College Soccer Recruitment Program

Next College Soccer ID Event:

Heart of the City is hosting a College Soccer ID Event to give young student-athletes the opportunity to play college soccer, connect with college coaches and learn more about the process. Showcase your skills in front of coaches from different colleges and universities across the Midwest.

Open to high school girls and boys in Lake County.

• Scrimmage game
• Q&A with college coaches
• Event will be recorded to share with additional coaches
• List of attending colleges will be announced at a later date

Next Soccer College ID Event

Ages/Edades

Boys/Niños

Sophomores / Juniors/ Seniors/ Junior College

3/30/2025

Sunday/Domingo

9am - 12pm

Waukegan Sports Center

3391 W Beach Rd, Waukegan, IL 60085

View our leadership team and professional coaching staff.

Heart of the City has developed a plan to invest in your student-athlete beyond high school with our competitive soccer (HOTC Elite) and Youth Development and Support. One important component of this program is college soccer recruitment. The following information highlights the benefits of playing with Heart of the City and how we can help make playing college soccer a reality.

Unlike most soccer programs that just send their players to tournaments, we enhance the possibility of being recruited by utilizing a professional college soccer recruitment specialist with established college coach connections; full-time staff members dedicated to providing one-on-one college and postsecondary readiness support; and a variety of college soccer recruitment programming throughout the year.

Heart of the City's Program Pathway

Program Features

College Soccer Recruitment Specialist – Rob Kettle
Established relationships with colleges/coaches
Full-time Education Coordinator and College and Career Advisor on staff to support student-athletes through every step
College Soccer ID events hosted by Heart of the City
Participation at college showcase tournaments
Intentional college visits focused on soccer recruitment
Informational seminars – processes, soccer in college, scholarships, college life, and more
Quality player profiles and video highlights to showcase our players to college coaches
Partnerships with Honest Game (eligibility) and NCSA (exposure)

Why should my student-athlete consider playing soccer in college?

Scholarships

Many college athletic programs will give you a scholarship or financial aid of some sort for playing. This means that your child could get partial or potentially 100% of their college education paid for!

Structure & Support

College athletes enter college with a built-in support system of coaches, friends/teammates and trainers. They have a physical outlet to relieve day-to-day stress as well as motivation to stay on track with their academics.

Life Skills

Participation in college athletics teaches student-athletes discipline, commitment, time-management, and how to work with different people… all skills that potential employers look for!

My student-athlete is interested in playing soccer in college. What now?

Current Heart of the City Players:

Talk to your Heart of the City coach >
Coach will connect you with Rob Kettle, College Soccer Recruitment Specialist, for an initial meeting >
Rob will discuss your academic and soccer goals, find schools you may be interested in, go over important eligibility rules, and begin to formulate an action plan

Potential Heart of the City Players:

All high school players welcome. There is a process to be recruited by Heart of the City for our travel program: tryouts > acceptance > registration > player/parent agreement. Please contact Letisia Gutierrez for more information and to get started on your College Soccer Recruitment pathway at: letisia@hotcsoccer.org | (847) 623 6200 ext. 1

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Student-Athlete Testimonials

“Heart of the City is a very respectful club and organization. My time at the club was enjoyable and also informative. I was able to keep playing, but there was also flexibility with a lot of school-related things that were important. In addition to providing a quality soccer program,, they are focused on helping the community in different ways. They focus on providing the time and resources necessary to help students with their academic and college paths. The organization is aware of problems and does its best to provide resources to families to help them in any way possible.” --Jorge Alvares, Lake Forest College – Student-Athlete

“Heart of the City is an amazing program that has helped me grow as a person and a player, I gained most of my confidence my first year there. As well as that I was given many opportunities like getting my referees license and coaching license which has also helped me grow as a player. I’m very grateful for everything they’ve done for me and all the memories I’ve made.” --Desareih Juárez, College of Lake County – Student-Athlete

“I believe Heart of the City is a great option for anyone that is looking to continue their soccer career in college or even professionally. Heart of the City provides great training and quality coaches. It is a place where any player can feel comfortable working on their skills without feeling judged because it is not just a soccer club, it is a family. As soon as I joined, I felt welcome and felt as if I was already a big part of the team. Heart of the City Soccer has had a huge impact on my college experience and my life in general. If it weren’t for Heart of the City, I wouldn’t have been able to continue to play the sport I love in college and make lifelong friends. Heart of the City helps us become better players and allows us to become better people by giving back to the community through volunteering. Heart of the City also provides support for people around their community, not only its players. They offer things like food and supplies to help people in need. This club has helped make me the person I am today, and I could not be more grateful to have been a part of it, and I hope to continue to be a part of it in the future whether it is through their coaching opportunities or just staying in touch”. --Sofia Melesio, Marian University – Student-Athlete

Heart of the City Program Alumni

College Coach Testimonials

"The staff and coaches at HOTC have a genuine heart for their student athletes. Their commitment to educate, provide direction and guidance, while maintaining accountability throughout the growth and development of quality student athletes, demonstrates the culture of this program. The communication with college coaches and the effort put forth in creating opportunities that will impact their lives is exceptional. I am honored to have been able to develop a relationship between Lincoln Christian University Soccer and the staff and students of HOTC!” --Steve Lord, Lincoln Christian University - Head Men's and Women's Soccer Coach

“As a college coach, (Heart of the City) provided a great environment to recruit players to the next level. They are well managed and organized, we are looking forward to continuing working with them in the future to bring strong players into our college program from this club.” --Madison Carruthers, Wisconsin Lutheran College Assistant Women's Soccer Coach

Important Links

NCAA - Eligibility
NAIA - Eligibility
NJCAA - Eligibility
FAFSA - Application
Honest Game (partner) - https://honestgame.com - Honest Game provides an academic roadmap for each student-athlete, ensuring that nobody falls through the eligibility cracks.
NCSA (partner) - https://www.ncsasports.org - Scholarship opportunities for NCSA’s full-service recruitment platform for Heart of the City players.
Shellas Hyndman’s College Recruitment Tips - Click here