First Impressions
Matches begin/players learn NCAA recruiting process
 Friday, January 11
COCOA, FLORIDA – The second day of the ’89-’91 Super Y-League ODP National Camps in Cocoa, Florida began with hour-and-a-half training sessions this morning. After each of the 16 teams had a chance to solidify their tactics, the initial head-to-head action of the camp revved-up in the afternoon. During the morning training sessions, goalkeepers completed a specialized training session headed up by goalkeeper coaches Rick King of Valparaiso and Richard Reece of the University of Washington.
“For me, the Super Y-League ODP National Camps represented a great opportunity to network with coaches on the East Coast,” said Reece. “The University of Washington tends to focus their recruiting efforts on the West Coast and the Midwest. The East Coast schools have a monopoly on the talent in that part of the country, but this gives me a chance to pick their brains.”
“Another surprise was the fact that the Super Y-League brought in the best players from Canada,” added Reece. “We get a lot of interest from players in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa, but it is an expensive trip for us to make. The fact that they are here in Florida, playing against the top talent in the U.S., gives me a better idea of how skilled these guys really are. Plus, besides this, there really is not any showcase event for Canadian players.”
 Chad Wiseman of West Michigan University also backed the value of the event from a player’s perspective.
“The players here this week are getting looks from several different schools,” said Wiseman. “Division I, Division II and Junior College coaches are on the SYL ODP staff, and I have seen coaches from other programs walking around. All regions of the country are well represented.”
Following the afternoon matches, players were ushered to the gymnasium where Ernie Yarborough of Alabama-Birmingham led a discussion targeted on informing athletes of the best ways to catch the eye of NCAA coaches.
Among Yarborough’s main points, he stressed the need of players to market themselves to their perspective schools and the strength of several lower level college soccer programs (NAIA, NJCAA).
Jimmy Walker of Penn State University spoke on the availability of scholarships to universities and a player’s need to supplant athletic scholarships with more accessible academic funding. Chris Grassie of the University of Michigan and Frank Speth of Ohio State followed; speaking on the significance of a Division I school’s soccer camps as a vital recruiting tool.
|
|
