In the latest edition of our feature, SMUSA are going to give you five reasons why staying out in America and playing in one of the summer leagues is important for your career development.
When it comes to the end of the university year, we know there are many, many options for student-athletes to do, including coming home for the summer.
Some go travelling around America, going to places they've never been before, but some continue playing soccer through those summer months.
Not only will playing in a summer league - like the USL League Two, National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) or the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) - give you the chance to maybe play in another state, but it will also allow you to keep your fitness up heading into the new college season in the fall.
Leagues like the USL League Two, National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) - for male players - the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) are top summer leagues in America.
In this feature, we have sat down with senior scholarship consultant Mikie Rowe, who played in USL2 with Tormenta 2, to discuss five big reasons why you should stay in the U.S. in the summer to play soccer.
1. Stay match fit
Playing football competitively over the summer is, without a doubT, the best way to stay match fit and ready for your upcoming college season.
Should you choose to go home and train by yourself, no matter how much running and training you do, it won’t replicate what you’ll get from playing in a competitive environment with quality players.
If you stay out in America for the summer, you’ll find that, once you return to your college, you’re much sharper and fitter than the majority of players that don’t play summer football.
2. Chance to live in a new place
Moving to play for a summer team gives you the opportunity to live in a new part of America for a couple of months while you play semi professionally.
It’s a great way of seeing new parts of the country and meeting new people, which is all part and parcel of the overall experience.
We currently have clients that are student-athletes in Tennessee, for example, and they are in Minnesota playing soccer for an NPSL side - which shows the opportunities are endless.
3. Playing with new players from different countries
Summer teams are made up of players from all levels of the college game; NCAA DI, DII, DIII, NAIA and NJCAA along with ex-pros and aspiring pros alike.
It’s a very high level and it’s good to see and play with players from different levels and see the different styles of play associated with it.
Chances are your games will also be either filmed or live streamed online, so you are getting more exposure, on top of playing collegiate soccer.
4. Putting yourself in the shop window
It’s no coincidence that the majority of players that go on to play at the pro level have played USL League Two and NPSL during their summer breaks from college.
A lot of scouting from pro coaches takes place during the summer as it gives them a chance to see players playing at a good level against other high level players.
Consistently standing out at this level will catch the eye of the pro coaches, no doubt, so this is another reason for continuing playing during the summer.
5. Live like a professional
Although playing at college is a full-time environment, you still have to balance football with your studies.
During the summer, you’re on a break from college, so you get to live the life of a full-time footballer; training in the morning and having the time to take care of yourself and do all the extra bits required to take your game to the next level.
It will give you a taste of that lifestyle and it won’t be long before you know if that’s the life you want to live or not. It can be the greatest motivator of all for aspiring professionals.
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