City SC College Program

City SC is proud to provide a comprehensive college preparation program. With two full time college liaisons, we strive to educate players about the recruitment process and assist each individual with identifying soccer programs and universities that will be a good fit for their future. High school aged players gain access to recruiting tools, resources, and guidance, and prepare them for the demands of college on the field and in the classroom.

Boys College Liaison: Sean Gurley

Email: sean@ourcitysc.com
Cell no. (760) 473-3265

Sean’s collegiate career started at Norte Dame de Namur, where he appeared in 20 games as a freshman for an Argo squad that made an appearance in the 2008 NCAA Division II tournament. He played his final three seasons at Cal Poly Pomona (2009-12) in the CCAA conference, where he appeared in 52 matches. As a junior, he tied the program’s single-match record for assists in one game with three in a 7-0 defeat over Cal State East Bay. The Broncos went 29-22-4 during his time at CPP.

As our Boys College Liaison, Sean has placed numerous players in colleges across the country. He has an infectious enthusiasm that will no doubt filter through to our City SC boys and help them achieve their college goals. Click here to see Sean’s full bio.

Girls College Liaison: Aaron Jaffe

Email: aaron@ourcitysc.com
Cell no. (858) 231-8512

Aaron began his coaching journey in 2008. He has worked with all age groups across all levels in that time. He is a student of the game and it is not a surprise if you see him on a field. In addition to that time spent on the field as a coach, Aaron has been a photographer, videographer, and match analyst for numerous professional teams and athletics departments. This unique experience has helped not only develop his coaching voice, but has helped foster building deeper connections with colleagues and players.

As a college liaison, Aaron has helped many players through the college process over the years. Whether it be at a NAIA school or a NCAA Division 1 Power 5, finding the right fit is something that drives him. Jaffe makes sure he gets to know each player in order to help them achieve their collegiate goals and to go somewhere where they can make an impact and build a proper platform for the next phase of their lives. Click here to see Aaron’s full bio.

Here at City SC we are very proud of the environment we create to encourage ALL of our young players to attend college. We are not only very focused on achieving athletic scholarships for our players but we endeavor to ensure all players that progress through our various programs attend and complete a college degree.

Updated monthly, our ‘College Bound’ feature is the perfect resource for our college prospects to keep up to date and informed with what actions they need to be taking.

LATEST COLLEGE COMMITMENTS

Congratulations to all City SC Players listed below on their recent college commitments. We are so proud of you all and have a few more that are about to commit.

• U19 GA – Amanda Anders – Texas Christian University
• U19 GA – Avery Baker – University of Denver
• U19 GA – Avery Munoz – Concordia University Irvine
• U19 GA – Avery Van Natter – Regis University
• U19 GA – Lila Conroy – Saint Joseph’s University
• U19 GA – Maya Paeske – University of Miami
• U19 GA – Paige Bickley – University of San Diego
• U19 GA – Sophia Carter – Maryville University
• U19 MLS NEXT – Weston Ash – Westmont College

College Recruitment – Use This Time Wisely – CLICK HERE to read story

MOST EFFECTIVE FORMS OF COMMUNICATION W/ COLLEGE COACHES:

EMAIL: Send an authentic, genuine email to every school on your top list telling them why you are interested in their school; written by YOU, not your parents and making sure it’s personalized for that specific school/program

• Create your game plan based on your top list and email often – the squeaky wheel gets the grease! Too much is never enough. Keep a history of your email communication to each coach/school in email folders and respond to your original email each time so they are familiar with your persistence
• Include your Name, Grad Year, Club Team
• Upcoming Tournament Schedule – let them know where you will be playing this summer
• Always insert your SZ Personalized Weblink
• Follow-Up in an email after tournaments
• Send video clips, full matches or info for coaches to watch virtually pre & post event (your SZ profile will hold unlimited video footage)
• Create your own “soccer” specific social media profile on Instagram and Twitter and follow your favorite college teams (and the coaches if they are on social media also). Be sure to tag them in any updates / posts – especially if you have new video, or schedule updates – this is a great way to market yourself via social media and stay connected to college soccer programs that interest you

PICK UP THE PHONE: After June 15th of your sophomore year (summer before your Junior year) – 2-way communication is permitted

• Coaches have different preferred methods of communication – text, phone, email; ask them!

DON’T BE AFRAID OF HEARING “NO”: No doesn’t have a be a negative thing. Hearing “No” helps you through the recruiting process and gives clarity on what a true “yes” is. Also helps to move through your top list and narrow down the “right” fit for you.

2024-2025 ACT Test Dates and Deadlines

2024-25 SAT Test Dates and Deadlines

Are you going on a college visit soon? Here are some questions to ask on the visit:

• What is your program’s style of play and how do you see me fitting in?
• How many players have you committed to my recruiting class? And how many are you hoping to commit?
• What is your team dynamic?
• Does your University award academic aid separate from athletic aid?
• What is your graduation rate for your program? Do majority of student-athletes graduate in four years?

PRESENTER: CHAKA DALEY,  University of Michigan, Head Coach, Men’s Soccer

A)       Schools of Interest

• Create list
• DI, DII, DIII, NAIA
• Research
• Visit
• Realistic
• Feedback/Recommendations/Contacts/Word of Mouth etc.

B)       Create Informational Packet/SPORT SPECIFIC RESUME

• Accuracy
• Professionalism
• Include Academic, Athletic highlights and References
• Appearances—where can the coach see you play? What environment?

C)       How to recruit your potential institution!

4 MAJOR FACTORS ARE:    ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, FINANCIAL, ATHLETIC  

1) ACADEMIC

• *MUST BE FIRST CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING A SCHOOL*
• CGPA, quality of classes–SAT/ACT (SAT optional?)
• Recommendations/Contacts
• ADMISSIONS–Early Action/Early Decision/Regular Decision
• Research—school profile (average student accepted is?)
• Majors offered
• Career Services (Alumni)

2) ATHLETIC- How we (Coaches) Recruit?

• Are you being recruited? VS. Recruiting a school?

1. Send Resume (E-mail & hard copy)
2. Must see the TEAM PLAY!
3. IF YOU ARE NOT SEEN IN THE RECRUITING PROCESS? (Dream School) WALK-ON OPPORTUNITIES?

• Every Coach/Every School varies because of:

1. Financial Resources (scholarships and/or financial aid)
2. Academic Standards
3. Admissions Support
4. Team Needs—Tier of RECRUITS
5. Roster Limitations

3) SOCIAL

• Unofficial visit vs. Official visit(5); DI, DII, DIII
• BE INQUISITIVE—Ask questions??? (Players, Coaches, Professors, Student body, Career Services etc.)
• Points of Consideration include: Athletic facilities, Conference, Size, Location, Distance from home, Climate, Football school, girl to guy ratio etc.
• *OPPORTUNITY*

4) FINANCIAL

• Aid vs. Need
• Grants vs. Loans (opportunity)
• Need vs. Merit
• Academic Scholarships—requirements?
• Additional Scholarships—research?
• Tuition Exchange
• Early Action/Early Decision/Regular Decision
• PROFILE and/or FAFSA—DETERMINES YOUR FAMILY CONTRIBUTION
• ATHLETIC Scholarships
•             -scholarship opportunities/packages vary dramatically at all schools
•             -counter and equivalency (example 9.9 Men’s Soccer)
•             –Example of a ½ grant and ½ athletic
•             -scholarships are year-to-year with a recommendation by coach
•             *poor academic performance and/or disciplinary issues
•             *ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE CAN NOT!
•             Potential Player Cannot be shy with regards to asking questions regarding financial aid—HOW?

D)       TIMELINES:  Increasingly difficult on Coach and potential student-athlete

YOU MUST BEGIN TO PREPARE EARLY!!

MY ADVICE/OPINION:

• Sophomore Year (1^st Semester Aug-Dec) –  list of schools and begin to research.
• Sophomore Year (2^nd Semester Jan-Jun) – Begin to prepare 1 page informational on you and narrow your search.
• Summer before Junior Year – Continue to develop resume & narrow search -where are you playing?
• Junior Year (before high school season or Thanksgiving) – Resume with future schedules included (high school or club) E-mail accessible & hard copy
• Junior Year (before Christmas) – tournament appearance(s) & updates to resume
• Junior Year (2^nd Semester Jan-Jun) – continue to narrow list based on feedback and generate feedback
•                        – Unofficial Visit(s) to those that interest you and/or interested in you!
•                        – Mail transcripts & SAT scores with senior courses included (if available)
• REGISTER FOR THE ELIGIBILITY CENTER!
• Summer before Senior Year
•             -Unofficial Visit(s)
•             -Camp(s)!
•             -July 1^st Recruiting Calls
• Senior Year (1^st Semester Aug-Dec) – continue unofficial visits IF not taken
•              – official visits (5); DI obsolete?, DII (trial at end of your season), DIII (vist at any time in college career)
•              – Visit CAMPUS in action (regular school day—attend class & game day—observe coaching style, caliber of players, your position)
•             -APPLICATION PROCESS/DEADLINES
•             –DECISION!!!
• Senior Year (2nd Semester Jan-Jun)
•             –APPLY ON TIME
•             –FILL OUT FAFSA & PROFILE (pay attention to deadlines)
•             –NLI (February) or ACCEPTANCE LETTER
•          -MUST CONTINUE TO PERFORM ACADEMICALLY

Prospective Student-Athlete (PSA) MUST take ownership of this process!!

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!

Resource:
College Graduation Rates for both public and private schools based on State

City SC adopts a comprehensive approach to player development and college placement. It is critical that our players learn the necessary technical and tactical skill to excel on the field, but we also focus intentionally on character development and mental toughness. Preparing for college requires intense commitment to academic, athletic, and psychological success.

City SC provides competitive players excellent college preparation resources. In addition to the high level training by one of the best coaching staff’s in Southern California, college prospects will receive an in-depth education to the college search process, one on one counseling, and access to Scouting Zone. Our college bound prospects are exceptionally prepared to navigate the college search process.

Click here to access the ‘Top Ten Questions to Ask a College Coach.’

FAFSA Website (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) http://www.fafsa.ed.gov Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  This is the application for college-bound students to potentially receive Federal and State grant money to attend a public or private college.  The FAFSA awards are mainly based on financial need and merit of the student.   Not only does the FAFSA open up opportunities from the Federal and State governments, but it also highlights specific awards at different collegiate institutions. Every potential college bound student should file the FAFSA for scholarship opportunities for college.  Visit the FAFSA website today!

NCAA Eligibility Center (Formerly NCAA Clearinghouse) https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common/ The NCAA Eligibility Center is something that every potential collegiate student-athlete needs to register for in order to play collegiate sports. Your high school transcripts, SAT scores, ACT scores will all need to be filed with the NCAA Eligibility Center. You should register with the NCAA Eligibility Center at the beginning of your junior year of high school.

CollegeBoard (SAT College Entrance Exam and Scholarship Website) http://www.collegeboard.com The SAT is one of two exams that you can take to be eligible to attend college.  Every student-athlete must achieve a certain score on the SAT in order to be eligible to play collegiate athletics.  Through the collegeboard website, you can register for an upcoming SAT exam, have your scores sent to the college of your choice, and even take practice exams to get prepare for the real one! The SAT is a more widely used test when it comes to college athletics, but not the only option. Visit the CollegeBoard website to answer any other questions about the SAT you may have.

ACT Student (ACT Entrance Exam and Scholarship) http://www.actstudent.org The ACT is the second of two exams that you can take to be eligible to attend college. Every student-athlete must achieve a certain score on the ACT in order to be eligible to play collegiate athletics. Through the ACT website, you can register for an upcoming ACT exam, have your scores sent to the college of your choice, and even take practice exams to get prepare for the real one! Visit the ACT website to answer any other questions you may have.

CSU Mentor (CSU Application Website) http://www.csumentor.com/ The CSU Mentor website is where you can apply to the CSU of your choice.  CSU stands for California State University and the CSU system consists of various universities throughout California.  The following institutions are part of the CSU System and can be applied to through the CSU Mentor website: Cal Maritime, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Channel Islands, CSU Chico, CSU Dominguez Hills, CSU East Bay, CSU Fresno, CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, CSU Los Angeles, CSU Monterey Bay, CSU Northridge, CSU Sacramento, CSU San Bernardino, CSU San Marcos, CSU Stanislaus, Humboldt State, San Diego State, San Francisco State, San Jose State, and Sonoma State. By using the CSU Mentor website, you can apply to these institutions. Visit the CSU Mentor Website if you are interested in attending any of these wonderful universities.

UC Website (UC Application) The UC website is where you can apply to the UC of your choice.  UC stands for University of California and the UC system consists of various universities throughout California.  The following institutions are part of the UC System and can be applied to through the UC website: UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, UC San Francisco, and UC Santa Cruz. By using the CSU Mentor website, you can apply to these institutions.  Visit the UC Website if you are interested in attending any of these wonderful universities. http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply_to_uc.html

FastWeb (Scholarship Search Website) http://www.FastWeb.com FastWeb is a search engine dedicated to finding scholarships for college-bound students and current college students. There are a wide variety of scholarships out there, and FastWeb helps to locate them.  It is a great resource to use so visit it today!

NAIA (The NAIA Eligibility Center) http://www.playnaia.org/PlayNAIA.org is the official clearinghouse for NAIA eligibility. Every student-athlete must register with the NAIA eligibility center to play sports at an NAIA college. The eligibility center is also a powerful tool to help athletes connect with coaches and NAIA schools – and find money for college through thousands of NAIA athletic scholarships.

Dear Coach XXXXXXXX,

My name is XXXXXXXX, I am part of the class of 202X. I am interested in attending XXXXXXX and learning more about your XXXXXXXXXXX program. I am also interested in playing soccer for your XXXXXXXXXX soccer team. (Now write briefly what impresses you about their team; eg. style of play, congratulations on a great 202X, I see that you are graduating 7 players in 202X and I would like to be a part of the incoming class, best wishes for a great 202X!, etc.).

I wear number XX and play XXXXXXXX position(s) for City SC XXXXXXXX team. (Now mention some BRIEF points on the stronger parts of your game e.g. speed, touch, composure, etc). Please check out my ScoutinZone profile: paste the URL. If you need any further information regarding my playing ability and/or character please contact my coach (who is cc’ed in on this email); XXXXXXXX at xxxxxx@ourcitysc.com or call him/her at (XXX) XXX-XXXX.

I will be participating in XXXXXXX Showcase and would like to invite you to come and watch one of my games. Please see my schedule below:

PASTE SCHEDULE HERE or INSERT SCHEDULE LINK (URL)

Yours Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXX Team
Jersey Number XX

Here at City SC we are very focused on getting our players in front of top College and Professional coaches in an attempt to provide a platform where they can showcase their skills and potentially move on to the next level in their soccer career.

College ID Camps are excellent opportunities for the college bound soccer prospect to be evaluated in an intimate setting. Prospects can attend ID Camps that are specific to a particular college or attend ID Camp that staffs coaches from multiple institutions. Additionally, ID Camps provide opportunities for the prospect to be coached by college coaches. This provides the prospect a great opportunity for on-field personal interaction, get a feel for the coach’s personality and coaching style, and gain an opportunity to train in a college training atmosphere.