Where are the College Scouts?
Playing collegiate soccer was something I didn’t think would ever be in my future. When I was a young girl playing sports in the front yard with all the neighborhood kids seemed like the most fun. Flash forward several years later and I find myself in a starting position on the High School Varsity team as a freshman. Playing the entire game and receiving awards, it was then when I knew playing soccer in college would be my number one goal. It was up to me to solve the obstacles to be recruited.
Since I was the first child who had these aspirations in the family, there were a lot of unknowns for how I would achieve my dream, Division 1 NCAA full scholarship. I set the goals high because I wanted to go for it all. I had the talent and mindset, I just needed the help.
My first step was to join the number one team in Michigan and become part of a highly competitive club soccer team where I was surrounded by girls who all wanted the same thing I did. We traveled to showcase tournaments, practiced four days a week, drove hours to get to a different state and scarified the standard high school social experiences to make it to a game.
During my junior year, the thought of when I would be offered a scholarship ran through my head daily. When am I going to hear from college coaches? I know I have the talent and grades, where are the coaches? Why am I working so hard and hearing from no one? Without the correct knowledge of the recruiting process, I ignored all of the letters and calls I received from D1, D2, D3 colleges out of state. I didn’t know what to expect, but I didn’t want those schools for some reason. Senior year arrived and I found myself with nothing.
Luckily, I walked into a great situation and was finally offered a handsome amount of scholarship money to play for a Division 1 school in Michigan. I had achieved my goal and the money my parents paid for tournaments, club teams, trips all over seemed to pay off. Since working at the NCSA, I now use my recruiting story to help educate other aspiring collegiate athletes so they won’t make the same mistake I did!
-Jaclyn Thomas
