The start of a new season can feel like a lot. School is back, club soccer is getting going, schedules are filling up, and college soccer is underway across the country. For players in the recruiting process, it is easy to immediately start thinking about college coaches, showcases, ID camps, emails, and highlight videos. All of those things are important, but you don't need to do everything at once.The first few weeks of the season should be about getting yourself in a good spot academically, athletically, and with your recruiting process.Start With SchoolGet settled into your classes and take care of your work from the beginning. Once travel, showcases, missed Fridays, and recruiting trips start to add up, staying ahead becomes much harder. Build relationships with your teachers. If you know you're going to miss school for soccer, communicate that early. Let them know that playing college soccer is something you're working toward and that there may be times throughout the year when you'll need to plan ahead.Your academics are going to play a big role in which schools are realistic options, so take care of them from day one.Settle Into Your TeamGive yourself some time to get through preseason and settle into the year. You may have a new team, new teammates, a different coach, or even a new position. Focus on staying healthy, training well, understanding your role, and playing good soccer.Don't feel like you need to make a new highlight video after the first weekend. Give yourself 5 or 6 games to build good film, then go back and find the clips that actually show who you are as a player.Get OrganizedThis is also a good time to make sure the recruiting side is ready to go. Update your profiles, review the resources available through CPP, and make sure you know what your next steps are. For our 2027s and 2028s, get your 1:1 meeting with AP scheduled. We can look at where things currently stand, update your school list, and put together a plan for the fall.And finally, go watch college soccer. There are games happening all over Colorado this fall. Go watch different levels, pay attention to the players in your position, and start developing a better understanding of what college soccer actually looks like. The goal right now isn't to have your entire recruiting process figured out. Get organized, take care of the things you can control, and put yourself in a good position for the opportunities that come later in the season.Start-of-Season Action ItemsAcademics: Get organized, stay ahead of assignments, and communicate early about soccer travel.SportsRecruits: Update your team, jersey number, position, GPA, graduation year,highlight reel and contact information.Hudl: Create or update your profile and make sure your games are being uploaded.Review Latest NCAA News: 5:5 Model and how it affects high school recruiting. HERE is a blog post we recently shared.CPP Resources: Review the recruiting resources and information available for your graduation year- HERE is a link to the google drive.2027 & 2028 Players: Schedule your 1:1 with AP and review your Fall recruiting plan.Highlight Video: Get through your first 5 or 6 games before putting together your first updated video of the season.Watch College Soccer: Use the Men's and Women's College Soccer Master Schedules to find games in your area and get out to watch.Men’s College Soccer Near UsWomen’s College Soccer Near UsYou can also find a ton of college soccer on ESPN+ throughout the fall. Watch different levels, conferences, and teams, and pay attention to players in your position. The more college soccer you watch, the better understanding you'll have of the level, style of play, and where you might fit.
