Questions to Ask College Soccer Coaches

Before the first call

Timing depends on the division. Division I soccer coaches can start calling players on June 15 after sophomore year, and before that date they aren't allowed to take a recruiting call from the player either. Division II coaches can communicate with recruits at any time. Division III has no timing limit on calls. So a sophomore may have a long call with a Division III coach and get only a short, careful reply from a Division I school. Both are normal. The recruiting timeline shows when each class opens up.

Prepare like it's a job interview, because in a way it is. Look at the roster and count players at your position by class year. Read the coach's bio. Watch part of a game. Know which majors the school offers and whether yours is one of them. Then write your questions down and keep the list in front of you.

The player leads the call. Parents can be in the room and should have a couple of questions of their own, usually about academics and money, but a coach is recruiting the athlete and wants to hear from the athlete. Have a short answer ready for the questions you'll get: why this school, what position you see yourself playing, what you're studying, and what else is on your list.

Questions the coach will ask you

A good call goes both ways, and coaches use it to learn about you. They're listening for maturity, honesty and real interest in their school. Have short, true answers ready for the questions most coaches ask.

• Why are you interested in our school, apart from soccer?
• What do you want to study?
• What other schools are you talking to, and at what levels?
• What do you see as your strengths and the parts of your game you're working on?
• What are your grades and test plans?
• Where can we see you play next?

Be straight about other schools. Coaches know you're talking to several programs, and they'll respect an honest answer more than a vague one. If you don't know what you want to study yet, say so, and name a couple of areas you're curious about.

Questions about the roster and the recruiting class

Roster size changed at many Division I schools in 2025. Under the NCAA's Division I rules, schools in the conferences named in the House settlement, and schools that opted in, now have roster limits in each sport. For both men's and women's soccer, the limit is 28. Ask how a program is handling it, because it affects how many players they can add in your class.

• How many players are you planning to bring in for my class year?
• How many of those spots are at my position?
• Where am I on your list for that position right now?
• How many players on the current roster play my position, and what years are they in?
• Do you recruit transfers at my position, and how many did you add this year?
• How many players are you carrying this season, and is that typical?

Don't be shy about the transfer question. Programs add players from the transfer portal, and a coach's answer tells you whether a freshman at your position will be competing with older, college-tested players right away. A roster can also look crowded and still have room, because players graduate, transfer and change positions every year. Recruitly's Roster IQ projects each roster forward to a player's class year by position, which makes these questions sharper before the call.

Questions about playing time and position

• Where do you see me playing, and in what role?
• What would I need to improve to compete for minutes as a freshman?
• How did your freshmen play last season?
• Do you redshirt players, and how do you decide?
• How do you decide who starts, and how often does that change during a season?
• What does the spring season look like for players who didn't play much in the fall?

Nobody can promise you minutes, and you should be wary of a coach who does. What you want is an honest picture of the path. A coach who says you'd likely play a supporting role as a freshman and have a real chance to start as a sophomore is giving you useful information. A coach who says "everyone earns their spot" and stops there hasn't answered the question.

Questions about style and development

• How would you describe your style of play, in and out of possession?
• What does a typical week of training look like in season and out of season?
• Who handles strength and conditioning, and is it soccer-specific?
• How do you give players feedback? Is there video review?
• What has your staff done to help players reach pro or national team levels, if that's a goal?
• What do your current players say they've improved most since arriving?

Listen for detail. A staff that develops players can tell you how, with examples. Ask the same question to a current player on your visit and compare the answers.

Questions about academics

Most players will stop playing soccer after college, so this section matters more than it feels like it does at 16. The NCAA's guide for college-bound athletes suggests asking coaches about academic resources and degree completion support.

• Do players on your team study [your intended major]? Have any done it recently?
• Are there labs, clinicals or required classes that conflict with training?
• What academic support do players get, such as tutoring, advising or study hall?
• How do you handle classes missed for travel?
• What's your team's graduation rate, and where do your players go after graduating?
• Will admissions support my application, and what grades and scores do you need from me?

That last one is important. Athletic interest doesn't mean admission. Ask what the coach can and can't do with admissions, and get a clear academic target. Our guide to NCAA eligibility for soccer players covers the core course and Eligibility Center side.

Questions about money

Money conversations feel awkward, so families put them off. Don't. You need to compare real costs between schools, and coaches expect the question once there's mutual interest. Keep in mind that Division III schools don't offer athletics scholarships, and the NCAA says only about 2% of high school athletes are offered athletics scholarships.

• Is athletics aid possible for me, and what would it cover?
• Is the aid for one year or multiple years, and what happens if I'm injured?
• How do you decide whether to renew, increase or reduce aid?
• How does athletics aid combine with academic scholarships and need-based aid?
• If there's no athletics aid, am I a recruited walk-on or a preferred walk-on?
• When would I get an offer in writing?

On renewals, the NCAA guide says that if a school plans to reduce, not renew or cancel an athletics scholarship, it must notify the student in writing by July 1 and explain how to appeal. On walk-on status, the NCAA defines a preferred walk-on as someone the coach wants on the team without a scholarship, with a guaranteed roster spot. Ask the coach to say which category you're in.

On timing, Division I soccer programs can't give a written offer of athletics aid, or say in writing that aid will be offered, before August 1 of your senior year. Anything before that is verbal. A verbal commitment isn't binding on you or the school, according to the NCAA. Our college soccer scholarships guide goes deeper on how aid works under the current rules.

Questions about culture and time

The NCAA's list of topics to raise with coaches includes team time demands, injuries and rehabilitation, mental health resources, and name, image and likeness. Each of those is fair game.

• What are the team's time demands in season and out of season?
• Who are the team leaders, and how are captains chosen?
• How do you handle a player who's unhappy with playing time?
• What happens when a player gets hurt? Who covers medical costs?
• What mental health support do players use, and do they use it?
• How many players have left the program in the last two years, and why?
• Can I talk to current players without a coach present?

The question about departures is uncomfortable, and that's the point. Every program loses players. A coach who answers openly is a coach who'll be straight with you later.

Official and unofficial visits under the 2026-27 rules

An official visit is a campus visit the school pays for. An unofficial visit is one your family pays for. You can take official visits to as many schools as you like, but each school can host you on only one while you're in high school. Division I and II allow a second official visit if there's a new head coach.

In Division I, a school can pay transportation for the player and up to two family members, and meals for the player and up to four family members, up to three a day. Before any Division I official visit, the player must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be placed on the school's request list there, and give the school a transcript.

For Division I soccer, an unofficial visit with any athletics department involvement, like meeting the staff, an athletics tour or free tickets, can't happen before August 1 at the start of junior year. Before that, a family can tour campus like any other family, but not with the soccer staff.

These rules are under review. In October 2026 the Division I Cabinet introduced a package that would let schools cover accommodations and entertainment for a prospect and four accompanying people on an official visit, and the NCAA said it could be adopted as early as January. Check the current rule with the school's compliance office before you book travel.

Questions for the visit itself

A visit lets you check what you heard on the phone. Watch training if you can. Eat where the players eat. Sit in on a class in your major. And spend time with players away from the coaches.

• Ask players: what surprised you most after your first semester?
• Ask players: what would you change about the program?
• Ask players: how does the coach treat players who aren't starting?
• Ask players: how much free time do you really have in season?
• Ask the coach: what would my first year look like, week to week?
• Ask the coach: what's the timeline for your decision, and what do you need from me?

Pay attention to how players talk to each other and to the staff when they don't think you're watching. That tells you more about culture than any answer to a question.

How to read the answers

Specific answers are good answers. "We're bringing in two center backs in your class, and you're one of four we're looking at closely" is useful. "We love what we see and we'll keep watching" is friendly, but it doesn't tell you much. Write down exactly what was said after every call.

• Consistency: do the coach, the assistants and the players describe the program the same way?
• Detail: can the coach explain how you'd fit, with examples from their current team?
• Honesty about weaknesses: does the coach tell you what you need to improve?
• Pressure: is there a short deadline on a verbal offer before you've visited or compared?
• Follow-through: does the staff do what it said, such as calling when promised or coming to your game?

Be careful with an offer that expires in a few days. Some timelines are real, since programs have limited spots, but a coach who won't give you time to visit and talk with your family is showing you how they'll handle hard conversations later.

After every call or visit, send a thank-you on the same email thread and mention something specific. Our guide on how to email college soccer coaches has examples, and the college soccer recruiting guide shows where calls and visits fit in the bigger picture.