Dear Soccer Players,

With the number of players who have expressed interest in playing soccer in college, I think that it is needed to review the procedures that are needed to help you be the most prepared. Enclosed with this sheet is the packet of information that was in your handbook. If you have not already read it, you need to do it as soon as possible.

The first step: Complete this sheet and return it to the Coach Scramling ASAP.

NAME: ______

Check off the option that applies to you.

______I am not interested in playing college soccer.

IF YOU CHECK THIS OPTION, COLLEGE INFORMATION WILL NOT BE PASSED ON TO YOU.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

______I play for a club and I would prefer that my club coach handle all of the dealings and contacts concerning college soccer.

IF YOU CHECK THIS OPTION, COLLEGE INFORMATION WILL NOT BE PASSED ON TO YOU.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

______I am unsure about my chances of playing in college and I would like to set up an appointment with the coaching staff to assess my chances of playing college soccer.

IF YOU CHECK THIS OPTION, YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO CONTACT COACH SCRAMLING WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO DISCUSS YOUR INTENTION AND ABILITY TO PLAY IN COLLEGE.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

______I would like to be considered a prospect for playing college soccer.

IF YOU CHECK THIS OPTION, YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO CONTACT COACH SCRAMLING WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO DISCUSS COLLEGE OPTIONS AND TO SET UP A PROGRAM THAT WILL MAXIMIZE YOUR ABILITY TO PLAY IN COLLEGE.

I FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT I WILL READ THE ATTACHED PAGE AND UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS THE STANDARD THAT I MUST TRY TO ACHIEVE IF I WISH TO PLAY IN COLLEGE.

Brush has had several players participate in college soccer over the past several years. Brush players have been playing in all college divisions, from Division 1 to Junior College.

Though the schools might be different is size, there are some common characteristics that all college coaches will look for.

You must agree to fulfill your part of the bargain and agree to the program that is set up for you if you wish to be a college prospect.

1GRADES

There isn’t a college coach out there who is going to take a chance on a player that they feel is unlikely to be eligible to play due to poor grades. In fact, in Division 1 and Division 2, there are minimum GPA’s and test scores that must be obtained in order to be able to play in college. In many private schools, the entrance requirements are stricter still.

If you feel that you are a Division 1 and Division 2 prospect then you must agree to have a GPA of at least 2.75 or you must attend mandatory study tables until your grade average reaches that level.

2SKILL

Along with grades, the coaches are going to ask about the player’s skill level. They will be inquiring about your strengths and weaknesses as a player. The higher the level of college soccer that you would like to play, the more complete that your game needs to be. A Division 1 coach is going to expect more than a Division 3 coach. All coaches are going to be expecting a certain skill level. For example, they would prefer players with superior ball control skills. They would also prefer players that can play with both feet and that can defend as well as attack from their position and vice versa.

3OFF – SEASON WORK

The coaches are going to ask about club, conditioning, and off-season work. Players that are only playing soccer a few months of the year are at an extreme disadvantage when trying to get the attention of college coaches. In fact, it is a safe statement that these players have no chance of getting the attention of most college coaches and certainly no Division 1 or Division 2 coach. The off-season gives college coaches the opportunity to see you play. They are not always able to scout during the fall season because that is when they play. Even Junior colleges initiate some sort of year round program. They will demand that their players work all year round at their game following the schools training program. They prefer players that are already use to that regimen and they feel that these players will be better able to continue this at college.

4CHARACTER

Coaches ask about character. They ask the player’s current coaches and they ask opposing coaches their opinion on players in the area. In other words, they cross check with other coaches so they can be most assured that they are getting the most reasonable assessment of the player’s attitude and character. Even if a player manages to sneak in, the rules of conduct at college are even more strict than they are in High School. They are not patient with players that don’t follow team rules, that are getting in trouble, and are not keeping up their grades.

BRUSH SOCCER GENERAL TIMELINE FOR PLAYERS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN PLAYING SOCCER.

Below is a timeline that is proposed by the Brush Coaching Staff. If you are involved with a club, they might have other guidelines to follow. It is also advisable to read and follow the recommendations in the handbook that is provided upon request to the parents of Brush Soccer players. The players need to be proactive. The coaching staff will not hand hold the players throughout the process. We will assist but the bulk of the work has to be done by the student.

Freshman and Sophomore Year.

  • At this stage, the player that is interested in playing in college should be laying the foundation for making themselves an attractive college prospect by working on their grades as well as their game. The more successful candidates are the ones that started early in doing the necessary preparation for playing in college.
  • The player should be taking note of any particular college that they feel might be of interest to them.

End of Sophomore Year.

  • The player should be contacting the Brush Soccer Coaching Staff to make an appointment to complete a College Soccer Questionnaire. This form assists the Brush Coaches by letting them know which type of school they are interested in.
  • By this time the student might have some idea as to a potential major and can choose some schools based on that as well as other factors. The player who is interested in playing in college could start by making up a tentative list of schools that they might be interested in and then start researching them. The internet is a great tool for doing a lot of the early research.

First Semester of Junior Year.

  • The student should apply to take the ACT and/or SAT tests as early and as often as possible.
  • The student should organize the information and the literature that they receive and research about colleges.
  • The player needs to continue to work on their grades and their game to continue to be an attractive college prospect.
  • A soccer resume should be started and kept electronically so it can be updated every so often.

Second Semester of Junior Year.

  • The player should start to contact College coaches about the possibility of playing at the school.
  • The contact should normally come from a player. The exception would be if the coach has a relationship with the college, then it might be helpful to make the first introduction.
  • The player should have taken the ACT/SAT by now.
  • The player should register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. This can be done earlier.
  • The player should contact the Guidance office at Brush and fill out a form that allows them to send out transcripts to colleges that are interested in you without you signing a release form each time.
  • The player should arrange to make an unofficial college visit whenever the situation arises. If they are visiting someplace or on vacation near a college that they are interested in, they can visit the campus, even if it is just to drive through it and stop for a meal, to get a first impression of the school.
  • The player should contact the Brush Coaching staff and go over their College Soccer Questionnaire form to see if there are any changes.
  • The player needs to continue to work on their grades and their game to continue to be an attractive college prospect.
  • The player should start to narrow the list of colleges to about 6 to 8 colleges at most.
  • The player should contact the Guidance office to see when their Financial Aid Forms should be filled out.
  • The player’s soccer resume should be updated.
  • The time consuming act of filling out college applications should start.
  • During the summer before the senior year, the college visits that the student would like to go to should be planned and organized.

First Semester of Senior Year

  • The player should have made a contact with the coaches from his list. At this time they can now contact you.
  • The player should have taken the ACT/SAT test by now and have their scores on record. They should also know if they need to continue to take the test due to their scores and their GPA and their class rank.
  • The player should contact the Guidance office to go over their eligibility to play college soccer with respect to the Clearinghouse. If the player is not a Division 1 or a Division 2 prospect, then they need to see if they are a eligible to get accepted into the schools of their choice.
  • The time consuming act of filling out college applications should continue.
  • The player’s soccer resume should be updated.
  • The player should keep in communication with their coach about how things are going with respect to test scores, college responses, etc.

Second Semester of Senior Year.

  • Continue on with the first semester checklist until a final decision is made on a college.

Once you are in College.

  • Keep in contact with your coaches to let them know how you are doing.

The Brush Athletic Dept. is hosting its College Informational Meeting in the next few weeks for all sports and athletes. You should be getting notification soon, though I believe that it is scheduled for March 9. Instead of a separate meeting and a separate day, we are going to hold a College Soccer Information Meeting immediately following that meeting. These meetings are for both the players and their parents. I am aware that this will make for a longer meeting on that night, but I feel it is more efficient to do it all on one day.

At the Athletic Dept. part of the meeting you will get the perspective from the colleges. The soccer team part of the meeting will give you more information that will be more soccer specific. It will also give you a timeline of what needs to be done.

The combination of the two meetings should give all of the players and their parents the necessary information to make informed decisions about the college athletic process.

I hope that you all decide to attend the meeting if your child has aspirations of playing soccer.

In the meantime, it would help me out if you would fill out the attached form and either give it to you child to return to me or if it is easier you can give it to me at an upcoming indoor soccer game.

Mailing it to me is another option.

John Scramling

1801 Cedarhurst Dr.

Wickliffe, Oh. 44092

John Scramling