College Soccer ID Camps - Should I attend?
College Soccer ID Camps are very popular and a great way for players to get additional exposure to college coaches.
Players and parents get bombarded from College Soccer ID Camp companies and programs, promoting their upcoming camps. I think this is great, because it makes players aware of the opportunities that are available to them outside of the showcase events they attend with their club teams.
I always say, "There are 2 ways to look at getting exposure."
1. You invite college coaches to come watch you play OR
2. You go to them.
Going to them means, you have to find ways to attend a Soccer ID Camp and get in front of the college coaches.
But, you have to know which ID Camps will be best for you based on your Athletic, Academic, Social and Financial Preferences.
You want to go to ID Camps that have schools that would be a good fit for you based on your Preferences so you don't waste time and money on schools that would not be a good fit.
You also want to maximize exposure, especially if you are early in the process. Attending camps with multiple schools and coaches will help with your exposure and experience!!
As you mature in the process, you can focus attending ID Camps held by the specific university that you want to attend.
We talk more about the differences between the different types of College Soccer ID Camps here.
The question I get all the time is, "Should I attend and if so, which one should I attend?"
My answer to the first question is always, "Yes, you should attend ID Camps".
The answer to the second part of the question is based on 2 situations.
1. Where are you in the process? (Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior, Senior)
2. Do you have a list of your Favorites schools identified? This list should consist of 15-30 schools that are a good fit for you based on your Athletic, Academic, Social and Financial Preferences. If you are not sure if you have a good list of schools, Schedule a Free Call for specific advice and feedback.
If you are early in the process and just getting started as a Freshmen or Sophomore, then I recommend the College ID Camps hosted by College Soccer ID companies. These camps usually host multiple camp dates in different parts of the country and they usually have a variety of different schools represented at their camps.
If you are a Junior or Senior, I usually recommend attending ID Camps held at the specific university that you plan to attend. As a Junior or Senior, college coaches are allowed to have conversations with you and if you they are talking to you, they are probably interested in recruiting you. But, before making any type of offer, they will want to coach you in their environment and also show you around the campus to show you all the features and benefits of what they have to offer as a school and athletic program.
You can also use this ID Camp as an Unofficial College Visit to learn more about the school, the program, the coaching staff, the players and the team.
Find out the difference between Unofficial and Official college visits in this article.
PRO TIP: I also recommend filling out Student-Athlete Questionnaires for your Favorite schools. This is the best way to get in their database so you get the most up to date information and announcements about upcoming events, games, schedules, ID Camps and announcements.
The majority of College Soccer ID Camps happen in the Spring and Summer, so make sure you plan ahead and get registered for the camps that don't conflict with your club schedule.
June and July are typically very busy months for ID Camps. They slow down toward the beginning of August because college coaches have to start getting ready for their pre-season training.
Here is a short list of recommended ID Camps that I have put together.
For details, questions or more insight on these camps or general information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]
EXACT ID - 10% discount using this link.
College Soccer Prospect ID - Women's ID Camp / Showcase
College Soccer Academy - Northern Cal
Hey, I'm Carlos!
I have personally helped over 100 players achieve their goal of playing college soccer.
Let me help you be the next person to accomplish your dream!
