Representing NCAA Divisions I, II, III and the NAIA In 2005 the Impact hosted a panel of college coaches in West High's Mini Auditorium on the subject of "How to get Recruited by a College Soccer Program. The coaches on the panel were Scott Blount, keeper coach for the NCAA Division I UT Lady Vols; Phil McNamara, women's head coach for NCAA Division II Carson-Newman College; Pepe Fernandez, men's and women's head coach for NCAA Division III Maryville College, and Richard Northcut, men's head coach of NAIA Tennessee Wesleyan. The coaches described the rule and scholarship differences in the divisions and in NAIA and the many different levels of play in college soccer. The coaches encouraged students to pick out a list of colleges they are interested in and find out about those schools. "You want to go to a place where you'll be happy and get the education you want, no matter what happens with soccer," advised Phil McNamara, whose teams have made it to the NCAA Division II Final Four in both of the last two years. Different Divisions: "After you get past the top 25 Division I women's soccer teams --- like North Carolina, UT, UVA ---you find quite a bit of parity," said Scott Blount. "You might assume that a Division II team might not be as good as a Division I school, and often that's not the case." The coaches encouraged players to work with their club coaches to figure out where they might fit in. Among the seniors on the 87 Lady Impact, five play at Division I schools, three in Division II, four in Division III and one in NAIA. To see which ones, click on this link: http://www.soccerincollege.com/team.aspx?id=TNF87001 Scholarships: "Full-ride" athletic scholarships are usually rare, even in Division I. Most financial packages combine grants (lottery and Hope) and academic money. "So make sure to keep those grades up," advised Phil McNamara. From year to year, a partial athletic scholarship might be increased, based on a variety of factors, including a player's contributions to the program. Division III offers no athletic scholarships, but these schools offer academic and leadership grants. Many Division III (and Ivy League) schools offer financial aid based on need. Rules for Contacts. The rules differ in all the divisions. In general, NCAA coaches can't contact players until June after their junior years in high school. This includes returning phone calls or e-mails---they're not allowed to do so most of the time. In general, they are not allowed to talk to players at tournaments or games. NAIA coaches can contact players any time. NAIA and Division II coaches are allowed to give players a tryout on campus. But: players can visit a campus and talk with a coach any time they want. (Official visits, paid for by the school, are a different story.) You can (and should) send e-mails and your resumes and DVDs or tapes, if you have them. Just don't be worried if you don't hear back. Camps. It's a good idea to the camps of the colleges you're most interested in. "It's expensive, but it's really worth it," said Scott Blount. "If you have three top picks, you might try to go to all three, if you can. It's good to start the summer after your sophomore year. Make sure you tell the coach you're coming, and that you're interested in coming to that school. If it turns out you're not quite right for UT, I can serve as a recommendation to other coaches. I've seen you play. I've talked with you over dinner and know you." Being seen at tournaments. Let coaches know when and where your team will be playing. "The bigger tournaments have places on their websites for college coaches to sign in, so you can see which ones are going to be at certain tournaments," said Scott Blount. "If you send an e-mail, most coaches will make an effort to come and watch you. But make sure to send a personal note, so we know you're truly interested in us and not sending out a blanket e-mail." NCAA Clearinghouse. After your junior year, go to www.ncaaclearinghouse.net, where you can register and have your high school transcript sent to the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse, so the colleges know that you have the "core courses" required to play Division I or II college sports. [It takes a few weeks, even if you do it on line, so the sooner the better.] "Even if you think you're not going to go D1, go ahead and register," says Scott Blount. "You just never know what might happen, and D1 coaches can't really consider you unless they know you're qualified." Presenting Yourself. The panelists agreed that expensive "recruiting services" aren't necessary. "You can do all that yourselves," said Richard Northcut. "You can go to team websites, find coaches' e-mails and addresses and let them know you're interested." Almost all college team websites have on-line "interest forms" for players to fill out, after which coaches generally send a more detailed questionnaire. Players should work up a resume and a cover letter to complement your team's brochure materials. Tapes and DVDs can be helpful. Highlight tapes can be good, while some coaches prefer to see an entire game against the best competition you face, with accompanying notes about who the opposing players are (All-State, ODP, etc.). "Just edit out the minutes when the camera is pointed at the ground," advised Northcut. Words to remember (from Scott Blount): "Be proactive." A Day in the Life. "At a D3 school like Maryville," said Pepe Fernandez, "Soccer is a part of our players' lives, but they're involved in other things." While this was generally echoed by Northcut and McNamara about their schools, Scott Blount noted that the time commitment is generally greater in Division I. "At UT, soccer is a huge part of our players' lives." All the coaches agreed that their players generally did better academically during their seasons, when they are managing their time and being disciplined about getting their work done. Bonus: Want to Improve Your SAT scores? Go to www.collegeboard.com and sign up to receive the SAT Question of the Day by e-mail. Special thanks to Scott Blount, Pepe Fernandez, Phil McNamara and Richard Northcut for taking their time to take part in this very informative panel!