Many youths in college and even before college have had the dream of playing soccer at the professional level since young. As a result, they constantly dream of playing soccer professionally after college.
It might have been a result of the love for soccer or the emotions that come with soccer. The main question then is; how do you get to the stage of playing soccer at the professional level?
Before you decide to go pro after college, certain things need to be done.
You have to, first of all, make a decision. That is to make a decision that you are going to dedicate your everything to soccer.
You also have to know that there is a difference between professional athletes and amateur athletes. So next is developing a successful mindset then changing your lifestyle.
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How to go pro after college soccer?
To go pro after college soccer involves a variety of things. For example, in the United States, you have to either have played soccer in high school or try to get a soccer scholarship for college, then wait to be drafted to play in Major League Soccer (MLS) after being selected.
But, before all these, there are usually challenges that can impede you from going pro after college soccer. Like everything out there, there are usually obstacles that can impede your dream of being a professional soccer player after college soccer.
There are several challenges out there, but it is essential to note that nothing good comes easy. Therefore, you have to be mentally prepared and put in the necessary hard work and sacrifices.
A major challenge of going pro after graduation from college is not being prepared. Unfortunately, most aspiring youths are not aware of the level of preparedness they need before playing professionally.
As an aspiring professional soccer player, it is essential that you are prepared for what it takes. Therefore even before graduation, you have started to take steps towards your goal.
This can be done by expanding your networks. While working hard with practice ensures that you take time to make new relationships and new contacts, these will help you in the long run.
Also, try to attend trials or tryouts. There are various soccer tryouts (free or paid) that you can attend to boost your chances of being scouted to the MLS.
It is also very important that while in college, you join a college team as it will bolster your chances of getting a scholarship, learning under professional coaches, and perhaps, the chance to join the prestigious national team.
Also, try to join academies or local teams. If you graduated and you still have the passion for playing soccer professionally but have not been recruited, join academies or local teams. They can help increase your chances of becoming a professional soccer player.
There are various methods that you can take to go pro after college. Some of these methods will be shown below.
Be Prepared to Become a Professional Soccer Player
More often than not, we overlook the essence of preparedness. If you already know that you want to play soccer professionally after college soccer. You have to prepare for it.
In order to get prepared for professional soccer after college soccer, there are various things that you need to get done. Some of these things you need to do will be shown below.
Start Young
If you wish to play professional soccer immediately after college, ensure that you start young. Young age is the best time to kick start your professional soccer career. Put every focus on soccer while removing every distracting thought.
Teams and clubs usually prefer young players to those who are already old. This is because young players can easily adapt to their system utilizing beige moving to their first team. Therefore start your plan.
Though young age is not a main rule of soccer, starting young gives you the time to grow professionally.
Have the Skill
Before aspiring to become a professional soccer player after college, you must have the skill to back it up. Ensure that you have what is necessary that every coach needs.
This will go a long way to help you become a professional soccer player. Soccer is a very competitive sport; it is then important that you have the skills needed for the game. Even when you do not have the skills, ensure that you train regularly.
Try as much as possible to get experience in soccer. If necessary, try to play with older soccer players often. This will help you build up your technical ability and make playing soccer seem like second nature.
Also, work on your weaker skills, such as weak feet and others, to increase your adaptability and skill sets.
Scouts might be watching you (your skill and attitude) while playing on your team; therefore, you must train your skills. Not only skills but also your team spirit.
Show your ambition and be competitive with a focus. Scouts might be watching you from the crowd.
Join a local team
If, after playing for college soccer and the dream to play professionally is still on, a major move you can make is to join a local team. Research local teams close to you and join one. They have good coaches that can groom you.
If you can get into a Major League Soccer Academy youth team, then that would be great. Major League Soccer Academy’s youth teams’ goal is to prepare you to become a professional player.
Suppose you cannot get into the Major League Soccer Academy youth team. In that case, you could try out other youth leagues like the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) or the US Soccer Development Academy.
You could also try out teams in the USL championship or USL league one or USL league two.
Joining teams presents you the opportunities for tryouts or trials. Therefore when you join a team and okay, well, you might be spotted by scouts or even referred by your coach due to your ability.
It is then important that when you join teams, expand your networks and meet as many people as possible, and try to follow up on any lead that you have.
Playing on any of these teams and performing your utmost would boost your chances of becoming a professional soccer player.
Be Committed to Soccer
In order to become a soccer player at a professional level after college, soccer needs a lot of commitment on your part. You have to love soccer and not just want to play soccer because of the huge gains attached.
To increase your commitment to soccer, there are certain things you need to do. Below are some of the necessary factors to increase your commitment to soccer.
Have Passion for Soccer
It is not only training to become a better soccer player that makes you become a professional soccer player. You have to have a passion for the game as it will guide you in the process of becoming a professional soccer player.
The passion for soccer would inspire you to work hard irrespective of the challenges or bad experiences that you face. You have to give everything you have to make a career out of soccer. It will help you in committing yourself to the game and ensure that you release your potential.
Be Knowledgeable about Soccer
There is a popular phrase that knowledge is power, and this is true even in soccer AD the most successful if soccer players know this. This is why coaches tell players to study other players, formations, teams, and even plays.
On the journey to become a professional soccer player, try to read up, learn, seek and seek guidance on skills, tactics, rules, and more. Ensure that you question your coaches; they are there as a guide.
Also, watch and analyze the games of professional soccer teams from various perspectives, read books, and also take notes to improve yourself. It will help you to increase your soccer vision and your mind.
After learning and reading up on skills and others, try to replicate them. It’s necessary to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of these moves or skills or tactics. Take note of the mistakes or bad plays, then avoid them.
Keep Training
Christiano Ronaldo, who is a multiple Ballon d’Or winner, has stated that though it is important to have talent in soccer, it is not the deciding factor to becoming a professional soccer player.
To go pro after college soccer, you have to be ready to work hard. You have to hone your skills, show up for training, and attend soccer camps. In addition, you have to train your mental and physical abilities to improve at a fast rate.
The dividing factor between you and others is in the amount of work that you put in. You could also try to join special training camps, state teams, or other intense events where you would meet competent people.
When players like Christiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar score amazing goals, you might think that it is done by magic, but these so-called wonders result from countless hours of practice.
Practice through Levels
The journey to becoming a soccer player at a professional level after college is not made in a single day. It would be best to start with a school team then move on to a district team or local club with good coaches.
It would be a great move if you could join an academy. This is because academies are known for grooming youths to become professional soccer players. So keep playing for youth teams while progressing to competitive teams as you go up.
As you go up, you move from youth teams to scholastic, collegiate teams, amateur, semi-professional, etc. You could also aim for colleges that have good soccer programs.
Get an Agent
Soccer, just like every other job out there, requires networking. Therefore you must have contacts that help you in transitioning from a college soccer player to a professional soccer player. This is where you need agents.
With the wide networks of agents, they can find suitable clubs or teams for their clients and ensure that their clients get a good deal. Though some agents approach players, you must contact them.
When looking for an agent, research the agent and their past experiences.
Meet Soccer Challenges Head-on
There are a lot of challenges that you would have to face if you want to progress from college soccer to professional soccer. There are several things that you would need to face, some of them being yourself and some of the others.
You will be shown below certain things that you need to do to face the challenge of being a professional soccer player.
Assess your Playing Level
After playing soccer for some time, you must look at your skills and ponder about the position you can be playing in. While you work out your skills and position, ensure that you think about teamwork because it is necessary for soccer.
Find out how your capability would fit into the whole team and the game. First, of course, you have to be better at what you do because soccer is a competitive game.
This is where you would seek your coach’s opinion about your strengths and weaknesses. First, learn from the suggestions of your coach and then improve yourself based on the suggestions.
Also, try to be better at what you do. Try to improve your skills in areas where you are lacking or try out different positions entirely. Try to be consistent every day but just once in a while.
Increase your Physical Level
In order to become a soccer player at a professional level, you have to be fit, exercise, and be on a healthy diet. Soccer training expands a lot of energy; therefore, you must get enough fluids.
Professional footballers are athletes, and to reach that physical level, one must eat a healthy diet and exercise carbohydrates and proteins.
Professional soccer players like Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi usually follow strict diets. Therefore, you must combine a balanced diet with healthy exercise while ensuring that you exercise based on your body or age.
Your exercise aims to have a fitness level that would allow you to play a full 90 minutes on the pitch. Take tips from professional trainers. Becoming a professional soccer player needs high-intensity interval training, weight training, running, and Cardiovascular exercises. These exercises help to build up your endurance and strength.
Ensure that you perform injury risk training while maintaining balanced routines that would work up every part of your body.
Conclusion
In order to become a professional soccer player after college, soccer involves a variety of things. Therefore, it is necessary that you comprehensively look at the options that are available to become a professional soccer player.
To transition from college soccer to professional soccer, follow the methods listed above. Ensure that you are consistent and you will achieve success in the end.
Hi there, I’m Jay.
Soccer is everything in my life! My friends and I have created this blog with all our enthusiasm, passion, and understanding after years of playing pro soccer. Hope you will enjoy it!