Sam Matteson has an interesting vantage point when it comes to a discussion about the most reliable pathway for soccer players with college aspirations to get to where they want to go.
Matteson happens to be the ECNL Director for the Boston Bolts, one of the most successful and prestigious youth clubs in all of New England, and a club with a proven track record of developing college-bound players. He also happens to be an assistant coach for the Division 1 Holy Cross men’s soccer team.
In this day and age, when specialization is so heavily prevalent amongst young athletes, and players are dedicating themselves to one particular sport at seemingly younger ages than ever, players and their families often find themselves wrestling with the dilemma of when they should prioritize a sport, and just how seriously they should do so.
For soccer players, if you’re going to go all-in on the sport, that essentially means you need to play year-round, or as close to it as you possibly can. In order to do that, a player has to go beyond playing for their high school or their in-town travel team.
