Qualifications for Soccer Scholarships

College soccer scholarships allow players to get a great education at little or no cost while playing a sport they love. But not every soccer player will receive a free ride to a collegiate soccer power. In fact, full soccer scholarships are few and far between. Only NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NAIA, NJCAA Division I and NJCAA Division II schools are allowed to offer athletic scholarships, although an excellent soccer resume combined with good academics can help soccer players looking into NCAA Division III schools obtain non-athletic scholarships. However, all schools have a limited number of scholarships, and many players are competing for them. As players approach their college careers, they first need to determine where they'd like to go to school, what they want to study, and what level of college soccer they think they can play before pursuing the almighty scholarship.

    • Build your soccer resume. To be considered for a college soccer scholarship, you have to demonstrate your ability as a player. This means challenging yourself to play and excel at the highest levels. Fortunately, many avenues exist for teenage players to work on their game. Work hard to be an impact player on your high school varsity team. Try out for club teams in your area. Many clubs exist, so you'll need to research clubs in your area to learn which ones are playing in top state, regional, and national leagues. The Olympic Development Program (ODP) is another good avenue, and coaches associated with clubs and the ODP will have relationships with many college coaches that can be beneficial in networking.

    • Get in front of coaches. The initial introduction of a player to a college coach is usually done by the player calling, emailing or writing the coach, although sometimes coaches will discover a player they didn't previously have on their radar while on recruiting trips. However, there are rules regarding when and how often coaches are allowed to contact players and their families, so the onus is on you to let coaches know who you are and how you can help their program. Send them your resume with information on your soccer career, academic record, and extracurricular activities. If possible, visit the campus, provide coaches with video of your games, and let coaches know what leagues and tournaments you are playing in so they can see you play.

    • Don't forget about your grades and extracurricular activities. Getting into college takes more than just a great soccer resume. Most soccer players won't become professionals, and even many that do won't make enough money to retire in the lap of luxury. Even when a coach really likes a player, it can be difficult for that player to get accepted by the school if he or she doesn't have a well-rounded resume that includes adequate grades, decent results on standardized tests such as the SAT, and experience with activities such as volunteering, holding down a part-time job and participating in other student activities at school.