TSW Q&A: College assistant coach discusses recruiting top talent at Jefferson Cup

By Charles Boehm and Roger Gonzalez

Jen Frisch was a college soccer player herself once. A 2006 graduate of Central Connecticut, the current University of Rhode Island assistant coach knows what it takes to play on the collegiate level. In Richmond to recruit, the former Women’s Soccer Premier League player discussed the recruiting process and shared her thoughts about the Jefferson Cup with TSW.

TSW: What have you seen so far while scouting the Jeff Cup?

JF: The girls are playing well. The competition’s good down here. I’ve been watching games pretty much all day, and [the players] are working hard. We’re out here pretty much looking for talent and what we need. Every coach is different…A lot of the talent is committed already. We are looking for 2013s and even 2014s now.

TSW: What does Rhode Island look for in a prospect?

JF: You always look for really good, top-tier kids. We’re not bringing in a huge class at the University of Rhode Island. We’re looking for any kid that can have an impact in our program – we’re looking for goalscorers right now, really for ‘14s. We have our ‘13 class pretty much down, but some of our commitments for 2012 are down here now, so you just kind of try and see everybody.

TSW: It seems that as each year passes, younger players are being recruited. Your thoughts?

JF: It feels so crazy to be watching 2014s. It’s good talent…I think that [U15 scouting] is crazy. I even had an 8th grader write to us yesterday. The process is happening so quickly. Some kids are even committing without even seeing schools.

TSW: Obviously, you are hear to expose Rhode Island’s women’s soccer to many elite recruits. What is your recruiting pitch?

JF: Right now, we are in a rebuilding stage, with a new head coach in Michael Needham. This was his first year…Big things are going to happen. We are just in the process of changing around our program. You’ll see us in the NCAA Tournament in a few years…I think it will really be the start of something great…The girls have their heads on straight.

[At Rhode Island], you get the playing time you want, you get the accolades you want, you get the experience you want. When you get on campus, it’s all about how you feel. It’s really how you relate to the coaches…It is just preference.