COLLEGE SOCCER PREP/RECRUITMENT CONSULTANCY

college soccer

Phil Tait Soccer 1 on 1 is pleased to announce the introduction of its new College Soccer Prep services for 2016. Designed specifically for high school student-athletes, the College Soccer Prep program will focus on educating, evaluating and showcasing individuals with a desire to explore playing opportunities at the collegiate level.

The method implemented in the program has been developed by Nick Woolf, Director of College Soccer Prep, over the last 10 years through his experiences as a recruited athlete, private trainer, club coach and college coach. Nick is a firm believer that there is a fit for every student-athlete to play at; however, more important is ensuring they find the proper academic fit, regardless of soccer. His passion for helping to guide student-athletes on their path to the collegiate-level has helped individuals get accepted to to a wide variety of institutions across the country, from Division I to Division III.

If you or your son/daughter are interested in personalized college consulting, please click here to get in touch or email: nick@1on1soccer.com


ANALYSIS

Student-athletes who are interested in exploring the possibility of playing at the collegiate-level.

$100
(one time fee)
  • One-time Match Analysis & PDF Evaluation (in-person) OR Recruiting video feedback
  • Basic overview of the college soccer recruiting process
  • Basic academic evaluation

STANDARD

Student-athletes who are serious about pursuing a playing career at a Division I, II or III institution.

$350
(per month)

All of the services in ANALYSIS, plus:

  • Club/high school coach consultation
  • Athletic career analysis
  • Academic career analysis
  • NCAA qualifier status analysis
  • Collegiate-level playing recommendations
  • Coach communication strategy

ADVANCED

Personalized services tailored to fit the specific needs of student-athletes with serious ambitions.

$700
(per month)

All of the services in STANDARD, plus:

  • Target school list creation
  • Academic counselor consultation
  • High school transcript evaluation and recommendation
  • College camp strategy
  • Custom player profile
  • Recruiting video feedback
  • Proven, best-in-class templates for communication with coaches
  • Recruiting process mentorship
  • Personal recommendation to college coaches (when appropriate)

NICK WOOLF - COLLEGE SOCCER PREP DIRECTOR

Experience

Phil Tait Soccer 1 on 1, MA (2016 - Present)

Coaching Position:

  • College Soccer Prep Director (2016 - Present)

Tufts University , Somerville MA (2013 - 2015)

Coaching Position:

  • Men’s Goalkeeping Coach
  • Recruiting Coordinator & Liaison to Admissions
  • 2014 NCAA DIII National Champions

FC Boston (2012 - 2015)

Coaching Position:

  • Goalkeeping Coach

Champion Soccer School, Belmont MA (2009 - 2014)

Coaching Position:

  • Head Goalkeeping Coach
  • Co-Director of Summer Camps

BLOG POST -- Are online recruiting services really worth it?

If you ask any college coach if they think online recruiting platforms such as NCSA or BeRecruited are worth the money...

Blog Post by Nick Woolf (Director of College Soccer Prep)

Read More →

I can guarantee you they will respond with an emphatic “no” and as a former recruit who naively explored the services available to high school students hoping to be recruited, I can tell you from personal experience that their sentiment is accurate.

While they may seem flashy & filled with genuine anecdotes of big-time recruits who landed a scholarship by signing up, the fact of the matter is that these companies are designed to make as much money as possible by attracting as many athletes as possible. They are simply not scaled to offer personal or customized solutions to help individuals find their fit.

One of the major advantages these platforms tout is that they generate email templates for you to use and will even email coaches for you. College coaches want to interact directly with you; not an online database. They receive thousands of emails each week; sending a template from a recruiting site is an easy way to get dismissed. Although there are some benefits to these services (for instance, they can help to provide information on various schools or guides with resources for recruits), by and large they fail to help present athletes as unique individuals. It’s a gamble to rely on someone else to present you when you’re embarking in a process as important as selecting a college.

If there’s a free profile that you can sign-up for and use to download or view useful resources, then sure – go for it. But don’t expect for coaches to magically come calling the second you hit “Submit Payment”.

BLOG POST -- A coach asked me to "commit", but I'm not ready...

What should you do if a college coach asks you to verbally commit but you’re not 100% certain that their school is the place for you?

Blog Post by Nick Woolf (Director of College Soccer Prep)

Read More →

The landscape of recruiting in college soccer is becoming increasingly competitive – especially at the highest levels. Within a given academic range, many high school students will identify a similar collection of schools that are of interest to them. Similarly, coaches at rival schools (or even in the same conference) will likely have some overlap between the players they identify as target recruits. Oftentimes, this results in certain coaches feeling the pressure to secure “verbal commitments” as early as possible; in some cases, as early as a student’s freshman year in high school.

A “verbal commitment” is a phrase used to describe a college-bound student-athlete’s commitment to a school before he or she signs (or is able to sign) a National Letter of Intent (these are only applicable at the Division I and Division II levels). In most cases, college coaches will ask recruits to “verbally commit” when they are at a point where they are confident in their abilities (athletically), feel their academic profile is a fit for what admissions is looking for and want them to agree to apply to the school (usually, via Early Decision).

Although “verbal commitments” are quite widespread in their use, the agreement is NOT binding – on either the college-bound student, or the college/coach. This means that if a coach asks you to “verbally commit”, it is not a guarantee you will be accepted into the school. In most cases, coaches will have received some indication (a “read“) from admissions as to whether or not your academic profile is up to par, but this is not always the case.

Keeping all this in mind, what should you do if a college coach asks you to verbally commit but you’re not 100% certain that their school is the place for you? Be honest. If you’re not ready to commit to them, tell them that; most coaches will understand. Let them know where they are on your list and what your current thinking is. You should take as much time as you need to ensure that you feel comfortable. And if the coach reacts negatively, you might want to consider whether he or she is truly a leader worth playing under. It’s much more important to look for a school that you feel is a great fit for you, versus a soccer program.

BLOG POST -- “Getting Recruited”: Top 3 Misconceptions of the Process

Getting recruited to play soccer in college can prove to be very difficult. You may not want to hear or believe it, but that’s the reality. I've highlighted three “myths” that we often see students fall victim to.

Blog Post by Nick Woolf (Director of College Soccer Prep)

Read More →

At first glance, the college recruiting process can be incredibly stressful and overwhelming – especially to students with little formal guidance as to where they should begin. Yet, despite the increasingly high demand for online resources and guides to help educate individuals and their families interested in college soccer, the majority of recruiting services available remain unproved and largely ineffective.

Whether you are just starting to explore the landscape of college soccer, or are several months into the process, make sure you avoid these three “myths” that we often see students fall victim to:

1. Do Players just “get recruited” (e.g. will coaches come and find ME)?

The majority of students and parents fully believe that talented high school athletes are actively recruited by college coaches, and even offered “full-ride” sports scholarships quite frequently. Unless you are a national-team caliber player, this is unlikely to happen.

Soccer is the most popular youth sport in the United States. There are tens of thousands of players, many of whom are also hoping to get recruited. Only 2% of high school athletes are “actively recruited” by college coaches. Full-ride scholarships are even less common.

The recruits who are most successful are also the most proactive and persistent in reaching out to coaches to introduce themselves and notify them of where and when they are competing. Simply sending a coach your schedule or playing in a showcase tournament will not get you recruited in and of itself.

2. If a coach likes me enough, can they get me in regardless of my grades?

Let’s consider a hypothetical scenario: the head coach at Division III program is finalizing his recruiting class, and there are two left-backs on his list that he has to choose from.

Neil plays for a team in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and has been a starter the past two years. He’s been evaluated as a solid athlete with decent technical skills, good field vision and great recovery speed. His GPA and test scores aren’t the highest, but are still within the “range” that the school typically accepts from.

Jeff plays for a competitive club team as well as his high school team. He is not considered to be as good a natural athlete as Neil, but he is known to possess intangible qualities that make him a great leader. In the classroom, he has performed very well; his GPA is in the Top 5% of his class, and his test scores are very competitive.

Nine times out of ten, the coach will take Jeff over Neil.

Despite what you might read, college coaches do not get much leeway or “pull” with Admissions officers; in fact, they’d much rather not have to even go there. Moral of the story: the stronger a student you are, the more appealing you are as a recruit.

3. I’m already halfway through my senior year; it’s too late for me to consider playing in college?

While starting to familiarize yourself with the recruiting process as early as possible is highly recommended, you shouldn’t be discouraged if you were late to the game and find yourself with limited options in your senior year.

Most recruited athletes who “commit” are encouraged to apply in the Early Decision round of admissions. Although it’s not the norm, some of these students will get rejected or deferred (typically, due to a major drop-off in academics). When this happens, coaches begin to re-evaluate the talent pool for students who can fill in these newfound gaps.

Additionally, there’s always the option of “walking-on” to a team once you are accepted into the school. While by no means easy, I’ve personally seen many walk-ons become key contributors on college teams. Most coaches also attend showcase camps at the summer; it is not uncommon for incoming freshman to attend these to get seen. It doesn’t help to have great references from club and high school coaches, either, who can help to make a case for you before the tryout happens.