Women footballers don't get as much opportunities to play professionally as the men. The best place to start, I think, is in America.
US colligate soccer program, that means you will prepare to study and play. You can even get an athletic scholarship that may cover all or some of the cost of going to school.
How do you get a football scholarship in America?
Women’s soccer has been hugely popular for a long while, which is no surprise given the amount of success their women’s national team have had in recent years. As a result of the popularity of women’s soccer, it is a really attractive option for many talented student-athletes not only in America but worldwide.
Naturally this means competition for places can be extremely high, which is why using a recruitment consultancy like U.S Sports Scholarships can give you a real advantage.
To increase your chances of securing the best football scholarship possible it is also important that you have strong football and academic credentials. Key elements of the process that can impact how successful you are in securing a scholarship include; your academic qualifications, entrance exam scores, playing history and football match highlights (Video Clips) .
Below we have given you the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about securing a football scholarship in USA.
What is an U.S athletic football scholarship?
An athletic women’s soccer scholarship or football scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a U.S college or university awarded to an female student-athlete based on their academic and athletic capabilities. A women’s soccer scholarship can cover anywhere between 0-100% of costs and these offers are authorised by the coaches at US colleges/universities.
What determines how much scholarship I get in the USA?
Your overall scholarship will depend on many factors including your playing ability and academic standing, as well as your coaches assigned budget for the season. However, don’t worry it is our job to ensure that we find you an American college which best suits your preferences and capabilities. If, for example, a university costs $50,000 a year all in and the coach is giving you a scholarship worth $42,000, then this is a partial scholarship as there is a $8,000 shortfall that the coach wants you to contribute towards the costs of attending the university.
Most partial scholarships come with the incentive that if you perform well, both on the field and in the classroom, then the women’s soccer coach can reward you with a scholarship increase and cover any costs that you had been contributing towards.
Do women’s soccer teams offer full scholarships?
The level of scholarship granted is fundamentally dependent on what the coach of the US college wants to offer. A 100% scholarship or ‘full ride’ covers the costs of tuition and fees, room and board, and textbooks, leaving only incidental costs to pay for the student-athlete.
In this case, 100% of the costs are covered and it can be worth up to a staggering $400,000 over four years. At U.S Sports Scholarships, roughly one in every four of our athletes will receive a full scholarship.
Can a women’s soccer player go on to play professional in the NWSL after graduating from University?
National Women’s Soccer League teams do draft college players into their rosters after they have completed their University education and therefore for top level student-athletes playing in the NWSL is definitely a realistic opportunity; however, competition for places is understandably extremely competitive. That being said, at U.S Sports Scholarships we are firm believers that if you are good enough you will get picked up and playing at college in America for four years gives you the perfect platform to get spotted.
When does the US college football take place?
Because soccer is regarded as a ‘fall sport’ this means that competition takes place between August and around November time depending on how was your team progresses in the regional and national tournament. That being said, most players fly out for pre-season training at the start of August and then come home for a month during the Christmas break after the end of the Fall semester. Spring semester runs from January until May time. During that time although it is regarded as off-season training and scrimmage matches still take place regularly.
How do I find out more about U.S Soccer Scholarships?
To find out more about the women’s soccer scholarship process, fill out our form and a U.S Sports Scholarships consultant will be in touch to answer any questions you may have.
Alternatively, you can register for one of our Football Trials that holds in Nigeria, where our expert team will deliver a detailed presentation that will provide you with information on the entire process and how we can help you with securing a soccer scholarship. If this is of interest please complete our free online application now.
