A: Joe, I think your chances are actually pretty high. Given the clubs that you've played for, you have a very impressive soccer pedigree. Those are two of the top clubs in the country--and college coaches are well aware of that fact.

As you self-recruit, coaches are probably going to want to know why you didn't play for a year. You should be totally up front with them. They will understand. By the same token, you may have to convince them that you are 100% fit and over the injury. For obvious reasons, coaches want healthy players.

In terms of coming back our fair City of Chicago, you may actually have a leg up on a lot of your peers. Obviously you're not in the immediate vicinity, which makes it harder for a coach to see you play. However, the big thing that a lot of players struggle with is narrowing their search. You, by contrast, actually know where you want to go to school. There are only a dozen or so schools in the Chicago area--as opposed to the thousands that are around the country. So you've already narrowed your search significantly. Now you need to get on the radar of those Chicago coaches by actively self-recruiting.

-selfRecruiting.com

A: Part I: By no means is it too late start self-recruiting. Some of the top Division I teams have already reached verbal agreements with some of their top recruits. Yet even those teams are probably still in the recruiting market. Without a doubt, second tier DI, as well as DII and DIII teams are spending the summer recruiting rising seniors.

It sounds like your nephew is doing the right thing by going to Stanford--which incidentally is one of the better college camps around. Even if he doesn't end up playing at Stanford, he may meet coaches from other interested (and interesting) schools. Also, he can now use the college coaches who have seen him play extensively as references. So no, it's not all hype! There's a lot of value in that camp--overpriced as it may be (-;.

So the bottom line is that it's not too late. Your nephew just needs to be very active over the next few months. No doubt he will be thinking about college anyhow. He just needs to add soccer into the equation and start communicating actively with the coaches at the schools that interest him. -selfRecruiting.com

A: Excellent question Aaron. I spoke with a few Division I coaches about this. First off, an academic scholarship doesn't count against team scholarship money. So, if player A is as good as player B, but has a better academic record, player A could conceivably be a more attractive candidate for a team. Whether coaches can actually "advocate" for you to get academic money is much more of a grey area. Coaches can definitely lobby for you to be admitted, but they should not be interfering with the distribution of acadmic scholarships. This could conceivably get them in trouble with the NCAA. Good, tough question!-selfRecruiting.com

A: There's no single, universal element that all college coaches look for on a resume. I mean, if you have national team experience that's pretty attractive! What I look for on a resume is an "overall feel," that the player has been serious about soccer for a long time, has played for a good club in some meaningful tournaments, and that the player appears to play a significant role on his or her high school team. This is where your high school playing can really pay off...it'll show the coach that you've been in a leadership position or have won some important games, etc. So when you set off to build your resume, think about the overall feel. Once you've finished, look at it objectively and ask yourself, "How does this resume present me?" If it meets the above criteria, you've probably done a good job. -selfRecruiting.com

A: We're psyched to hear that Make the Team is starting to work for you. Don't be discouraged that you're not hearing back from some of the coaches. The next thing you need to do is figure out why they haven't gotten back to you. It may be that they're disorganized or overwhelmed with work. Maybe they haven't been spending much time in the office, since it's winter. Point is, the silence on their end may not have anything to do with you. So call or email them until you get a definitive response. Show that you're really committed to going forward with this. Odds are you'll start hearing back from them. Of course, it may be that a coach tells you her recruiting class is already set. If this is the case, don't worry. You can focus on the teams that have given you the best response. Great question!!! Please keep us posted and let us know if you have any more questions. Keep on rockin! -selfRecruiting.com

A: Congratulations on getting so far in the national team program--that's fantastic. Though you're playing at a high level, you're naturally going to have fewer chances to get seen by American college coaches--being in Canada and all. This makes the selfRecruiting process even more important. You have to really market yourself to coaches, using email, snail mail and phone calls. Figure out which schools interest you and contact the coaches. Let them know what you're all about. Be sure to keep them posted on your tournament schedule, especially tournaments you're going to be at in the US. If you can't link up with a particular coach at a tournament, try to meet him at a summer camp. Keep us posted on how it goes! -selfRecruiting.com

A: Dude, you're still a sophomore so you've got time to sort this out. Right now the most important thing is to continue to improve as a player. Playing with your friends on a county team is helpful, but if you want to play for a team like Ohio State in a conference like the Big Ten, you need to be playing regularly in a highly competitive environment. Be honest with yourself: are you getting this in your current situation? If the answer is no, look into some of the clubs in your region. If traveling to practice is impractical, you've got to do a ton of work on your own; get out with the ball every day. Play with your county team when you can; maybe try to guest play with a club at a tournament; and, of course, selfRecruit. You have to promote yourself to coaches, since they won't see you otherwise. It's great that you've set your sights high, on a team like Ohio State, but you should definitely look at other schools. Maybe Ohio State will work out--that would be sweet. But if you're not up to that level, it's okay. There are plenty of other teams out there. You've just gotta make sure that you consider them as well.-selfRecruiting.com

A: Susan, this is a great question that we're still grappling with. We spoke to a number of college coaches and here's the low down. Division I women's teams are allowed 12 total scholarships at the maximum tuition price. State schools therefore have the equivalent of 12 out-of-state scholarships. Coaches can get more bang for their buck by recruiting in-state players. That doesn't necessarily mean that they won't be interested in out-of-state players like your daughter. They might offer her a partial scholarship, equal to in-state tuition. Or, if they really want her, they may offer more. Generally speaking, full scholarships are rare; players are far more likely to receive partial scholarships. The arrangements will vary from college to college, so it's hard to generalize. It is, however, safe to say that coaches in California will not dismiss your daughter just because she's from out of state. Enjoy the surfing! And let us know if you have follow-up questions. -selfRecruiting.com

A: Thanks for the great question. No doubt there are a lot of other players out there wondering the same thing.

Here it is: Most college coaches will give you a pretty clear signal if they're not interested in having you play for them. They'll either tell you or, sadly, ignore you. If it's kind of ambiguous, and feels like it could go one way or another, you should simply ask. If you're unsure about a certain coach, give her a call. It's totally okay to ask a straightforward question like: Do you want me to play for your team? If the answer is yes, great. If not, then it's okay--you can now focus on those schools that want you. -selfRecruiting.com

A: When college coaches search for goalkeepers, they're obviously looking for good shot-stoppers who have solid technique and vocally lead the defense from the back. They're also looking for keepers who make good decisions--specifically regarding when to come out for a ball and when to leave it for the rest of the defense. Many college goals have been conceded by overanxious goalkeepers who try to come out for balls they simply can't get. Check out our drills and games for a decision-making game you can play with one friend. -selfRecruiting.com

A: One of the first things to keep in mind is that college coaches are looking for serious soccer players. If you want to play in college, you need to get yourself onto a competitive team. Playing for a local team can be a start. Before long, though, you want to really be testing yourself against the best players in the state and region. That's how you'll really progress as a player and ultimately attract college coaches. All along you have to remember, if you want to play in college you have to be truly dedicated to the game...That means practice, practice, and practice some more. Check out our games page for some ideas. And drive safely! -selfRecruiting.com

A: Tough question! First off, you've recognized a key detail: even if you play like Robinho, you still have to have good grades to get into college. Your school will know how to explain your grades when it sends your transcript to colleges. As college coaches start to consider you as a prospect, they need to know your GPA. It sounds like you have a 4.1 on a weighted 4.0 scale. Technically you could get a 5.0, but this doesn't mean you have a 4.1/5.0. Ask your guidance counselor and let us know what she has to say. -selfRecruiting.com

A: Absolutely. When you start writing the emails outlined in Make the Team, you should definitely have your own email address. Get a free hotmail or yahoo email account. -selfRecruiting.com

A: Ahhh, the high school soccer debate rages on. To be honest, though, it shouldn't be this complicated. Every soccer player should have the opportunity to play for his/her high school. The quality of the soccer may not be as high as that of top clubs, however the experience of playing for something, namely your school and friends, is a hugely important experience. The high stakes and camaraderie are actually great preparation for college soccer.

From a recruiting perspective, you're right: college coaches don't go to many individual high school games. This is partly due to the fact that most high school teams play in the fall, which directly conflicts with the college soccer season. Even if your high school season is in the winter or spring, high school soccer is so short (usually two months-ish) that your club team can work in plenty of tournaments around the high school season. For example, if you play high school in the spring, get your club team to go to a President's Day tournament and a Memorial Day Showcase. Bottom line is: there are plenty of opportunities to get seen playing for your club team even if you play for your high school. Great question! Let us know if you have any follow-up questions. -selfRecruiting.com

A: The key right now for you is to get seen. Figure out a way that college coaches can see you play. That could mean joining a club team for the spring, guest-playing, or going to college camps this summer. If none of this is possible, put together a really good highlights video. You also have to really convince college coaches that you're committed to the game. They're going to look at the fact that you haven't been playing club and wonder what's up. Convince them that you're for real, and then show them on the field that you can hold the standard. You can do it! -selfRecruiting.com

A: You need to find out which coaches of the schools you're interested in are going to be at the tournament. Then make sure that they know you're going to be there. Email them with a schedule of your games and let 'em know that you're serious about their schools. Good luck! Let us know how it goes. -selfRecruiting.com