On Tuesday, July 10th, LIJSL Director of College Bound Programs, Pat Grecco conducted a college recruiting workshop for over
100 members of the LIJSL Select PDP Program at Peter C. Collins Soccer Park. The seminar focused on the tools needed to conduct a college search with a view to playing soccer at the collegiate level.
“There is a program for everyone to play in at the collegiate level,” says Grecco. “The hard part is finding the right one for you, and understanding the process in finding the place where you can be happy and successful, both as a student and as an athlete. That’s the piece that I try to help with.”
With help from Ronan Weisman, Select/PDP Head Coach, and Mario Maltese, LIJSL Board of Directors, the workshop was presented to high school players and parents of the Select Program. The session covered a number of topics, including networking with college coachs, first steps in the college recruitment process, what to look for when choosing colleges, how to obtain athletic scholarships, and recruiting video production. In addition, a comprehensive info packet was given to each student-athlete which included 2012 NCAA Eligibility Center's Guide for the College Bound Athlete.
A recurring theme throughout the evening was that the recruiting process is driven by the athlete, not the coach or the college. All the players and parents left the workshop with that understanding, which was driven home with Pat’s final message.
"Don’t sit home and wait for your phone to ring,” she said. “Be proactive for yourself. Network, network and network!”
For more information on Pat Grecco and the College Bound Program click here.
If you have questions about the recruiting process or wish to set up a meeting, Pat can be reached at soccervol@aol.com.
