The college soccer recruiting process is an unpredictable one, with a variety of factors that can influence opportunities.

While competing at the club level is a huge and significant part of the process, there’s one avenue that players can do to bolster their chances: a College ID camp. Whether it’s having the chance to work up close and personal with the coaches or glean an understanding of where a player’s level is, it can be another step towards a college opportunity.

Below are three reasons to attend a College ID camp, with a little help from Maryland Soccer Camps.

1. Hands-on work with coaching staff

In the recruiting process, a lot can go wrong if a college hopeful is relying on an on-field performance. So many factors that a player can’t control can influence how good or bad things can go at a showcase or league matchup. At a college ID camp, a player can work hands on with the coaching staff in a way that’s impossible any other way. Not only does that provide the chance for a coach to get to know a player and his or her tendencies, but it also allows a deeper understanding of a college program’s values and the way things work. Along with that, its common for current players to fill out the coaching staff at a college ID camp; opening the door to learn about a college program from a slightly different perspective.

2. On campus experience

Unofficial visits are obviously part of the recruiting process. It allows the chance for a player to get on campus and see what things are like up close and personal. But one thing that a camp can provide is getting to know a program’s facilities. It can be a day camp, or even an overnight stay camp, that creates the chance for a perspective student athlete to get to know what the practice fields are like or one of the dining halls. In a lot of cases, players have the chance tostep between the lines of the home field.

3. Understand your level

Another aspect offered by just about any college ID camp is for the player to walk away with a good idea of where he or she stands in relation to the level required to play in college. Obviously, no one can project the future and an evaluation – good or bad – doesn’t project a future. What it does is provide insight from an experience coach that can help identify aspects of a player’s game that he or she can improve in.

This article brought to you by Maryland Soccer Camps.

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