| You see it every year. Very talented high school | | | | school you will see when you show up in the fall. |
| soccer players earn a soccer scholarship to a great | | | | Recruiting trips are sales visits. Make sure that away |
| college. A few years go by and that athlete has | | | | from athletics, the college has enough to offer you. |
| seemed to disappear and no longer plays for the | | | | Also if you come from a small town, will you be |
| college team. What happened? While everyone has | | | | comfortable at a massive university that is larger |
| their own reason for quitting, we have narrowed 5 | | | | than your hometown? |
| main reasons that scholarship soccer athletes fail to | | | | 4. Picking the wrong school athletically: Just because |
| succeed at this level. | | | | you accepted a scholarship, it does not mean you will |
| | | | get any playing time. Each year, freshmen and |
| 1. Not developing a solid recruiting plan: Most reasons | | | | transfers just as or more talented then you show up |
| relate back to this main issue. Players in high school | | | | to campus wanting your playing time. Are you willing |
| do not know what they want out of college. They | | | | to sit on the bench for a few years while your skills |
| are going through the recruiting process without first | | | | improve at a DI school. Or would you be happier at a |
| having developed a personal assessment with their | | | | smaller college where you know you can play the fist |
| parent's and coach. They then end up picking a | | | | year on campus? |
| college for the wrong reasons and this almost always | | | | 5. Geographic Issues: It is hard to say how you will |
| leads to failure. | | | | react and feel attending a college 1,000, 2,000 or |
| 2. College is the wrong academic fit: Just because a | | | | even 100 miles from home. Think about this long and |
| school accepts you, that does not mean you will be | | | | hard when you are in the recruiting process. Also if |
| able to succeed academically there. We know many | | | | you live in Florida, do you think you could handle |
| students that get accepted into IVY league schools | | | | snow and cold for months on end if you attend |
| because they play a sport. Their grades aren't that | | | | school up North? These factors are often |
| bad, but will they really have the academic tools for | | | | overlooked. Do not sacrifice your reasons for |
| success? We also see athletes that will attend | | | | attending school or what you truly want in a college |
| colleges because they go the scholarship, but will use | | | | just because you were offered a soccer scholarship. |
| the scholarship to rationalize the college not having | | | | By developing a personal inventory before starting |
| the major they wanted. College needs to be used | | | | recruiting that takes into consideration these topics |
| for academics first, athletics second/ | | | | plus dozens of others, you can maximize both your |
| 3. Picking the wrong school socially: Realize that the | | | | college soccer scholarship potential and your success |
| college you visit on a recruiting trip is not the same | | | | rate once you show up on campus. |