This online resource is for soccer players who want to play in college but are having difficulty getting recognized by college coaches. Most goalkeepers and their parents want to know, “How do I get recruited to play in college?” There are a few steps you MUST avoid and some you MUST follow; please read carefully.

In the last few years, our organization, ZPro Futbol has been working closely with a number of college coaches from around the US, so we decided to collect all recruiting details and tricks directly from these coaches. If you are a talented keeper looking to play in college, then here are a few quick tips to start your search:

Make contact YOURSELF

If parents begin contact with college coaches, your child’s chances of being recruited will very certainly be ruined. These coaches want to get to know the athlete, not their parents. When making initial contact, send a professional email. Do not use internet templates; instead, introduce yourself and explain why you wish to attend their institution. For example, this school may offer a specific major that you are interested in, or you may enjoy the campus itself. Coaches want to ensure that you are not coming to their school for the wrong reasons and will be unhappy for the next four years. They are also interested in your playing experience and successes.

Make sure your email addresses are professional. Avoid email addresses like killerclown@… or goaliebadass@. These inappropriate usernames will almost surely kill your chances of getting recruited. Create a professional name, such as your first and last name, OR initials from your first name and entire last name, such as [email protected], etc.

You MUST be persistent in your emails and phone calls, but you must be careful not to be too obnoxious. Remember that these coaches are extremely busy, especially during the season. So, use your common sense.

Videos

Provide them with both your goalkeeping training videos and highlight reels. Show a few seconds leading up to the play in highlight film clips so coaches can see your positioning, decision-making, and preparation. Show off your saves, crosses, goal kicks, punts, penalties, and, if feasible, films of you communicating during games.

Goalkeeping training videos: these types of videos will show coaches the type of rigorous and intense training that you currently do.  Also, the training video will help coaches see your training background and work ethics, which is IMPORTANT in the college competition level.

DO NOT make long videos, coaches do not have time to watch 10-minute videos, especially when they get hundreds of them every week. Often times, assistant coaches end up watching these videos.  But the key is to make videos that can catch the coach’s attention within the first 10 seconds.  

Phone calls

Same as emails, be persistent. Sometimes coaches will not have the time to speak to you unless they have already established something with you. Furthermore, coaches have office hours in the morning hours, so usually those are the best time to catch them. Also, late spring into early summer is usually a time when they have more time to speak, since that is when they start their recruiting season.

Here are a few things that will damage your chances of getting recruited:

If you invite a coach to watch you at a showcase tournament but YOUR MOM or DAD are the annoying, obnoxious, ridiculous parent on the sideline, then you can be SURE that your chances of get recruited will disappear. Coaches DO NOT want to be associated with or have these parents at a college game and ruin their school and their soccer program image.

Social media: today, coaches will look into your social media to get more information about you. So you must be careful what you post on social media.

Last, DO NOT depend on showcases, tournaments, or club coaches to help you get recruited. What works for someone else does not MEAN it will work for you. Remember, every goalkeeper and field player is different. Make sure you initiate the contact and do your own work because those 4 years in college can make or break the rest of your life.

For more info on college recruiting videos, send me a message

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