Don't expect coaches to come banging down your door. If they do, great. Yet there are numerous factors that limit the scope of college coaches' recruiting, including money, time, geography, and a dizzying number of potential players.

Faced with college coaches' recruiting limitations, it's up to you to be assertive and get your name out there:

• Have some conversations with your current coaches about what they think is the right college level for you. You can also ask them if there are specific colleges that they recommend.


• Talk to players you know who have gone on to play college soccer. What do they think is right for you?


• Start thinking about what you really want out of your overall college experience.


• Enlist your parents' help in working through this book.


• Dedicate yourself to finding and securing the right environment. An investment of your time and energy now will pay off down the road.


• Embark on NCAA unofficial visits, or if you have the chance, NCAA official visits.

The Pepsi Showdown is a great opportunity to get seen by college coaches and convince them that you deserve a spot on their team. But here's the rub: there are a lot of players who are going to be there. This is how to get recruited at any tournament you play in this spring, you have to stand out.

There are two ways to do this. The first, obviously, is to play well. The second is less obvious, but probably more important: you have to get them to see you play in the first place. You can't just hope that they'll randomly show up on the sidelines of your game. Here are three simple steps you should take to convince coaches to come watch you play at a tournament:

1. Find out which college coaches will be present. Email them and ask if they'll be there. Ask your coaches if they know which college coaches will be in attendance. Look at various websites for lists.


2. Make sure you have an up-to-date profile that college coaches can easily access. Include photos, grades, test scores, and your soccer history. Make sure that your information makes it into the event's player profile book.


3. Email the coaches with dates, times, and locations of your games. Tell them that you would really like it if they can see you play and name specific reasons why you think that school is such a good fit.

This should take you no more than an hour. It's amazing how a small, but concerted effort on the right recruiting activities can make a major difference.

Getting player recruiting evaluations from your current coaches can really help you in the recruiting process. The coaches most qualified to provide credible evaluations of your ability are those who have known you for a while. Try to avoid using coaches who have known you for less than a full season.

Additionally, try to get your recommendations from experienced coaches. An experienced coach can say things in your recommendation like, "In my 15 years of coaching high school girls, I haven't seen a better passer."

A parent or teacher who stands in as the coach of a team often cannot provide the soccer insight that college coaches seek in a reference. If you have no alternative, it's not the end of the world. Any coach can at least provide general observations on your role within the team and personality traits like leadership and reliability.

Get your high school and club coaches to complete evaluations for you. You can invite them directly from your Edit Profile page. Once complete, the evaluations link directly from your CaptainU. A positive evaluation from a credible high school or club coach will bolster your standing with college coaches.

If you're serious about playing college soccer you have to take the lead role in making it happen. Commit yourself to it; don't expect others to do it for you. Though the interest and enthusiasm for the process must originate from you, there are many people along the way who can help, including:

• Parents


• Siblings and relatives


• Teachers


• College counselors


• Club coaches


• High school athletes


• Current college players


• Former college players