College Center
HTX Soccer is the only club in Houston that provides a complete pathway to college and professional soccer. SportsRecruits FREE online platform has been specifically developed to assist the personal needs of our athletes (U13 – U19). Extensive education, resources and the necessary tools will help each player maximize their potential to compete, study and be successful in college.
College Center | Professional Numbers:
- 3 players from the 2025 graduation class > 33 players placed from the 2024 graduation class > 75 players from the 2023 graduation class
- 404 players have been placed into college since 2017 & 672 players placed in college since the start of the College Center in 2006
- 53 players have represented / selected / being invited with their respective national teams at multiple levels (Camp | Youth U17 | U20 | U23 | Full National Team)
- 13 professional players
Player Action Items
- Log into SportsRecruits with your user credentials
- Change your password after receiving your user credentials
- Complete your profile (family, essential, academic & athletic)
- Go to search and research your favorite schools (find 50 schools to start the process and click the heart button to add schools to your favorite list)
- Review and correct your showcase, tournament and league game schedule
- Create a personal and professionally written email which includes the link to your profile for the coach
- Email your top 50 schools and start the communication process
- Please ensure you list the name of the event, date, color and jersey number, game times, field #
- If you’re a Junior, register with the NCAA Eligibility Center
- Review video tutorial, all video highlights should be current
- Weekly college coach communication (email, text, highlight video)
Coach Action Items
- Check the list of players is correct on the roster.
- Send out user player credentials to all individual players (do not send the master file).
- All headshots completed in the same club jersey.
- Enter all headshots into the player accounts (with the club logo viewable).
- Educate your players with the league, tournament and showcase schedule for the entire year.
- Set player action item completion list (profile catergory areas – Essential, Family, Academic, Athletic.
- Check the players favorites folder and adjust if needed (i.e. players overshooting the level of program that they are reaching out to). Ensure you have a conversation with the player prior to taking or adding a college off the favorites folder or adding a particular program.
- Ensure players know that they should be reaching out to coaches through their account, not through their email server. When communicating through their account the system automatically saves the communication almost in a virtual journal.
- Check each players’ video and provide feedback
- Ensure you create your team brochure (trifold or front/back format) with the necessary information
- General questions or support – contact Simon Boddison sboddison@htxsoccer.com
- Angie Rigsby (Girls Elite Program) at arigsby@htxsoccer.com
- Roger Bonilla (Boys Elite Program) at rbonilla@htxsoccer.com
Pre-Event Check List
- Complete profile, watch and implement all the video tutorial instructions
- Contact each school (intro email and link profile) and make a list of your ‘favorite’ 30-50 schools (check the favorite icon).
- Provide updated playing schedule (tournament | showcase | league)
- Follow up with a phone call / weekly email (constant pro-active communication)
- Invite the coaching staff to attend the game / event
- Fill out your top 10-15 schools recruiting questionnaires.
- Review on the tournament / showcase website which college coaching staff are attending the event.
- Juniors – register for the NCAA Eligibility Center
- Use your Head Coach \ Director of Coaching as a recommendation.
- Prepare for the event (make handmade profile copies, online, team brochure or individual flyer).
- Complete team marketing booklet / brochure (hand to coach / HQ)
- This process is STUDENT-ATHLETE driven and your parents cannot become your agent!
Post Event Check List
Q. What are the post event / game action items?
- A ‘personal’ email / letter should now be sent to all the schools that watched you play. This will serve as a reminder of your commitment to their institution. Continuous communication via phone, email, text should occur between college coach > < prospective student-athlete.
- Review all your feedback and revise your favorite selections
- Update the schools continually with your academic results (transcript, GPA, SAT / ACT, class rank, profile changes, athletic results).
- Check with your Head Coach / Director of Coaching pertaining to which college coaches have contacted / shown interest in you.
- Does your club coach need to contact a college coach on your behalf? Provide the necessary details to the coach.
- All juniors should have already registered for the NCAA Eligibility Center include NCAA Eligibility # into your profile.
- Provide the schools with your updated schedule (showcase, tournament and league play).
- Juniors – narrow down your options to your top 5-10 schools, review roster spots & financial (scholarship) aid
- Seniors – narrow down your top 3 schools, sign a National Letter of Intent, complete the school admission application, receive results back from the Eligibility Center, accept committed roster spot, finalize financial (scholarship) packages.
Student-athletes do not want to transfer, please read the negatives that can potentially happen:
- Loose college academic credits, thus not graduate on time
- Loss of scholarship $
- Costs of packing and relocation to another school
- May not get the same scholarship or athletic opportunities
- Athletes will have to prove themselves to the new coaching staff and peers similar to an incoming freshman
- Potential issues with current housing leasing agreements
- Increased player, family stress and anxiety
- Limited transfer opportunities to find the ‘perfect’ school
- Understand a new game model, program philosophy and protocols
- Play for a new head coach
- Find new accommodations
Recruitment Tips
Communications with a College Coach:
- Be prepared to answer questions on the academics, athletic performance & recruiting process
- Be enthusiastic, personable and portray a positive personality
- Understand the soccer program, coaching staff, campus, housing, financial aid and admissions
- Do NOT have your parents become an agent and talk on your behalf, college coaching staff are recruiting prospective student-athletes and not the parent
- Sound excited abut the potential opportunity, be humble
- Thank the coach for their time and interest
Recruits should NOT do the following:
- Big time any division of athletics
- Assume anything
- Be scared to ask tough questions
- Ghost coaching staff
- Chase a school purely for money
Recruits should do the following:
- Work hard in the classroom and show an improved or consistent academic performance
- Be open minded to every decision
- Be flexible in your decision making
- Research first before saying no
- Show the school professional respect and let them know if you are not interested
Video Tips
Video Tips:
- Four minutes or less
- Provide a starting slide (photo, name, contact details, class year, GPA, ACT/SAT)
- First highlight is your most impactful
- Clips need to show personality, positioning on the field
- Use arrows, highlights, circles, shadows to emphasize the athlete
- Use clips from multiple games (different opponent)
- Show some build up prior and after receiving the ball, making a save
- Recent video only
- Do not use music, the coach might want to hear the soccer environment
- Be prepared to have a full video of a game if requested (ideally from the game that you have provided the clips from)
Below is an example of an introduction letter to a college coach. Edit the information inside the [parenthesis] and have someone proof read prior to sending.
[Date]
Dear [Coach Name]
My name is [Full Name] and I currently play for HTX Soccer in Houston, TX and compete within the [League Name]. I am very interested in your soccer program and attaining a degree at [Name of University], a prestigious academic institution. I have done extensive research from an athletic and academic perspective, and I would be a great addition to your program. I currently play the [#6] role within the [Team Name] and possess an outstanding work ethic.
I currently maintain a [3.9 GPA], have an interest in majoring in [Business] and have already taken some advanced courses in high school. To view my full bio (academic, athletic stats, highlight video, personal statement), please visit my online profile at (insert link). Please feel free to also contact [insert club coach name] at [email and phone number] for more information.
I will be competing at the [name of event, league game, date, time slot, field number, jersey number] and would like to invite a member of your coaching staff out to review my playing performance. The above event (or game) would be an excellent opportunity to showcase my abilities against a high level of competition.
As previously stated, I am extremely interested in your school and program. I look forward to hearing more about your recruitment process and becoming an integral part of the student body on your campus.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Graduation Year]
[Email / phone number]
[attach full playing schedule]
Important Dates | Rules
- August 1, 2024 – Final National Letter of Intent Signing Date
- ACT | SAT Test Dates
- NCAA Rules
- NAIA Rules
SportsRecruits Webinars | Videos:
