COLLEGE PREPARATORY
Interested in playing soccer in college?
At AC Marin, we’re committed to supporting players who dream of continuing their soccer journey at the collegiate level. That begins with developing skills on the field and gaining a clear understanding of the recruitment process. It’s never too early to start learning what it takes to become a student-athlete—academic performance plays an important role, too.
Many families believe that top college programs actively seek out talented high school players with full-ride scholarships. In reality, only about 2% of athletes are directly recruited by Division I coaches. The vast majority—98%—must take the initiative to navigate the recruitment process themselves.
We’re here to help. Use the resources below as a starting point, and let’s take the next steps together.
Freshman Year (9th Grade)
- Academics
- Focus on strong grades in core academic courses.
- Meet with a counselor to ensure you're on track with NCAA core course requirements.
- Athletics
- Build fundamental skills and physical conditioning.
- Begin keeping a journal of stats, positions played, and team achievements.
- Recruitment Prep
- Start learning about the college athletic recruiting process.
- Attend local college games to observe the level of play.
- Personal Development
- Build good time-management habits to balance school, sports, and social life.
- Find a local organization to volunteer.
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Website - NCAA Eligibility Center section of the website provides the guidelines that coaches and prospective student-athletes must follow during the recruiting process.
The NCAA produces a very useful guide entitled The College-Bound Student-Athlete. This guide provides a great amount of information for players planning to play soccer at the collegiate level. All prospective players and their parents should read this manual prior to the recruiting process.
All high school student-athletes wishing to compete in college must register with the Eligibility Center found at the NCAA website. The NCAA national office does not handle initial eligibility certifications. Please do not contact the NCAA national office with inquiries regarding an individual's initial eligibility status, including whether transcripts, student release forms, etc., were received, or about when you will be cleared. The Eligibility Center maintains and processes all of the initial eligibility certifications.
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