One big difference and challenge I encountered when I transitioned from coaching with the provincial teams to working at the university was in player scouting and recruiting. While both involve attending games and watching players to find those that will fit in with your team, that is where all similarity ends. When I was scouting for the provincial program, it was about identifying quality that I as a coach felt had the potential to play within the provincial program but without the competition from other teams. I was basically afforded the chance to select from a large player pool where all the players ( or most of them anyways ) wanted to player for "my team"
At the university level, not only do you have task of scouting players will fit within your team and future plans but are not in competition with a bunch of other universities, all doing the same thing and where the selection criteria for the prospective student-athlete often goes way beyond just soccer, but includes choice of academic program, location of the universities, living arrangements, social environment, amount of potential scholarship. In addition is so much about watching a player play and deciding if they have the skill set to play within your team, but rather watching players anywhere from 16 to 19 years old and trying to extrapolate how they might develop as a player ( and as an individual over the next 4 or 5 years) and evaluating them on traits aside from soccer. Technology has certainly changed the recruiting landscape. There are all kinds of university sport recruiting sites and services where future student-athletes can load up profiles and video. Many individuals create their own recruitment pages with youtube soccer video clips highlighting their skills. Another change is the increase of the so-called soccer showcase. There are more and more of these showcases out on by soccer clubs and 3rd party organizations all with the goal of helping you athletes achieve the dream of getting recruited to play at the university level. The formats of these showcases can vary with athletes participating with their club team, to so called showcase teams to players registering individually and being put together as a team for the duration of the event. In the 16 years I have been coaching university soccer, I have attended a ton of showcase and seen all kinds of formats but there are some things that are common to all; The player profile where some athletes take the time to put something together that really sells who they are as an athlete and person to others that have the minimum of information. The recruiters section, coaches and scouts huddled together, watching games, taking notes sharing observations and lets be honest, some times spending more time chatting among themselves than actually watching. The parents trying to get their son or daughter noticed. Video cameras set up to capture highlights, straining to overhear comments scouts might be making about their kid. Those parents trying to drop subliminal and often less discrete hints about how " great " their kid is and how any school would be lucky to have them. I always enjoy the showcases that have some form of meet and greet set up. Universities with varied set ups, tables with information to hand out, potential student-athletes circulating, stopping to gather information from some and ignoring others. However, the thing I have often found about these showcases is the unrealistic expectations that many young athletes arrive with and the pressure that seems put on them to attract attention from coaches. I thought I would write a post on my thoughts about the pros and cons of recruiting showcases and how potential athletes can maximize their chances of being noticed. Showcase…just the word puts potential student-athletes under a certain stress. They are the center of things. On the big field, the feature field, the stadium field, the special turf. Coaches come from far and wide to watch them play. They are easy to spot, even when trying to be discrete, often in designated areas reserved for them, away from parents ( with any luck) standing there with their clipboards, player profiles and game sheets, wearing jackets or caps with the university logo. This experience is daunting for some, perhaps many, kids. It used to to be about athletes who might be in their final or second to last year of high school or cegep, but more and more university showcases seem to bring in athletes at 14 and 15 years of age, 3 and 4 years away from starting university. They didn’t need to worry if anyone was watching. Now, with the expansion of competitive play and showcase events to the “elite” younger set, the desire to be noticed starts at an earlier age. One fact that is often ignored is that supply far exceeds demand. If I consider just soccer, my sport, there are so many players that attend showcase, that are hoping to play at the university level, but the reality is that female university soccer players represent maybe less than 2% of all female players over 18 years of age playing soccer in Canada. In the US, of course there are a significantly higher number of universities and colleges fielding teams but the player pool is also proportionately that much greater. I am sure when players attend showcases, they wonder what those serious-faced, clip-board toting coaches are looking for? It’s not random, especially for the ones who have been doing this a long time. They know exactly what they’re looking for in players they are watching. Each coach is looking for sport specific and character traits that they feel with make the best fit with their soccer programs. There is no one type of student-athlete that fits with every coach. With some many players available and the increase in showcase events, potential players need to sell themselves, find ways to stand out and make an impression. However, most importantly, as individuals who are looking to be student-athletes ( with emphasis on the student part, at least for me), they need to be ready to ask questions about the academic programs, admission requirements, application process. Personally, when I've met with athletes and their parents and all they want to know about is playing time and scholarship amounts, it tends to be a huge red flag for me. If potential student-athletes can’t see themselves approaching a coach, asking questions, advocating for themselves, honestly, is university soccer really right for them? Whose dream is it, anyway? Reality is that right now, playing in the university showcase is as easy as it’s gonna get. Coaches are constantly recruiting, watching potential players, attending showcases, evaluating candidates on an ongoing basis. They look for a freshman recruiting class to replace the athletes already on their rosters. All of them; not just the players who are graduating. The university coach is there because there are thousands of players to look at in the same place. They did not come just to see "you" play. They came to see "you" and a hundred other players like you as quickly as they can. If you watch coaches at showcases closely, you will see that they are not even watching full games. They are watching a team play for 20 minutes or half a game and then they move on because they have a lot of players to see. Efficiency is the name of the game. After showcases, the coaches will begin contacting players they are interested in. They have watched dozens of teams and hundreds of players. Players can't be discouraged if the coach doesn’t know exactly who they are or which game they were seen in. They probably see flashes of interesting potential in a wide range of players, make a few notes and move on to one of the other 100 plus players that they might contact in the ensuing days. While a few players will stick out in their mind, many just become a number until the player shows interest in the school and athletic program. From hundreds of contacts, they will determine who is interested and continue to recruit a smaller number of players. A coach cannot rely on picking ten athletes and expecting that they will all come play in their program. Most university coaches will tell anyone who asks that there is nothing guaranteed at the university varsity level. The best make the team and the best 11 play. Once potential recruits commit to a school and where required, sign some form of Letter of Intent, it just means that they are on the roster, but that’s it. Now they're looking to fight for playing time and, if lucky and good, for a starting spot. But look out for next year’s class. They may be bigger, stronger, faster, better, or more productive. When that happens, the veteran players might have to take a seat or even get cut. It’s nothing personal. It’s business. The business of fielding a team that can win as many games as possible. How those coaches train and manage their teams is up to them, but they’re looking for the best raw material out there. In my experience, parents often put undue pressure and unrealistic expectations in the minds of their kids when it comes to the university recruiting process. Remember, what I wrote earlier, less than 2% of all soccer players over 18 are playing at the university level, so clearly, a significant portion of players will never play university soccer. I have gone to showcases where they are 500 participants or the equivalent of 1/3 of the total number of female university soccer players in Canada, all of them thinking they will play soccer somewhere at the university level. When a young athlete doesn’t get a look, it can be a very hard thing. This translates to “You are not good enough.” I beg to differ. Competitive sports is a pyramid, a funnel of sorts. university soccer (or any sport), there is a selection process which, by definition, not everyone can win. Their star quality on the club team gets ‘em nothing on the next level unless they earn it. University coaches are looking for kids who can make it happen on the playing field, but will also succeed academically and be good well rounded individuals. They’re looking for that special someone, and they’ll know it when they see it. When they do, you can bet they’ll come knocking. Then athletes, by all means when it happens, do your homework, ask your questions and make sure the fit is right for you. So… simplify, relax, and have a clear vision about your objectives and expectations. First, last and always, be teachable. It is university you’re looking at after all. And that, most everyone who has been there will tell you, is what you make of it. Start acting like a university soccer player, and before you know it you’ll convince yourself that’s exactly where you belong. In the last few years, I have added a recruiting event in house. I accumulate a list of potentially interesting student-athletes and invite then to participate in a day of activities which include presentations on both academic and athletic topics, a campus tour, group lunch and of course, an on field session alongside current players. Of course, I like being able to watch them play soccer and do so in comparison to come of my current players, but most importantly, I can see how they react as individuals. Do they pay attention during presentations, what kind of questions do they ask, how do they interact with other potential players ( potentially future teammates). How they apply themselves to a day of activities can tell me a lot about who they might become as student-athletes. There is no one right way to recruit, and for the student-athlete, no one right way to sell themselves or evaluate options. Like many things in life, it is about a fit, with the coach, with the team and most importantly, with the university.
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AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
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