Welcome to our essential weekly blog series on college recruitment! Whether you're just beginning your journey or are already deep into the process, this series is designed with you in mind. We'll delve into crucial topics like crafting an impressive highlight video, developing a strategic college list, and mastering the art of securing scholarships. Regardless of where you stand, our series is filled with essential tips and guidance to propel you towards success. Join us every week as we equip you with the insights and tools necessary to confidently navigate the recruitment landscape. 

In Today’s Edition

• What Do Top D1 College Soccer Coaches Look For in a Player? (Video)

• Elite-Level Recovery for Soccer Players During Showcases and Tournaments

• 160 commitments and 11 Transfers across 54 Northeast schools!

⚽ - What Do Top D1 College Soccer Coaches Look For in a Player?

🎥 Video: Matt Micros - Sacred Heart University Interview

If you enjoyed this videos, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and give it a thumbs up!

Have questions or ideas for future videos? Drop them in the comments section on YouTube—I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for watching!

⚽ Elite-Level Recovery for Soccer Players During Showcases and Tournaments

With the upcoming showcases, this is a fantastic resource for recovery for girls (and boys) ⚽️ soccer players during showcases and tournaments:

Elite is earned.

If you want true, elite-level recovery, you must be disciplined with every aspect of your training, nutrition, and soccer load management.

Many young soccer players—both male and female—are not doing recovery right. Instead, they rely on quick fixes like icing or extreme hacks such as cold plunges, cryotherapy, red light therapy, IV therapies, and over-supplementation.

But here’s the truth: what truly moves the needle in recovery isn’t a hack or gimmick. It’s the foundational habits that repair and rebuild muscle tissue while recharging your nervous system.

The Recovery Pyramid

In her book Female Athlete High Performance, Erica Suter shares a recovery pyramid where the base is the most important.

Let’s start with the essentials that many players—male and female—often overlook:

1. Sleep, Nutrition, and OFF Days

Sleep:
Sleep is the ultimate recovery tool. It repairs muscle damage through growth hormone release and promotes protein synthesis. NREM sleep also refreshes the brain and resets the nervous system. Athletes who sleep 8+ hours a night are less likely to get injured and are better prepared for intense training and games.

Nutrition:
Proper nutrition with protein, fats, and carbs at every meal is essential for building and repairing muscle. Without it, your muscles will stay weak, fatigue faster, and feel sore. Under-eating will leave you sluggish, slow, and unable to perform explosive movements.

When traveling for tournaments, you can still find balanced meals at chain restaurants. Options like steak and potatoes, cheeseburgers with a side salad, or sandwiches with veggies/fruit are great choices. Restaurants like Outback Steakhouse, Chili’s, Olive Garden, Longhorn, Texas Roadhouse, and even Starbucks offer meals with the necessary macronutrients.

Snacks:
In addition to meals, pack nutrient-dense snacks for extra fuel between games. Some great options include protein bars, trail mix, fruit, or yogurt.

Off Days:
True off days are critical. This means no light skills sessions or intense workouts. The only active recovery I recommend is walking, foam rolling, or light mobility work—activities that are non-impact and easy on your muscles, bones, and joints.

2. Avoid Overtraining and Recovery Gimmicks

If you’re grinding 7 days a week, doing skills sessions the day after a game, and relying on cold plunges or icing to solve your soreness, you’re not recovering properly.

The root of your problem isn’t a lack of cold plunges or recovery gadgets—it’s overtraining, under-sleeping, and poor nutrition. Your muscles are breaking down, and your nervous system is burning out.

Many recovery hacks are marketed as “elite” but only mask the real issue. They make you feel like you’re in control, but the soreness and pain will return because the basics—sleep, nutrition, and rest—are being ignored.

3. Recovery Devices: The Icing on the Cake

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can consider adding recovery devices to your routine. While most gadgets are ineffective, one device I recommend is the Firefly Recovery Device.

The Firefly stimulates blood flow to muscles (over 400%), helping to remove lactate buildup, deliver oxygen and nutrients, and reduce soreness. Unlike cold therapy, which restricts blood flow, the Firefly promotes circulation—perfect for quick recovery between games.

It’s an excellent tool for busy soccer players during showcases or back-to-back game weekends. However, it’s important to remember that recovery devices are only effective when paired with the foundational habits of proper nutrition, sleep, and rest.

Elite Recovery: Habits Over Hacks

True elite recovery is about consistency with the basics:

• Sleep: Prioritize 8+ hours every night.

• Nutrition: Fuel your body with balanced meals and snacks.

• Rest: Take 1-2 full off days each week to allow your body to recover.

Once you’ve mastered these, you can add tools like the Firefly for an extra edge.

Elite recovery isn’t about quick fixes or gimmicks—it’s about discipline, habits, and consistency.

Are you truly elite, or are you fake elite?

Read the full article here - https://ericasuter.com/elite-level-recovery-for-girls-soccer-players-during-showcases-and-tournaments/

⚽ "Enjoying This Newsletter? Sign up for Our Daily Version!

• Recruiting Tips

• Commitment updates

• Coaching hires and firings in the college game

It’s all shared every day in our Free Soccer Community!

👉 Click here to join (it only takes 1 minute!)

Stay in the loop and never miss an update!

⚽ 2027 Northeast D1 commitments: We've tracked 161 commitments and 11 Transfers across 54 schools!

2027 signings have slowed due to the “Dead Period,” but commitments are expected to pick up over the next two weeks!

Stay tuned as we continue to monitor the ever-changing recruiting landscape.

8 schools are at or near capacity for the 2027 class (based on the number of juniors they need to replace):

• Penn State

• Syracuse

• Cornell

• Colgate

• Dartmouth

• Fairfield

• Buffalo

• Providence

2027s: Do your homework before attending ID clinics!

⚽ Ready to take control of your college soccer journey?

Get your CSN # today and start focusing on schools that match your soccer resume.

👉 Activate your CSN # now and get personalized support within 24 hours!👉 Click here to activate your CSN # and start targeting the right schools today! 

After you purchase, you'll get an email from us requesting a bit of information—once received, we'll send you your personalized number within 24 hours.

Your Go-To Websites/Social Media Leaders

• The Steve Coxon Soccer Network - Click Here

• Steve Coxon Soccer Network on You Tube - Click Here

• Join our FREE Soccer Scholarship Community and connect with like-minded players and parents navigating the same path “The Recruiting Hub” - Click Here

• Soccer Spotlight Video, run by ex-D1 player Jack Burridge, can turn your full-game footage or specific timestamps into polished highlight videos (Mention The Steve Coxon Network to receive 10% off your next order)- Click Here

• 2024 Men's NCAA Division 1 Soccer Tournament Bracket - Click Here

• 2024 Women's NCAA Division 1 Soccer Tournament Bracket - Click Here

• RPI - Check out the Women's College Soccer RPI by clicking this link.

• RPI - Check out the Men's College Soccer RPI by clicking this link.

• NCAA Eligibility Center - Click Here 

• United Soccer Coaches - Awards and Rankings 

• Twitter/X - @Imyouthsoccer

• Twitter/X - @ImCollegesoccer

• Exclusive Insights from College Coaches on the Recruiting Process - https://discovercollegesoccer.com/schools/

• The Informed Athlete - Helping student-athletes excel in sports and academics while navigating eligibility rules - Click Here

About: Steve Coxon College Soccer Network

Steve has 20 years of college-level experience, 17+ years in D1 as the Head Recruiter. He has facilitated more than $30 million in college scholarships.

Location - Connecticut, USA