Having been a recruited NCAA Division 1 men’s college soccer student-athlete myself at Georgetown University, I have first-hand experience of the process of getting recruited from high school to going on to play the sport I loved at the collegiate level. For the last 10+ years, I have had the privilege of working with hundreds of high school soccer and lacrosse student-athletes who have navigated this process and gone on to numerous colleges and universities at the Division 1, 2, and 3 levels.

There are many perks of becoming a college athlete. The most obvious benefit is the financial one; college athletes, on average, pay less for their college degree than non-athletes. From an admissions stand point, if your goal is to get into a more selective school, having a college coach hand-deliver your admissions packet gives you a better chance of getting into that school than does the traditional route. Another perk of being a college athlete is the experience. Having the chance to play at the highest level, learn from the best coaches, the facilities, the gear, the travel, the camaraderie, the pride of representing your university, playing in front of big crowds, the rivalries and the traditions make it a very special experience. It comes once in a lifetime for a very small fraternity of people, and for those who get a chance to experience it, leave with lifelong memories. Another huge perk is time management for those students that value some structure in their life. Being a college athlete isn’t too unlike having a real job where you have responsibilities and accountabilities. As a collegiate athlete you get many types of academic support that are not necessarily granted to regular college students, you get special access to tutors, academic advisors, guaranteed classes, help getting caught up after long road trips. And the last perk, which may be the most important but often the most overlooked, is the lifelong network. The personal relationships you create as a college athlete are what matter most. As college-level athletes you share a common bond that is rarely understood by those who didn’t experience it. It’s a bond you will hold dear to your heart for the rest of your life.

The recruiting process can be overwhelming for many high school student-athletes and their families. Having worked with several families, I have discovered many are in a similar boat to the one I was when I went through the process 15 years ago … That is, not knowing what they don’t know about the process. Given my network of college coaches and my experience in the space, I offer a college recruiting service to high school athletes and their families.  I help student-athlete prospects create their highlight recruiting video and then make personal introductions for the prospects to college coaches. From there, I then help the student-athlete and their parents strategically manage the process, offering consultative advice on how to communicate with coaches, what ID camps are worthwhile to attend, while managing the timeline.

Here are a few student-athletes I have worked with in the past:

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Drew Rosen – St. John’s University. From New York, NY, Rosen attended Winston Prep while playing his club soccer at Met Oval Academy, before choosing to attend St John’s.

“Ben was extremely helpful to me while I was going through the recruiting process as he had connections everywhere and has great knowledge about college sports. He helped me get my name out there in the college world, connecting me to various coaches. I eventually ended up at St. John’s University where I enjoyed a 5 year career.”

Zach Rowell – Umass Lowell. From Haverhill, MA, Rowell went to St John’s Prep and began his collegiate career at Assumption College. After his Freshman year at Assumption, Rowell transferred to UMass Lowell where he went on to start 16 of 19 total games through his career as a Goalkeeper.

“Ben was absolutely instrumental in guiding me in the transfer process within college soccer and helping me find the right home and rediscovering my love for the sport. He’s a knowledgeable, thorough, and incredibly passionate mentor and I would recommend him to anyone looking at finding their right place in collegiate athletics.”

Other colleges I’ve helped place high school student-athlete prospects to: 

  • Princeton
  • Brown
  • Washington & Lee 
  • Grinnell College
  • Vermont
  • Harvard
  • Univ of Tampa
  • Johns Hopkins
  • Binghamton
  • Florida Southern
  • Tufts

If interested in this service, please email me at bsling88@gmail.com.