College Recruiting Tips for Soccer Coaches

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) have specific rules for when college athletic coaches can contact potential recruits. Much of it is dependent on if a team is Division I, II or III. Coaches have to get written permission from the player's school and make sure home visits, visits from the school and phone calls fall within the appropriate recruiting schedule.

  1. Division I

    • The National College Scouting Association recommends looking for athletes who have played at the OIympic Development Program level; ODP is a regional program that brings the best players from different high schools together to raise the level of competition. These players also should play at high-level premier or elite club teams outside of their high schools; these types of competition are the most likely to mirror the speed and skill level of college soccer and thus will give coaches a better idea of how well these players will perform on their teams, according to the association. Club teams go to regional and national tournaments, which is one of the easiest ways for coaches to check out potential players.

      When coaches look at players' high school records, the students should have all-conference honors on top of all-district, all-state and all-region honors. This indicates a player can handle the competitiveness at the Division 1 college level, says the National College Scouting Association. Even the best players, however, need to be able to handle the education level at colleges. Coaches should also look for players with a 3.0 grade point average and a score of 24 on the ACT or 1000 on the SAT.

    Division II

    • The second tier of athletic programs are not much different in recruiting rules and expectations than Division I schools. Coaches should still look at ODP teams but may instead focus on tryouts and camps instead of just the players who make the team. Potential D-II players also should have club team experience and should be varsity starters for their high school soccer teams. The academic levels are the same as at the Division I level.

    Division III/NAIA

    • Division III or NAIA players should be highly performing players on traveling club teams and varsity starters for their high schools. This level of competition is less intense than Division I or II, although players will see a greater level of intensity than in high school play.

    Across Divisions

    • All coaches should look for players who return phone calls and letters quickly, who are actively moving through the NCAA Clearinghouse process and who are proactive in the recruiting process. According to the National College Scouting Association, most players find the school, not the other way around.