We all know that time management as a student-athlete, or a parent of a student-athlete, can be really tough. You have high school training, club training, maybe other supplemental training (like working with the Techne app), friends/family obligations, school, tutoring, etc., then add what seems like another full-time job on top of all that: the college soccer recruiting process.
This is why it is crucial to get organized - no matter if you are in the middle of the process or just beginning. Some time and effort put into this upfront can save you hours throughout the process and also, more importantly, save you a lot of mental energy and stress.
- Step 1: Create a document/folder to keep track of the colleges you are interested in and the coach contacts/communications
- Include the school name, location, coach name, coach emails, and the date of last contact - this will help you see all communications in one place
- Step 2: Add ID camps, showcases, and visits to your document, or create a new one with this information
- Include the location, dates, colleges attending (for showcases) and links to any important reference to camps or showcases.
- Step 3: Schedule out the next 6 months - 1 year
- Look at your club schedule, potential ID Camps, and any additional showcase dates.
- Put together a schedule that makes sense - pick your priority ID Camps, and make sure you are not doing too much in one day or weekend. This calendar will allow you to see all the important events/dates you have coming up in one place, so you can prioritize.
- Look at your club schedule, potential ID Camps, and any additional showcase dates.
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Writer: Kim DeCesare (van Bennekom)
This article is written by Kim DeCesare (van Bennekom) - a former DI college and professional player, as well as DI and DIII coach. Kim founded KVB Soccer Consulting, which helps high school athletes navigate the college soccer recruiting process. Using her experience as a former player, coach, and ID camp admin, Kim helps athletes all over the country get excited and feel confident about the process - reducing the stress of everyone involved.
“This time in one's young career can already have a lot of uncertainty. My goal through KVB Soccer is to help student-athletes not only find their right college soccer fit, but also simplify a messy and potentially stressful process. Players should be focusing on training and having fun, and working with me allows them to do that.”
If you would like to reach out to Kim for a free introduction call, or sign-up for KVB Soccer emails, please fill out the contact form on her website: kvbsoccer.com.
