hey im not sure if this belongs in this forum so sorry if it doesnt. Anyway, im 15 years old and am going into my sophmore year at my high school. i made varsity my freshman year and i need some advice on a couple of subjects on how to improve next season. First of all, i am 5'9 only 112 pounds which makes it very difficult at times to compete and beat stronger players at the high school level. i was wondering if anyone had any advice for how to improve my weight/size/stregnth (diets, weight programs, ect.). Secondly, i need some help pn how to get noticed as a player. i live in a small part of new england USA where there is not much attention foccused on soccer. My family cannot afford ODP. I do play for a reasonably good spring club team but we do not attend any large national tournaments where there is college and pro scouts. Please help me, i am very confident in my soccer skills and i know they can take me very far. So if you have any suggestions on any of these two subjects PLEASE tell me!
If you can't afford ODP, then maybe you can afford a couple weeks per summer at a good university residency camp. I don't know the east coast too well, so do your homework and try to choose a good program that has the head coach involved with the camp. Some of them offer scholarships as well. At worst, you'll get the kind of feedback you need so you can go back and work on it with high school or club ball. At best, you'll catch the attention of some college coaches and network from there. Good luck.
Try out for your State ODP team. If you are selected, get all the costs down on paper and go over it with your parents and come up with a way to do it. ODP is actually the least expensive route to the best training and exposure to college coaches you will find !
Well let's start with the ODP situation,try out and if selected tell the ODP that you need their scholarship option,most ODP programs have scholarships. Secondly see if there are any Y-League teams in your general vicinity,you can roster on a Y-League team for May-July Y-League season without it affecting your club team situation. Get a friend to videotape some of your games and send highlight clips to the coaches of the best teams in your area.
I'm assuming that the reason you want to get noticed is so that you can...play in college?...play MLS?...play over seas? I'll offer some advice. Play soccer because you love it ...not because you want to get noticed. The percentage of kids who play in college, MLS, overseas is very, very small. If you're struggling in HS soccer, then you're not ready for the big time. HS soccer is typically a step down from ODP/college, which is a step down from MLS, which is a step down from european, etc. There are millions of kids who are confident, but confidence will only take you so far. Now that I've given you a dose of reality and broken you down...lets build you back up. As for your size and strength issue... I'd suggest you start eating more. Not just eating, but eating well balanced meals..not fats and greasey foods. Start doing a weight training program and stick with it. At 5'9, 112 lbs, you're pretty light and could probably put more muscle mass on your frame. But do it the right way with weight training and proper nutrition..not steroids or supplements! There are usually weight training programs at the local health clubs, colleges, and maybe your HS. Contact trainers and develop a program to fit your needs. Till you get the bulk on your frame, concentrate on improving your speed of play with improved foot skills, ball handling, first touches, and creativity with the ball at your feet. If you can't beat them with brawn, beat them with brains. Be faster mentally, read and study the game and work on getting better field vision and flow to your game. Take command and be a team leader. Best of luck and enjoy your upcoming season!
There are tons of NCAA Soccer Programs. IF you work hard and do your homework, you can find a fit. Soccer Recruiting & Scholarships Statistics Soccer Recruiting: Participation Statistics High School Soccer Players M 349,785 W 309,032 NCAA Soccer Players M 18,835 W 19,871 Men's NCAA Soccer: Scholarship Statistics NCAA Soccer Scholarships Per School (by division) D I 9.9 D II 9.0 Number of NCAA Soccer Programs (by division) D I 198 D II 160 D III 381 Women's NCAA Soccer: Scholarship Statistics NCAA Soccer Scholarships Per School (by division) D I 12.0 D II 9.9 Number of NCAA Soccer Programs (by division) D I 301 D II 208 D III 406