Hi Team, When I look at the recruiting journey, I see it broken into three distinct phases: Phase 1: Foundation Stage This is where your journey begins, and it’s all about creating the 5 key components to set yourself up for success: 1️⃣ Highlight Video: Grab coaches' attention. 2️⃣ Social Media: Post with purpose. 3️⃣ Coach Emails: Stand out in inboxes. 4️⃣ School List: Target reach, solid, and backup schools. 5️⃣ ID Camps: Plan your next 6 months. Once you have a rock-solid foundation, you’re ready to move on to Phase 2. Phase 2: Targeted Outreach Phase This phase focuses on taking action and building connections: - Identify ID clinics and showcases in your 6-month plan. - Prepare for events with targeted outreach to coaches. - Attend events fit and ready, then follow up with coaches. - Assess feedback—determine if you need to pivot or follow up with schools showing interest. - Tweak and Repeat for the next event. Phase 3: Final Steps This is the final stretch of your journey, where you’ll: - Talk to coaches. - Get on calls. - Visit schools. - Evaluate offers. - Commit to your school of choice. While everyone’s journey is unique, all players will go through these three phases. - Phase 1 should be simple to execute but is absolutely critical. - Phase 2 and Phase 3 are more variable. If you’ve built a strong foundation in Phase 1, these phases will go smoothly. However, if something is off—like building the wrong school list—these phases can take longer and feel more challenging. Where are you in your journey? I’d love to hear what phase you’re in and how it’s going! Steve

Got questions? Post them here, and Steve or one of our team members who’ve been through the process will get you a straight answer. Remember, there are no dumb questions on this complicated journey—so don’t hesitate, fire away!

Hi Team, If you made the starting 11 Congrats! Here’s the lineup: - @Diego M Lopez (My midfield engine work rate, positivity and energy!) - @Duncan Parsons - @Jack Burridge ( On very thin ice after his poor performance last week! 😉) - @Garrett Hofer - @Jason Wheaton - @Johnathan Corsetti - @John Daniels - @Selena Salas Alonso (My Spanish #10 pulling the strings!) - @Courtney Osman - @Meredith Trimble - @Brian Jankins You’re kicking things off, and I’m counting on you to keep setting the tone—no pressure, of course! Now, it’s time to build the bench. Who’s warming up? Who’s in the training squad, waiting for their call-up? And who’s ready to prove they deserve a spot in the starting lineup? How to get in the lineup: Post, ask questions, and comment. Check the Leaderboard at the top of the page to see the results! Cheers, Steve

By Coach Dave As a parent, you’ve probably heard your child say something like: - “I don’t know why I get so nervous.” - “I mess things up when it matters.” - “Other kids don’t struggle like I do.” And quietly, many young athletes start to believe something is wrong with them. This is one of the biggest misunderstandings in youth sports today. Mental performance challenges are not a flaw.They are not a weakness.And they do not mean your child is broken. In fact, they mean your child is human. Why Young Athletes Think Something Is Wrong Most young athletes are taught how to train their bodies: - Strength - Speed - Skill - Conditioning But very few are taught how to train their mind. So when emotions show up—nerves, frustration, fear, self-doubt—athletes assume they’re doing something wrong. They believe confidence should just appear. That toughness means never feeling stress. That elite athletes don’t struggle mentally. None of that is true. The problem isn’t that your athlete feels pressure.The problem is that no one has taught them what to do with it. Why Elite Athletes Train Their Mind Mental performance training exists because pressure never goes away—it increases. That’s why professional athletes and teams openly invest in mental performance coaches: - NBA teams employ full-time mental performance staff - NFL quarterbacks work with sports psychologists on focus and emotional control - Olympic athletes train visualization, breathwork, and mental routines as seriously as physical ones - MLB hitters work on failure management because they fail more than they succeed Elite athletes don’t train mentally because they’re weak. They train mentally because the margins are thin. At the highest level, everyone is skilled.The difference is who stays composed, confident, and present when things get hard. Mental Toughness Is Not What Most People Think Many parents grew up believing mental toughness meant: - “Push through it” - “Don’t think about it” - “Just be confident” - “Shake it off”

I have seen that there are blackout periods where coaches aren't allowed to do recruiting activities (or are greatly restricted from doing them) but is there a time of the year when they are especially active? I'm sure that during the soccer season they are busy with their teams but when is their most active recruiting period?