Welcome to Legends FC San Diego.
LEGENDS College Recruiting Program is a resource to help our Players, Parents, AND Coaches NAVIGATE the College Recruiting process.
Our College Recruiting Program will guide the Legends FC San Diego community as our players graduate beyond high school and into NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA or Junior College programs. Below is an overview of the program and the recruiting process — an exciting journey, but requires a lot of effort.
COLLEGE RECRUITING
Legends FC has developed and placed over 700 players into college.
Understanding the College Soccer Landscape.
We will help our Boys & Girls College Prospects clearly understand the differences and nuance of the collegiate soccer landscape as they go through the process finding the right program for their academic and athletic aspirations. Scholarships are one consideration, but there is much more that goes into finding the right fit.
Men’s College Soccer
There are over 1,400 college men’s soccer teams spanning five different division levels: NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and NJCAA (also referred to as Junior College or JUCO). Each division level—and school—provides student-athletes with its own unique experience.
Women’s College Soccer
There are over 1,500 colleges across the U.S. that have women’s soccer teams. Athletic scholarships are available for collegiate women’s soccer players at the NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NAIA and NJCAA Junior College levels. Each division, conference and school provides unique opportunities.
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NCAA Division I - Division I schools generally have the biggest student bodies, manage the largest athletics budgets and offer the most generous number of scholarships. Schools who are members of Division I commit to maintaining a high academic standard for student-athletes in addition to a wide range of opportunities for athletics participation. Schools who are members of Division I commit to maintaining a high academic standard for student-athletes.
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NCAA Division II - Division II is a collection of more than 300 NCAA colleges and universities that provide thousands of student-athletes the opportunity to compete at a high level of scholarship athletics while excelling in the classroom and fully engaging in the broader campus experience. This balance, in which student-athletes are recognized for their academic success, athletics contributions and campus/community involvement, is at the heart of the Division II philosophy.
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NCAA Division III - Division III is the largest division in terms of number of institutions and number of participants in the NCAA. As a Presidents Council, we help ensure over 195,000 students at 446 institutions representing 44 conferences, can further their athletic careers while earning a degree. Division III is unique in not awarding athletic scholarships due to its unwavering commitment to the academic success of every student-athlete.
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NAIA - NAIA is home to 77,000 student-athletes, with over 200 NAIA Men’s and Women’s soccer programs. Regardless of their size, all schools are in competition for students. Student-athlete participation at NAIA schools has increased an average of 40 percent in the last five years. If your school wants to be nationally competitive at a reasonable price, while driving enrollment and supporting the school’s bottom line, the NAIA is the best association for you.
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NJCAA - NJCAA offers three divisions of Junior College Soccer. The NJCAA has played a vital role in collegiate athletics for the past eight decades and continues to be the leader in championing two-year college experiences and opportunities for student-athletes. It is the mission of the NJCAA to foster a national program of athletic participation in an environment that supports equitable opportunities consistent with the educational objectives of member colleges.
U11-U12 PRE ECNL
Pre-ECNL will produce the next generation of ECNL and ECNL RL players. Players who compete in Pre-ECNL have the aspiration, ability and potential to play at the highest levels of soccer. College bound players should play Pre-ECNL by U11-U12.
U13-U19 ECNL
The ECNL will produce the next generation of College athletes. Players who compete in ECNL have the aspiration, ability and potential to play at the highest levels of soccer. College bound players have the highest chance of success reaching their goal to play collegiate soccer.
U13-U19 ECNL Rl
ECNL RL is the second tier of ECNL and will add to the next generation of College athletes. Players in ECNL RL have the aspiration, ability and potential to play at the next level, however may not get looked at top college programs. Many ECNL RL players play in college.
On average, around 90% of Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) players go on to play college soccer.
The ECNL is considered the top youth soccer league in the country and has a history of producing more collegiate players than any other youth league.
The ECNL also has a Regional League (ECNL RL) that provides a similar structure to the national platform, but with more localized competition. Pre-ECNL is the entry point at U11-U12 for either ECNL or ECNL RL.
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Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) is the highest tier of the ECNL. It is the most coveted league in the United States and Legends FC San Diego is proud to be a member club.
The ECNL is comprised of multiple conferences geographically located around the country.
The top teams in each of those conferences advance to ECNL National Playoffs in June. The ECNL National Playoffs are filled with college, national team and professional scouts looking to recruit players.
The top 8 teams. from the ECNL National Playoffs advance to the ECNL National Finals in July. The winners of the Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals determine the top team in the country.
Additionally, ECNL features the nation’s best showcases where teams and clubs can enter to receive additional exposure to hundreds of college, national team and professional scouts in attendance.
If you aspire to play college soccer and beyond, ECNL is the league you should play in.
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ECNL Regional League (ECNL RL) is the second tier of competition within the ECNL.
Rather than a national league, ECNL RL plays in a regional format. ECNL RL is made of several conferences across the United States.
The top teams within each conference advance to ECNL Regional League Playoffs, and ultimately the top teams to ECNL Regional League Final to determine a champion.
There are several college scouts in attendance at ECNL Regional League Playoffs, Finals and Showcases which are held to give exposure to players looking to get recruited.
The quality of the play within ECNL RL is extremely high and still sends many players to play in college.
If you want to play Varsity soccer in High School and aspire to play in College, ECNL RL is an excellent league to compete in and to prepare you for that level of play.
In many ways, the ECNL and ECNL RL are intertwined and part of a larger ECNL program with movement and opportunities to move up and down based on what is best for player development.
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Pre-ECNL is the entry point for the ECNL and ECNL RL.
As top players and teams develop at the younger ages, they are best suited to transition into a higher level of competition in the Pre-ECNL.
Pre-ECNL has home and away games but focused on top local competition to keep travel to a minimum. This is the first step in competing at the top level, adhering to elite ECNL standards.
If your goal is to play Varsity, College or beyond, you should strive to compete in Pre-ECNL.
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Legends FC San Diego will host Official ECNL Tryouts in the coming months. In the meantime, if you are looking and ready to join one of our ECNL Teams, please fill out this form to set up a personal evaluation.
THE BEST PATHWAY TO COLLEGE IS THE ECNL
THE BEST PATHWAY TO COLLEGE IS THE ECNL
Legends FC San Diego offers our players advanced college recruiting tools and expertise that allows college coaches to discover, identify and communicate with players.
COLLEGE RECRUITING PARTNER
Legends FC San Diego partners with SportsRecruits, a leading college recruiting company that connects top college prospects with college programs. Every day, more than 400,000 athletes and 2,000 club and high school organizations use SportsRecruits.
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SportsRecruits gives each Legends FC San Diego player a college recruiting profile with all the necessary information to attract college programs and learn about you as a prospective student athlete.
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SportsRecruits allows you to showcase your highlight reels, one of the most important assets in your college recruiting journey. Legends FC San Diego provides game footage and software that allows you to view, review and create clips to add to your highlight reel. This how coaches from around the country see what you’re capable of from afar.
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SportsRecruits has powerful search and college fit finding tools that allow you to enter criteria that matches you to schools. It also allows you to search for schools with open roster spots or areas of need. With so many colleges looking for players, this saves time and money when you can catalog your favorite schools in one place.
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SportsRecruits allows you to easily communicate with coaches directly from the platform through email. Once you make a connection with coaches and programs, the conversation may include emails, phone calls, text messages, and in person visits.
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Once you find your matches, colleges will encourage you to attend College ID Camps, of which there are thousands to choose from. Attending a specific college’s ID Camp will allow coaches to get to know you while you get to know the program. You can also attend Legends College ID Camps which bring colleges to you. ID Camps are an important part of the process and something that helps to build relationships.
RECRUITNG MILESTONES
PLAYER PROFILE
Complete and update your college recruiting profiles, being as consistent and professional as possible, including SportsRecruits and Social Media.
ATTEND SHOWCASES
Attend as many college showcases as possible - ECNL offers the best-in-class showcases in multiple locations around the country. Stand out.
EMAIL COACHES
Start broad, emailing as many coaches and colleges as you can. Target your favorites but also spread a wide net. Be as personable as possible.
RECRUITING WINDOW
June 15 after your sophomore year is when the official recruiting window opens. Prior to that, you can reach out to coaches, but they cannot respond.
UNOFFICIAL VISITS
As you narrow down your options and create a shortlist, set up unofficial visits. Attend College ID Camps of your top schools to get a feel.
COMMITMENT
As you receive interest and offers, weigh them carefully. When you feel good about your decision, you make a verbal commitment a school.
OFFICIAL VISITS
The time between your commitment and signing day typically involves an official visit, paid for by the college, to give you the full welcome experience.
SIGNING DAY
During your senior year, you will reach signing day where you officially sign your letter of intent. This is the start of your college soccer career!
