Coach outreach

Emailing college soccer coaches

The emails that get opened are short and specific: grad year, position, club team and league, high school, a clickable highlight link and where a coach can watch you next.

Who to email

Email the head coach and the assistant who handles recruiting (many staff pages say who that is). Use the "Coaching staff" link in the directory; make sure you open the men's or women's page that matches your team.
Fill out the school's recruiting questionnaire too.

When to email

You can email coaches at any grade. D1 coaches can read your emails and watch your film before they're allowed to reply.
D1 men's and women's soccer coaches can reply starting June 15 after sophomore year. D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO coaches can reply sooner. See the timeline.
The best time to email is 1-2 weeks before a showcase or ID camp a coach is likely to attend.

Subject line formula

Grad year, position, club team and league, high school and state, and where you'll be playing next.

Subject: [Grad Year] CB/RB | [Club Team], [League] | [High School], [ST] | Highlights
Subject: [Grad Year] Forward | [Club Team] | Playing at [Event], Field [#], [Date]

Sample coach email

Keep the body under about 150 words. Put your highlight link near the top. Never attach video.

Coach [Last Name],

My name is [Full Name]. I am a [Grad Year] [position] for [Club Team] ([League]) and [High School] in [City, State]. I am interested in [University] soccer, specifically [one real reason].

Player snapshot:
- Position(s): [ ] | Dominant foot: [ ] | Height: [ ]
- Highlights: [link]  (best clips in the first 30 seconds)
- Full match film: [link]
- Upcoming events: [Event, dates, field/time, jersey #]
- GPA: [unweighted] / [weighted] | Test score: [if any]
- Academic interest: [ ]

I have completed [University]'s soccer recruiting questionnaire.

Club coach: [Name, cell, email]
High school coach: [Name, cell, email]

Thank you for your time.

[Full Name]
Class of [Grad Year] | [Position] | [Club Team]
[Cell] | [Email] | [NCAA ID if any]

Send it from the player's own email address, one school per email. College soccer coaches usually call the club coach first, so make sure your club coach knows you're reaching out.

Follow-ups

Before every showcase: a two-line email with your field, kickoff time and jersey number.
After a camp or showcase: a short thank-you within a day or two, with a clip if you have one.
Every 3-4 weeks in season: something new, like new film, a grade update or your updated schedule.
Keep a tracker: school, coach, date sent, questionnaire done, reply, next follow-up.

College Soccer Recruiting Playbook · $29.99

Get the step-by-step soccer playbook

Everything on this page is free. Want it all in one place? The 38-page playbook and Excel tracker cover men's and women's D1, D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO dates by grade, club play, showcases and ID camps, email templates, a 30-day quick start and 2,713 programs.

See the Playbook