The 2024-25 youth soccer season is almost here! As with the start of any new season, there’s a lot of excitement and nerves that come with a new year. Especially for those players who are just starting the college recruiting process, it can be a difficult path to navigate and lots of options to consider.
Social media is just one area that players and their families will have to encounter as they begin decide their next steps in the beautiful game and in life. With colleges and universities increasingly using social media platforms like Instagram, X, TikTok and others, social media has been a strong resource for players looking to showcase their skills to recruiters from across the country and share more about who they are and what makes them stand out.
Ahead of the upcoming season, here are some key tips for players and their families to use when navigating the college recruiting space online. These tips are for both players that are just starting their college recruiting process, and for those that are looking for fresh ideas and simple adjustments to their current plan.
Have The Basics Set Up: Much like college recruiting pamphlets, it’s important that your social media profile have the basic information readily available and updated. Make sure that your information is clear and consistent. The most obvious is updating the club information. This information can include:
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- Your name
- What positions you play
- What club team you play for (EX: SoccerWire FC Blue 07)
- What high school team you play for
- Any National Team Call-Ups
- Any accolades that you think might be worth mentioning
- A link to your college recruiting profile page or to a YouTube page
For players that already have social media accounts make sure that all of the information that is already provided is up-to-date. In particular, make sure that the correct club team information is included. Players may have moved to a new club in the offseason or their team may have been folded into another team during the summer break. No matter the reason, it’s important this information is up-to-date and accurate.
Think Before You Post: This might sound counter-intuitive given that social media is supposed to be a quick means of communication, but it’s important to take your time with each post.
There are two reasons why a player should take their time with their posts. First, it’s the best way to catch small grammatical and spelling errors. Although players can go back and change some information on Instagram or X, many posts cannot be edited. Writing out one’s posts ahead of time, letting them breathe, and then coming back with a fresh set of eyes will help cut down on some of the small errors. This is also true for any graphics that are designed. Having a good proofreader such as a parent, a coach, or a trusted friend to look over the information is a great way to catch these small errors.
Second, it’s always good for the player to ask themselves ‘Is this post the best reflection of me?’ Writing out a post ahead of time on a calendar and then reviewing it with someone who knows them well can help ensure that posts come out the way that they are intended. Especially after tough result, or a disappointing tournament or showcase, it can be a challenge to talk about a performance in a way doesn’t come across as negative in unintended ways. Parents are great sounding boards and can help ensure that players are getting the right message out.
On the Field, Don’t Just Talk About Goals or Saves
College scouts want to get to know the full player: what their strengths are, and what are areas they are trying to improve upon. While goals and saves are great in that they look good on camera, they are just a part of the broader game. From a field player’s perspective, passing, dribbling, work in the transition and on the counter-attack are all great areas that a player can talk about, and showcase their stronger tactical and technical knowledge of the game. Goalkeepers can also showcase their footwork, talk about some of the small adjustments that they made throughout the match to slow down an opponent’s attack, and also work on set pieces.
This is also where players can lean on their coaches to make sure that what they are saying makes sense and is accurately represented in the video. With more and more teams using video camera technology and clubs instituting video analysis sessions, there is plenty of time for players to work with their coaches and use them as a good sounding board on how to approach technical and tactical-based posts.
Off of the Field- Be Creative!
Much like a resume, a college recruiting social media account should showcase not just the player, but the person as well. College coaches obviously want to know about what the player is doing on the field, but they also want to know what type of person they are looking at bringing in. Examples of good off-the-field posts to include are:
- Academic achievements
- Volunteer work in the community
- Work that is being done both inside and outside of soccer
- School club activities (theater, French club, etc.)
- Training and exercise videos
- Playing other sports
Completed the Grassroots Coaching License coursework. Looking forward working towards the next license! @KSRGirlsAcademy @KSRushGA07 @KS_RushSoccer @GAcademyLeague @RushSoccer @bhswomenssoccer pic.twitter.com/hXcnkprLLW
— ᕼᗩIᒪEY ᑕᖇᗩᗷᗷ · ᴄᴇɴᴛᴇʀ ʙᴀᴄᴋ · 2026 (@haileycrabb_) August 2, 2024
Have Fun!
While setting up a college recruiting social media account can at first seem like a daunting challenge, it can be a fun process and is a great way for players to express themselves in a creative manner and to connect with players who are also looking to play at the next level. Players can also use this as an opportunity to showcase their communication and arts skills, to further understanding of the beautiful and to grow as both players and people.
