Presented by Andrew Vanover College Advisory Program Director Delaware Rush Soccer Club

Presented by Andrew Vanover

College Advisory Program Director

—

The College Advisory Program (C.A.P.) provides

high school age players and their parents with an

introduction to the college recruiting, scholarship,

financial support, and selection process. This

process can be bewildering at times and the intent

of the C.A.P. is to offer factual advice and assist in

every way possible. The Delaware Rush Soccer Club

staff will provide guidance but, will not do those

tasks that the player and parents can and must do for

themselves.

Academic - Eligibility Requirements

If you want to participate in athletics or receive an athletics scholarship during your first year, you must:

•  Graduate from high school and complete these 16 core courses: - 4 years of English

- 3 years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)

- 2 years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if offered by your high school)

- 1 extra year of English, math, or natural or physical science - 2 years of social science

- 4 years of extra core courses (from any category above, or foreign language, nondoctrinal religion or philosophy)

•  Earn a minimum required grade-point average in your core courses; and earn a combined SAT or ACT sum score that matches your core-course grade-point average and test score sliding scale.

What is the NCAA Eligibility Center?

The NCAA Eligibility Center will certify the academic and amateur

credentials of all college-bound student-athletes who wish to

compete in NCAA Division I or II athletics. Ultimately, the individual

student-athlete is responsible for achieving and protecting his or her

eligibility status.

Division I Qualifier

Being a qualifier entitles you to:

•  Practice or compete for your college or university during

your first year of college

•  Receive an athletic scholarship during your first year of

college

•  Play four seasons in your sport if you maintain your

eligibility from year to year

What is the NCAA and the Differences Between Divisions I, II and III?

— What is the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)?

— The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, was established in 1906 and serves

as the athletics governing body for more than 1,200 colleges, universities, conferences and organizations. The national office is in Indianapolis, Indiana, but the member colleges and universities develop the rules and guidelines for athletics eligibility and athletics

competition for each of the three NCAA divisions. The NCAA is committed to the student-athlete and to governing competition in a fair, safe, inclusive and sportsmanlike manner.

—  NCAA DI

—  NCAA DII

—  NCAA DIII

— What is the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

—  The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo.,

is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics. 

What is the NCAA and the Differences Between Divisions I, II and III?

— NCAA Division I

— Number of Required Sports: Division I members must offer at least 14 sports (at least seven for men

and seven for women, or six for men and eight for women). The institution must sponsor at least two team sports (for example, football, basketball or volleyball) for each gender. The school also must have

participating male and female teams or participants in the fall, winter and spring seasons.  

— Total Division I Membership: 335 members.

— Public / Private: In Division I, 66 percent of the members are public institutions; 34 percent are

private.  

— Financial Aid: Division I institutions must offer a minimum amount of Financial Aid but may not

exceed established maximums. Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s gymnastics, women’s volleyball and women’s tennis are considered Head-Count sports for Financial Aid purposes in Division I. Financial Aid Equivalencies (one grant-in-aid package divided into smaller pieces) may be offered in all other sports.

What is the NCAA and the Differences Between Divisions I, II and III?

— NCAA Division II

— Division II is an intermediate-level division of competition, which offers an alternative to both the highly

competitive level of intercollegiate sports offered in Division I and the non-scholarship level offered in Division III.

— Division II provides an intersection where athletically gifted students can compete at a high level, while

maintaining much of a traditional student experience. Excellent outcomes come from athletics programs that are properly aligned with the educational mission of the institution. This balance is what

distinguishes Division II from the others, and this philosophy is at the heart of all decisions made by the division’s governing bodies.

— Total Division II Membership: Division II has 302 member institutions, with 281 currently classified

as active member institutions and 21 institutions advancing through the membership process. These schools range in size from less than 2,500 to over 15,000, with the average enrollment being around 4,500.

— Financial Aid: Very few of the 100,000 student-athletes competing in Division II receive a full athletics

grant that covers all of their expenses, but most of them will receive some Financial Aid to help them through school. For the rest of their expenses, student-athletes are on their own—using academic scholarships, student loans and employment earnings just like most other students attending the Division II institution. This healthy partnership is the essence of Division II, where student-athletes are valued for their athletics contribution and for being an important part of the overall student body.  

What is the NCAA and the Differences Between Divisions I, II and III?

— NCAA Division III

— Total Division III Membership: 442 Total Members (436 Active and 6 Provisional / Reclassifying)

*Division III is the NCAA’s largest division. 81 percent (352) of active Division III institutions are private, while 19 percent (84) of institutions are public.

—  

— • Division III student-athletes report active academic engagement and participation in academic

“extras,” such as research with faculty, study abroad opportunities and capstone/senior thesis projects.

— • Division III student-athletes report significantly greater gains in time management when compared

with non-athletes. Male student-athletes also report significantly greater gains in leadership when compared with male non-athletes.

— • Division III student-athletes report greater involvement in volunteering. They also are more likely to

report “leadership potential” as an important consideration in choosing a career.

— • Division III student-athletes are more likely to report that they see themselves as part of the campus

community.

—  

— Financial Aid: It is important to recognize that Financial Aid and funding differ at the Division III

School versus Division I and Division II schools. Student athletes who play their sport at the Division III level do not receive Financial Aid related to their athletic ability. This is a result of their emphasis on the impact of athletics on the players not the spectators, allowing the primary focus to be on academics. Since athletics are funded like any other academic department, their recruiting budget is much lower. Division III schools offer Financial Aid packages in the form of academic scholarships, leadership scholarships, merit-based scholarships, grant money and needs based Financial Aid. A benefit of this structure is that, unlike athletic scholarships, academic scholarships cannot be taken away due to season or career ending injuries, only through the academic non-performance of the awarded scholarship.

Playerocity

•  www.playerocity.com

• FREE Online Recruiting Tool

•

Free Online Player Profile

•

Free Online Video Space

•

Ability to search and build college lists

•

Unlimited communication and contact information for

First Steps of the Process

• 

Each one of you are different

•  Must be proactive in this process; Best piece of advice is not to wait

until someone comes after you. You must contact the schools and

programs that you are interested in

•  Determine what is important to you and what you want out of your

college experience

•  Understand what it takes to compete at each level

•  Ask questions

•  Work hard to get the best grades possible.

•  Start researching programs and universities that fit your interest

•  Contact those university’s coaches to make them aware of your

upcoming events

The Process (Cont.)

•  Do everything you can to continue to develop as a player

•  At the beginning of your junior year, register at:

www.eligibilitycenter.org

•  Register to take the ACT, SAT or both in your junior year

•  Keep working hard to get the best grades possible

•  Keep sending updated information to college coaches about your

schedule

•  Start visiting campuses and going to games; Ask questions while on

visit

•  Ignore when, where, who is contacting your teammates

•  Continue to do everything you can to develop as a player

Building your College List

•  Your Road Map to Success

•  Academics

•  Major Choices

•  Size of School = Size of Classes •  Public/Private

•  Military

•  Geography

•  Climate

•  Location to/from home •  Culture

•  Social Environment

•  School Size and Choice will determine •  Major Sports

•  Greek Life

•  Volunteer groups/trips

Building your College List

•  Soccer

•  Division I, II, II, NAIA

•  Differences and Commitment Levels

•  Program

•  Competition: In-Conference and Out of Conference

•  Success: Perennial Power vs Developing Program? Playing time? •  Player Turnover

•  Roster: What can the roster tell you?

•  Coaching •  Playing Style •  Coaching Style •  Coaching Turnover •  Player Leadership •  The Experience •  Playing time •  Financial Aid •  Role on Team •  Team Environment

How to Get Recruited

•  Player Driven

•  Player MUST BE proactive and take action steps

•  Parent Involvement limited to support and once financial aid discussions begin

• Introductory Email

•  Cover Letter

•  Resume

•  Schedule

•  Invite to come watch

•  Minimum of 5x if not more evaluations of play

•  Highlight Video

• Follow Phone Calls/Emails

•  Build Rapport with coaches

•  Keep them updated while expressing interest

•  Coaches want players who are interested in their programs, not scholarship hunting

• Unofficial Visits, Education

How to Get Recruited

• 

•  Yes or No, Do they like you as a player

• Financial Aid Discussion

•  Academic and Athletic Packages aka Stacking

•  Parent involvement MUST!

• Verbal Commitment to Program • National Letter of Intent/Enrollment

The Process Summary

• TO DO: Freshman and Sophomores

•  Build College List

•  First drafts of Resume and Cover Letter

•  Attend ID Camps

•  Watch different levels of College Soccer

•  Practice •  Games

•  Train to be better

•  Get good grades

• TO DO: Juniors and Seniors, above plus

•  Update Documents

•  Invite Coaches to watch play

•  Attend Showcase Tournaments

•  Create Player Highlight Video

•  Take SAT/ACT

Recruiting Regulations

Introduction

• 

College coaches must follow the rules outlined in the next few slides

•  You are expected to follow these rules as well

Athletically Related Financial Aid

•  Athletics scholarships in Divisions I and II are given initially for up to

one year. They may be renewed annually for a maximum of five years

within a six-year period of continuous college attendance if you fulfill

NCAA requirements. But please keep in mind that your athletics aid can

be cancelled or reduced at the end of one year.

•  Athletics scholarships can be renewed, reduced, increased or canceled

from year to year for almost any reason. If your scholarship is going to

be reduced or cancelled at any time, your college or university must first

provide you with an opportunity to appeal that decision.

•  Athletics scholarships are awarded in a variety of amounts, ranging

from full scholarships (including tuition, fees, room, board and books) to

very small scholarships that, for example, provide only required

course-related books.

Recruiting Terms

Contact

A contact occurs any time a coach has any face-to-face contact with you or your parents off the college's campus and says more than hello. A contact also

occurs if a coach has any contact with you or your parents at your high school or any location where you are competing or practicing.

Contact period

During this time, a college coach may have in person contact with you and/or your parents on or off the college's campus. The coach may also watch you play or visit your high school. You and your parents may visit a college campus and the coach may write and telephone you during this period.

Dead period

A college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your parents on or off campus at any time during a dead period. The coach may write and

Recruiting Terms (Cont.)

Evaluation

An evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate your academic or athletics ability. This would include visiting your high school or watching you practice or compete.

Evaluation Period

During this time, a college coach may watch you play or visit your high school, but cannot have any in-person conversations with you or your parents off the college's campus. You and your parents can visit a college campus during this period. A coach may write and telephone you or your parents during this time.

Recruiting Terms (Cont.)

Official Visit (48 hours)

Any visit to a college campus by you and your parents paid for by the college.

The college may pay all or some of the following expenses: •  Your transportation to and from the college;

•  Room and meals (three per day) while you are visiting the college; •  Reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest.

Before a college may invite you on an official visit, you will have to provide the college with a copy of your high school transcript (Division I only) and SAT, ACT or PLAN score, as well as register with the Eligibility Center.

Recruiting Terms (Cont.)

Unofficial Visit

Any visit by you and your parents to a college campus paid for by you or your parents. The only expense you may receive from the college is three

complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. You may make as many unofficial visits as you like and may take those visits at any time. The only time you cannot talk with a coach during an unofficial visit is during a dead period.

Recruiting Terms (Cont.)

Verbal Commitment

This phrase is used to describe a college bound student-athlete's commitment to a school before he / she signs (or is able to sign) a National Letter of Intent. A college bound student-athlete can announce a verbal commitment at any time. While verbal commitments have become very popular for both college-bound student-athletes and coaches, this "commitment" is NOT binding on either the college-bound student-athlete or the institution. Only the signing of the National Letter of Intent accompanied by a financial aid agreement is binding on both parties.

Summary of Recruiting Rules for Soccer – DIV I

Freshman/Sophomore Year

•  Recruiting materials

- You may receive brochures for camps and questionnaires •  Telephone calls

- You may make calls to the coach at your expense only - College coach cannot call you

•  Off-campus contact - None Allowed •  Official visit

- None Allowed •  Unofficial visit

Summary of Recruiting Rules for Soccer - DIV I

Junior Year

•  Recruiting materials

- You may begin receiving September 1 of junior year •  Telephone calls

- You may make calls to the coach at your expense only

- College coach can call once per week starting July 1 AFTER your junior year

•  Off-campus contact

- Allowed starting July 1 AFTER your Junior year •  Official visit

- None Allowed •  Unofficial visit

Summary of Recruiting Rules for Soccer - DIV I

Senior Year

•  Recruiting materials - Allowed

•  Telephone calls

- You may make calls to the coach at your expense only - College coach can call once per week starting July 1 •  Off-campus contact

- Allowed starting July 1 •  Official visit

- Allowed beginning opening day of classes of your senior year

- You are limited to one official visit per college up to a maximum of five official visits to Divisions I and II colleges

•  Unofficial visit