What’s going on?
Little dap.
It’s Jared Montz former pro and founder
of OnlineSoccerAcademy.com.
Today we are talking about how to go pro in
america.
This soccer video is geared towards american
male and female players who's "it" is to play
professional soccer in America.
One day I will do another video about how
to play professional soccer outside of America.
Before I go any farther I want you to understand
that just because you play soccer sports DOES
NOT mean you have to making it pro in soccer
or want to go pro.
Soccer players can play the game, improve,
soccer video, and love it just as much as
any pro does not matter how old you are and
no matter what level you play at.
I DO NOT encourage every OSA player to try
to go pro, that is not the point of the OSA.
The point of the OSA is make better soccer
players and to help you reach your personal
"it".
I get asked about how to go pro a lot so I
thought I'd make an OSA video about it.
The top pro league in America for men is MLS
and there are other lower level leagues below
that.
For women the top pro league is the NWSL and
there are other lower level leagues below
that.
Most of the tips in this video are applicable
to male and female players.
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Back to how to be a pro.
Think of a ladder.
If you want to get to the top of a ladder
do you jump to the top?
No, you would fall off and hurt yourself.
But if you take it step by step you will continue
to climb slow and steady to the top.
Pro soccer is the top of the ladder and it's
a steep, hard climb.
Youth soccer is at the bottom of the ladder.
Now lets talk about the steps you need to
take to climb the pro soccer ladder.
There are different routes to being a pro,
these are just a few key points.
Key Points: How to Play Pro Soccer
1.
First you get on a club/travel team and do
really well.
The best travel team you can be on is the
one you want to be on.
If your local club team is good but the one
that is two hours away is great and they go
to a lot of big college showcase tournaments
then I recommend you try to get on the great
team.
Yes, I know two hours is a long way to drive
for training.
I use to drive 2.5 hours to play for a great
team when I was in high school so I feel your
pain.
DO NOT do this type of extreme commitment
until you are high school age and fully committed
to taking your game to the next level.
If you can get on an MLS Academy youth team
that is a phenomenal opportunity because you
don't pay to play and you have pro coaches
around you a lot.
Soccer world.
The whole point of an MLS Academy team is
to groom players to be a pro.
Not all players will sign pro, most won't
but if you are 16 and doing well on an MLS
Academy team there is a good chance you will
get to train with the 1st team, play in a
reserve game and if you do really, really
well against pros… they will want to sign
you as a pro even though you are a teenager.
Other top youth leagues in America are the
US Soccer Development Academy and the ECNL
which stands for Elite Clubs National League.
Play on a club team that is in either of those
two leagues are you are where you want to
be at the youth level.
What about high school soccer?
Good question.
High School soccer is great, it's fun but
typically in the American soccer system most
players are recruited to play college soccer
or pro soccer from their club teams, not their
high school teams.
Just the way it is.
2.
Try out for ODP.
Football soccer.
ODP stands for olympic development program.
It is US Soccer's way of finding out who the
best of the best are.
ODP has a state level, regional level and
a national team level.
The idea is that you make the state team,
then try out for the regional team and make
that, then try out for the National team and
make that.
Easier said then done of course and only a
very small amount of people make the national
team but if you do, that is great!
By making ODP teams it shows college and pro
coaches you are, on paper at least, better
then players that don't make the team.
If you don't do well in ODP it doesn't mean
you can't make it pro.
I didn't make my state ODP team one year.
I've got friends that are pros that didn't
make ODP.
I also know players that were youth national
team soccer player and they couldn't cut it
as a pro because they were to mentally weak
from being babied their whole youth career.
3.
Play college soccer!
College soccer is a big step in the ladder
for making the jump to pro soccer football.
Typically pro coaches scout the best college
players on the best college teams.
So if you can you want to go to high level
D1 programs.
Pro soccer is the best of the best, not the
best of the average.
If you play for D1 team Indiana and you are
one of the top players that will increase
your odds of going pro.
If you play for D3 team Rhodes college and
are one of the best, your odds aren't as good
as the best player on the Indiana team.
Yes, you can go pro if you play a lower level
then D1, I played D2, but typically it will
be easier to get scouted at the D1 level versus
a D2 or D3 level.
Lots of young players in America message me
saying I'm 15 and no pro scouts are looking
at me.
That is the wrong mind set.
You want college coaches recruiting you in
your teenager years, not pro scouts scouting
you.
Yes, if you are the elite of the elite youth
player some pro scouts will be looking at
you but for most of you, the next step to
going pro is playing college soccer.
For tips on how to get recruited click here
to read our free College Recruiting Handbook
from our other company CollegeRecruitingWebsite.com.
That will teach you all about how to get recruited.
4.
Attend a paid pro try out or combine.
How to soccer.
If you don't get scouted and signed after
college in the MLS draft to play pro soccer
then you still have options.
Yes, it's best to get drafted and signed from
day one but lots of great pros in MLS didn't
get drafted.
Most pro teams, MLS, NWSL and lower leagues,
offer a paid try out you can attend.
Go on a team's website and search for when
their try outs are and sign up for them.
Do 2 or 3 of them.
If you do great at their try out, they will
be interested.
Think of yourself like the diamond in the
rough they want to discover!
Click here to check out the InfoSport Combine.
Not anyone can attend this, I believe it's
invite only, but this combine is one you want
to attend.
It's meant for high level players that didn't
attend the main MLS combine.
Lots of pro coaches attend this combine and
it's a good one.
This combine is for male players.
5.
Accept the odds are against you.
Only 1% of players play pro.
There is a reason for that, the best of the
best play pro.
You need to understand this and be realistic
about this.
If you are not in the top three players on
your team and you don't train a lot on your
own that is okay but you probably are not
good enough and committed enogh to be pro.
If you are one of the better players on your
team, you are constantly improving and you
are working hard to achieve your "it" then
good news… you have a 1% chance of making
it.
Odds I'd take any day!
Click here and you can watch an OSA video
on my personal story of how I went pro.
6.
Put yourself in the right situations to get
lucky.
It doesn't matter how good you are, if the
right people aren't seeing you then you won't
get recruited to play college soccer or scouted
to play pro soccer.
Do the best you can with what you have around
to get on the best travel team, play in the
biggest showcase tournaments, go to a great
soccer college, etc.
If money is an issue for you ask your neighbors
if you can do chores for them for money.
I use to cut lawns and wash and wax cars to
make money to help pay for some of my soccer
bills.
Do what you have to do but keep it legal of
course!
Don't forget your education through all of
this!
When you make a lot of money as a pro you
want to be smart about what you do with your
money so having a good education will help!
DO NOT forget about school, make good grades
and be successful off the field, not just
on it.
Have no regrets!
It's better to give it everything you have
and not make it then have a dream, not go
for it and 20 years later you lay in bed at
night wondering what if.
Be confident!
A lot of people will doubt that you can achieve
your "it".
They doubted me, they laughed at me, that's
just the way it is.
Be confident, work hard and Believe in it®.
DO NOT let negative people bring you down.
All pros are talented, the difference is little
things.
How hard they train, how confident they are,
how much they improve, how quick they think,
etc.
I know lots of talented players that couldn't
cut it as a pro and I know lots of players
that are having great pro careers because
they do all the little things right.
If your "it" is to go pro then good luck.
I hope this OSA video will help shed some
light on how to get there.
Remember small improvements daily equal big
improvements over time.
Keep climbing the ladder.
Hope you enjoyed this Online Soccer Academy
training video.
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Post a comment; let me know what you think
and how it worked for you?
My name is Jared Montz and Remember if you
Believe in it® and back that up with hard
work, anything in life is possible!
Believe in it®!
