Four Considerations If You Want to Walk on to a College Soccer Team

Some players aren't noticed by a soccer coach-at least not by a coach at a school they're interested in attending. So they might decide to "walk-on" to a team, but their chances are limited. (See Chances of Walking On to a College Soccer Team).

However, if you should decide to walk on, consider the following:

1. Make sure the school is one you want to attend-whether or not you make the team. Your chances of playing on the soccer team aren't great, so make sure you'll be happy there whether you're on the team or not.

2. Keep the college's soccer coach up-to-date with dates of the tournaments you'll be attending. Send him news clippings or emails with how you and your club and school teams did in games and tournaments.

3. Attend the school's summer camp, if they have one. If not, ask the coach if he'll be at any camps you can attend. (Some camps have coaches from several colleges.) Attending a camp with the coach gives them a chance to evaluate you, and for you to meet the coach and evaluate his coaching style as well.

4. Understand that the odds of successfully walking on are against you, so be sure you'll be happy playing intramurals or club soccer, or not playing at all. If you're not, you might be better off looking at another school where the coach is interested, if possible.

DI Isn't Everything

A "recruited player" at a top DI school might be scholarship material at a lesser DI or DII school. Or a DI walk-on might be a DIII standout recruit. Consider whether you want to be considered a weaker player with minimal prospects or someone the coach sees as key to his team's success.

Some players might have been injured and missed out on being seen by coaches, even though they might have been recruited in different circumstances. These players have the best chance of walking on successfully. For the rest, unfortunately, the odds of actually playing as a walk-on aren't great.

A soccer player's best chance of seeing substantial game time is to play at a school where the coach is interested in him. If playing soccer in college is important to you, carefully consider the coaches-and their schools--who contact you. If you're receiving contact from DIII coaches, that's likely the level to which you're best suited, and those coaches are the ones who see you as adding value to their team.