Choosing the Right Summer Soccer Camp

Selecting the right soccer camp is often an overwhelming and time-consuming process for parents and athletes. There are position-specific camps, half-day camps, 1-day camps, weekend camps, week-long camps, destination camps, multi-school camps, fundraiser camps, for-profit camps, and the list goes on and on.

We can narrow the broad list down to three specific types of college recruiting camps:

College ID Camp: This camp is usually a 1-day camp held on campus of a single College/University, will have a lower camp enrollment and serve as an identification opportunity for the staff to observe players who are directly interested in their school/program.

• Best for players who have narrowed their college search and want a more personal experience with the coaches and campus.
• Worst for players who have no interest in this school/program

Residential Camp: This camp is usually 3-5 days and held on a College/University campus, will have large camp numbers and include 10-20 college coaches from around the country, and will serve as a college soccer experience and identification opportunity for players.

• Best for players who are still defining their college preferences, need exposure to more coaches and need the on-campus experience.
• Worst for players who have no interest in any of the schools/programs attending the camp.

Professional Camp Companies: This camp is usually 1-day held at a park, high school, or College/University, will have large numbers and include 20+ college coaches around the the country, and will serve as an identification opportunity for players.

• Best for players who have not defined their college preferences, and are interested in a soccer identification experience without the college campus or residential experience.
• Worst for players who have a specific list of potential schools/programs.

Now that we have the list narrowed it is important to ask ourselves the important questions?

Why are we going to camp? Recreation? Vacation? College Coach Exposure? Cost? Location?

What are we getting out of this camp? College Campus Experience? College Coach Exposure? Competitive Environment? Social Experience?

Does this camp provide a value to our recruiting process equal or more than the cost of attending? Registration, travel, supplies, etc?

*Once we know why we are going to a camp and can evaluate what we want to get out of a camp it becomes much easier to search for camps and determine the value of a particular camp and how that relates to our current needs in the recruiting process.

Tips for Success:

1. Confirm which coaches will be attending the college camp you select.
2. Consider if the school is a realistic fit for your athletic and academic ability.
3. Make sure coaches know who you are prior to attending an exposure camp.
4. Treat the experience as an interview.
5. Follow up with all coaches after the event for feedback.

Rapids Summer College ID Event:

On July 19th & 20th the Rapids Youth Soccer Club will be hosting its 4th Annual Summer College ID Event at Aurora Sports Park. This recruiting opportunity will focus on providing players exposure to as many coaches as possible while also putting the players in game environments with players of similar graduating classes. More information can be found HERE!

The College Soccer page on the CRYSC website offers a great starting point for parents and players interested in college soccer. For more information, visit our webpage here. For any questions or concerns, please contact CRYSC’s College Placement Director at [email protected].