The Spring season of 2021 has come to an end. Who was the best team in the nation this season? And what happens next?
The NCAA Division 1 national tournament finished recently with, if you ask those who are familiar with college soccer, a big upset. Unseeded Marshall University won their first national tournament in their program’s history, winning 1-0 over Indiana University in a thriller of a final that went on to OT.
Marshall University plays in the C-USA Conference and has a very diverse roster with over 50% international students from all over the world. They had an unbeaten regular season and won against Fordham University, Clemson University (Seed #1), Georgetown University (Seed #8), and University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (Seed #16) along the way before winning the national championship against Indiana University (Seed #3) in the final. Not the outcome many expected but this is what makes college sports, and in particular college soccer, so exciting.
Only talent will not win you a national championship in the collegiate environment without putting in the time, effort, and attention to details, together with a whole lot of “blood, sweat, and tears”. We are sure that if you ask anyone in Marshall’s team that they can say a big YES with confidence that this is what they have done during this past season.
After the season all players will have the opportunity to head back home to enjoy the summer together with their friends and family before they need to come back to campus for preseason. The majority of the international players decide to go back to their home countries, but there are some that decide to stay in America over the summer. While in America, they will not just be able to focus on getting better with access to all campus facilities, but they will also be able to visit new places and enjoy American holidays such as 4th of July. There are also opportunities to help out at camps and clubs earning a bit of pocket money over the summer.
It all started in 2015 when our two founders, Oscar from Newcastle, England, and Ian from Malmo, Sweden, ended up at the same University in North Carolina on soccer scholarships. Not only did they end up at the same school, but they also ended up becoming roommates. Today they are not only great friends but also managing partners of Elite Athletic Scholarships.
During their years in America they have gained experiences and insights across all aspects of college sports. Both have played NCAA D2 Soccer (Division 2) and PDL (Player Development League). After two years in North Carolina, Ian decided to transfer in order to excel his playing career and moved to Missouri State University. At Missouri, he won the conference title and represented a team ranked top 10 in the nation. During his time in the Midwest he also had a spell of coaching American club soccer. Oscar continued to play D2 in North Carolina and earned multiple player awards that allowed him to play in the NPSL (National Premier Soccer League). He also had the opportunity to take on a GA role (Graduate Assistant) as an assistant coach whilst gaining his Masters degree. As an assistant coach, he was able to learn the insights of college coaching and recruiting.
During their time in America they have experienced how coaches have been promised top-level athletes by scholarship consultants, but instead have their expectations let down immensely. In this case, not only has the recruiting coach received an athlete incapable of performing at the level demanded, but the athlete has also been placed at a program that is unnecessary for their needs and does not suit their athletic profile. There were also far too many stories from teammates and athletes who felt like they had been let down by their scholarship company – such as being forgotten about when they arrived in the USA, encountering extremely high fees when needing assistance in transferring to a new school, and a general lack of advice and platform to make enquiries and ask any questions they needed answering. We realized this was wrong and there was a clear need for a transparent scholarship consultancy company that focused on long-term relationships with coaches and athletes alike, whilst placing quality at the forefront of its operation.
With this in mind, along with a wealth of knowledge and experience within NCAA college soccer, Oscar and Ian created a unique invite-only service with the athlete at the center of attention. The Elite Athletic Scholarship service is intended for high-performance athletes, who have often just missed out on professional opportunities, seeking a chance to excel in their athletic career in the United States whilst earning an invaluable university degree. Why invite-only? This way we can ensure our athletes have what it takes to perform at the collegiate level and coaches can be confident they are recruiting an extremely talented player to their team. We are dedicated to every single client and follow them closely throughout their American journey and beyond!
In doing so Elite Athletic Scholarships have transformed the recruitment process for coaches and the potential quality of their roster. Whilst the athlete can rest assured they have been placed in a program that matches their athletic and academic profile accurately. As such, they can enjoy a successful collegiate career with Elite Athletic Scholarships acting as a support system in the background.
Do you know any players or collegiate coaches that would be interested in our services? Or have any questions relating to collegiate sports? Please do not hesitate reaching out to us on the contact information below.
contact@eascholarships.com
ian@eascholarships.com
oscar@eascholarships.com
