Hello all. Im in a huge dilemma, and i really need help from peoples personal experiences from here. Im 18 years old and my birthday is December 27th and im a 94. My whole life i played with a local , very close knit group of players. Through that team I learned to practice very very hard and obtained a high level of skill , pace, and knowledge of the game. Unfortunately, everyone else on the team went towards drinking etc and we didnt win anything. I had offers from other high end teams, academys etc, but i never took them because of how much improvement I made and was making on the local club team ( played d1 ). My problem now is, i have everything but the tools to get me noticed. I took the first year off college to settle, find out what i want to do in life as a backup plan to soccer, and to train my ass off. Its been working very well, but i kind of regret not joining the academys, and going to a college just for recognition. So, players, what im asking is for advice, what do you think I should do?
Umm, I already have a part time job and I am in a college, just a local one w/ no team. By college i meant a good soccer program in a college, but thanks for your almost useless post
Sign up for althete recruiting sites there are lots. also make a highlight video of your best plays and put it on the internet. show your friends, coaches, everyone. as many people as possible. also if you know any college players then try to get to know them and their coaches. its all about connections
I mean a college for a real job, a realistic job. It's way too difficult to become a professional footballer
Enxienty I don't know where you live but look for open tryout dates for NASL, USL Professional or Premier, NPSL or PCSL. Contact the youth clubs in your state, ask them if they have contacts and would they be willing to give you info about open-tryouts domestically or abroad. Even if they don't give you contacts to use, ask them what pathes are available to take to farther your soccer career.
What you talk about it what the problem is with soccer in the US - too few actually love the game and want to take it to the next level. I suggest if you *really* want to pursue soccer, get to the country of your choice and start playing in pub leagues while pursuing paths to trials. You could also go back to those places that offered you a spot earlier, and see if they have advice. Better than asking strangers on a forum who have never seen you play.
just my thoughts, but I think you have failed as a footballer and want everyone else to do the same, if you just have negative things to say, don't say them! Enxienty: I understand your problem very well! I had almost the same problem. Think we have another league systems and stuff here where I live, but my best tips is if you know someone who can get you in contact with an academy, ask them to help you. Maybe your coach can help? or if you don't know anyone who can help you, I think you should try to ask the academy's if you can get a trial
I played football I am just realistic. Becoming a pro is extremely difficult these days, unless you want to play in the nations where the highest football league kinda sucks, like India or the US
I understands everyones opinion and thank you very much for the advice guys! Will always appreciate more answers and will keep the thread updated
(I APOLOGIZE FOR BUGGING YOU, I'm new at BigSoccer and I have insufficient privileges to add a Thread on forums) I've just recently found out that I have Osgood Schlatter (no patellar apex syndrome as initially anticipated). I'm a 19 year-old soccer player from Germany (BERLIN), aspired to hopefully receive a college athletic scholarship this very year. Since summer 2012 I have been missing out on a few training sessions about every second week because I would barely be able to stand on my left leg due to severe inflammation pain under the knee cap. In fact, it is disturbing, almost depressing I should say. The doctors are no "help" at all, they keep telling me that I should consider to rest for a couple of months(!!!ain't gonna happen) They don't seem to be fully aware of what's at stake for me, I guess. I'm desperately asking for advice. Is there someone who's also experienced and eventually overcome or is still suffering from the pain? Thanks in advance... About me: Bajram Veselaj/19y/ approx. 6'2''/Center mid OKLAHOMA All-State Player 2010/first 11 (spent a year in US btw.)
To Enxiety- you were given great advice on where to look for tryouts. PDL, you should make and then you have to dominate and get good game footage. Make a youtube video or two and make sure it includes all aspects of the game. Send it to agents and coaches- its great you dont have to mail anything. Regarding Osgood Schlatters- I used to have it terribly bad- it is something you will grow out of but I understand how miserable it is, especially when you want to train train train. Here is my advice: -make ice cups and have them ready to do cross friction ice massage -foam roll or use a very hard ball (even better to dig into tissue) and release the shit out of your hip flexors and quads. Especially down the middle. -Stretch quads multiple times a day -strengthen your hamstrings as much as possible with glut-ham curls, Nordic curls, RDLs, hip thrusts, back ext. You are relying on your quads too much and need to balance out with muscularity in th hips and hammies. It will take work to stay healthy- religiously massage deeply on your quads. Know that they cannot get worse.
The best way to get noticed is to do the work yourself. Find some colleges, sell yourself to the coaches. Do the ugly, boring, hassle...you get the point. You have to do a lot of the work yourself. Visit colleges. Don't waste money on ID camps. They cost a lot and you'll typically not get anything in return. You may need to suck it up, walk on to a program and work your butt off. Where you from? Typically, there's a college soccer program within a short drive from just about any town in the US (outside of South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and those fly-over states).
Is it a good idea for me to go to a D2 school first then transfer in a year or two to a large d1 team? Not sure if this happens very often. I just figured the d2 would be better for now just because i have seen so many freshman and sophomores sit out the first 2 years because of seniority
If you can transfer to them. The whole DI thing is overrated if you ask me. You need to go somewhere that will help you develop on and off the field. You need to go somewhere where you can grow and the coach will encourage growth. I know DI coaches who have no idea what NPSL is and don't give their players chances to expand their soccer resume. Lousy, if you ask me. Just find somewhere to play, it's not that hard.
You appear to be making a false assumption about what the NCAA division levels mean. You should read this link: "Furthermore, it is a fact that the top D2 & D3 soccer teams in both mens and women's soccer, are easily capable of playing head to head with the best D1 schools. A good number of D1 school soccer teams are extraordinarily mediocre and even a poor level soccer." http://www.psvunion.org/page/show/4...e-soccer-and-ncaa-divisions-i-ii-iii-and-naia
Have to agree with these other guys, don't over look the other divisions of soccer. Especially in the realm of men's soccer the difference in divisions is slight, and when you're talking the top third of each division there is really very little difference. The top NAIA schools are just as good as the top D1 schools, and the top D3 schools would humiliate the bottom third of D1 schools. If you're interested in playing at a school for a couple of years and then transferring check out junior colleges. There is a lot of very good soccer at the junior college level. Just like everyone here has said, if this is really important to you then get on the ball and make something happen. Set up a website with your basic information (height,weight, academic information, playing experience, references, and an email to get in contact with you that you will actually check), video of you playing or a link to a youtube channel with highlights of you playing. Make a resume with some of this information and your website address on it. Send emails to college coaches, NPSL coaches, PDL coaches, etc. stating your interest and a link to your website. Then follow up these emails with the letter you made, and a phone call to the programs that are on the top of your list. Coaches don't like to do a lot of work to find their recruits, so if you show genuine interest in them they are more likely to contact you back. Coaches get hundreds of emails every week, so if you follow it up with a letter and phone call they know you are actually serious. Good luck!
Seriously? Wow, what a pompous and ignorant post. You actually think that there are no colleges with soccer programs in any of those states? LOL...just wow. Get a clue.
Did I say there weren't any college programs in those states? Nope. I said typically, college soccer programs are easily accessible. Many of those states I listed do not have college soccer programs on every corner. Ohio has 40+ four-year institutions that have men's soccer programs. Compare that with South Dakota's 4 men's programs. Compare that with North Dakota's 2 (I believe) men's programs. Arizona -- how many? Idaho -- how many? And...how accessible are they? Meaning...a short 15-30 minute drive from just about anywhere in the state. Montana? Then, go look at Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, etc. and see how accessible college programs are there. This has nothing to do with being "pompous and ignorant." It has everything to do with geography and knowing how accessible college programs are for the average person in any state. Then...why not try adding something to the conversation if you think you know better? And, work on reading comprehension. Thanks.
Don't try to weasel out of what you clearly said. Maybe next time learn to write properly, eh? There's an idea. Maybe they don't teach that in the all-important coastal areas that you seem to think comprise most of our country.
Bah, ignore my last post, ThePonchat. I see what you were saying now. My apologies. It felt like you were ripping my home region so I took offense (heavily) but perhaps somewhat unnecessarily. I'll just say that there are plenty of great programs in that region but you have to know it somewhat better than just assuming it's "fly-over country" - a term that does come across insultingly to people who live in those states.
Not a big deal. I spent time [and will spend more] in those fly over states. The best thing about them...if you are involved in soccer in those states, you know EVERYONE and can have HUGE impact on the players. It's great. There's so much support and positivity when someone does something with the sport. I like that. Unlike the cutthroat states where everyone is just out for themselves.