Some 70 players and parents turned out Thursday evening, April 23, for the annual DC Stoddert Soccer College Seminar at the Jelleff Boys & Girls Club. Hearing first-hand from five college soccer coaches on the recruitment and admissions process, the audience warmed to the remarks with a series of stimulating questions.

 

Coaches present included: Greg Andrulis, Men’s Coach at George Mason University, Jeff Kinney, Assistant Men’s Coach at American University, Diane Drake, Women’s Coach at GMU, Brian Wiese, Men’s Coach at Georgetown University, and Travis Beauchamp, Men’s Coach at Catholic University of America, the only Division 3 school represented. All of our area coaches were former players with extensive coaching experience at the club, professional, and collegiate levels. Their remarks were capped by Dan Driscoll, Program Coordinator for City FC, now affiliated with DC Stoddert.

 

  Greg Andrulis   Diane Drake   Jeff Kinney   Brian Wiese   Travis Beauchamp

 

Andrulis stressed to the audience that “there is a place for everybody who wants to play college soccer.” That comment perked up the audience, with Andrulis admitting that a 4.0 GPA will get you into most schools, a 2.0 would probably not qualify for D1, and that coaches are always looking for that “diamond in the rough” --  “the player that brings something special to the team.” Andrulis also talked about the concepts of “admissibility” and “eligibility”—distinguishing between these ideas. Offering good advice, he advised all players to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse, as listed in the handouts.

 

 

 

Kinney talked about the time commitment for soccer, with D1 schools looking at some 6 hours training a day, D3 schools at two hours a day. D3 schools also have shorter seasons.

 

            In her remarks, Diane Drake observed that in 1993 there were 65 women’s varsity programs in our nation’s colleges; now there are 317. “Coaches recruit what their teams need,” she observed, “and the women’s side is different from the men’s side.” Drake likes to visit tournaments to see players with their teams, so don’t hesitate to send along your team’s schedule.  But she also stressed, as did the other coaches, that players should consider “going to the camps sponsored by the universities they have in mind.” In this way, the coach becomes familiar with the player and their style of play.

 

            Brian Wiese emphasized to the parents and players that “you should try everything as there is obviously no one way into the door.” Wiese also referred to the differences in approach by the D1 and the D3 schools, emphasized the use of videos, and suggested the players ask themselves two questions: (1) “Could I get into Georgetown University?” and (2) “If the school is a good fit, can I play at this level?”   Wiese advised starting the process in the players’ sophomore year, the value of persistence, the importance of the school’s camps, and sending E-mails.

 

            Beauchamp said that even though the D1 schools were already recruiting for their 2010 classes, his school, and other D3 schools, were still looking for players for their 2009 class. This comment was not lost on the audience, comprised of several players who are now high school seniors. “Put the school first, then soccer,” said Beauchamp, echoing what the other coaches had said.   There are no athletic scholarships at the D3 schools, as Beauchamp pointed out, but you can get a “merit scholarship” based on grades, SATs, and aptitude.

 

            The enthusiastic audience was ready with their questions.   Players asked about what characteristics coaches look for in players—“height, pace, quality of play?” What about “walk on” candidates, with the D1 coaches differing in their approaches.  Ask each school what their policy is—they all differ," said Beauchamp.

 

             Players in the audience asked again about videos, how requirements may differ from school to school, differences among the D1, D2, and D3 schools, and the role of the community colleges where a player can get a good start on college looking to transfer after the second year.