Gjøa and College Soccer
College soccer is the summit of the Gjøa Program Pathway, and it’s a great pleasure for us to see players who started in our youngest programs graduate from Gjøa and head off to college. For those who wish to play college soccer we offer guidance in the recruitment process at all levels from DI to DIII. We’re also proud of the players who choose not to pursue college soccer, whether for academic reasons or otherwise, but remain engaged – our goal is that all Gjøa players will have a life-long love of the game.
What does Gjøa do?
Gjøa hosts an annual College Information Evening with a panel of college coaches and players who explain the recruitment process and answer questions from our travel players and parents. These events have been beneficial to our players, with many having gained college roster spots by following the advice given. Though the process is player-led, Gjøa coaches and directors make themselves available to help guide players through recruitment, and provide references and introductions when requested.
Gjøa also provides assistance by recording game video for college recruitment highlight reels. Using a special camera rig, we record games from a height of 12-20’, offering a tactical perspective so that college coaches may better analyze our players. We record select games from the ages of U16 and above.
The connection to Gjøa doesn’t end once players leave for college. Each year we invite former players back for an Annual Alumni Game, played against our oldest youth travel team. It’s a great way for our current players to get advice from former players, especially if an alumnus is playing college soccer currently, and particularly if they’re at a school that a current player is interested in.
College Highlight Video Example
5th Annual College Info Night 2021
What does the player do?
A Gjøa travel player interested in playing college soccer must first view the process in terms of a larger life decision: what are your goals for college and where might soccer fit into those goals? Once the player has a list of schools where they want to apply, the player must reach out to the coach with a personal email, preferably with a link to a highlight video. The player should be specific about the college and do some research in order to make a good impression – players should not copy and paste the same generic email to multiple schools, for example. Coaches look for character and intelligence, not just soccer ability, so If the player makes a positive impression and provides a highlight reel, they’re likely to get an honest response. If a player is able to travel to the college for an ID Clinic or even just a visit, this is a great way to show that they are serious and to make an impression on the coaches. Players can also email a list of games that they will be playing in and invite the coach to come and watch them.
Player’s Check-List:
- Research and make a list of schools you want to attend
- Create a highlight video
- Email the college coaches with your highlight video and game schedule
- Look into ID clinics run by schools or outside organizations
Players should not assume that coaches are randomly scouting fields in leagues or tournaments on weekends looking for talent, or that signing up for recruitment websites will guarantee them a spot. Players need to be proactive and to take the lead in this process, not their parents. That said, we love to support players by offering advice on highlight videos, critiquing initial emails to coaches, and much more.
Resources
– Our 2021 College Information Evening is available to watch here.
– Ashton Evetts is a professional videographer and a friend of the club. He has created many videos for our players and does very good work at reasonable rates. For those interested in having Ashton create a video his contact info is here and check out his work in this College Highlight Video Example.
– College ID Clinics are a great way for players to travel to a college they are interested in to meet coaches and play in front of them. Contact the coaches at schools of interest to find out more. Below are some websites for some independent ID clinics, but players should carefully review what coaches will be in attendance.
Gjøa Alumni
Below is a partial list of SC Gjøa Youth Soccer college players from just the last few years. With over a century of matriculations, the complete list runs well into the hundreds.
Henry Reyes – Clark University (DIII)
Kevina Shalvey – Domincan College (DII)
Mads Pfieffer – Longwood University (DI)
Demi Delprior – Faith Baptist (DII)
Simon Lowe – Oberlin College (DIII)
Jun Reiss – Hamilton College (DIII)
Conor Sullivan – Hunter College (DIII)
Aaron Pagoada – John Jay College (DIII)
Colman Cassidy – Purchase College (DIII)
Jasper Erhardt – Purchase College (DIII)
Evan Miller – Purchase College (DIII)
Jackson Stenborg – Purchase College (DIII)
Woodler Medna – Purchase College (DIII)
Mateo Nieto-Buie – Purchase College (DIII)
Liam George – Purchase College (DIII)
Luis Gomez – Brooklyn College (DIII)
Jahaziah Wickham – Brooklyn College (DIII)
Kimani Laylor – Brooklyn College (DIII)
Carmen Proffitt – Brooklyn College (DIII)
LillyRose Weiss – Grinnell College (DIII)
Conor Boyle – Skidmore College (DIII)
Belco Guendeba – Medgar Evers College (DIII)
Oliver Garcia – Swarthmore College (DIII)
Martí Farre-Regincos – St. Bonaventure University (DI)
Joe Petrini – Carleton College (DIII)
Az Fuller – Grinnell College (DIII)
Lucas Kimball – Wesleyan University (DII)
Ade Adesanya – Alfred State College (DIII)
Cameron Bonfils – Stony Brook (DI)
William Lopez – Clark University (DIII)
Sebastian Gaouette – Yale University (Club Level)
Raphael Baer-Way – University of California, Berkeley (Club Level)
Thomas Linton-Meyer – Clark University (Club Level)
Jonah Gruber – Brandeis University (Club Level)
Daniel Safian – Brown University (Club Level)
