5/26/08

Colby Hale on the Recruiting Process at UCF

1. How many scholarships do you have?
We are fully funded at 14 which is the NCAA max for Division 1 schools in Women's Soccer.

2. How many players on your team at any given time are attending your school on a "full Ride"?
We wouldn't discuss finances pertaining to individual players, but I do think there is a misconception that more players receive "full rides" than actually do.

3. How does Bright Futures play into the recruiting process?
Bright Futures and athletics aid, such as soccer scholarships, can be paired to help both state and private schools stretch the scholarship limitations to the max.

4. How does a player know that you are truly interested in recruiting them for your program? I have talked to college coaches about my daughter but we really were not overly confident that they were truly interested.
I can only speak for us here at UCF, but the best way is to ask.  We try to be very up front and honest concerning a potential fit, which to us is the most important aspect.  We are looking for talented players that fit our style, but also traits such as character, drive, commitment to academics, and a passion for the game.

5. What should a prospect that wants to attend UCF do to get your attention?
E-Mails, phone calls and campus visits are probably the most common. Most of our evaluations are done at the College Showcase Tournaments run by various clubs around the country. Summer camps and reputable references making phone calls on a players behalf are also means that are utilized.

6.  I hear people say that a verbal commitment is not really a commitment. What is your stance on verbal commitments?
Our word is very important to us.  A commitment is something we take very seriously and we try and recruit student athletes who feel the same way.

7. What are your expectations for this upcoming season? We are excited about next year. We return 7 starters and our top 10 scorers from last year's team that was ranked #20 in the country. We finished with a 15-4-4 record,  won Conference USA for the 2nd time in 3 years and beat Auburn 3-1 in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament before losing in Penalty Kicks to UF in the 2nd Round. We have signed the #1 class in CUSA according to Soccerbuzz.com and we couldn't be more pleased with how our Spring went.  Our Fall schedule includes some of the top teams in the country, including Kansas, Illinois, Florida and Florida State so everything seems to be in place and we are looking forward to something very special.