Many former LMSC travel team players are currently playing at the college level. At last count, we have 37 former LMSC players who played at the college level this fall. A list of those players, along with the school they are attending and their year in school can be found below. Our apologies to any player who we missed.
The NCAA, which most (but not all) colleges are a member of, offer three levels of competition. Division 1 is the highest level and is comprised mostly of large universities where the athletes train year round. At the division 1 level, schools may offer up to 9.9 scholarships for the men’s soccer program and up to 12 scholarships for their women’s program. At the division 2 level, schools may offer up to 9 scholarships for men’s programs and up to 9.9 for women’s programs. Division 3 schools may not offer athletic scholarships for any sport. Scholarships are usually only offered in fractions to individual players. Most schools however limit the amount of scholarships to a much lower number than what the NCAA allows. Unlike college football and basketball, very few soccer players are awarded full scholarships. Some leagues such as the Ivy League (U. Penn, Princeton, Harvard, etc.) do not allow schools to offer scholarships for athletics.
Our current Under 18 team, the LMSC Velez are almost all seniors in high school. During their ten years, the team has won several state championships and has competed all over the United States and beyond. Last year, the Velez took third place at nationals. The team also won the National League, comprised of many of the top teams in the nation. The Velez head coach, Miguel Nuila, has been with this team since they formed at Under 8. He has written an article below about the experiences of talking with college coaches while he helped his players select their college for next year. Many parents have incorrect ideas about the college recruiting process, athletic scholarships, etc. Please read Miguel’s article on the following page. You will find it very interesting and informative.
Unless you are a national team player, or close to it, soccer players need to realize that scholarships are rare. The best philosophy for those players is to concentrate on having soccer help you get into a school you might otherwise not get into. College coaches can help a player get into a school that he / she might not otherwise get into, but only to a limited extent. In the soccer world, a coach can help a student athlete get into a school that is one level higher academically, but not two or three levels. This is not college basketball or football, the college coaches can only do so much.
Another important philosophy to adhere to is: A student athlete should only choose a school that he or she would like even if he / she were not playing soccer. Is the school a good fit academically? Is the school a good fit socially? Would you enjoy the school even if you were not able to make the soccer team? If not, then this is not the right school for you.
LMSC ALUMNI WHO PLAYED AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL IN 2009
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| Doug Ammon | Gettysburg College | sophomore |
| Nick Bibbs | Caldwell College | freshman |
| Ann Marie Burke | Williams College | junior |
| Jeff Calhoun | Richmond University | freshman |
| David Cassanelli | Duquesne University | sophomore |
| Hana Chamoun | Clark University | freshman |
| Greg Cochrane | Virginia Tech | freshman |
| Michelle Conway | West Chester University | freshman |
| Max Crockett | Drexel University | junior |
| Martin Dell'Arciprete | Temple University | senior |
| Danny DiLullo | James Madison | freshman |
| David Dubow | Princeton University | freshman |
| Drew Erickson | Gettysburg College | senior |
| Sam Feldbaum | Lafayette College | junior |
| Sarah Friedman | Univ. of Pennsylvania | junior |
| Jennifer Gangl | West Chester University | freshman |
| BJ Glenn | Lafayette College | junior |
| Jordan Griffith | Villanova University | junior |
| Peter Jannelli | University of Cincinnati | freshman |
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| Tom Kalpokas | LaSalle University | sophomore |
| Jason Kass | Kenyon College | freshman |
| Drew Kotler | Northwester University | sophomore |
| Matt Krantz | Franklin and Marshall | junior |
| Wayne Maminski | Lafayette University | sophomore |
| Dan Mayernick | Trinity College | sophomore |
| Steve Mayernick | Trinity College | junior |
| Georgie McFarland | Colgate University | freshman |
| Hannah Newman | Middlebury College | freshman |
| Jessica Rosenbluth | Penn State University | sophomore |
| Lee Rubenstein | Univ. of Pennsylvania | senior (captain) |
| Myra Sack | Dartmouth College | senior (captain) |
| Stephen Simonian | Lebanon Valley College | freshman |
| Brooke Stokes | Bucknell University | junior |
| Zach Weimar | Swarthmore College | senior |
| Alec Weiss | Villanova University | freshman |
| Zach Winthrop | Lafayette College | junior |
| Diana Witjyk | Ursinus College | sophomore |
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by Miguel Nuila, head coach of the LMSC Velez (Under 18 Boys)
Written: December 5, 2009
The LMSC Velez is in its 11th year of existence with most of the players on the squad having been on the team since Under 10.It has been a long and difficult road over the years but the team has persevered and now we are being rewarded handsomely in college hunt.
The success of our college placement is due to mainly to these factors:
The amazing attitude that our parents have kept throughout the years.First and foremost, parents concentrated on one thing: their sons having fun in the game they love so much.By U-12, we had lost ALL of the parents wanting to professionalize their sons' soccer.Oddly enough, those that left us and that still play the sport are no better off college wise than any of the boys that chose to stay.
The impeccable integrity of our families.When a player commits to a coach, there are no take backs.When a school commits to a player, it is because that school is the player's number one choice.This integrity has given the team a good reputation with many colleges and universities.
Our parents got REAL very early in the process.For a team with the success that we have had, we have six players committed to Division 3 programs with more to follow this year as the Juniors begin committing.Schools like Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin, Carnegie Mellon, Vassar, Dickinson, Johns Hopkins, F&M, Rochester, and others frequently attend our games looking for that next potential recruit.The word is out that Velez supports Division 3 programs.
As the old saying goes, "there are 300 million citizens in the US and only 300 players of soccer at the highest level.Is it more important that they grow up to be a good soccer players or good citizens?"Of course, having a talented bunch did help a lot as well.The results of our college placements can be found at: http://velez91.com
During the beginning of our sophomore year, we used the following excerpt from a recruiting article.These are the words that set the tone for our entire recruiting campaign.
BE REALISTIC: Do not assume that because you are not an ODP or Representative player with great credentials that you cannot be recruited. There are not enough big names to go around. Over one thousand colleges compete in soccer. You can compete at many of the schools seeking decent players.
BE REALISTIC: When you set out to be recruited do not involve schools that you would not or could not go to if you were accepted. It is a waste of everyone’s time and money.
BE REALISTIC: Most young athletes are disappointed in their senior year because they assume a college coach is going to find them. Coaches do not have the time or money to search for athletes. You must help them by selling yourself.
BE REALISTIC: You are going to college to continue your education. You should be using soccer to help you complete that goal. Make your decision based on academic and social considerations NOT soccer. Carefully consider whether you want to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond.
BE REALISTIC: Limit your marketing efforts to twenty to twenty-five schools.
BE REALISTIC: Full ride athletic scholarships are so rare they might just as well not exist. You are pursuing a package of Academic and Financial assistance. Understand what is possible and pursue that. The stories of a coach pulling into your driveway with money hanging out of his pockets are not realistic.
BE REALISTIC: Academic assistance for admissions is the easiest form of help to get. Do not put yourself in the position of being recruited too high academically. If you should be at New Mexico State do not try for Stanford. One level over your SAT or GPA is about as high as you want to push the academic help.
BE REALISTIC: Do not fall in love with the first coach who calls and says he wants you. You are going to spend four years living and playing somewhere. Be absolutely positive you will be happy in the school you end up in.
BE REALISTIC: Do not attempt to be recruited to a school unless there is at least some reason to believe you can get enough financial assistance to go there. A school that cost $25,000 has to come up with a lot more money to recruit a middle class kid than a school that costs $15,000. If that school only has five scholarships they probably cannot afford you.
BE REALISTIC: When you talk to coaches, they are trying to sell you on their program and you are trying to sell them on your abilities. This can lead to a lot of misunderstandings. If a school makes your final list, check it out very carefully. Twenty-five percent of all freshmen drop out the first year. When you talk to coaches YOU must do the talking. Your Mom and Dad are not being recruited.
BE REALISTIC: Make every attempt to attend camps where the colleges you like coach.Call the coaches directly (you are allowed to call the soccer office at the college) and find out where they will be coaching in winter or summer camps.
