November College Recruiting Newsletter 2024

Welcome to the Kings Hammer November College Recruiting Newsletter! The club is excited to work with you to accomplish all of your player’s goals for this upcoming soccer year, on and off of the soccer field. Each month, we will be providing this resource to help you navigate the craziness that is the college recruiting process. We hope you find value in this newsletter and we are excited to assist in this exciting process for your family!

As we move into the winter break, we wanted to provide each of you with a “To-Do List” to help you stay on track with the recruiting process.

Late Fall/Winter Recruiting To-Do List

Every step of the recruitment process is important. Using your current school year, find out what steps you can take over the Late Fall/Winter period to remain on course!

Freshman

Make sure your club coach knows you are interested in playing soccer in college. There is nothing for them to do at this time, but it is good to know your intentions.
Begin making highlight clips from high school and club games.
Keep working on your list of criteria you are looking for in a potential college.
Try to get to college soccer games or find some streaming matches to watch. Begin to analyze the level of play and the characteristics of the players.
Look at college rosters, focusing on where most of the players come from and what their previous playing experience was.
Begin learning about financial aid. Talk with your family about plans for paying for college

Sophomore

Be sure you high school class schedule is what it needs to be in order to prepare you for college.
Create your NCAA profile with the NCAA Eligibility Center. You can also do this for NAIA as well.
Make yourself aware of the recruiting process, deadlines, and restrictions.
- Read the NCAA recruiting guidelines by clicking here!
- Read the NAIA recruiting guidelines by clicking here!
Update your Sports Recruits profile.
Look at ID camps for schools on your interest list, or camps that targeted coaches may be working at.
Start reaching out to schools with introductory emails. Let them know what events you will be participating in. (Remember D1 and D2 coaches cannot talk to you yet.)

Junior

Make sure your school counselor is updated with the list of your top schools to ensure your class schedule is on target.
Add more highlights and updates to your Sports Recruits profile.
Try to watch games from programs on your target list. In-person, if possible, but on tv or streaming if not.
Track team rosters noting significant changes in players, staff, etc.
Follow and engage with social media accounts of your target schools and teams. This can help you get to know the school better and see how they interact with you.
Make sure you communicate with your target schools. Div 1 and 2 coaches can now talk to you, so reach out by phone as well as email. Plan some campus visits with your target list of schools.
Be sure you are study, getting homework done, and keeping up on your grades.
Plan for SAT or ACT as needed.
Attend college Id camps, or Id camps in conjunction with events your team is attending.

Senior

Make sure your core courses are completed.
Finish campus visits with final target list of schools
Plan on SAT or ACT retakes if needed.
Be sure your family completes the FASFA, applications open Oct 1.
Get your Target Schools locked in and start the application process. Many early decision periods are in December.
If you have not already signed a commitment letter do not worry, there is still going to be a lot of activity
Double check required items with the Eligibility Center.

Personal Development | Managing Stress

There’s no avoiding the stress of everyday life. Schoolwork, responsibilities at home, busy schedules, other people’s expectations, disappointments, deadlines, social drama: all of these can create tension. Everyday stressors have a way of piling up if we don’t keep them in check. Adding these 5 simple actions to your regular routine can help you avoid that “bogged down by stress” feeling. The key word is “routine.” You need to make sure you keep doing these to enjoy the benefits:

1. Balance Responsibilities – Balance your responsibilities (like schoolwork) with activities you enjoy (like relaxing or spending time with friends). It’s all about balance: all work and no play is bad. But if your schedule is so crammed with activities that there’s no time for homework, that’ll stress you out too.

3. Eat healthy foods – What you eat affects your mood, energy, and stress level. Eating healthy doesn’t mean avoiding all treats — it goes back to that balance thing again. It’s OK to treat yourself to ice cream occasionally if you ate a salad or turkey on whole wheat for lunch. But if ice cream and sweets are your main source of fuel, you’re likely to crash or feel cranky — and stressed!

2. Manage responsibilities – Use a calendar or planning app to keep track of assignments, chores, practices, and other obligations. Of course, planning is no good if you don’t actually do what you plan: Managing stress also means regular studying, keeping on top of assignments, and overcoming procrastination. Take time to reflect a bit every day and think about how things are going. What do you need to work on? Do? Make time for?

4. Get proper sleep – This may seem like a no-brainer. After all, who doesn’t love to sleep? But getting the right amount of sleep is actually something we need to focus on. It’s easy to let homework, talking to friends, or binge watching get in the way of sleep — no matter how much we want to catch those ZZZs.

5. Make time to exercise every day – It’s hard to feel anxious when you’re taking deep breaths on a run, feeling the rush of a downhill bike ride, or playing a pickup game with friends. Exercise doesn’t just take our mind off of stress; it releases chemicals in our brains that make us feel better. Learning to manage stress means building coping skills that allow you to take everyday challenges in stride. It’s about keeping problems in perspective instead of ignoring them and learning what to work on and what to let go of.

Additional Stress Management Resources

Monthly Help Links from Sports Recruits

Recent College Commitments

Congratulations to the most recent Kings Hammer soccer players to make college commitment decisions! Remember to post your commitment to your Sports Recruits account, send a commitment photo to info@kingshammer.com, and include or tag your club’s local Kings Hammer page on any social media posts so that we can be recognize you for your achievements!