Australian Soccer Player Without A Clue

Athletic Recruits
1

<p>Hey Everyone!</p>

<p>I'm an Australian student hoping to come over to the States to study this Fall! I'm hoping to come on a soccer scholarship and luckily I have some offers. The two main offers I'm considering are Goldey-Beacom College in Delaware, and AIB - College of Business in Iowa.</p>

<p>Both seem like acceptable schools, so I'm fine on that front. The only two issues I have are the soccer and the locations. AIB is in the NAIA and came second in their conference to the side who won the Nationals... and they wish to become national champions very soon. Goldey-Beacom claim to have only had money to invest in their athletics this season and hope to be competitive for the first season in a long time. They are in the NCAA Div II. From what I have read it seems NAIA is about equal to Div II/III... Is this true? Could anybody give me some insight into this by any chance?</p>

<p>Regarding the locations... Living so close to Philadelphia and New York is almost irresistible, but do college student-athletes really get that much time? Would it be a waste to turn down a school in Des Moines to live 2 to 3 hours from New York? Any help on this side would be really great!</p>

<p>Regarding college, I'm tossing up my decision based on three things... Academics, athletics, and the overall experience.</p>

<p>All input is appreciated no matter how great or small! Thanks!</p>

<p>Edit: I was promoted to colleges in the U.S. by a program in Australia which signed me... I haven't found these obscure colleges myself. </p>

2

<p>I have not been to either state but I would ask the coaches of the teams you are considering if you can perhaps contact some of the current players, to ask them what the environment is like. How is the team, what is the campus like etc… I would also suggest that you choose the school that you think you would be happiest at if for some reason soccer was out of the picture. I know that is tough to do so far away but keep that in mind. Are you done with looking? No more options? If you have a couple offers, might their be more coming? Good luck, hard to choose when you are so far away.<br>
NAIA athletics can be very good, my daughter attends an NAIA school and they have produced several national championship teams in various sports. Lots of international players in many sports also. It is in southern california which coming from Australia might be more appealing than Iowa or Delaware. Maybe keep that search going?</p>

3

<p>I am mainly familiar with the D1 level and I don’t know either school. However, here are some considerations relating to the soccer side of things.</p>

<p>First, NAIA soccer can be quite good on occasion. I saw Lindsey Wilson play two or so years ago (when they won the NAIA National Championship) and they were as good as a mid level/lower level D1 team. So if AIB is good enough to compete for an NAIA National Championship, you might be pleasantly surprised by the quality of play.</p>

<p>Second, as you probably know, AIB’s current roster shows 4 or 5 Australians. If you haven’t tried to talk to them yet, you should. Get their assessment of living in Iowa (the winters can be harsh), the people, the town, the coach, the academic atmosphere and other practical insights. Assuming you can’t visit the school before deciding, I think speaking to your fellow countrymen would be most helpful. (Note; they are showing 45 on their roster, which is crazy unless most are told they are only practice squad material).</p>

<p>Third, Goldey Beacon is D2 but just cam off a horrible season. So, it is very possible that AIB is a stronger soccer program than GB. I admit this is pure conjecture due to differences in strength of schedule. As with AIB, I think it’s crucial that you speak with as many foreign players on GB as possible to get their assessment of the team, the coach, the school etc.</p>

<p>Fourth, regarding GB’s proximity to New York and Philadelphia and other metro areas, you likely won’t have enough time to travel a lot beyond travel with the team to away games. Particularly with D2, you’ll be training a lot during both Fall (in season) and spring, so free time will be precious. So you definitely should focus on the quality of the actual town(s) where the schools are located, as well as the quality of their academics and their soccer programs.</p>

<p>Sorry I can’t give you specific help, but coming from Australia is a huge decision and therefore you should talk to as many current players as possible. Good luck!</p>

4

<p>First, congratulations on the scholarships. My son is a rower, so I don’t know about soccer. Also, we are in New York, and unfortunately I do not know anything about either of these schools. I would just like to say that the advice you received above is very good! I think it is important you get the feel of campus life by speaking to current athletes. The distance of only a few hours to Philly and NYC may seem like a positive for the Delaware school, but in actuality, it may be very difficult to get there. It is expensive for train tickets and very expensive for hotel rooms in these cities. Of course, I have no idea about your financial situation, I am speaking in general terms. As noted above, your practice and game schedule will probably limit your ability to travel, so you may be “stuck” on your campus for much of your time there. As soon as possible, I would contact a few soccer players on the teams and ask for their honest assessment. Good luck to you! !</p>

5

<p>Des Moines vs. NYC/Philly area is vastly different. Remember that it is likely you will be playing against colleges in your general area, even if you don’t have that much free time to explore on your own. Also, it is likely flights are easier to come by near Philly.</p>

6

<p>You have been given some good advice here. I would second the comment that you should try to imagine yourself at one of these schools if soccer were not in the picture (injury, etc?) Would you still be happy at these colleges? I also second the advice to try to contact some of the international players (especislly those from Australia) to get their input on the school, location and especially weather. We are from S. California and my son had the opportunity to play college soccer on the east coast. He opted to stay in Calif. as he is couldn’t imagine himself being stuck inside during cold weather- he is too used to going outside at 9PM in December to kick a ball around! He is with a D2 team and couldn’t be happier. There are definitely some very competitive NAIA teams although I am not familiar with either of the schools you list. NAIA schools might tend to be more relaxed about the practice schedule (same with D3 and even possibly D2) than D1 schools. We know of players who chose a D3 or NAIA school over a D1 because they wanted a more well-rounded college experience where they had time for more than just soccer. These are players who were good enough to play at a higher level- as a result, many of the players on the NAIA teams are quite good. </p>

<p>Have you reached out to any schools on your own? If you have a good video of your play, you might consider contacting coaches on you own and sending them the link to your video. I am just wondering if you might want to look at some schools in warmer weather climate that might be more similar to Australia. HOwever, it is probably too late to get much consideration for scholarships at this point. Good luck!</p>