The start of a new youth soccer season always brings a certain level of excitement. Whether it’s the chance to meet new teammates, play under new coaches, or just get back on the field, the energy that comes from a new season is unmatched.
For players that are in the college recruiting process, there is also an added level of anticipation. If a player is just entering the recruiting cycle, it provides the chance to show what one can do and that they can play at the next level. As for players that are veterans in the process and still looking for that right college fit, it is the opportunity to cement that deal and earn the chance to take the picture with their college hat and their families. No matter if players are playing travel soccer this fall or high school soccer, it’s a pivotal moment not just in a player’s soccer career, but in their lives.
So how does one capture those moments on social media and show interested colleges all of the amazing things that are going on? Here are a few tips on how to kickstart your college soccer recruiting page ahead of the new season.
- Update Your Profile: This might sound simple, but it is really important: the information on the player’s college recruiting social media handle needs to be updated. The biggest change that will need to be updated is if the player has changed clubs. But even if the player has remained with the same club, make sure that the team name matches what is either in the league database or on the club’s website. Other information that may need to be updated includes their position(s), what school they are attending, and what their grade point average is. Players should also check their college recruiting website pages (NCSA, Hudl, SportsRecruits, etc.) to make sure that this information is also up-to-date.
- Start With A Quick Refresher:Although players should be posting over the summer about their training , as we mentioned it is also more than okay to take a bit of a break. With the ever-expanding youth soccer schedule, those moments may be few and far between. So it is important for players to enjoy those when they can. It also gives them an opportunity to do a restart when they get back to reacquaint themselves with college soccer recruiters. Pulling together a short highlight video emphasizing some of their best highlights from the previous season is a great way to publish new content and talk about the season ahead. Players can also splice travel and high soccer highlights into one reel for this one.
- Talk About Your Goals (And Not Just The Ones That Go In The Net): College recruiters want to see progression from year-to-year and one that can be done is through their social media handle. Goals can either be listed in a simple graphic or they can talk about it through a video. These goals can be individual goals (goals scored in a season, clean sheets, make the varsity soccer team), team-oriented (win the ECNL National Title, make it to the second round of the High School State Championships, etc.) or more personal (Grade Point Average improvement, pass all Advanced Placement Courses, volunteer 30 hours at an animal shelter, read 30 books in a year, etc.) It is recommended that before players post these goals that they talk to a family member or a close friend and ensure that these are the best reflections of themselves. Players should also avoid putting down other teams or players. Keeping a positive social media presence is a critical point of growth and shows college recruiters that they can be goal-oriented while being mature.
- Share Your Team’s Schedule: Especially with high school soccer- try to push out your schedule before school starts so that way college recruiters are aware of when you will be playing. If your travel soccer schedule does not start until the winter, you can wait to do that until it gets closer to the start date. However, if travel soccer starts in the fall send out something with the first month or so of matches. Many clubs will already be pushing this information out so retweeting/reposting might be an option.
