What is the Signing Date and what does it mean for you?

For College Soccer the signing day is now in mid November. This year the Signing Day was Nov. 14.

This is the 1st day that High School Seniors could sign a scholarship acceptance with Division I or II Universities. Seniors can sign from November up until classes begin at their college. While most Seniors will sign on or near this date, sometimes they take longer. There is no real deadline, although coaches may put a deadline on recruits to make a decision.

When signing day comes, some players will sign a “scholarship” or NLI (National Letter of Intent). Others will be walk-ons, which simply means they are not being offered a scholarship.

Signing day in Football tends to be a day with lots of media attention. In Soccer, there isn’t as much attention, but it is just as important. This is the day that players can officially make their commitment to a University. Once they sign, they cannot change their mind without going through a lot of red tape. Once signed, the University can announce which players will be joining their team.

For coaches, this is the day that they know in which direction their program is moving. If their top choices have “signed”, they know that the future looks good and they can start working on the following years recruiting class.

If signing day didn’t go well, coaches know they will be back on the road recruiting, looking for another player to help their team this coming fall, which can give uncommitted players another chance to be recruited.

There are several ways to visit colleges when you are trying to find the college with the right fit for you.

The most comprehensive way to visit a college is during an “Official Visit”. But Official Visits must be set up through the soccer program and coaches will only bring in their top recruits. An official visit may occur anytime after August 1 of your Junior year. During an official visit, the college or soccer program may cover some or all of your expenses. You can only take 5 “official visits” and no more than one per college. Official Visits must last no more than 48 hours.

During an Official Visit you will spend time with some of the players, meet with the coaches, tour campus, and usually meet with some of the academic support staff. There is no better way to learn about the college and soccer program.

You can also arrange for an “Unofficial Visit” with the soccer coach. This type of visit will allow you to learn about the Soccer Program and will give insight into how you might fit into the team. You will need to contact the coach and ask if you can arrange a visit. This type of visit can be done any time after August 1 of your Junior year but the college cannot cover any of your expenses. These visits can last 10 minutes or all day.

You can always call Admissions and arrange a campus tour. Almost every admissions office hosts prospective students, gives tours of campus, and answers general academic questions. While this type of visit will not give you much info about the soccer program, it will allow you to see the campus and figure out if it is a good fit for you outside of soccer.

Visiting a college campus is an important part of figuring out what school is the best fit for you. Most players will start to make visits during their Junior year so they can have plenty of time to see and learn about all of their potential choices. Start by visiting schools that are close by and as you learn more about what colleges have to offer, you can also figure out more about what is important to you. Once you have this base knowledge, you can really start to research different Universities and expand your search.

While most people think of the summer as a time for Vacation, college soccer players know that summer is a key time leading up to the fall season. The college preseason is only 2 weeks long. Much of preseason is spent preparing the team tactically for matches. What formation, starting lineup and style of play must all be organized during this two week window.

This doesn’t leave much time for fitness training. Coaches expect their players to arrive on campus fully fit and ready to begin rigorous training. For incoming Freshmen, the difference in fitness expectations can be intimidating.

Coaches typically send players a summer workout program. This program begins with distance running in May and part of June. By the middle of June the running is mixed with shuttle runs and other change of direction activities. The month of July is spent with high intensity shuttles and other activities that force the body to handle the rigors of a soccer game.

By spreading the work over several months we can reduce the number of injuries and gradually prepare the body for the demands of the college game.

The transition to college soccer can be difficult. We are asking 18 year old Freshmen to compete with 23-25 year old Seniors. Add in the school-work, living in a new environment and other changes that come with College, and the fall can be a stressful time. If Freshmen are fit when they arrive, they will have a better chance of doing well, not being injured, and enjoying their college experience.

This seems like a simple question, but there are more than 1000 college soccer programs and each school may be looking for something different.

My advice is simple: 1.Be a good student that I can count on to get your school work done. 2. Be the best player you can be. 3. Be the kind of person I want to spend the next 4 years with.

1. I need to know that I can count on each player for 4 years. If students can’t or wont do the school-work, I have no choice but to look for someone who can or will.
2. Not every player has to be a star. Only 11 players will start a match. Every team needs players who will work hard each day and develop their talents over time. If you have been hard working in High School or Club soccer, then I know this habit will continue in college.
3. I want to be your soccer coach, not your baby-sitter. Can I count on you to represent our University in a first class manner? Will I have to explain to the media or my Athletic Director why one of our athletes has gotten in trouble? With thousands of student/athletes to choose from, most coaches will choose the ones who make a habit out of doing the right thing.

Every college coach has different needs. But if you work on these three areas, you will improve your chances of finding a school that wants what you have to offer.