Young Americans who aspire to play college or pro sports like football, basketball or hockey are often fans of college and pro teams, and spend a lot of time watching and observing. For some reason though, this seems to be a lot less common amongst young soccer players. This might be due to the lack of media availability to watch in the past, but these days, we have access to many games from U.S. Colleges, MLS, LaLiga, Premier League, etc. Watching high-level and professional soccer matches provides numerous benefits for young players – something several of our son’s coaches actively encouraged; if you enjoy the game, consider watching with your kids (we thought we didn’t like soccer until we started watching and it really grew on us).
If you’re thinking of soccer as a possible career, then you’ll see the logic of thinking of it as a business in many ways. So it’s important to talk to other parents and coaches, ask questions, share information, follow social media accounts of clubs and universities, use email, etc. As your athlete ages and approaches key career milestones, it’s very important to transfer these skills and responsibilities to them. They’ll want to create a LinkedIn profile, post videos to YouTube and maintain regular contact with a growing network of similar-minded players, coaches and mentors. Our son trialing with his MLS Next Club was a result of a conversation at a cocktail party. His move into the Spanish club system was the result of connections made here in the U.S., and subsequent introductions. We’re not going to go into an extended discourse on how to network – it may even seem a bit of a strange subject for this site, but trust us, it is very important. LinkedIn is a great platform for networking.
As parents, we are fiercely protective of our children’s exposure to social media. As two parents who work in the digital media space, we understand the concerns, the pros, and the cons. This is a highly personal decision for you and your family. If, though, your older athlete is thinking of pursuing a pro track, then their online presence will be key. Here are our recommendations for platforms and some tips for leveraging them.
