CLASS OF 2026 SIGNEES

CONGRATULATIONS

• CARRIGAN EZELL

• CLAIRE BYARS
• KAILEY TAYLOR
• GIA ENCRAPERA
• JURI MEAGHER
• TAYLOR HARTZLER

• PAYTON TAYLOR
• BRODY NGUYEN
• ADDISON CARROLL

• MAGGIE ESTES
• BRI SANDERS
• MARLEE LEVENS
• OWEN HUGHES
• OLIVER EVERSON
• CAM MESSER

• ALYSSA CLARK
• LUCY STEWART
• BRAIDEN BONDS

• NICO MONSALVE

• MAYLEE LEVENS
• DILLYN BIANCAMANO

• BRAYDEN PEPPERMAN

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College Recruiting

Gulf Coast United FC

Agenda

Suggested Timelines

Timelines below can vary by school & male/female athletes*

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• Athletes write to many schools to state your interest
• Visit campuses
• Club coach can help to be liaison if college coaches show interest

Freshman-Soph. Year

• Determine your realistic level of play
• Narrow your school list down to

those that have the right fit (~15)

• Discuss with parents the financial aspects

Soph.-Junior Year

• Majority of players make commitments
• List of schools should be narrowed to 3-5
• If you are not getting communication from coaches, shift focus elsewhere

Junior.-Senior Year

Freshman-Soph. Year

Umbrella Organizations

Umbrella Organizations

Eligibility Center is the organization within the NCAA that determines the academic eligibility and amateur status for all NCAA DI and DII athletes

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• You need to register and be cleared by the NCAA if you want to play NCAA college sports and receive a scholarship at the DI or DII level (also the NAIA Eligibility Center)
• Cost for registration is $90 for US citizens
• Create an account and make payment
• High School submits official transcripts
• SAT or ACT testing center sends official test results
• Answer amateur status questionnaire

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• Once everything above is completed, NCAA will not review your information unless it has been requested by an NCAA University

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• If you have registered with the NCAA and have not had your eligibility status completed, chances are it has not been requested by a coach

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Over 60% of athletes who are registered with the NCAA are never recruited by a college coach

Coaches Communication

Division I & II

• Freshman & Sophomore Year
• Prospect can send unlimited emails, texts, and make phone calls
• Prospect can receive camp or clinic invitations
• After June 15 of Junior Year
• Coaches can get involved with a recruit’s unofficial visit
• Recruits can start taking official visits
• Recruits & college coaches can have recruiting conversations during camps
• Coaches can make phone calls and send direct emails

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Division III

• Contact prospects at any time during high school

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NAIA

• Contact prospects at any time during high school

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NJCAA

• Contact prospects at any time during high school

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What to Consider

Where Do You Fit

Division I Statistics

Girls Statistics

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• 9.7% of U.S. high school players end up playing collegiately
• 2.3% end up playing Division I
• 3% of college recruits are international players

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Boys Statistics

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• 7.9% of U.S. high school players end up playing collegiately
• 1.1% end up playing Division I
• 21.3% of college recruits are international players

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*Based on a 2017 study done by NCSA (ncsasports.org). Trend

towards international recruits is growing.

Do Your Research

• Make a list of potential schools

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• Research these schools

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• Campus visits

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• Online Resources

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Spend some time researching how to write a good letter or email to coaches!

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• Academics need to be the priority!

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• Freshman-Senior years focus on good grades and good SAT/ACT scores

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• Coaches are looking for recruits who can balance school and sports

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• Make certain to research schools with your MAJOR

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• Take the SAT and/or ACT no later than the end of your junior year these are important to help predict your opportunity for merit-based scholarships

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• Everyone should complete a FAFSA application. Don’t assume you don’t qualify!
• Complete Oct of your senior year, using prior year tax information

Academics

• Division I/II schools offer a variety of athletic scholarships
• Fully funded athletic scholarship
• Partial athletic scholarship
• Combined athletic and academic
• Academic

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• Division I fully funded schools have ~9.9 scholarships for men and ~14 for women (average rosters include 28-29 players)—This is foreverchanging!
• D1 colleges can now provide 28-29 full scholarships
• Not all D1 colleges have this opportunity (Mainly Power 4)

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• Division II fully funded schools have 9 scholarships for men and 9.9 for Women—This is ever changing, too!!

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• Not all schools are fully funded

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ALL Divisions offer Financial and Merit-based scholarships

Scholarships

Scholarships

Cont’d…

Scholarships

Cont’d

ls

Contacting

Coaches

• Step aside parents – coaches want to hear from the athletes
• Coaches are more impressed when….
• Recruits speak more than the parents
• Recruits are the point person for email and phone communication
• Recruits are asking the questions versus parents
• Personalize emails, texts, and conversations! NEVER send mass emails to coaches!

Athletes vs. Parents

Where to Start

Don’t be overwhelmed! Here’s how to start:

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• 2-3 weeks before every tournament, check online for the college coaches that are attending
• Send emails to several different coaches expressing interest and inviting them to see you play
• Write to a variety of schools, not only the 1-2 you’ve heard of before
• Cast a wide net: Writing 5 schools is better than nothing… but writing 15-20 is ideal
• Make sure you include:
• Your schedule/ game times/ team name
• Your jersey number and position
• Your HS graduation year
• Your club coaches contact info

Where to Start Cont’d…

• Follow up after your tournament to see if they had a chance to see you play, and express your interest again
• Schools that are interested will contact you!
• Determine if you are potentially interested in that school, based on the other factors
• If possibly interested, keep the communication going!
• If not interested, thank them for their interest, but advise you aren’t overly interested.
• Start writing coaches in your sophomore year, but don’t be upset if you don’t get responses

Athletes vs. Parents

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• NCAA Eligibility Center

https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/

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• NCAA Eligibility Center FAQ

https://ncaa.egain.cloud/kb/EligibilityHelp/home

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• NCAA Eligibility Center Registration Checklist

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/eligibility_center/Student_Resources/Registration_Checklist.pdf

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• NCAA Division I Eligibility Standards

http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/play-division-i-sports

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• NCAA Division II Eligibility Standards

http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/play-division-ii-sports

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• NCAA Recruiting Fact Sheet

http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/Recruiting%20Fact%20Sheet%20WEB.pdf

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Additional Resources

QUESTION AND ANSWER FORUM