Youth Soccer Clubs and Their Part in the College Soccer Process

Players and parents often turn to their soccer club’s administrators and coaches for guidance when the potential of playing soccer in college becomes an aspiration. Each club’s ability and commitment to support these aspirations varies from club to club for many reasons. 

Years ago, as a board member, I had the opportunity to spearhead our club’s efforts to develop our college advisory program once we made the decision to dedicate the time and resources to this area.  Our efforts were very successful and our club has a very positive reputation in this area with college coaches and, most importantly, with our players and parents seeking guidance. I would like to share with you some steps we took in developing our clubs program. 

Consider these points as a menu of things to potentially do for your club’s college advisory program – be your efforts initial thoughts or enhancements to an existing program.

• The success of your club’s college advisory program revolves around the support and vision of the Director of Coaching (DOC). Good face to face discussion, decisions, and buy-in between the DOC and club administration is imperative.

• Establish and broadcast who the club’s college advisor is. This is often the DOC but can be another coach or administrative person. Regardless, the selected individual should be as knowledgeable as possible on the college process, enthusiastic, approachable, and readily available to parents and players. Most importantly from the club aspect, this college advisor should be a person who wants the responsibility. 

• It is vital, as conveyed in our title above, that the college advisor stresses that all the club’s efforts and assistance to the player and parents is only one part of many steps or measures the player/parent team can employ. The overall college process and man-hours expended reside firmly with the player/parent team. Some have perceptions that their entire college process flows through the club and often put all their process “eggs” in one proverbial basket. The club plays an important role, but only one of many.

• It is also important that the club’s college advisor continues to stress that the college selection/soccer selection process be focused on the education aspects first, then the soccer aspects. The cleats will be long gone but the degree will always hang on the wall.

• One of the most important “deliverables” from the club to the college aspiring player – and one of the most important expectations of the player from the club – is feedback on the player’s best college match and level of play capabilities in college. This is a sincere meeting that should be addressed in your “College” sub menu write-ups (discussed below) and stressed at each of the clubs college night seminars.

• College process seminars – aka “college night” – should be given by the club at least once or twice a year. The administration should encourage attendance of students from 8th grade through high school, with both players and their parents attending. This way the parent/player team hears the same message. 

• The most basic measure a club can take in this internet-ready age is to establish a menu button on their website that includes “College,” “College Resources,” “College Advisory Program,” or some similar heading. At minimum this page should provide a brief overview of what is involved and when certain process steps should occur. Also, the club’s college advisor should be identified with contact information shared. A well-designed and informative “College” page that is only a click away will help establish consistency and address many up-front questions players and parents may have.

• Be it hard copy material in your clubs library or links on your website’s “College” page, another minimum step a club should take is to provide college reference information to members. This availability allows members to serve themselves while get a better understanding of college process steps, and the resources will make their eventual consultation with your club’s college advisor more targeted and fruitful.

• It’s often good for the administrative team to post on their main web page periodic and timely college-related topics or alerts such as “Any rising senior with college aspirations should be registering with the NCAA Clearing House at this time.” This will help keep your members up-to-date as they continue through their journey.

We will discuss each point above in more depth in future articles. 

Stay tuned and good luck!

- Rich Rydarowski

Rich Rydarowski's youth soccer days involved being a soccer dad, team manager, and eventually a board member for a present day US Soccer National Development Academy club. He co-authored with his son Jon, The Family Guide For The College Soccer And Scholarship Journey. The guidebook shares their family’s experiences and recommendations to other players and parents embarking on the same journey. Rich can be contacted directly at rich@mycollegesoccerjourney.com.

Comments

[Erik]

I agree that education comes first- no question about that! But when it comes to college athletics, high school guidance counselors aren't the best in helping to navigate the athletics side of things.

[docguru]

If education really comes first shouldn't a high school advisor be enough already. I do not understand why a soccer club needs to be involved in a students college decision making process.

[Erik]

Rich- great stuff here! I think identifying someone as a college advisor is really a great idea. High Schools do it for a reason, why shouldn't clubs!