Ever wondered what it’s like at a ‘Soccer Showcase’, why players consider scholarships in America or why coaches are keen to recruit British players? Read on…
IT is a chilly grey winter morning on London’s Greenwich peninsula but the heat is on in the London Soccerdome building that dominates the area’s eastern skyline, writes CATHERINE ETOE.
That’s because this is the day that 31 teenage girls from across Britain will compete under the Soccerdome’s curved roof in a bid to play their way to a prestigious soccer scholarship in America.
Organised by Tyne and Wear based company PASS4Soccer, this London showcase gives scores of US-based football coaches the chance to run the rule over some of the best of Britain’s hopefuls before deciding which players would fit their team Stateside.
Around 30 coaches have flown in to watch the 17 to 19 year olds from the sidelines on the day, while others will rely on PASS4Soccer’s video footage of the games and individual player showreels before they decide which footballers to approach.
Head soccer coach Adrian Rigby of the University of Houston-Victoria in Texas (left) is among the onlookers in the Soccerdome and he has already spotted a few stand-out players.
“I always look for players at these events who are switched on, demanding the ball,” he says. “We’ve got about 10 players from the UK on our men’s team and we are looking to do similar things on the women’s team as well. We always need people who can put the ball in the back of the net, really just the best players.”
With around an hour to impress over the course of two 70 minute matches, it can be a nerve-wracking experience for players who are still only in their late teens.
It can be a tense time for their parents too as they watch their girls quietly from the side of the 3G pitch or peer out at them from the large windows of the refectory that overlooks it.
“We are probably more nervous than she is really,” laughs Sarah O’Gara whose 17-year-old daughter Katie is playing in the showcase.
Nerves or not, in the coming weeks, PASS4Soccer director Daniel Gray expects all 31 players will have done enough to be offered scholarships, with around 25 of them taking the plunge to combine competitive football with overseas study.
Why are American universities prepared to give British youngsters a part or fully funded university education? Gray says it is because Brits offer something “different” both on the field and in the classroom.
“There are actually more female soccer scholarships than male so there’s a lot more opportunities for girls,” he adds. “And because of the advances in women’s football here, the American coaches are increasingly looking for British players, not necessarily for athleticism and strength and power, but their creativity. It’s not all just about the football, it’s about what they bring in the dressing room, to the team and the university as well.”
Soccer coach Sarah McNulty, who was in London to find players for her National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division Two side at the University of Mary in North Dakota, can attest to that.
McNulty signed ex-Preston North End footballer Megan Searson from a PASS4Soccer showcase and the midfielder went on to play almost every minute for the Marauders to become the Conference’s Newcomer of the Year.
“The American system of football is so fast paced and athletic,” explains McNulty. “Megan’s technical ability is a sense of relief that we need on the pitch and she’s also very, very comfortable in tight situations so she plays a key role for us in the middle of the field.
“She’s had to adjust to the physical and fitness standards but I think she brings the experience to the other girls of understanding football as an international sport and it’s nice to have those different personalities together because we have other girls from other countries on our team as well.”
The benefits of US soccer scholarships are not one-sided, however. PASS4Soccer, who have more than a decade of experience in arranging American soccer scholarships for British teenagers, say it can be a life changer.
“It is a fantastic experience,” says Gray. “They get access to some excellent facilities and some great universities. The opportunity to play at a really high level, get an education and also get the majority, if not all of it, paid for is a massive pull and that’s not something you can get access to in this country.”
College football is indeed a high level game in America, with universities competing in any of three divisions in the NCAA, often being cheered on by large crowds.
It is an enticing prospect for the likes of Katie O’Gara, a defender with Manchester City’s Development Squad who hopes to study Sports Science at university.
“A girl I used to play with has just gone over and she said if you don’t come out here you are missing a massive opportunity,” she says. “If I went over I would want to improve how I play and come back and try to get into the first team of any team that I go to.”
McNulty says talking to others in a university team is a good idea, but insists that the educational aspects are key to any decision.
“Ultimately you are there to get an education so make sure you pick a university that has the studies that you’d be interested in going into,” she says, adding: “Research, talk to other players on the team via Facebook, Twitter, email or give them a call just to see how you would fit into the picture.”
Background research can be key to making a happy move to the US, but it is still a big step for those who are happy at their clubs and optimistic about the future of women’s football in Britain.
Caitlin Hayes and Kate O’Gara
“It would be a hard decision because I think women’s football in England is getting better and is at a really good standard now,” says Caitlin Hayes, an 18-year-old defender in Everton’s Development Squad who was in action at the PASS4Soccer showcase.
“Being at Everton the next step would be to go into the first team and it would be an unbelievable achievement of mine if I did get into the WSL so I’m not too sure what I’d do if I had the option,” she says. “It would be really close which I’d pick.”
Falling out of international consideration may be another worry for others, although the La Manga squad call-ups of Demi Stokes and Rachel Daley, currently at the University of South Florida and St John’s University. respectively, by the new England manager Mark Sampson may reassure some.
Parent Sarah O’Gara believes, however, that the experience can be a positive one.
“I just think it’s really important for them to get the experience,” she says. “Women’s football in America is far more recognised than it is in this country and to combine that with gaining a degree it’s just the perfect opportunity.”
Those who take that opportunity do so in the knowledge that they will be helped with college and visa applications by PASS4Soccer, whose team also provide assistance throughout the scholarship.
“Although we charge a fee as an organisation we like to think that what you can get back from it in the scholarship and in the long run – making the process as easy as possible – it is paid many times over,” adds Gray.
“I would say to anyone considering it that it’s a fabulous opportunity. At least consider it fully before you ever rule out going over to the States. It’s not for everyone but for those who are interested in studying abroad, it can bring so much to their CV and to their life as well.”
(Images: Catherine Etoe)
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