Soccer Scholarships
Soccer is a sport that is gaining popularity in the United States, and now there are many soccer scholarships for college awarded on the basis of playing soccer. These sport scholarships for soccer are awarded to high school students who show exceptional ability when playing soccer and who show prowess in the classroom and in the community as well. In order to obtain a soccer scholarship, you need to show exceptional skills in soccer and come from the right school as well. In addition, you need to be committed to other activities, such as volunteering, community service, and employment.
The full ride scholarships that are awarded by the NCAA are very competitive, and each Division I school awards about ten scholarships per year, meaning they are scarce and hard to come by. In addition to the official NCAA scholarships, individual organizations offer other college soccer scholarships, although these usually aren’t full ride and only cover a part of tuition, but they also have less competition.
HOW TO GET A SOCCER SCHOLARSHIP
A full ride NCAA soccer scholarship is very hard to obtain, but with the right mix of soccer skills, people skills, and determination, you can be well on the way to going to college for free because of your soccer ability.
1. Be an excellent soccer player – This is the most obvious step to follow. Being a great soccer player is a good way to get on the road to obtaining a scholarship. Be early to every practice, encourage your teammates during the games, and be a team leader. Make sure you study the game and be in great shape for every game.
2. Go to the right High School. If you’re thinking about trying to obtain a athletic scholarship, then going to the right high school is key. You need to go to a high school that has a long and storied soccer program with a great coach and great players. These are the schools that usually attract the scouts, and they are feeder schools for college programs. If you attend a school that doesn’t have a well known soccer program, your chances of receiving a sport scholarship decrease dramatically.
3. Be active off the field. Being a great player and going to the right school isn’t enough to secure a soccer scholarship. You also need to be active in your community, doing volunteer work, and community service. Also, having a high GPA helps tremendously when applying for soccer scholarships.
COMMUNITY SOCCER SCHOLARSHIPS
These are scholarships that aren’t regulated by the NCAA and are awarded by various organizations for outstanding performance on the field and off the field. These are often part scholarships, meaning they offer less money than a full ride and therefore are less competitive.
• Alfred State College Athletic Talent Grant –This soccer scholarship is awarded to players who show promise in the sport of soccer while in high school. This athletic scholarship is given preference to those that have a high GPA and show financial need. The deadline varies, but is generally in the springtime.
• LIU Academic Awards – These scholarships for soccer are awarded to scholars who excel both in the classroom and on the field. The award ranges in price from $5,000 up to full tuition, making it more competitive than other sport scholarships. To be considered, you must have a high GPA, high SAT/ACT scores, top 10% of class rank, and a heavy course load. In addition, being great at soccer helps immensely.
• SAMMY Awards – The value of working hard is evident in the SAMMY awards. For those students in grade 12 who show great prowess on the field, in addition to great academic work, have a great chance of receiving a SAMMY award. The application is due March 1st and the value of each award is $7,500.
Obtaining college soccer scholarships requires commitment, dedication and determination, but the reward of attending college for free is wonderful. You need to be a great soccer player, be involved in your community, and most of all, excel in your academic studies.