How to Email a College Soccer Coach:
Recently in my Direct Messages and in my Instagram Question & Answer sessions, one of the main questions I have been getting is “how do I email a college soccer coach?”
Within this article, I will break down the specifics of how to email a college coach.
The “problem” nowadays is college coaches get thousands of emails per day, so you have to find your way to be unique and different (your unique selling proposition). You need to think of it as selling yourself to the coach and his/her school and program.
Therefore, you need to figure out some specifics and details that make you and your email unique.
Here are a couple of things you need to figure out for yourself:
- What is your level?
-Do you believe you can play Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, NAIA or NJCAA (commonly referred to as JUCO)?
Self-Analysis:
-This question has a lot to do with what I talk about all the time…
You must be able to truly self-analyze yourself and your game and you must have the ability to be honest with yourself.
-If you can’t “figure” it out yourself, ask the opinions of your coaches’ or higher-level players (even players currently playing at the level that you want to play at).
World renowned author, Tim Ferris, has a quote that I love:
“A person’s success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.”
Ask them the simple question:
“Do you believe I can play at the Division 1 level or do you think it would be a better idea to play Division 2 or 3?”
Don’t just ask one person. Ask multiple people, and from the sum of your conversations you can come up with your answer.
- What do you want to study?
If you know what you want to study, it makes it much easier to be specific and “weed” out certain schools that don’t have your major.
- What state/region of the country do you want to be in?
Obviously, geographic location will have a lot to do with your decision.
Do you want to be on the east coast, west coast or in the middle of the country?
Do you want to be close or further away from your family?
Are there any states that interest you specifically based on your hobbies and goals for the future (job markets, etc.)?
- Do Your Research and Make a List:
Based on all of the answers to the above questions, you will need to do some in-depth research.
I advise making a list of 20-60 schools that you are interested in.
The goal would be to make the list 10-20 Division 1 Schools, 10-20 Division 2 Schools & 10-20 Division 3 Schools.
- Find Emails:
So, now that we’ve crafted our outline and plan, we have to start emailing college soccer coaches.
This is the “easy part.” Almost every single college soccer program has the email of the coach within their website.
For sake of example, we are going to use Stonybrook University.
Type into Google “Stonybrook Mens Soccer.”
From there, the page will pop up:
https://stonybrookathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer
Go to the page, go to the “coaches” tab.
https://stonybrookathletics.com/sports/mens-soccer/coaches
You will see the list of all 3 coaches there. Walla, magic!
Now, for the next step..
Crafting Your Email to a College Soccer Coach:
- You need a stellar subject line to make them interested right away.
Like I said in the beginning, college soccer coaches’ get hundreds of emails per day, so your subject line needs to catch their eye and stand out to them.
I look at it like TikTok and Instagram Content Creation. There are so many TikToks and Instagrams you can look at, so I always ask myself “how can I make it unique so it catches the viewers eye right away?”
So, ask yourself, what makes you unique? What makes you different than the crowd?
Here are a couple of examples of subjects when emailing a college soccer coach:
Eric Friedlander 2024- Center Defensive Midfielder- FC Barcelona Academy
Eric Friedlander 2024- Center Midfielder- 3.8 GPA- Top Drawer Soccer 100 to Watch
Eric Friedlander 2024- Center Midfielder- 4.0 GPA- ID Camp Attendee
So, those are just a couple of examples, you need to find what’s unique to you and your situation.
Your goal is to keep your subject line short and sweet; 40 characters or less.
Time to Write the Email:
Let’s think of the email in 3 Portions; beginning, middle and the end of the email.
Beginning:
- Introduce Yourself & Show them You Did Your Research:
Tell them your name, your position, where you’re from and when you’re graduating.
After that, you want to include specific information on their program and majors at their school (that you may be interested in studying):
Using an example from Stonybrook Men’s Soccer:
“I see you guys’ had an excellent run last season and you lost a close one to #5 ranked UMBC in PK’s. Seems like a tough one to lose but it shows how well you prepared for that America East Tournament.
It is also very good to see that you have a highly regarded psychology program. This is the exact field that I am interested in studying.”
Middle:
- More Information About Yourself:
Here is where you can include soccer and academic achievements that set you apart.
You also want to include general information:
Your current club, high school name, etc.
-Athletics: Soccer stats and other measurable areas of you as a player
Your highlight video (this is vital)!
-Academics: GPA, test scores (SATs, ACTs)
You want to make this also quick and easy to read. Make sure sentences are complete but not a “blob” when they look at the email.
Allow for some white space so they can think and digest your words and space between sentences to make paragraphs proper and easy to read.
End:
- Call to Action/Specific Next Steps:
You’ve talked about their program and academics and given more information about you to try to sell yourself to them.
Now it’s time to tell them to come see you play.
“I will be playing April 21-23 at the Dallas Cup with FC Barcelona Academy. I would love for you to come down and see me play in person. I have also attached our complete schedule for the 2022-2023 season in case there in another location or date that may work better for you.
Like I said, I strongly believe that I can add some defensive reinforcement and some offensive creativity to the Stonybrook Men’s Soccer Team. My specialty is winning second balls, breaking up play, and playing balls through the lines to help connect the back line and the attacking 3.”
All, in all, as you saw with this email to a college soccer coach, your goal is to send a specific email to the coach and their program. At all costs, AVOID sending generic emails to college coaches. If you do that, I guarantee that you’ll never get a reply.
Most coaches don’t want to waste precious time or resources to recruit you if you’re not truly committed to their school.
10. Let’s sum it up with a final email to a college soccer coach:
Subject Line: Eric Friedlander 2024- Center Midfielder- 3.8 GPA- Top Drawer Soccer 100 to Watch
“Dear Coach Anatol:
My name is Eric Friedlander. I am 17 years old currently playing at FC Barcelona Academy, and I am originally from Merrick, New York.
I have been following Stonybrook for the past 3 years and I have always wanted to play for your team. You guys have an excellent reputation for playing great soccer and I have heard some great things about your coaching staff.
My friend “John Smith” and “John Doe,” have played for you and they had an excellent experience.
I see you guys had an excellent run last season and you lost a close one to #5 ranked UMBC in PK’s. Seems like a tough one to lose but it shows how well you prepared for that America East Tournament.
It is also very appealing to see that you have a highly regarded psychology program. This is the exact field that I am interested in studying!
I fully believe that I can add some depth and experience to your team. I am 6’0 Center Defensive Midfielder and weigh 165 lbs. I am a Junior at Kennedy High School and have been a varsity player since I was a freshman.
I am currently the captain of the team and had 12 goals and 5 assists last season, which led to All-State Honors.
I also play for FC Barcelona Academy and we are ranked #4 in the Nation, and #1 in New York State.
If you want to look at how I play, here are my highlights from last season:
I have a 3.8 GPA through high school and scored a 1750 total on my SATs. Like I stated before, I am interested in studying psychology.
We will be playing April 21-23 at the Dallas Cup with FC Barcelona Academy. I would love for you to come down and see me play in person.
I have also attached our complete schedule for the 2022-2023 season in case there in another location or date that may work better for you.
Like I said, I strongly believe that I can add some defensive reinforcement and some offensive creativity to the Stonybrook Men’s Soccer Team.
My specialty is winning second balls, breaking up play, and playing balls through the lines to help connect the back line and the attacking 3.
Please feel free to contact my FC Barcelona Academy Coach Ricky Sanchez at coachricky@fcbarcelonaacdemy.com or at (555)555-5555 to find out some more information on me as a player and a man.”
Eric Friedlander
Class of 2024
Junior | Center Defensive Midfielder | 6’0”
GPA: 3.8 | SAT: 1750
John F. Kennedy High School | Bellmore, NY
Time For You to Execute!
I have laid out the exact blueprint for you. Now, it’s time to do your research, and then start taking action by blasting out some emails.
Keep in mind; be respectful to them and their time zone. Avoid sending emails between 11 PM and 8 AM in their time zone.
After doing some research, the key time to email a college soccer coach is between Tuesday-Sunday at 4-8 PM their time.
I really hope this article helped you out!
Best of luck during the process!
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