10 Things You Need To Know To Get Recruited

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.