THE TOP COLLEGE SOCCER ID CLINICS IN THE COUNTRY
  • DECEMBER ID CLINIC
  • RECRUIT CORNER
  • COLLEGES THAT HAVE ATTENDED
  • COACH REGISTRATION

BLOGS

10 Things You Need To Know To Get Recruited

7/30/2023

 
Picture
1. Play in front of top college coaches at JUST PLAY ID Clinics:
Here at JUST PLAY we have a powerful network of over 75 college coaches that have attended our events over 10+ years in business. Our events are always on the smaller scale to specifically allow you to play in front of every college coach throughout our 3 hour events.

2. Target schools and complete recruit questionnaires:
There are over 1200 schools between NCAA D1, D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO. Write out the list of factors you are looking for and figure out what is the “Right Fit” for you. Target schools that fit into that list of parameters and fill out those schools recruiting questionnaires to get on their emailing lists for where they will be.

3. Make your highlight video:
Making a highlight video is easier than ever these days, and it is the best way to quickly get on a college coach’s radar early in the process. We partner with NLV, who professionally edit your clips from our events.

4. Put time into editing your highlight video:
College coaches will immediately stop watching your videos if they can’t tell who you are in the highlight clip, if it’s blurry, if it’s taken from a cell phone, if they can’t tell the level of the matches you are playing in. Your highlight clips should best represent who you are as a player. Each clip should be selected, tell the coaches where you play on the field, define the actions that relate to your position for
example a forward – scores goals, beats players on the dribble, gets assists, is utilized as a target player, etc.

5. Give coaches your showcase tournament & ID clinic schedules:
Each showcase you attend will have a list of coaches attending, find the schools you want to play in front of and directly email or text the coaches from the schools your schedule and when you know you will play. The same goes for our JUST PLAY ID Clinics, emails the schools you want to see you that attend our events.

6. Be consistent and responsive:
In order to get love you must give love. Text, email, call, use social media and use every avenue to direct message college coaches and get on their radar. College coaches receive MASSIVE amounts of interest, so don’t be turned off if you don’t get a response right away just be persistent if you really like that school. If you are getting interest from college coaches, it’s also in your best interest to respond in a timely fashion and do your homework to investigate those schools even if you think you are a D1 player
but a D3 or an NAIA or some other level is emailing you.

7. Put in face to face time with specific coaches:
Seek out college coaches at the events they attend and introduce yourself. See if you can meet with coaches when you attend an admissions tour. If there is a school you really like make sure to attend their ID Clinics. Make sure to attend events they are at, especially events like our JUST PLAY ID Clinics.

8.Use Social Media to your advantage:
One of the newest ways to contact college coaches is through Direct Messaging on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc. If you don’t have a coach’s cell phone number, direct messaging on their team page or on their personal accounts might be the next best thing even better than emailing.

9. Play at the highest level possible:
Understanding the landscape of youth club soccer can be tricky. MLS Next & ECNL are the two highest levels at the moment. There are many leagues beyond these levels, but you should be pushing yourself to get on the best teams where you can get playing time. And if you don’t have the opportunity nearby for MLS Next or ECNL, try to reach out to clubs to “Guest Play” whenever possible at national events.

10. Know your club’s college placement history:
The best clubs not only have a college placement person, they will have college placement seminars with college coaches that explain the recruiting process and what their club can do for you. But also knowing where your club has historically placed players in college can give you a better understanding for the type of exposure you will get in their program.

WHY JUST PLAY ELITE ID CLINICS?

3/18/2023

 
Picture
WHY ARE JUST PLAY ID CLINICS THE BEST EVENTS IN THE MARKET PLACE?

JUST PLAY ID Clinics are organized and run by college coaches for college coaches and for players. Here are some of the reasons why we believe we have THE BEST ID Clinics in the country:

*COACHING NETWORK*
  • Our staff is made up of top professionals at the best colleges & universities primarily in the Northeast. We have a network of over 75 programs that we invite to work our events.

*HANDS ON APPROACH*
  • We are college coaches that meticulously organize and run each event for coaches to be able to see and evaluate players. Our staff of college coaches interacts with players through the entire event – running each session, coaching every match, and answering questions before, during and after the event.

*MAXIMUM EXPOSURE IN A 1-DAY SETTING*
  • Our clinics are strategically designed to showcase players in 3 settings – a technical college session progressing to small-sided games progressing to full-sided games. Our 3-hour window translates to a little over two hours of real playing time. This guarantees that players stay fresh​ and at their top level throughout the event avoiding fatigue from being overplayed.

WHY ID CLINCS?

3/18/2023

 
Picture
Why should prospective recruits make sure to add specific targeted ID Clinics in their playing calendar?

***Guaranteed playing time in front of college coaches***
As a player, at any event where college coaches are attending you want to say you had the opportunity to showcase your abilities in a meaningful way. JUST PLAY Elite Clinics format guarantee you will play meaningful small-sided and full-sided game minutes in front of every college coach that attends our clinics. Our events are 3 hours long where players maximize exposure at high level without being overplayed risking injury or a dip in form on the field.

Why is this different/better than a showcase tournament?
  • A college showcase may have 100 or more coaches attending but only a small percentage will actually attend one of your matches. Not every college coach will see you at a showcase. Most college coaches have a list of targeted players they are there to see and have a limited window to get to those games as so many overlap.
  • Few coaches spend more than 20-25 minutes at a particular game. This leaves so many variables up to chance. Did I play in those 20-25 minutes? Did I play well? Was my opponent competitive? Did I play in my best position (most showcases you play multiple positions)? Was my team playing well? Was this our first or second match of the showcase or were our legs cooked for a game later in the tournament?

***College Coaches will coach you first hand***
After working for 10 years on our business, we at JUST PLAY have built a great network of fantastic coaches where we can hand pick and invite the best coaches in our region to work our events. As a player you have a chance to play in one of their college sessions, and be coached in a match during our event by those coaches. You will get a sense for their playing philosophy, coaching style, what they are looking for in your position, and who they are as a coach. It is a rare opportunity to get firsthand feedback while also determining whether that coach fits what you are looking for at the next level.

Why is this different/better than a showcase tournament?
  • Division I and Division III coaches are not allowed to invite players to participate in training sessions with their teams. So unless you play on one of those college coaches’ club teams, you likely will not have another opportunity to participate in one of their training sessions.
  • We believe this is one of the key factors in determining “right fit” when selecting a school – “will I enjoy playing on a daily basis for this coach?” This is not something you can determine at a showcase.

***JUST PLAY Clinics create an environment for real competition***
JUST PLAY Clinics are an IDENTIFICATION and SELECTION process. Coaches are looking for the top players to separate themselves over the course of the event. Players are given the opportunity to do this during the three phases of the day – college coaching session, small-sided games, full-field matches. You are there to show why your physical tools, mentality, coachability, and technical abilities are better than the other guys at our event, simple as that. Over three hours the cream usually rises to the top.

​Why is this different/better than a showcase tournament?
  • Most youth showcases these days are friendlies where the results don’t matter. Focus and competitive edge can often dip in these games. Remember results matter and are very important in the college game.
  • In showcases, coaches often rotate players because they want to give every player the opportunity during the event. You may not get the chance to play your best position in front of the coach you were hoping would watch you play.

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE COACHES AT ID CAMPS

3/16/2023

 
Picture
During the recruiting process, below are some questions you should ask of college coaches:
  • Are you recruiting players in my position in the upcoming recruiting class?
  • What qualities do you look for in a player in my position?
  • What formation do you play with your college team?
  • What are the roles and the responsibilities of the players in my position?
  • What does the culture of your soccer program look like?
  • Can you tell me what the academic and training calendar looks like for a player in your program?
  • How much extra strength and conditioning is required or provided in your program?
  • How often do you like to see your recruits play live?
  • Are video clips important to you? If so do you prefer full games or shorter highlight clips?
  • Would I be able to do an official visit at some point during my senior year and what would that visit entail?
  • Do you offer recruits roster spots or walk-on tryouts? Where do you see me fitting into the recruiting class and your team’s plans?
  • How does your financial aid process work?
  • Do you offer athletic scholarships and academic scholarships?
  • What is the GPA you look for from players in your program?
  • Are there other requirements of the players in your program away from the soccer field such as community service or fundraising?
  • DECEMBER ID CLINIC
  • RECRUIT CORNER
  • COLLEGES THAT HAVE ATTENDED
  • COACH REGISTRATION