Ferris State University Women’s Soccer – Coach Greg Henson

In today’s episode, I speak with Coach Henson from the Ferris State Women’s Program in Michigan. We discuss Ferris State’s recruiting approach, including their focus on one class at a time and where they evaluate talent across showcases and ID camps. Coach shares what he looks for in players, emphasizing athleticism, technical ability, and a competitive mindset that thrives in a challenging team environment. We also dive into the realities of Division II soccer, the student-athlete experience at Ferris State, and how the program builds a culture geared toward competing for championships. Learn more about Ferris State University Women’s Soccer.

Matt: [00:00:00] Hi everybody. Welcome to Discover College Soccer. Today I’m lucky enough to be joined by Coach Greg Henson up at Ferris State in Michigan. Welcome, coach. 

Coach: Great to be here. 

Matt: Yeah. Thanks for coming on. I, uh, you know, I coached a a D two school in Indiana. We played, didn’t, didn’t play a lot of the, the.

Michigan schools, but, uh, as, as my, my wife’s side of the family’s from Michigan, but up that way. Beautiful, beautiful part of the country. Uh, just a little bit dodgy with weather this time of year. You just don’t know where, what you’re gonna get each day, right? 

Coach: Yeah, exactly. We’ve gone from winter to, uh, to spring in about three days here in western Michigan.

So We’ll, uh, we’ll take it when it’s nice and uh, and enjoy it and celebrate it when we can. 

Matt: There you go. Well. I know, you know, we’re talking here, it’s uh, end of March. Um. Where are you in terms of, of recruiting? Like your recruiting class, I’m guessing is it 26 is all done and dusted and you’re on to 20 sevens [00:01:00] hardcore when, you know, what’s it, where are you at right now in you’re recruiting?

Coach: Yeah, I think we’ve, we’ve kind of settled into a pattern I think works well for us. And so I kind of call it like we’re a one class pattern a little bit. So our, our 20 sixes are, are pretty much done. Our active class right now is our 20 sevens. Um, we’re looking to bring in. You know, uh, average size class for us around six, you know, maybe, maybe eight players depending on how things transpired.

The end of the spring, right? And, and next fall. But, um, and we’ve got, uh, three commits right now and, and, uh, you know, a couple other offers out and stuff. So we’re right in the middle of it, the heart of it, right in now. Um, our goal. Which never, you know, seems to, to come around. But that’s all you gotta set goals for yourself.

Our goal is we, we’d like to have our current, like I said, our current active class, which right now is the 20 sevens wrapped up by August. And then we can focus on the season. So August to November, just coach, soccer coach, the team that’s here on campus. And then at the end of the season, postseason pick up the next class, which is then will be the 28th.

So now that we’re not [00:02:00] talking to 20 eights now, not that we’re not recruiting or identifying and. And creating that board. We are, um, and we’re obviously always looking for a great player. So it’s not that we’re completely done with 20 sixes. Right. The right kid comes along, um, right player, right position.

All that we’ll, we’ll still do that, but we kind of focus in on one class at a time. And, and the thing is, right now we have the ability now with division two, with the rule changes to, to speak with, with 20 eights, where the D one has to wait till June 15th still, but everything changes on June 15th. Right.

You know what I mean? Because we can talk to somebody. We get an audience that maybe is not really real. Right. You know what I mean? So it’s kind like you gotta, I don’t wanna say it as D two, but, but sometimes I think I’ve wor it in my, in my longevity of doing this. You want to get out, you want to, you want to jump into the, the big pond and, and, and with the big dog, so to speak.

But sometimes it’s just, it makes it life easier if you wait your turn a little bit and what, what things settle, where they’re gonna settle and then go from there. 

Matt: Yeah, absolutely. Well, in, in. At this recruiting process, uh, look, [00:03:00] look, say looking at 20 sevens, like, where do you like to go see kids? Where are you watching games?

What tournaments are you at, showcases, et cetera. 

Coach: Well, I think, so we’re on Western Michigan, right? So we’re about two to three hours, depending on which part of, of the Detroit metro area you’re looking to get to. Um, so it, it, you know that that’s a trip, right? You know what I mean? So for us to go over and, and there’s some, there’s a wealth of, of town in the state of Michigan in terms of clubs, and you’re talking about nationals, Hawks, Jags, Liverpool, Midwest, United, uh, the Tigers now just jumped up to g uh, to ga, I believe, and.

And some of the EC n RL teams and stuff like that. There’s, there’s like seven or eight teams per age group that are playing EC NLR ga. The challenge is that most of ’em, like I said, it’s about a four to six hour round trip for us to get over there to see ’em. Plus, it seems like anymore, none of these teams play at home.

Right? You’re on the road. So, so we’re, we’re out traveling and we’re, and we’re looking to. To get the most bang for our buck. So we’re typically hitting, you know, one or two ECNL, RL [00:04:00] showcases, um, one or two GA showcases, um, that, that we’re looking to go to, even though, um, you know, we might not always be landing, you know, the majority of our class out of those.

We know the talent’s gonna be there. Um, and, and the breadth of talent. So, so, so that, so that type of thing. So that’s typically where we spend most of our time. I think the majority of our roster. Now, we still have some, and I can’t keep all the acronyms straight, if I’m being honest with you ’cause I’m outta the youth game.

But like the E 64, the National League, all that stuff, we, we get players from those levels as well. Um, but we’re not necessarily hitting those events as hard, right? So that sometimes that’s because of our ID camps. That’s because of, uh, players finding us. And those other things that happen. So we spend most of our time in the ECNL, RL and GA landscapes.

Matt: Okay. Well, whether it’s at one of those events or you mentioned IT camps, kind of whatever, wherever it is, what makes up that hierarchy of things you’re looking for in a player both on and off the field? 

Coach: Yeah. I mean, I think there’s same thing. I mean, it, it’s, [00:05:00] it’s, it’s not rocket science, right? I mean, I think all coaches were kind of looking the same way.

I always tell players when we’re looking or what are you looking for? We get that. That’s the FAQ, right? In the recruiting process, what are you looking for in the recruit and, and. You gotta be an athlete first and foremost. I always joke like our strength coaches get mad at me, but they can only do so much to make you bigger, faster, stronger.

You kinda are who you are, right? So we need good athletes. We need players that are good on the ball, technical on the ball, can, uh, can play in tight spaces, have a decent tactical and awareness of what’s going on in the game. Um, and not just what to do, but why they’re doing it is kind of the, the bigger thing, right?

So, um, so we start from there. Those are, those are like. In the academics that those are the prerequisites, right? You gotta have those things. And then, then we’re looking for more specific things from, from different players. And, and what I always tell players, uh, is the biggest thing we’re looking for are competitors.

And, and it’s easy to say you’re competitive, right? You don’t want to, you don’t wanna lose to your little brother, little sister at Checkers or whatever else [00:06:00] you, you hate to lose. You love to compete. But we’re looking for players that thrive in competitive environments. We’re gonna carry a roster 30 plus typically every year here at Ferris.

Um, all the players I said on our team are coming outta those, those big platforms are coming off of good teams, um, you know, are not used to not being in starting lineups. Right? I think, uh, we, we were talking, going through our roster one one year and we get to high school soccer. That’s a whole nother animal.

We can talk about that. Most of our players are all playing center mid in high school because they’re the best players in our high school teams, right? So, so everybody’s good. The competition’s there, everybody’s an athlete. Um, and so can you compete and thrive in a competitive environment where you’re now competing to get on the field, not just competing to win the game?

Um, and what are you gonna do in the next year? The next class comes in and it’s gonna be even better. Um, and so if we’re doing our jobs as coaches, the senior class should be the least talented class. They have the experience that. Pushes them ahead. But every class behind you should be getting better and better.

And, and what I tell players in the recruiting process is for us here at Ferris, it’s an open [00:07:00] competition. Um, best players play, who are our best 10 soccer players, and how do we get you on the field together? And I remind ’em you’re gonna love that coming in as a freshman ’cause you have an opportunity, a pathway straight to the field.

But every class after you is gonna be told the same thing. So when you’re a senior, there’s some young punk freshman coming in thinking she’s taking your job. So, so can you compete? Are you willing to compete? And are you happy that we’re bringing great players in? Are you mad because now you’re worried about your playing time type of thing?

So, 

Matt: yeah. Yeah. Well, you mentioned high school, uh, recruiting. I mean, you look at your roster and it not surprising, I mean, it’s heavy Michigan, right? So are you, are you getting out to a lot of the high school games in, in Michigan? 

Coach: No is the answer right? Yeah. So, um, again, we’re, we’re west side of the state.

We’re about 50 minutes north of Grand Rapids, right? So just kind of where we’re located. Um, so I try to, and this has kind of always been my thing. I try to get to every one of our seniors. It’s a one high school game. So I’ll reach out to them in the next couple weeks or incoming class and say, Hey, send me the, send me the best games on your [00:08:00] schedule.

I don’t care if you lose, I just wanna see a good soccer game. I don’t wanna watch you beat somebody, eight, nothing, and, and go home at halftime. So, um, we’ll, we’ll try to that. So sometimes we’ve actually picked up a few recruits from, from that type of an environment, right. Just kind of accidentally being in the right place at the right time.

Um, but typically, no, we’re not gonna, we’re not gonna go out and see just because of the. Again, the, the ROI when it comes to the budgets to go watch two teams play, um, and it be a two hour, four hour, six hour round trip doesn’t really work. When we can go, when we can spend that same money to go somewhere and see.

200 teams, you know, our 20 teams or whatever the case may be, in the different showcases. So we don’t spend a lot of time and, and effort in the, in the high school area. We, we, our spring season’s going on as well. So again, it’s kind of where right now we spend more time with our current players, um, and the developmental process there.

However, I will say that, um, I’m originally from St. Louis and, and St. Louis has a great tradition of great high school soccer and great soccer in general. I’ll plug, uh, plug the, plug the hometown [00:09:00] right. The STL, but coming from that environment, I, I do think high school does have a place in the, in the process for, for players, and I don’t think it has to be state club year round or whatever the case is.

I always tell players and they ask me. I’ve had players that are coming in asking me, you know, should I stay with my club? Should I play high school? What should I do? And I tell ’em, it’s up to you, but you only get. One go around at this and there’s, there’s some things you can get out of it. So there’s nothing, in my opinion, wrong with it.

You might not play on the best team, um, but now you’re gonna be in a different role. And so some of the players that we recruit outta the ECNL, the ga, I think high school is a good en environment for them because they’re going from being a role player on those really good club teams to now they’re being the star.

And now they have everybody looking at me. And, and I use a basketball analogy for this in terms of. Instead of being the person inbounding the ball, now you’re the person taking the last shot for the, for the, for the game winning shot. Whereas, you know, on, on your club team, you hope to be in the starting five.

Right. You know, type of situation. So it, it provides different opportunities for growth and, and things of that nature. [00:10:00] 

Matt: Yeah. Okay. Well. Especially division two, we’re seeing a lot more of this in terms of what I would call the non-traditional recruiting routes, whether that be the transfer portal, internationals, junior college folks.

Does that come into play at all for your recruiting? 

Coach: Yeah, we’re, we’re pretty, I wanna say particular though, when we get into those areas, so we’re, we’re a hundred percent domestic, uh, in terms of the roster right. Now. You mentioned earlier we’re heavy, we’re heavy Michigan. Um, we’re, we’re kind of. We like to be about, uh, a third outta state if we can, right?

So we like to just bring in a little bit of a different, uh, flavor, um, and, and things of that nature. So if we can get there, we don’t wanna be a hundred percent straight Michigan. Um, but we haven’t done a lot, uh, in the international route Transfers. We’ve done very well with some of the transfers that we’ve brought in here, but we’re not heavy in the portal.

So it’s gotta be right fit, right [00:11:00] player, right time, all that kind of stuff for us. Um, so we’re not just going out and grabbing transfers every chance we get. Um, the last couple years we really haven’t done much in the transfer portal. Um, this winter we didn’t bring anybody in. We will look and see who’s available in May and we’ll do our due diligence to go through that process.

But that hasn’t been something that’s been, um, big for us so far. Um. We haven’t also haven’t felt too much of the pain of, of losing players in the, in the portal either. So I guess you can look that as good or bad. Right. You know what I mean? So, uh, but we, we’ve lost a few players here and there. Um, but nothing that, uh.

Unfortunately, sometimes there is such a thing as addition by subtraction, right? So, um, sometimes it’s been, uh, it’s been good overall, so we’re still happy four year, um, is what we’re looking to do and kind of stay in that, in that traditional kind of mold a little bit. Um, but we’re always, you know, always looking to improve and, and to get better.

And, and I think that’s the thing for us like this in May, when [00:12:00] I was talking about the, the portal Windows D two is open year round, but. Division one kind of WA reads the show, right? So the division one portal window opens up in May 1st, I believe, and, and we’ll, we’ll take a look and see, see what’s available.

We’re just looking to improve ourselves, so we’re not gonna bring a transfer in the center of the bench. That’s our goal anyway. We have had that situation happen. But if we’re gonna bring in a transfer, especially an older player, an experienced player. We gotta believe that they’re gonna come in and, and, and play straight away for us.

Otherwise, we’re not gonna to bring that in because most likely they’re transferring for a reason. And, and a lot of times those have to do with playing time type of situations more than anything else. So. 

Matt: Sure, sure. Okay. Well, let’s talk a little bit more about the schools, but I’m sure there’s folks out there, you know, not, not familiar with Fair State.

So you’ve been there a few years now. What are some of the things you like about the school? Some awesome things, maybe some stuff we wouldn’t even know about, going through the website. 

Coach: Yeah, so I mean, fair State University, we’re in Big Rapids, Michigan. I mentioned it. We’re 50 minutes, uh, about north of Grand Rapids.

So over on, on the West Michigan [00:13:00] side of, of Michigan. Beautiful area. Um, great town, great community. Um, we’re in a small college town. Um, it’s very supportive of the university and, and even more so of, of our athletic programs here. Um, Ferris is a very strong. Successful athletic program. Right. Highlighted by our football team that’s won four outta the last five national championships.

Basketball won a national title a few years back. Volleyball program’s, uh, consistently good. You know, it’s, for us, we’ve been a little bit of a three year drought of, of our own success, but 22, we were in the final four. Um, 21, 21 in conference championships. So, um, we got, we got a little, we’re trying to get back to where, where we want to be on the athletic side of it there.

Um, as a school, we’re a medium sized school, about 10,000 students on campus. I think the nice thing for us is we got 180 different degree programs here, um, on campus. So pretty much, if you want to do something, we got a. For you. Um, we’re very strong in the health professions. Um, we have the Michigan College of Optometry on campus, the only [00:14:00] one in the state.

Our College of Pharmacy is very well known and a number of other really great programs. Um, so when you look at our roster, there’s not like, it’s all education and business. There’s something, there’s people doing all kinds of different things, uh, that, that have opportunities here, um, at, at Ferris. And so I’ve been here for seven seasons already.

It seems crazy to say that it’s been that long. Uh, but it’s, uh, but it’s a great landscape and, and we’re in the G Gak, um, conference, which is a very tough, I think every, everybody says this, right? It’s the toughest conference in the co, in the, in the, in the, in the country. But ours really is one of the toughest, um.

We got a perennial power and a rival down down south, and I’ll leave it at that, but, uh, that we gotta deal with there. And then the rest of the schools is really top to bottom. Just, just, just real tough. And, and so, um, it’s hard for us to, you gotta battle to get out of the conference, much less the region.

In our region, the Midwest region’s really tough as well. So, um, I think the, the big thing for me right now with the, the landscape of college athletics [00:15:00] is. Really the division two really offers student athletes a tremendous pathway that most D one schools could no longer offer. And that is a pathway to championships.

And so, you know, I mentioned our football team’s won four outta the last five national championships. Our volleyball team, I think’s, been under the Sweet 16 or Elite eight level every year since I’ve been here and beyond. And, uh, we were in the final four, in 22. Men’s basketball was won the national championship.

So my point is, is that every year. Is a plug for D two overall. Every year, every D two school has an opportunity to go win a national championship. D one counterparts, especially at the mid-major or the low major levels, and especially in women’s soccer, do not. And that’s just a fact, right? So if you’re looking for, if you’re a player that’s not getting recruited Power Four, or legitimately recruited Power four, and you want to go play on the national level, D two is a better avenue for you.

Then those smaller D ones right now, there’s things that D ones offer that D twos don’t, so you gotta weigh that. [00:16:00] That, that thing, but that’s one of the recruiting pitches that we always, um, that’s who we recruit a lot against. You know, the, the neighboring mid-majors conferences here and that we’re always selling is an avenue and a pathway to go play on the national stage.

And so I think there’s, uh, uh, not just about Ferris, but D two soccer plug as well. 

Matt: Yeah, no, absolutely. Well, let’s. Well, I guess we’ll fast forward Now, uh, let’s say it’s, it’s October. You’re in the heart of that, uh, that rough and tumble conference schedule. Walk me through what does a typical week look like for your players in terms of winter classes, practices, meals, game cadence, all that kind of thing.

Coach: Yeah, so we’ve been, we’ve been fortunate to kind of, uh, over the years and, and trial by error and, and, and from making mistakes early on. And I mentioned earlier, one of the challenges that we have is that we got 180 degree program. So there’s kids going every different direction at all different times.

So we’ve kind of settled in a little bit also based on some of our part-time coaches, uh, availabilities, um, into like a three to six window that we, that we [00:17:00] kind of. Ask our players to avoid come, come class time and, and most of the majors have been able to work with us and then we’d be able to fi find some things.

So we typically, we’re a Friday, Sunday league, so Monday’s our day off, that’s our recovery day for our players. Tuesdays, uh, we have a team meeting. I call it our housekeeping meeting at 11. So every Tuesday we’re there, we’re doing film, we’re doing whatever else, compliance. So whatever we need to do, taking care of things.

Wednesday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we in that three to six window, three o’clock with our strength coaches, um, in the weight room, and then four to six we’re out on the training field. Um, Thursday we start to focus now on Friday’s opponent. So Tuesday, Wednesday, again, all internal. Focus on our team. Thursday, we focus on the scout and game plan for Friday’s opponent.

Uh, do our on field deal as well. Play a game Friday, Saturday, uh, a meeting again to kind of review Friday’s a match, um, and then, uh, game plan scout for Sunday’s opponent. So we try to [00:18:00] live out that cliche of one game at a time, and we don’t wanna spend three days prepping for Friday and one day prepping for Sunday.

Um, and then Saturday we have, we do things a little bit different, I think. Than, than some coaches. So we still have a two hour practice on Saturday. I know that sounds crazy in between two games, but we use the data from our GPS trackers as well as some minutes played thresholds. And we do a split squad practice.

So we’ve got, generally we’ll have one of our strength coaches traveling with us as well as at home. And so they’re doing a recovery session with the 90 minute players at a heavy minute players. And we’re doing a training session with the other group at the same time. And then we bring everybody together.

It’s the second hour of practice and that’s the on field scout. So even though it’s two hours in length, it’s, you know, it’s not cra I’m not crazy. Right. You know what I mean? So I think sometimes our opponents think I’m nuts when I’m asking for a two hour block on a Saturday in between games on the road.

But, um, it works out for us. And then Sunday’s game day and then Monday we do it all over again. Right. And so, uh, we’re fortunate it was. Staffing and, and, and the, and the structure that we have here and the support of our [00:19:00] administration. So, you know, athletic trainers traveling with us, our strength coach was traveling with us, you know, so we’re getting, you know, hotels with conference rooms and doing team meetings and study hall and film sessions, recovery sessions, athletic training, rehab sessions, all of that.

So everything I kind of mentioned we’re either, we do it, we’re a traveling circus, I joke, right? So we, we do everything that we do at home, we do on the road and we try to create that, um, kind of consistency environment for our players. 

Matt: All right. That sounds great. Well, let’s talk a little bit more about the team.

You, you mentioned kind of you, you’re in that probably 30 to 32 ish roster size. Uh, what about the rest of the roster? Talk to me about your staff. Who all’s there, what roles do they play? Maybe what other support staff help out with the team? 

Coach: Yeah, so it’s myself. And then, uh, we have one full-time assistant.

Uh, Taylor’s been with me the whole entire time, all seven years that I’ve been here. So she is definitely my right hand and, and, and takes on many hats, whether that be director of ops, equipment manager, goalkeeping coach, travel coordinator, whatever [00:20:00] the case is. The majority of the time it’s. It’s, you know, she’s, she’s, she’s filling the gaps for us and does a great job.

So she primarily coaches on, on the field with the, with the goalkeepers and I deal with all the field players. Um, and then Justin Fox is our part-time assistant. Um, and so he comes to kind of help and, and alleviate some of the pressures from me of dealing with, you know, 28 field players at a time and running sessions of that nature.

Um, and then we always have one or two. Student assistants, recent alums, those type of things. So we, we, we had another assistant that was a part-time that, um, former player of ours that, but she’s, uh, relocating back to the Detroit side. So we, we lost her, but we got a couple grads from this past fall that are going on to optometry school or, or so they’re gonna, they’re gonna jump in.

So we’ve always got some players hanging around the program a little bit, if you will, that. That are able to jump in and help out a little bit there. So that’s kinda the coaching staff. So it’s, it’s really three of us. And then, but sometimes it looks, if you come to a game, it looks like five, but some just a variation of [00:21:00] what their, their involvement is.

The nice thing is even those extra players that are there, one of the things that it helps us with a large roster is that every player’s gonna have a connection right, to somebody on staff, whether that be one of the former players that they’re still friends with, or whether that’s myself, Taylor, or Justin.

You know, we really focus on that to make sure, because there’s such a large number of players that every player has a coach that they can connect with and, and, and have that, uh, that sense of, of, of belonging with, if you will. So in addition to that support staff, we have our strength coach. Uh, our head strength coach, uh, is involved with our program.

Um. But then his assistant, we don generally have at least one of them, like I said, is able to, uh, be at our games as well as, uh, a lot of practices and, and travels with us athletic trainer dedicated to us, were her primary sports. So she’s with us all fall, all spring travels with us everywhere we go. So having that, that, that availability is huge.

And then through our sports medicine program. Nutritionists, [00:22:00] you know, mental health aspects, all those type of things are, are available to chiropractors on, on campus when, if needed, that’s the route you want to go, and sports docs and everything else. So it’s, uh, our athletes are very well cared for, um, for, for sure.

And I think a lot of times, to the extent that they don’t even recognize the strength, uh, and the, and the breadth of the. The net that they have around them. Right. Does that make sense? Until they actually need it. So it’s, uh, so it’s a great environment for those student athletes here. 

Matt: Yeah. Really? Sounds like it.

Well, what about you? Talk to us about your coaching style and the style of play you look to play there. 

Coach: Yeah, I mean, I think, again, in the recruiting process, right? It’s, it’s the FAQ, right? Every, every recruit asks you what’s your coaching style, what’s your, what’s the style of play? And, and so I always, uh, try to answer this question very honestly, and, and it’s a two part answer, right?

So ideally we wanna. We want to build, we wanna keep the ball, we wanna maintain possession, we wanna play through the lines, um, and create lots of goal scoring, op opportunities. [00:23:00] Um, we typically like to press, right? Get after teams. Can we turn you over as close to your goal as possible? Um, those are things that, that ideally we want to do.

Um, and then the second part of the answer is the reality, right? So, uh, the reality is we’re gonna do whatever we need to do to win the match. Uh, what does it take for this team to win? What, what are the characteristics of this particular roster? Because again, although we’re able to get out and, and, and recruit and, and bring the players in that we want to bring in, we’re also not getting the first.

First crack at the best players in the country that are available to us, right? So, so our, our athletes that come in are, are, you know, if you look at the, the baseball’s old school kind of five tool player, well, we’re getting three tool players. We’re, you know, so what, what are we, what do we have to adjust to?

So. What’s, what’s the best style system for this, this particular roster. That’s how we’re gonna play. Um, what do we need to do against this particular opponent? That’s how we’re gonna play, right? So ideally, right? We want to be, I, I think every coach will tell you, oh, we’re possession based. And then you go watch them play and you’re like.

That’s not possession [00:24:00] soccer. Right. You know, those type of things. So, um, I, I try to be honest with, with, in the recruiting process, we wanna do this, but, but if we need to sit in and defend and counter, we’re gonna do that. If we gotta play direct, we’re gonna do that. Um, again, I go back to what I mentioned earlier, my plug for D two soccer and the, the opportunities to go play at the national level.

Game one matters to us. And I think that’s a little bit of the thing that’s different again, than our, than our D 2D one colleagues and those type of things. The first game doesn’t always matter, right? I mean, but, but the first game of the year, it’s a regional opponent that could come back to be the make or break, um, in the algorithm of whether you get in isn’t at large B bit or not.

So we gotta win matches. And so we’re playing playoff soccer from day one. Uh, we don’t get the luxury of playing the beautiful game and playing the right way. And some of the other catchphrases you’ll hear from time to time. 

Matt: Yeah, I hear you. Well, I, I appreciate all the insight and, and everything you’ve told us about the the school ofm with one last question, and that is, if you had one piece of advice for somebody going through this recruiting process right now, what would that be?[00:25:00] 

Coach: I think, uh, over the years, a lot of things that have changed, I think one of the things that I would. Uh, one is you gotta be intentional about it, right? So I’ll probably give you two answers. One is you gotta be very intentional about the process. You, if you’re waiting for the phone to ring, you’re not gonna play in the college game.

Um, you gotta be intentional about the process, and you also gotta be intentional about what’s the right fit for you and what you’re looking for. Because coaching at all different levels across the game, different areas of the country, et cetera, every player that wants to play in college can. There’s an opportunity to play in college soccer.

There’s schools out there that are begging for players right now. The question’s not if you can play in college. The question is, are you willing to play where you can play? Are you willing to attend school where you can play, is what I was trying to say. So you gotta be intentional about what you’re looking for, what’s the right fit, and what are your non-negotiables, you know, if the school doesn’t have this, I’m not gonna go there just for soccer.

And, and I think those, those are the important pieces. And then the second thing that’s really simple, [00:26:00] I think if anybody that’s starting the process. Create an email address just for college soccer, and that way when you’ve committed, you can turn that bad boy off and stop getting all the invites to the camps and all the invites to everything else and all that other stuff.

I always feel bad for the kids that use their high school email address that are just getting their inbox blown up. So. Create a soccer specific email address, make sure you check it. Um, and that’s the other thing too. Email’s still a valuable part of, of the recruiting process for us coaches. Remember who you’re emailing, right?

So we’re, a lot of us are old now, and we’re still gonna look at email. So check it. If I can get emails to my phone, um, 16 year olds can get it to their phone. I’m sure they can figure that out. So, um, make sure you’re checking your emails and responding and, and those type of things. But if you’re starting the process out, dedicate an email just to college soccer.

That way you can shut it off when you’re done with the process. 

Matt: Great advice. Well, coach, really appreciate it. Thank you for the time. Wish you the best of luck, uh, in the spring season, and if you get down to any of the [00:27:00] East NL events down here in Bradenton, gimme a shout. All right. 

Coach: Will do. Take care.

Thank you. 

Matt: Thank you.