of time to show your best moments, while also being respectful of the number of videos the coach may have to view. At the same time, it also encourages a college coach to want to see more of you.
At the start of every video make sure you have a slide that lists your name, graduation year, email, club team, shirt number, and your GPA if it is above 3.0 (on an unweighted scale.)
Add a circle or arrow to easily identify yourself in each video. You cannot assume a coach will see the good parts of the video and assume it is you, make it very clear what you are doing in each clip!
Show more than just you, make sure the field of vision shows roughly half the field. This is a great tactic to show off things like your ability to scan before receiving, make off the ball runs prior to receiving, or even proof to show you made the right decision with your actions on the ball.
Keep the volume muted!

My team is attending a Showcase, what do I do?

All Showcase Tournaments have the list of coaches attending the event on their website. Visit the site and use the guidelines for emailing and video footage to send over to them, and include your game schedule. It is important you do this 2-3 weeks prior to your tournament. You will not be the only one who wants them at your game, so you will want to try and be one of the first to get into contact with them, as well as stand out with a proper email and footage. It is very important to assume that your chances of receiving contact without reaching out first are very little.

Should I attend an ID Camp?

ID Camps are a great way to gain more exposure to collegiate level coaches. However, there are a few things to be aware of prior to attending:

Just because you were invited to an ID Camp does not automatically mean you will be made a college offer, or a coach has already seen you play. Invites to ID Camps are primarily sent to club level players as a whole.
ID Camps are a good way for players to be evaluated. Prior to registering you should confirm that the coach of your desired programs are evaluating. After doing so make sure to contact them with a proper email and video. This allows them to show more interest in your play during the session.
Avoid registering for an ID Camp without any knowledge on who will be there, or speaking with an attending coach first. Doing this will often lead to a lack of contact from the evaluating coaches. It is very important you find ways to stand out beyond your on field play!