How to get ahead in recruiting and get noticed by coaches.
If you want to raise your recruiting profile, a soccer ID camp is likely the way to go. That’s because they put you directly in front of college coaches, many of whom use ID camps to expand their recruiting reach. While there are a huge number of ID camps – and associated costs – to consider, read on to see the many benefits ID camps offer you.
You Can Start Early
In most cases, you can attend an ID camp as early as 9th grade. Remember that ID camps are, as the name implies, about identifying soccer talent. And that means, the earlier you start attending ID camps, the sooner you can be seen by coaches and be introduced to the competitive, performance-based nature of the camps. Don’t worry if you’re undersized or a step slow if you attend ID camps as a 9th or 10th grader. In addition to searching out recruits for the near term, college coaches also look for growth and development over time. Attending an ID camp early can give you valuable experience and help you be better prepared for the recruiting process as you get closer to graduation.
They’re Better Than Showcases
Simply put, ID camps give college coaches more time to evaluate a smaller number of players. Whereas a showcase may require a coach to spend a few minutes at up to 40 games in the course of a weekend, most ID camps are designed to give every player a chance to be seen and evaluated. The risk you run at a showcase is that you may not be on the field or involved in the flow of play during that short period a coach may be in attendance. By contrast, the smaller nature of most ID camps will give you more time to fully demonstrate your abilities.
Coaches Have More Time To Evaluate You
As noted above, ID camps, especially those put on by specific schools, allow coaches to be more active in the process. That allows coaches more time to better evaluate individual players on their own criteria. By providing coaches more control over the camp process, they have more time to evaluate each student-athlete to see how they might fit with their team.
More Time To Build Relationships
In addition to providing more time for coaches to evaluate you, attending an ID camp offers you an opportunity to start building a relationship with a coach. It may be as simple as introducing yourself and telling a coach a little about yourself, but that introduction could be the first building block in establishing a relationship with a coach during the recruiting process. In addition to giving them a face to associate with the name, ID camps also provide coaches time to get to know an athlete’s personality and character traits, which are also huge factors during recruiting.
On top of building a relationship with a coach, an ID camp also gives you an opportunity to get a feel for the coach, meet current players on the team, and get a feel for the program. In addition, on-campus ID camps also provide you and your family time to explore the school itself, the feel of the campus, and the town.
You Can Get A Feel For Competition Level
Rather than being based on instruction and skill enhancement, ID camps are focused on competition and performance. That focus will give you a better feel for your talent level and highlight areas where you may need to improve to play at the next level. Plus, attending the same camps year after year will allow coaches to take note of your development and growth, and that will allow them to better project how you might develop further as a member of their team.
As you can see, soccer ID camps can help you get in front of college coaches, and that can get you to the front of the line during the recruiting process. Just remember to choose your camps wisely, start early, take the opportunity to initiate relationships with coaches, keep working to develop your game, and find the program that’s the right fit for you.
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