Soccer and College Opportunities

• 
  How many of you plan to go to college?
  
• 
  How many of you plan to play soccer in college?
  
• 
  Have you and your parents talked about how you will pay for college?
  
• 
  How many of you hope to get a soccer scholarship?
  
• 
  Are you taking hard courses and do you have good grades?
  
• 
  Do you think you need to take hard courses and have good grades to get a soccer scholarship?
  

• 
  Provide information about opportunities to continue playing soccer in college;
  
• 
  I want you to examine your individual motivations for playing soccer specifically in relationship to how that experience translates to your college goals and aspirations;
  
• 
  Provide suggestions for conducting the college search process;
  

• 
  Number of NCAA I (335), II (302), III (447),
  
• 
  NAIA (290),
  
• 
  NCCAA (100)
  
• 
  NJCAA (525) institutions
  

• 
  NCAA I schools tend to be larger institutions in terms of enrollments, academic majors, facilities, budgets, and scholarships with enrollments of 10,000 or more
  
• 
  NCAA II schools are a little smaller with enrollments ranging from 2,000 or higher (average 4,500)
  
• 
  NAIA schools are much smaller private schools with enrollments generally below 2,500
  

• 
  All three types of institutions have the ability to award full scholarships (Athletic Grants in Aid) that can equal the total cost of attendance (tuition, room, board, books)
  
• 
  The dollar amount of the total cost of attendance for a single student is called a Full-Time Equivalency
  
• 
  NCAA and NAIA sets maximum equivalencies that a school can award based on sports
  
  • 
    NCAA I: Men’s Soccer is 9.9 Women’s Soccer is 12
    
  • 
    NCAA II: Men’s Soccer is 9 Women’s Soccer is 9.9
    
  • 
    NAIA: Men’s and Women’s Soccer is 12
    

• 
  Schools can elect to fund any amount of Full Equivalences up to the sport maximum (can fund less, but can’t exceed the sport maximum)
  
• 
  There are a very small number of schools that fund men’s soccer at the maximum Full-time Equivalency level. The average number of men’s soccer equivalencies for:
  
  • 
    Big East Conference – 7.7 (Villanova, Rutgers)
    
  • 
    Atlantic 10 Conference – 7.1 (Temple)
    
  • 
    MAAC – 6.8 (Rider)
    
  • 
    ACC – 7.4 (Maryland. Virginia, Boston College)
    
  • 
    Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference – 6.1 (Philadelphia U.)
    

• 
  Annual scholarship budgets are based on the dollar amount equal to their programs allotment of Full-Equivalencies:
  

Institution’s total cost of attendance (Financial Aid Office) $ 35,000

Number of Full Equivalencies X 7

Annual Scholarship Budget $ 245,000

Less Returning Students on Scholarship (3/4 of total) - 185,000

Available for new Student-Athletes $ 60,000

• 
  Coaches at these institutions, including D-1, will award very few full grant-in-aids (full-rides). Those are usually reserved for the very top recruit who does not qualify for any other form of financial aid.
  
• 
  Most will give partial Athletic Grants In-Aid and spread their scholarships out to recruit more student-athletes.
  
• 
  Partial Athletic Grants In-Aid generally will be used to supplement other types of financial aid:
  

• 
  Federal Aid (Pell Grant, Stafford Loans, etc.)
  
• 
  State Aid (NJ TAG Grant)
  
• 
  Other Institutional Scholarships (academic, merit, etc.)
  
• 
  Other Outside Scholarship Sources
  

• 
  Prospective student-athletes need to meet the NCAA academic eligibility requirements for D-I and D-II in order to be certified as a Qualifier and to receive an Athletic Grant In-Aid ; NCAA Academic Eligibility Requirements Handout
  
• 
  The only way a student-athlete’s academic eligibility can be evaluated is through the NCAA Eligibility Center (NCAA Clearinghouse); The Clearinghouse will also certify your amateur status using the Amateurism Questionnaire;
  

• 
  Tips for NCAA Academic Eligibility Handout
  
• 
  Parent Tips for Monitoring Eligibility and Amateur Status
  

Have no Athletic Grants In-Aid and therefore does not require the use of the NCAA Eligibility Center;

• 
  NCAA Academic Eligibility Requirements vs. Institutional Admissions Requirements – student athletes still need to satisfy a college’s admissions requirements in order to be admitted.
  
• 
  The Intent of Special Talent Exceptions for Admissions – exceptions to regular admissions requirements can be made for applicants whose special talent, intended major or background contributes to the campus environment in a positive way:
  

• 
  Talented artist or musicians or theater majors
  
• 
  Students that add to the diversity of the student body
  
• 
  Students that add to the desired gender mix of the student body
  
• 
  Student-athletes
  
• 
  The Admissions standards of best practices recommends that no more than 10% of the applicant pool be used for all special consideration admissions
  

• 
  Community colleges and private 2-year schools can be a viable options for student-athletes who:
  
  • 
    Are partial or non-qualifers and want to participate immediately
    
  • 
    Are partial or non-qualifiers to strengthen their academic record to become academically eligible to transfer
    
  • 
    Are simply not sure about college, what to study, or where they want to end up
    
  • 
    A financially viable place to start college before transferring…
    

• 
  At the 2-year school did you:
  

• 
  Complete at least one term as a full-time student (12 CR),
  
• 
  Earned at least 12 CR each term you started,
  
• 
  Have a 2.0 CGPA,
  
• 
  If YES, you can practice, receive athletic financial aid, play right away during the first year you transfer.
  
• 
  If you said NO to any one of the three things you can practice and receive athletic financial aid, but need to sit out a full academic year (complete a year of residence)
  

• 
  At the 2-year school did you:
  
  • 
    Complete at least 3 semesters as a full-time student (12 CR)
    
  • 
    Earn and AA or AS degree
    
  • 
    Earn at least 48 semester credits (or 72 quarter credits)
    
  • 
    Have a 2.0 CGPA
    
• 
  If YES, you can practice, receive financial aid, play right away during the first year you transfer.
  
• 
  If you said NO to any one of the three things you cannot practice, cannot receive financial aid, and cannot play until you sit out a full academic year (complete a year of residence)
  

• 
  NAIA schools are a viable option as they are small private schools that are legitimately accredited colleges and universities and have Athletic Grants In-Aid guidelines similar to the NCAA
  
• 
  National Christian College Athletic Association schools are a little riskier. Some are not legitimately accredited and have very liberal criteria for awarding institutional aid including athletic aid.
  

• 
  Why do you play soccer? Why do you spend so much time in your life and your parent’s life training, traveling, and playing outdoor and indoor?
  

• 
  To get better (why do you want to get better?)
  
• 
  To earn a college scholarship
  
• 
  To have fun
  

• 
  Do any of you play other sports?
  
• 
  Do any of you have any other activities (music, art, hobbies, etc.)
  
• 
  How many of you plan to go to college?
  
• 
  How many of you plan to play soccer in college?
  
• 
  How many of you plan to play another sport in college?
  

• 
  NCAA I (335) – 30% of NCAA colleges and universities
  
• 
  NCAA II (302) – 28% of NCAA colleges and universities
  
• 
  NCAA III (447) – 42% of NCAA colleges and universities
  

• 
  NAIA (290),
  
• 
  NCCAA (100)
  
• 
  NJCAA (525) institutions
  

• 
  How big a factor should playing soccer, athletics in general, be in your total college experience?
  

• 
  The collegiate model of athletics is one in which students-athletes participate as an avocation, balancing their academic, social and athletics experiences in their pursuit of excellence in both academics and athletics.
  

“There are 420,000 student-athletes who participate in NCAA sports and 99% of them will become a professional in something other than sports.”

• 
  Less than 3 in 50 (5.6%) of HS senior boys interscholastic soccer players will go on to play men’s soccer at an NCAA institution;
  
• 
  Less than 1 in 50 (1.6%) of NCAA senior male soccer players will be drafted by the MLS;
  
• 
  Less than 1 in 1,250 (0.07%) of HS senior boys playing interscholastic soccer will be drafted by the MLS;
  

• 
  79% of all student-athletes entering college in 2003 earned a degree within six years compared to 63% of all others students.
  

• 
  1980 about 73% of student-athletes in NCAA institutions participated in two or more sports;
  
• 
  1990 – 55%
  
• 
  2000 – 36%
  
• 
  2010 – less than 21%
  

Famous NCAA Multi-Sport Athletes

• 
  Jim Brown Syracuse U. (1957) Football and Lacrosse (Lacrosse Hall of Fame)
  
• 
  Jackie Robinson UCLA Baseball, Football, Basketball and Track
  
• 
  John Elway Stanford U. (1980) Football and Baseball (1^st pick of Yankees 1981)
  
• 
  Dave Winfield U. of Minnesota Baseball and Basketball (drafted Atl. Hawks)
  
• 
  Bo Jackson Auburn University Football, Baseball and Track (Bo Knows ads)
  
• 
  Donovan McNabb Syracuse U. Football and Basketball
  
• 
  Hakeem Olajuwon U. of Houston (1980) Basketball and Soccer
  
• 
  Kyle Rote Jr. OK State/Sewanee Soccer and Football
  
• 
  Chris and Matt Bahr Penn State Soccer and Football
  

• 
  Do you think the overall college experience of these folks and other multi-sport student-athletes would have been better or worse if they only played one sport?
  

• 
  Will your overall college experience be better or worse if you couldn’t play more than one sport?
  

• 
  1980 about 77% of student-athletes in NCAA institutions participated in organized co-curricular activities;
  
• 
  1990 – 61%
  
• 
  2000 – 46%
  
• 
  2010 – less than 30%
  

• 
  Will your overall college experience be better or worse if you don’t participate in other co-curricular activities?
  

“There are 420,000 student-athletes who participate in NCAA sports and 99% of them will become a professional in something other than sports.”

• 
  What else besides soccer will prepare you for becoming a professional in that other thing?
  

• 
  Compile a list of five to eight School (ideally by the end of your junior year) that meet your personal criteria;
  
• 
  Do your homework – research the academic programs, coaching staff, program history, size, funding, etc.
  
• 
  Identify “safety” and “reach” schools:
  
  • 
    Safety Schools – most likely to admit you based on your academic profile and whose soccer program priority needs match your athletic ability
    
  • 
    Reach Schools – stronger academic profile and whose soccer program priority needs may not immediately match your athletic ability
    
• 
  Get Help – develop this list in conjunction with your parents, guidance counselors, coaches, friends at college, etc.
  

• 
  Academic Reputation - Finding a match for your academic abilities and goals
  
• 
  Size and Location
  
• 
  Price – Tuition, aid and resources that match your families’ financial budget
  

• 
  Coaching – Finding a program whose coach and staff’s philosophies match with yours
  
• 
  Program – Make sure the program goals and objectives are compatible with you athletic goals
  
• 
  Division and Level of Competition – Finding a program that suit your skill level and matches your individual expectations from playing college soccer.