The information in this article is intended for those who are much further along in the process and have already sent out information to College Coaches at the schools they are interested in attending. If you have sent out your resume as I spoke about in the
May 2009 Newsletter and made other attempts to let the College Coaches know of your interest, then what kind of response should you expect in return?
You will usually get a variation of one of these responses:
1. If the Coach doesn't know enough about you to know if you're a good fit for his program, then he may respond to you by requesting more information. Many Coaches, as I do, have a form that they will ask you to fill out. This form allows them to get answers to questions that will help them evaluate if there may be a good fit. Coaches may also ask where and when you will be playing in the near future in case they can get out to watch. It is very hard for College Coaches to make a decision about a player if they haven't had the chance to watch them play.
It is very rare that a division I College Coach will bring in a player if he hasn't seen him play, in person, at least once.2. If the Coach is interested, you will most likely start to get personal emails or phone calls. In other words, they will begin to start a personal conversation that may take several months or serveral years through which both sides will be trying to determine whether or not this is a good fit for you and them, academically, athletically, socially and financially. There are rules about when a coach can call or email you. So don't get worried if you don't get an immediate response. (Read more about these rules in next month's Newsletter)
3. If you are not getting some type of response from a College Coach, then you most likely have not peaked his/her interest. At this point you can move on or you can try to find other ways to get your name in front of the Coach. Many College Coaches will put on "College ID" or "College Prep" Camps where you can be learning and training while also at the same time, exposing your soccer abilities to at least that College Coach and sometimes to other College Coaches at the same time.
Check out our
Winter Elite Camp (for boys ages 15 & up) where you will get a chance to work with all of my Coaching Staff as well as the Soccer Coaches from several other colleges.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this issue of the WHAT'S A BLAZE newsletter. I hope you will find the information helpful. Each issue will have information on a variety of subjects; information that I hope will be of interest to soccer players, coaches and parents. Please feel free to send me emails and let me know what information you would like to see in future newsletters. And send in your questions. I will be answering submitted questions in each newsletter. 
