College Edge

Choosing the Right College

Choose your college with this in mind…If unfortunately something happened to me on the first day of preseason training and I could never play soccer again…could I go to school there for four years?

I remember expressing this to a group of elite soccer players at a camp I was running in Houston, Texas several years back when one of the female staff members told her story. She had won three NCAA Division One championships at The University of North Carolina -Chapel Hill and suffered a career-ending head and neck injury which prevented her from participating in athletics again. She told the students that this was what got her through her disappointment and dismay…choosing the college as if she was not an athlete at all.

Finding a good college match is one of the most critical decisions you will make in your life. Your college education is the cornerstone of your future, the career path you choose will last a lifetime. The friends and teammates you acquire will stay with you forever. Balancing your decision between your desire to play soccer and that of long-term career goals is important. Think about your education first. By doing your homework on colleges that offer programs which are of interest to you, your final selection will be easier to make and eliminate a great deal of anxiety. For example if dentistry is your career path it would be foolish to pursue a college that doesn’t offer a pre-dentistry program, even if it means a full ride. Also keep in mind many students change majors once in their college careers and not all students have a clear idea of a career path. If you don’t have a clear cut plan then choosing a college with limited fields of study could prove to be a costly mistake.

With the competition to get into good colleges becoming so fierce, soccer has taken on a new meaning. Whether you’re a student with a weak academic record or an exceptional scholar, whether you’re looking for a full or partial ride, or just getting into a school that might have been slightly out of reach, soccer can make a difference. Your athletic skill can open doors for both admissions to college as well as financial aid, which may otherwise have been closed to you. But wishing and hoping won’t make it happen; it’s going to take a concentrated effort on your part as well as your parents.

There must ultimately be some soul searching on your part…. Are you really a Division I player, or are you division II or III caliber? How important is it for you to play NCAA soccer, or do you fit best in NAIA? Being honest with yourself will save you and the coach a lot of valuable time, and eliminate some ego-crushing disappointments. Other factors must also be considered in your selection of colleges, like school size or the climate. If I’m a forward, does the school have a void at that position? If not, how many years of eligibility do the current players have left. What kind of extracurricular activities are available and what’s the ratio of boys to girls? Does my religion have a bearing on my choices? Once these questions have been addressed you’ll find the pieces of the puzzle start to fit. So if you have the talent, the ability, and the smarts to market yourself to the school of your choice, this sport could provide the boost to help you over the wall, which just might be the ultimate payback for your many years of hard work on and off the field.

Look for the College Edge e-book which will available in December 2009. Coming soon! Written and compiled by Roby Stahl with experts in their fields contributing.