{"id":886,"date":"2019-10-25T04:00:27","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T04:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/2019\/10\/25\/gamebeforegame\/"},"modified":"2020-09-05T19:25:49","modified_gmt":"2020-09-05T19:25:49","slug":"gamebeforegame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hqnn.org\/hqpress\/2019\/10\/25\/gamebeforegame\/","title":{"rendered":"The Game Before the Game- A Coach\u2019s Insight into College Recruitment"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jonathan Banks<\/a><\/p>\n

The Quinnipiac University men\u2019s and women\u2019s soccer teams are brimming with international talent. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s all about the art of recruiting. <\/p>\n

Coaches must win the international recruiting game off the field before they can hope to win the game on the field. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Eric Da Costa<\/a> and Dave Clarke<\/a> have 35 years of head coaching experience between them at Quinnipiac. Both coaches have globalized their recruiting tactics to remain competitive- and keep their jobs at the NCAA Division I school. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s comfort in your routine, job security, staff camaraderie and of course- the privilege to see all parts of the world on recruiting trips.<\/p>\n

The global recruiting trips may seem glamorous from the outside, but Da Costa and Clarke see this as work, not tourism, and they spent much of their time shuttling between airports, soccer fields and hotels. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen airports, soccer fields, taxis, hotels, that\u2019s about it. I haven\u2019t really seen anything cool. I\u2019ve been to France and I haven\u2019t even seen the Eiffel Tower,\u201d said Da Costa, coach of the men\u2019s team at Quinnipiac.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI\u2019ve seen airports, soccer fields, taxis, hotels, that\u2019s about it. I haven\u2019t really seen anything cool. I\u2019ve been to France and I haven\u2019t even seen the Eiffel Tower.\u201d<\/h1>\n

– Eric Da Costa<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It all comes to fruition when foreign recruits show off the technique and habits they inherited from the philosophies of their home country. Some might call it special to watch international players blend their technique and precision with the physical prowess of their American counterparts. <\/p>\n

In essence, that is a building block of college soccer.<\/p>\n

But the journey to bring those talented athletes to Hamden is a sacrifice of time, effort and willpower. <\/p>\n

And months on end of chasing one talent can lead you in another direction in an instant.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could find a player tomorrow and I could end up flying over there [to another country] Monday, meet with them Tuesday and fly back Wednesday,\u201d said Clarke, coach of the women\u2019s team at Quinnipiac. <\/p>\n

When it comes to international recruiting, all American schools, specifically those at the mid major level, need to excel in all facets of selling a player on their school. <\/p>\n

Da Costa and Clarke both outlined their versions of a \u201cQuinnipiac recruit prototype\u201d, but it cannot be a one-way street.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Whether it be strictly for soccer or an opportunity to live out the proverbial \u201cAmerican Dream,” every potential recruit has a story for wanting to bring their athletic career to the United States.<\/p>\n

Conor McCoy<\/a>, an Irish center back on the men\u2019s soccer team, saw both of those features as the reason to take the first flight to New England.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Conor McCoy (4) is featured on the cover of a men\u2019s soccer media guide<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cThe whole dream of football and study, I think that was the real selling point,\u201d said McCoy. \u201cBoth coaches [Eric Da Costa and Graciano Britto<\/a>] sold it really well and this school is really great. I really wanted to get a degree out of it as well. I didn’t want to just finish playing football and whatever age and not have any future opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

International students can be sold on the quick train ride to Boston or New York City. They can be wooed by the impeccable facilities provided by the athletic department or the structured academic programs in place at the school. <\/p>\n

But that potential student-athlete has to have the mentality they are putting everything on the line to be in Hamden.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want someone who wants to be at Quinnipiac, not because its an opportunity to play soccer or there\u2019s a potential scholarship, or it’s an opportunity to come to the United States,\u201d Da Costa said. \u201cThat means nothing to me. I want someone who wants to be at Quinnipiac University for all the right reasons. They want to play for me, they want to be a part of this program. They want to help continue to grow and help us continue to win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Midfielder Simon Hillinger<\/a> spent time at the top youth levels in Germany. He\u2019s featured for RB Leipzig, one of the best youth setups in Germany. When he started the recruiting process, Hillinger wanted to go somewhere where he would be known as a key player. As a young kid looking to travel across the world for four years, there is nothing wrong with that. <\/p>\n

After a sea of meetings and contact from coaches, Hillinger knew what he wanted to go.<\/p>\n

And it was waiting for him the whole time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really felt like the coaches wanted me here,\u201d Hillinger said. \u201cCompared to other coaches I talked to, I always felt like the second choice. But with Brito and Da Costa I felt right away that they really wanted me and really me in their program.\u201d<\/p>\n