How HESC Identifies and Develops Elite Talent
For our competitive teams, our engaging coaching staff is dedicated to teaching technical and tactical development to individual players for the sole purpose of preparing them to play at one of the many universities and colleges sponsoring intercollegiate soccer programs. Since our Club has committed to being a force in the competitive soccer space, HESC’s success will ultimately be measured by how many players move on to the highest level of competition. Our coaching staff has a system of development that prepares players both mentally and physically for success from the high school level, to the Olympic Development Program (“ODP”), collegiate play, and all the way to the National Team. HESC feels a great sense of achievement in having our student athletes move on to play Division I and Division II collegiate soccer, as well as placing a few members on U.S. youth and foreign National teams and numerous ODP State and Regional teams.
College Showcase
As players progress through our system and are exposed to our coaching staff’s training methods, we are confident that HESC will turn out many more elite prospects. In anticipation of this, we are in the early stages of preparing to host a College Showcase for our student athletes. We want to give HESC players the best opportunities to continue their playing careers when they graduate from the Club. The College Showcase will be designed to inform parents about the recruitment process and give college coaches the opportunity to run evaluation sessions exclusively for HESC players. Along with Mark Gibbs, HESC coaching staff members such as Eric Johnson, Vedad Hadzajlic, Steve Branz, Luis Sabillon and Gui Gui Ferreira who have a long history of identifying and developing elite talent. These coaches collectively have played, coached, and educated at the Club, state, regional, and national team levels and are dedicated to helping HESC players reach their ultimate playing potential. These key HESC coaching staff members will be instrumental in organizing our College Showcase to make it the best in Houston. HESC will leverage the experience and contacts of its coaches to give our Club members nothing short of the best.
In preparation for the college showcase, parents and players in our older age groups should begin to familiarize themselves with the basics of the college recruitment process. An excellent starting point is to visit www.ncaapublications.org and download the “Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete” which is available, free of charge, in both English and Spanish or ask your coach for a copy of this publication.
Below you will find a basic recruiting timeline for the college bound prospective student athlete.
Freshman Year
Academically: Your grade point average (GPA) is critical, work hard to keep it as high as possible. Your grades and test scores can make the difference in being a scholarship recipient. Maintaining a great GPA in high school goes a long way in convincing admissions officers and potential college coaches that you are able to handle the academic demands of college life.
Athletically: Players should be responsive to constructive criticism and continue to dedicate themselves to develop into a well rounded game. Your main focus at this early stage should be improving your game in four major components: technically, tactically, psychologically, and physically.
Sophomore Year
Academically: Continue your emphasis on getting the highest grades possible. If you are pursuing a top academic school, take honors and AP courses. Meet with your school counselors to make sure you are on track to take the 14-16 core courses that are consistent with NCAA requirements for Division I and Division II schools. You may consider taking practice standardized tests to prepare you for the SAT and ACT. Don’t procrastinate.
Athletically: Be honest with yourself. What level are you playing at? Are you a dominant player? Which of the four components in your game need improvement? You should realistically consider your talent level and try to find a pool of schools that suit your strengths and interests. Discuss your ambitions with members of our Coaching Staff; they are valuable resources who can give you an assessment of where you stand and provide direction. Take care of your body; the college game is fast and physically demanding. It is critical to maintain a healthy lifestyle to succeed at any level.
Recruiting: You are allowed to begin contacting college coaches, but coaches cannot contact you. You should try to make yourself visible by attending college showcases and college summer soccer camps of the schools you are interested in so that you have access to their coaching staffs. Potential college players should prepare a resume and introduction letter for colleges they are interested in attending. At this phase, it is important to start networking and sending your resume and introduction letter to potential suitors. Be sure and follow up with the colleges you contact.
Junior Year
Academically: You are almost there. Your hard work has paid off and you should have a GPA you are proud of. Now you should take the required college entrance exams, like the SAT and ACT. These are offered throughout the year. Be prepared to take the SAT at least twice. Don’t forget that your GPA is a critical factor in determining your options. As your GPA dwindles, so do your options. Remember, it is not only about what you can do on the field. If your grades are not good, you won’t be playing. Do you know the academic requirements of the schools you are interested in? Take some time to do the research and make sure you are an ideal candidate, both academically and athletically. It is counter-productive to be wasting everyone’s time. Start requesting applications at the beginning of the summer before senior year for schools you are interested in attending. By now, you should be able to narrow down your list to five schools that best match your needs and expectations.
Athletically: Have you attended a college soccer camp? Have you played in a college showcase? Is the HESC coaching staff telling you that you have the ability to play at the next level? Have you ever watched a college level game? Has your play improved since your sophomore year? At this point in your soccer career, there are many questions. It is normal to feel anxious and nervous but do not lose sight of your long-term goals. Keep focused and continue to refine your game. Our coaching staff can set up personal sessions to work on improving your weaknesses. Try to watch a college soccer game on TV or in your area. This will be a good barometer to assess the likelihood of success at the college level. Players at this stage should be able to display confidence with the ball in any area of the field. You should be able to control the ball and make wise decisions in pressure situations. Players need to show the ability to consistently beat and stop opponents in one-on-one situations. College-ready players should be creative in attacking space and know how to close down gaps. These are key factors in determining the ability for a player to succeed at the college level.
Recruiting: On September 1st, college coaches are allowed to send you written correspondence and recruiting materials. Consider taking unofficial visits to the schools you have an interest in attending and take the time to talk to students, admissions offices, and soccer coaches. In March, you can receive one phone call from a college coach. During the month of April, you can receive one visit from a college coach on your high school campus.
Senior Year
Academically: You are almost there. It is not the time to coast. Colleges have the right to retract their enrollment invitation, and/or scholarship, if a student’s academic performance declines during their senior year. Keep your grades up and finish strong. If you are not satisfied with your standardized test scores, retake them. Meet with your high school counselor to review your transcript, and make sure you are in compliance with the NCAA requirements. To apply for your student athlete status with NCAA Clearinghouse, you need to call 877-262- 1492 and go through the process. If you are accepted, finalize your admissions paperwork and Letters of Intent (if applicable) following NCAA regulations. A letter-of-intent is usually sent out to you in February. Make sure you submit all of your school applications, your high school counselor will be a valuable resource in helping you organize your paperwork.
Athletically: By now, you should have a clear indication about your ability to play at the college level. As we previously emphasized, choose a school that fits your academic and athletic needs. Your hard work on and off the field has paid off. You now have the opportunity to represent HESC at the next level and have thousands of younger HESC Club members looking up to you. Be responsible and don’t forget where you came from.
Recruiting: Players are allowed to make up to five official college visits in which the school hosts you and pays for you to attend. You will have to send transcripts and test scores to the schools of your choice before you can visit officially. A typical visit includes a campus tour, a chance to watch a game, and meeting some of the team members. Be prepared to ask plenty of questions regarding the coach’s philosophy, playing style, and incoming recruiting class. It is important to choose a school that “fits” your academic, athletic, and personal needs.
Coaches can communicate with you by telephone on July 1st, after your junior year. Coaches are allowed one call per week, per household. Coaches can visit the home of a recruit on or after July 1st. This will count as one of three contacts allowable by coaches. On-campus visits don’t count. The official signing date is in February. All commitments up until then are considered “oral commitments”.
We recommend that our student athletes choose a school that is appropriate for them, not only on the field, but in the classroom and socially. Like anything else, taking the time to understand the recruitment process and preparing for moving beyond HESC are critical to ensure a smooth transition to the next level. As our College Showcase evolves, HESC will continue to support and provide our student athletes and their families with the most pertinent and current information. HESC will aggressively leverage its relationships to make certain our dedicated members have the appropriate platform to demonstrate their abilities to college coaches at our home fields. If you are interested in helping us organize this event, please contact Mark Gibbs at mark@houstonx.org, Director of Coaching.
