|
When Texas A&M wanted to develop an NCAA Division I scholarship
program in 1993, the administration turned to a proven winner
to cultivate a championship program. In his seven years at
the helm of Aggie soccer, head coach G. Guerrieri has put
together a program that has consistently been ranked among
the nation’s elite. No maroon and white team under his
supervision has finished a season with less than 14 wins.
All together, A&M has a combined record of 134-39-4 (.768)
overall and 39-9-0 (.813) in Big 12 competition.
Not only have Guerrieri’s teams fared well on the field,
but all of the players that have played for Guerrieri have
either graduated or are scheduled to graduate. In so doing,
the team has annually maintained a team GPA above 3.0.
Tips to Parents:
Please always keep in mind that even though the college experience
will be for your child, the bill for that experience will be
yours. If you are banking on your son or daughter receiving
a full scholarship as a payback for all the club dues, camps,
and travel you've provided, then you are in
for a rude awakening when the first college bills come in. The
fact is a scholarship is very rare, and should be treated as
a lottery win rather than your soccer player's right of passage
through youth soccer.
So, when planning for your child's college experience, make
sure to be thorough in taking care of the following:
1. Take this Challenge Personally
Finding the right college for your daughter or son is important
business. Put the kind of personal emphasis on the quest as
you'd put on all of your big lifetime decisions. I suggest
that you get professional help in this quest, but don't depend
on those pros to do all the work for you. Get your research
done with research done by the aid of the Sports Source, then
do the legwork of contacting and visiting colleges yourself.
2. Have a Financial Plan laid out
before you even start looking at colleges. The best time to
start investing for your child's college expenses is 17 years
prior to the child's high school graduation. There are many
financial advisors out there to help you prepare for your
child's college education. Please note that none of these
financial advisors will tell you to "bank" on your
child receive a magic full ride scholarship.
3. Have an Academic Plan laid out for
your child.
Set goals for which colleges your child would qualify for
academically by your child's sophomore year in high school.
4. Have an Athletic Plan.
You need to know the realistic athletic capacity of your child.
TRUE, there is a place for your child to play college soccer
out there, BUT, it will take some extra work on YOUR part
to find the perfect program for your son/daughter by finding
a college team that matches her/his playing level and needs.
The fact that your child has "always dreamed of playing
for 'X' University" simply isn't good enough. There are
many different issues that the coaches of college teams are
dealing with that don't take into account what someone is
"dreaming". Rather, coaches are dealing more with
the present and future needs of their college team. Like many
parts of life, "timing is everything" and if your
child is an outside defender (for
example) and your dream school isn't in need of an outside
defender, well, you're not going to get your "dream offer".
5. Be flexible enough to say "No"
to an offer.
The best college match for your child will probably be the
university that best meets the academic, athletic, social,
geographic, and financial needs of your child and family.
So, research enough programs and meet with enough college
coaches to give your child a fair amount of opportunities.
This way, if one school doesn't work out, another will.
Tips to Players:
Please be realistic and steadfast in your pursuit of the right
college for you. You need to understand that there is a college
out there that's perfect for you, but it's not going to find
you - you have to find it. So, please understand that finding
the right college is an important step in your personal development,
so think of the process as an important exercise for your
betterment, not as a pain or drain on your high school experience.
To find the right college for you, I suggest you take the
following steps:
1. Be Honest.
Be honest to yourself in what level you'll be able to play
at in college. Be honest with your parents in communicating
your wishes and desires for college. Be honest to your coaches
in where you'd like to play, so they can help you develop
the playing ability to play at the level in college. Be honest
to college coaches - if you're really not interested in their
school, let them know that, rather than wasting your time
and her/his time in recruiting you.
2. Do Your Own Research.
Go out and learn why a university would be right or wrong
for you, don't depend on someone else to do it for you. College
is for you, not them. Find out what academic programs you
like about different schools and, again, don't depend on someone
else to find your college for you.
3. Contact and Visit Colleges with
your parents in your junior year of high school. Write and
telephone the coaches of the schools you're most interested
in. Make sure that the letters you send are not "form"
letters, but rather are personal and show why you might be
interested in a school. Follow up your personal letters with
phone calls to college coaches to see when you might be able
to come to the college campus to meet him/her. Go see college
games when you're a sophomore and junior in high school to
find a team that matches your playing style and desires. Attend
the summer soccer camp of the schools you're most interested
in. in other words, go see what it's like to be a student
at different colleges instead of depending on slick brochures
or website to make your decision.
4. Ask for Help.
Your parents have a very big stake in your college experience.
They will most likely be paying some or all of the bill, so
allow them to know what you're thinking and allow them to
help you navigate through the decision
making process.
|
