For the students looking to pursue a typical post education high school, the college selection process may come easy. A student can get accepted and commit to a school within one or two weeks or get into their dream school right away. However, not all college journeys are this easy. For those looking to play a sport in college, their journey to life past high school can be a long and bumpy ride.

The process of recruitment for any college sport can take weeks, months, or even years to fully complete. It is a gratifying experience that can end in success, but with a price; your energy, money, and time.

Senior Meaghan O’Neill has been playing soccer for her entire life. She lives, breathes and sleeps this sport that she knows all so well. It was not until a few years ago that she realized that she was serious about playing the sport in college for a NCAA team. As a junior, she began to reach out to several college coaches and attend college ID (identification) clinics, where she could go to the school and complete in various drills and games in hopes of being recruited.

“The recruitment process was very long. They recommend you start sophomore year or even freshman year if you’re a Division 1 prospect. I didn’t seriously start the process until junior year, so I felt like I was behind a lot of the time,” said O’Neill.

O’Neill is currently a goalkeeper for the U17 girls’ Rams FC team and was on the North Kingstown girls’ soccer team. She decided that in order to contact possible prospective coaches, she would have each of her games and practices recorded to make a highlight video to send to them. Highlight videos are helpful because it gives the coach an idea of how you play before they see you at a camp or a tournament. They can get a coach’s attention instead of hoping they notice you while you are in a game with other players who are also waiting to be spotted. Along with the highlight videos, it is also advised that the player should attend these ID clinics so you get a feel for the way the coaches train and the atmosphere of the school.

“The first time the coach at the college I’m committed to saw me play was through video which was good because I found out he was interested before spending the time and money to attend the ID clinic,” said O’Neill. “I started emailing coaches and finding out which schools that I was interested in were looking for a goalkeeper and then if they were I would send them my schedule so they could come see me play or I would go to their school’s ID clinic.”

The process of being recruited was anything but easy for O’Neill. She had to visit numerous schools all over New England, some even as far as seven hours travel away. She visited schools such as the University of New England, Canisius College, and Long Island University. She spent long hours at demanding camps and clinics, performing at her best, which sometimes proved to be exhausting.  She also emailed over 50 schools, in order to find the right one for her. Although, after those long and taxing hours were over, she finally found the perfect school. Over the next four years, O’Neill will be spending her time at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York to play Division 1 soccer.

“I was officially offered a spot on the team and told to take time and let them know when I decided what school I would attend”, said O’Neill. “By the end of my two days in Buffalo visiting Canisius, I knew it was where I wanted to be and the place that was the best fit for me academically as well as with soccer. I talked it over with my parents and then 2 days later I committed to Canisius College.”

O’Neill not only chose her school based on the athletic potential, but also based on her academics. She advises people to do the same. It is important that, primarily, the school offers the major that you are interested in.

“The soccer part is an important part, but only one part of picking a college. I’m happy that the Division 1 school I was considering also had the best program for my major, but I would have been just as happy playing at the Division 2 or 3 school that I was looking at.”

She also has other advice that could be beneficial for anyone looking to begin the recruitment process. She urges people to start as early as you can be dedicated during the entire process.

“The players who get recruited are the ones that spend the time reaching out to coaches first and give them video and schedules,” said O’Neill.

The recruiting process definitely is not easy but ultimately it ends up being worth it. It’s hard to put yourself out there and hope that you’ll find a school and soccer program that’s a good fit but finding one that makes you happy will make it all worth it.