College Placement Presentation

October 30, 2019

Dave Bucciero

Director of College Placement

Introduction

Dave Bucciero

– Director of College Placement, Loudoun Soccer

– Director of Goalkeeping, Loudoun Soccer

– Head Coach of Loudoun Soccer Girls ‘04 ECNL

– Former Head Women’s Coach at American University (2007-2012)

– Former Women’s Assistant Coach at Boston University, and Texas Tech University

– Former Men’s Assistant Coach at Washington College

– Region 1 Girls ODP Staff

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Agenda

Selecting a College

Scholarships

Timeline By Academic Year

NCAA Rules and Regulations

Correspondence with College Coaches

Team Brochure and Player Profiles

Club Coaches, Parents and Players : “What Are Your Roles?”

Todd Bramble, George Mason University Head Women’s Coach

Trevor Singer, Mount St. Mary’s Men’s Assistant Coach Q & A

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So You Want to Play College Soccer…

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When Should You Start Thinking About Playing College Soccer?

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When Should You Start Thinking About Playing College Soccer?

Each and every player is different

A general guideline = freshman or sophomore year of high school

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Creating a pool of college choices: Academic fit first

Making sure you are admissible

Better grades = more college choices

Can you handle the academic standards of that school

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Location (urban or rural area)

Size of school

Cost

Academic strength/major

Team/coaching staff

Opportunity to earn playing time

Other Factors

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Scholarships-Division I, II, and III

Division I - Athletic scholarships: Men 9.9 and Women 14. “Fully Funded” programs

Division II - Athletic scholarships: Men 9, Women 9.9

Division III - No athletic scholarships

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Player Timeline: The Recruiting Process

Freshman Year

- Player improvement

- Academics

- Consider college soccer

Sophomore Year

- Develop an initial pool of schools that interest you.

- Contact colleges via email

- Begin College visits

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Start of Junior Year

- Narrow pool of schools down

- Be realistic and open to potential new schools

- Continue college visits

- Continue sending college coaches tournament schedules and your player profile

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Player Timeline: Breakdown by Academic Year

Spring of Junior Year/Senior Year

- Narrow your list further

- College visits

- Verbal commitment when you are ready

Keep your grades up

Division I and II players: register through the NCAA Clearinghouse(www.eligibilitycenter.org)

Improve skills and fitness level

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Player Timeline: Breakdown by Academic Year

Before June 15 of Junior year (or end of Sophomore year)

– Coaches cannot text, call or email players

– Players can email coaches, however a college coach can only acknowledge their email and provide a player questionnaire and camp information

After June 15 of Junior Year (or end of Sophomore year)

– Coaches can meet and communicate on campus

– Before this date, players cannot speak with college coaches face-to-face while visiting campus

– ID Camps: No recruiting conversations until after June 15 of Junior year

NCAA Division I Rules and Regulations

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Tournaments- no communication with coaches until event ends during senior year

Unofficial visits- no expenses covered, can take place any time freshmen-senior year. Can only meet with coaching staff after August 1 of Junior year

Official visits- partial or all travel and lodging costs covered. (Can begin August 1 of Junior year)

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NCAA Rules and Regulations

Communication before and after Tournaments

Four Weeks Out: Email resume and tournament information

Two Weeks Out: Email game schedule and jersey number, game times, etc.

Post Showcase: Email coaches to thank them

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Sample Email to College CoachCoach X,

I currently play for Loudoun Soccer ‘01 Red and am a junior at Stone Bridge High School, graduating in 2020. I am interested in _______ University because of your strong soccer program and the Physical Therapy program, as I am interested in this major. I currently have a 3.6 GPA and will be taking the SAT this spring. Enclosed is my player profile for your review. As you can see, I earned All-State Honors my sophomore year and am currently a member of the Virginia ODP State Team.

I will be attending the following tournaments with my Loudoun ‘00 Red Team:

CASL Raleigh Showcase (November 21-23, Raleigh, NC)Disney Soccer Showcase (December 30-January 3, Orlando, FL)Jefferson Cup (March 12-14, Richmond, VA)*My jersey number is 15

If you will be attending any of these tournaments, I would love for you to evaluate me for your program. As I mentioned above, I am very interested in ______ and would love to play for your program! I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,Player XCell Phone #

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Sample Player Profile

Loudoun Soccer ‘01 Red

#14

Defender/Outside Midfielder

2017 State Cup Runner-Up

Upcoming Tournaments: WAGS, CASL Raleigh Showcase, Disney Showcase, Jefferson Cup

Stone Bridge High School

2016: 1st Team All-District

2014-2016: 1st Team All-County

Olympic Development Program

2016: Region 1 ODP Pool

2014-2016: Virginia State ODP Team

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AcademicsGPA: 3.6SAT: 1210

Contact InformationEmail: suzieq@sample.comPhone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

Suzie Q2020 Graduate

The Team Brochure - Sample

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Team Brochure - Player Profile

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Recruiting Services

Highlight videos

It is not necessary to pay for a professional recruiting service: beware of false claims, promises

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General Rules to Live by - Players

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General Rules to Live by - Players

Begin the college search process early

Determine where you would be most happy based on all factors

Visit the schools that you are interested in

Reach out to a variety of colleges at the Division I, II, and III levels

Be proactive in communication with college coaches

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General Rules to Live by - Players

Know that college coaches are evaluating and communicating with hundreds of players during the recruiting process

Use ID Camps/College camps as part of the recruiting process

Have prepared questions for the College Head Coach when you visit and meet with him/her

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General Rules to Live by - Parents

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General Rules to Live by - Parents

Understand and communicate financial constraints to your child

Be realistic regarding your child’s abilities and talents

Be supportive of what your child wants

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General Rules to Live by – Club/HS Coaches

Meet with players, gage interest

Encourage players to be pro-active

Be honest with the players and families

If contacted by a college coach, respond as soon as possible and provide honest answers to questions

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Actions Can Affect Recruiting

One bad tweet or Facebook post can be costly

Poor body language and communication on and off the field with teammates, coaches, and parents

Poor body language and communication with college coaches

Emails sent to wrong coaches

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College Coaches

Todd Bramble: Head Women’s Soccer Coach, George Mason University

Trevor Singer: Assistant Men’s Soccer Coach, Mount St. Mary’s University

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Questions