• Complete College Fit Finder profile.
• Watch and implement all the video tutorial instructions (11).
• Make a list of your ‘favorite’ 30-50 schools (check the favorite icon).
• Contact the above list of schools
• Introduction email / letter with profile link
• Personalize the information, show that you are interested in the school
• Provide updated playing schedule (tournament | showcase | league)
• Follow up with a phone call / weekly email showing that you are serious in attending the school (constant pro-active communication)
• Invite the coaching staff to attend the game / event
• Add all college coach correspondence in the ‘activity tab’
• Fill out your top 10-15 schools recruiting questionnaires.
• Review weekly on the tournament / showcase website which college coaching staff are attending the event.
• Research the schools in College Fit Finder that are attending, this could help to expand your favorite list.
• If you are a junior, you should have already registered for the NCAA Eligibility Center
• Meet with your Head Coach \ Director of Coaching to review your list of schools and ask if you can use them as a recommendation.
• Check what procedures are in place for college coaching staff to receive your information at the event (handmade copies, online, team brochure or individual flyer).
• Check and fill in your profile for the team marketing booklet / brochure that is being made to hand out on the sidelines or to be left in the coaching staff hospitality tent (if applicable).
• Do not have your mother and father contact the coaching staff and complete the above procedures – this process is STUDENT-ATHLETE driven.

• Change your password after receiving your user credentials
• Complete your profile (general, academic, athletic, preferences and favorites section)
• Go to college search and research your schools.  Make your favorite list of schools
• Fill out the reference section (notify your references prior to adding them into this area)
• Review your showcase, tournament and league game schedule.  Ensure the schedule section of your profile is current
• Create a draft of a personal and professional email for your coach to review
• Once you have approval from your coach regarding your email, email your favorites list FROM WITHIN YOUR CFF ACCOUNT.  This will ensure your communication is automatically saved within the system as opposed to using your email server where emails can be easily lost.  Ask them to click on the link within the email to access your full online bio.  If you have a tournament/showcase you are inviting a college coach to attend, please ensure you list the name of the event, date, game times, and field # (list each day on a separate line).  Reference the fact the rest of your schedule can be found on your online profile.

• Check the list of players is correct on the roster.
• Send out user player credentials to all the players (do not send the master file)
• Download Player Log-in Credentials
• Add a new player to your roster
• All headshots are completed in the same club jersey.
• Enter all headshots into the player accounts (with the club logo viewable).
• Educate your players with the tournament and showcase schedule.
• Set player action item completion list with a deadline for the year (general, academic, athletic profile, preferences and favorites section…  deadline should be 45 days prior to the first event).
• Check the players favorites folder and adjust if needed (i.e. players overshooting the level of program that they are reaching out to). Ensure you have a conversation with the player prior to taking a college out of the favorites folder or adding a particular program to their favorites folder.
• Ensure players know that they should be reaching out to coaches through their account, not through their email server.  When communicating through their account the system automatically saves the communication almost in a virtual journal.
• Check each players’ video and provide feedback or edit yourself on their page.
• Ensure you create your team brochure from within the system (trifold or front/back format).
• Questions or support – contact Simon Boddison (sboddison@dynamodashyouth.com) or Angie Rigsby (arigsby@dynamodashyouth.com).

Ask the following questions if you have recently attended a college showcase / tournament:

Q.  What have I done to follow up with the college coach / institution after the conclusion of the event?

Q.  What must I be actively doing throughout the next few days / weeks within the recruitment process? 

• A ‘personal’ email / letter should now be sent to all the schools that you wrote to prior to the showcase / league games in the fall / spring season. This will serve as a reminder of your commitment to their institution.  Continuous communication via phone, email, text should occur between college coach > < prospective student-athlete.
• Review all your feedback that you have received from the college coach / institutions and revise your favorite page in College Fit Finder.
• The months of November – February are the time periods that there is a lot of coaching staff movement (fired, resign or retire). If the institution has a new coaching staff, you may have to re-introduce yourself and update them with all the previous information.  In some cases, the recruiting process may well have to completely start from the very beginning – do your research and plan accordingly. If you have received a verbal commitment prior to the coaching staff changing, contact the athletic department and seek guidance.  Most schools honor their former coaching staff’s commitment, but you must check and clarify.
• Update the schools continually with your academic results (transcript, GPA, SAT / ACT, class rank, profile changes).
• Check with your Head Coach / Director of Coaching pertaining to which college coaches have contacted / shown interest in you.
• Does your club coach need to contact a college coach on your behalf? Provide the necessary details and log this information in your ‘history tab’.
• If you are a junior, you should have already registered for the NCAA Eligibility Center at https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/make sure you have added your NCAA Eligibility # into your profile.
• Provide the schools with your updated Spring 2023 schedule (showcase, tournament and league play).
• Juniors – narrow down your options to a top 5-10 schools and find out about roster spots, financial (scholarship) aid packages available.
• Seniors – narrow down your top 3 schools, signing a National Letter of Intent, completion of the school admission application, receiving results back from the Eligibility Center, committed roster spot, financial (scholarship) packages.

Student-athletes do not want to transfer, please read the negatives that can potentially happen:

• Loose college academic credits, thus not graduating on time or at a later date
• Potential loss of scholarship dollars
• Costs of packing and relocation to another school
• May not get the same scholarship or athletic opportunities
• Athletes will have to prove themselves to the new coaching staff and peers similar to an incoming freshman
• Potential issues with current housing leasing agreements
• Increased player, family stress and anxiety
• Limited transfer opportunities to find the ‘perfect’ school
• Understand a new game model, program philosophy and program protocals
• Play for a brand new head coach / coaching staff
• Find new accommodations

Communications with a College Coach:

• Be prepared to answer questions on the following topics (academics, athletic performance, recruiting process)
• Be enthusiastic, personable and portray a positive personality
• Understand the soccer program, coaching staff, campus, housing, financial aid and admissions
• Do NOT have your parents become an agent and talk on your behalf, college coaching staff are recruiting prospective student-athletes and not the parent
• Sound excited abut the potential opportunity, be humble
• Thank the coach for their time and interest

Recruits should NOT do the following:

• Big time any division of athletics
• Assume anything
• Be scared to ask tough questions
• Ghost coaching staff
• Chase a school purely for money

Recruits should do the following:

• Work hard in the classroom and show an improved or consistent academic performance
• Be open minded to every decision
• Be flexible in your decision making
• Research first before saying no
• Show the school professional respect and let them know if you are not interested

Video Tips:

• Keep it short (under four minutes)
• Provide a starting slide (photo, name, contact details, class year, GPA, ACT/SAT)
• First highlight is your most impactful
• Clips need to show personality, positioning on the field
• Use arrows, highlights, circles, shadows to emphasize the athlete
• Use clips from multiple games (different opponent)
• Show some build up prior and after receiving the ball, making a save
• Don’t use video from your back yard
• Use recent video against the best competition
• Do not use music, the coach might want to hear soccer environment
• Be prepared to have a full video of a game if requested (ideally from the game that you have provided the clips from)