The Best of The Best College Showcase
The 2015 soccerloco Surf College Cup Showcase concluded over Thanksgiving weekend in San Diego with a recap provided discussing the preparation and expectations for teams leading up to the tournament.
Soccer News: The soccerloco Surf College Cup Showcase held November 27-29 saw teams from across the country travel to San Diego where countless college scouts were present as they recruited future players to develop their program.
Youth teams from the ages U15 to U18 competed in four group games with those moving on to the elimination round aiming to be crowned champions of the acclaimed tournament.
The aspiration of beginning a college soccer career at times begins and ends at the San Diego Surf College Cup Showcase. Coaches helped prepare players with the aim of showcasing their talent in order to catch the eye of top schools they wish to attend as teams prepared to take on the best of the best.
Teams strive to put their players into an ideal situation to be recruited at Surf Cup, as tournaments with this amount of exposure tends to be very limited for some. Take a look at the guidance and expectations for players who were seeking to impress various college scouts at the tournament.
“We try to get them prepared physically and mentally in order to get the girls the opportunity to get scouted into the NCAA,” stated Ramon Mifflin, coach of the U16 Girls Southwest United Millennium team.
Mifflin and his team traveled from Calgary, Canada, and praised the tournament as consisting of the highest level of competition the team has seen.
“This hands down is the best competition this team has ever played,” claimed Mifflin. Southwest United faced off against the top two teams in the nation playing Santa Clara Sporting and Davis Legacy Red, as well as top ranked Utah team Pancho Ovalle’s La Roca FC with Mifflin’s group unable to top these American teams as they traveled.
The level of competition is what makes the tournament one of the most notable college showcases in the country. With the preparation for players aiming to be scouted, the combination of skill and understanding of the game remained high on the list of desirable traits for recruits.
Duke University’s assistant coach for the women’s team, Erwin van Bennekom, explained that the combination of technical and tactical components is what draws his attention.
“What we are looking for is if they can see the execution they have to make and then can they execute it. Technique is the execution of a tactical decision,” noted van Bennekom.
For other coaches and scouts, the mindset of coming into a tournament with the goal of being recruited also relies on factors that may not always be skill level.
“I really preach to them to do well in school because if your grades don’t warrant you may get overlooked,” stated Jose Valle, head coach of the U17 Boys FC Heat team based out of Escondido.
Valle’s squad played an array of out-of-state teams, which saw FC Heat defeated by Washington teams PSPL Surf Academy and Eastside FC, playing out a draw versus Olympia FC out of Texas as well as defeating Drago Ceranic’s top ranked Iowa team Cedar River SA.
Zach Kingsley, head coach of U18 Boys Marin FC and college recruit for Dominican University of California, claimed that a primary aspect he looks at when scouting is the GPA of a student. He matches if the player would fit in with the school’s soccer program with education playing a primary role in his decision.
In this showcase, college recruits were able to utilize the scouting app, ScoutingZone, to provide further efficiency for looking at players. Related Article: ScountingZone Recruiting for College
Ileana Moschos, assistant coach for the University of Pittsburgh Women’s program, noted that the accessibility of apps such as these allows for organization when looking for possible recruitments.
“Any sort of scouting app certainly allows for you to have a little more organization while you are at the field so you have the information more readily at your fingers,” claimed Moschos.
Although the era of apps has provided a new way of connecting and receiving information, college recruits tend to still rely heavily on contacts through club connections. Contacting schools that are of interest to you also still presents a great chance to receive exposure in order to get your top schools on the sideline watching your game.
The recruitment process has evolved and is further establishing profound success and opportunities for more youth soccer players to be seen.
San Diego Surf College Cup Showcase wraps up 2015 with another successful outing as players had a chance to showcase their talent once again in Southern California.
2015 San Diego Surf College Cup Showcase Champions
GIRLS U15
SEASIDE: SD SURF ACADEMY ECNL
MOONLIGHT: CV SJ EARTHQUAKES 00G ACADEMY
SWAMIS: SC DEL SOL 01 GIRLS ECNL
GIRLS U16
SEASIDE: LEGENDS FC 99
MOONLIGHT: REAL SO CAL ECNL
SWAMIS: LA GALAXY SB ELITE
BEACONS: DIABLO FC 99G NPL ACADEMY
STONE STEPS: PLACER UNITED 00G GOLD
GIRLS U17
SEASIDE: SD SURF ACADEMY ECNL
MOONLIGHT: WEST COAST FC ECNL G98
SWAMIS: AHWATUKEE 99 GIRLS WHITE
BEACONS: HEAT FC 99 ECNL
WOMEN’S U18
SEASIDE: UTAH CELTIC FC 98 PREMIER BLACK
MOONLIGHT: PLACER UNITED 98G GOLD
SWAMIS: LAMORINDA SC BAY OAKS 97 NAVY GIRLS
BOYS U15
SEASIDE: ALBION SC WHITE
BOYS U16
SEASIDE: FC GOLDEN STATE GOLD
MOONLIGHT: PORTLAND SPARTANS FC BU16 ACADEMY
BOYS U17
SEASIDE: PLACER UNITED 99B GOLD
MOONLIGHT: SERENO SOUTHEAST 99 BOYS CHELSEA
SWAMIS: LEGENDS FC B98
MEN’S U18
SEASIDE: ALMADEN FC MERCURY 97B GREEN
MOONLIGHT: DE ANZA FORCE 97B BLUE
SWAMIS: BEACH FC ACADEMY
