Everything You Need To Know About College ID Camps
What is a college ID camp? Why should I attend one? How will I benefit from going to an ID camp? Are college ID camps for everyone? How do I choose the right college ID camp?
If you’re a high school athlete and you’ve been encouraged to attend a college ID camp, then some of these questions must have gone through your mind. So EXACT Sports has prepared a mini-guide to college ID camps JUST FOR YOU! We’ll answer those crucial questions and other frequently asked questions about college ID camps right here in this article.
What Is a College ID Camp?
A college ID camp serves as a launching pad for aspiring college players by giving high school athletes a taste of university sports in a competitive yet educative environment. Picture it like an advanced boot camp that better prepares you for college sports and helps you achieve your goal of being a top college athlete. ID camps give serious young athletes a chance to be seen by top D1, D2, and D3 college coaches from around the country.
What Will I Get From Attending a College ID Camp?
Perhaps you’ve been thinking, "As long as I’m good enough, I can become a college player without attending a college ID camp." Or, you’re a parent thinking, "My child athlete is good enough for college sports and doesn't need to attend an ID camp." Well, here are a few of the many benefits you’ll miss out on and why you should jump start the recruiting process by attending a college id camp.
Key Benefits Of College ID Camps
Developing Mental Skills
Whether you’re attending a college baseball ID camp, soccer ID camp, basketball ID camp or a volleyball ID camp in your area, you will greatly benefit by mental skills training as an athlete. Apart from helping you hone your athletic skills and optimizing your performance in the game, EXACT college ID camps help you develop the mental fortitude needed to be an outstanding college athlete.
EXACT ID camps help you master the quick and critical thinking needed when interacting with other players, coaches, and family on and off the field. EXACT has proven time and again that their proprietary mental toughness training for young athletes helps to alleviate all the stressors and anxiety associated with sports and beyond.
Exposure Opportunities
ID camps often have a large college coach network and may be all you need to get in front of some of your top-pick colleges. At EXACT, for example, we bring in coaches from hundreds of D1, D2, and D3 colleges from across the United States. Trying to reach this number of college coaches by yourself may be difficult, and getting them to watch you play within an ideal game environment may be even more difficult.
Hands-On Training With College Coaches
At college ID camps, you get the chance to work firsthand with college coaches in a way you’ll otherwise not have a chance too. This helps you have a better grasp of what a college sports program entails as you experience college-style training first hand and level up your athlete game.
On-Campus Experience
Attending an ID camp for a specific college gives you the privilege of being around college coaches on the college campus you're considering and playing on the same fields as the college teams. As a result, you gain a thorough understanding of college sports and what it's like to be a student-athlete.
Optimizing Athletic Performance
College ID camps give you hands-on training from professional college coaches and allows you to compete with other top players.
Athletes who have been a part of EXACT’s ID camps in past years attest that their experience with EXACT has played a crucial role in preparing them for where they are today as a college athlete at their dream school.
Make Impactful Connections
College ID camps serve as a common ground where you can meet other skilled players from various backgrounds and experiences who share similar goals. Some of these relationships from ID camps can blossom and last long into the future.
ID Camps vs. Showcase Tournaments
Overall, College ID camps are more effective in college recruiting than showcase tournaments. You may be a great player on your highschool or club team, but anything can go wrong in a game. And, if a factor beyond your control impacts your performance negatively, you may or may not get a chance to correct the college coach’s perception of you.
ID camps are designed to give you ample time and multiple games to showcase your abilities, learn the recruiting process, grow as an athlete, and be seen and assessed by college coaches.
Multi-School College ID Camps vs Single-School ID Camps
College camps for high school athletes may be single-school or multi-school.
Multi-school camps are ID camps run by a neutral or third party. These camps usually have coaches from various colleges in attendance, so you get great exposure, and they are a great place to meet good players from across the world. However, if you’re looking to get face time with a particular coach, this might not be the best option for you. The competition here is also usually stiff.
Single-school camps are directly operated by a single college program. These camps are great if you have a specific program in mind and you’re looking to get in front of a particular coach. You also have fewer student players to compete against. The downside to these camps is that you don’t get half of the exposure that multi-school ID camps offer, despite costing about the same price.
And remember, being invited to a single-school college ID camp does not mean the college has taken a specific interest in you. It might be a generic invite to hundreds, maybe even thousands, of student-athletes.
Choosing The Best College ID Camp
Attending an ID camp is no small deal. It costs you both time and money. As such, there are crucial factors to consider before making such an investment. Here are factors and questions to consider when choosing a college ID camp:
Personal Objectives and Top Priorities
Before going to a college ID camp, be sure that it aligns with your athletic and academic goals. Ask yourself: What is my primary objective for attending an ID camp? Does this camp meet that objective?And when it is a single-school ID camp, be sure to ask yourself whether or not the college program in the school meets what you want for yourself in college.
Number of Matches
You want to consider the range of matches your prospective ID camp plays. Why? It’s simple—too many, you burn out and perform poorly over time; too few, you don’t grow and you limit your chances of being seen by college coaches.
Staff to Camper Ratio
You sure don’t want to invest time and money in an ID camp only to learn so little because there are too few coaches to give valuable feedback. Strive to get into a college ID camp, like EXACT's ID Camp, with a low staff-to-camper ratio. That way, you get individual attention and hands-on guidance from the college coaching staff.
Overall Exposure
Why are you attending a college ID camp? To simply chill and make friends? Certainly not. You want to be part of an ID camp that gives you a lot of player exposure, not one where you’ll hardly come into contact with top college coaches. At EXACT, we bring college coaches from hundreds of collegiate institutions, so you’re assured of maximum exposure with multiple opportunities to showcase your talents.
Accommodations and Camp Culture
It might interest you to know that your living conditions, comfort, and/or the absence of it may impact your performance on the field. So, ask the following questions: Where will campers stay during the program? How close are the dorms, dining halls, and/or hotels to the field? How safe is the camp environment? What’s the culture like between college coaches and players? Is this a fun environment to be a part of?
Field and Court Quality
This might seem like a minor factor, but trust us, it is very important. It’s easier to get noticed on a standard field and/or court than on substandard ones. Plus, if you’ll be playing on standard fields and/or courts in college, why not play on them in preparation when you attend an ID camp?
Making the Most of College ID Camps
1. Make Contact With Coaches Beforehand
Find out the college coaches that will be present at your ID camp and see if your target coach(es) are on the attendance list. EXACT provides this information to all attending young athletes prior to their arrival at camp. If those coaches are there, reach out through an email to express your interest in their college program and let them know that you’ll be at the ID camp where you look forward to meeting them. It’s best to contact the coaching staff before the camp starts, get feedback at camp, and then follow up with an email post-camp within two weeks.
2. Get Face Time With College Coaches
While at camp, find a chance to meet coaches in charge of programs you’re interested in. Use this time to introduce yourself and be sure to leave a strong impression. At EXACT college ID camps, all athletes will meet with college coaches through elevator pitch sessions, college recruiting panels, within one-on-one athlete evaluations, and on the field/court.
3. Be Vocal and A Team Player
It’s pretty easy to notice a vocal player in a match. Be vocal and positive throughout the game. Coaches look out for players with positive qualities and those with strong communication skills.
4. Give Every Game Your Best
This is a no-brainer. Play hard and give it your all! You want to be recognized for your athletic abilities and skills as a team player with the ability to enhance the overall team you’re playing for.
5. Be Respectful
Respectfully conduct yourself through camp. Coaches seek players who are team players and can relate to other players with respect. Respect everyone at camp: campers, coaching staff, counselors, etc. Coaches are watching you off the field just as much as they are watching you on the field.
6. Show Your Willingness to Learn
Ask college coaches for feedback at ID camps. Coaches are happy to see players who take the initiative and are willing to learn valuable information that will improve their game.
7. Enjoy The Experience
You didn’t invest that time and money to bore yourself. Be sure to have a fun time at camp. Connect with other campers, build lasting relationships, and hone your skills as a prospective college athlete. It’s easy to notice someone who is passionate about what they do. Coaches see it as well and take note as they would much rather have a passionate and fun player on their roster than one who isn’t fully invested into the sport.
8. Always Follow-Up
Don’t just write to a coach before camp, get some face time, and end it there. Follow up! Coaches meet different student-players at camp. You need to follow up to stay top-of-mind by sending college coaches a detailed and personalized email, thanking them for the incredible experience you had with them at camp.
The EXACT College Showcase Camp Experience
Largest College Coach Network
When it comes to choosing a college ID camp, you want to make sure that you’re choosing a camp that offers you access to a large network of NCAA coaches. EXACT provides you with the largest pool of experienced college coaches from across hundreds of colleges in the U.S.
One-on-One Athlete Evaluations
How do you improve without feedback? At EXACT ID camps, all of our coaches are professionals who understand that each player is distinct and uniquely gifted. As such, we give individual feedback that prepares you for the next level.
Specific Training for Goalkeepers
The role of a goalkeeper in soccer is both crucial and distinct. So, we offer position-specific training to goalkeepers. You also put all you’ve learned into action and receive helpful feedback during college-style training and multiple games.
Mental Toughness Training
Beyond the foundational training that every college ID camp offers, EXACT teaches you how to deal with adversity, enhances your focus, and builds your confidence and composure to combat opposition during competitions.
College-Style Athletic Training
At EXACT, our training sessions simulate college practice sessions and games. They are also conducted by experienced college coaches. That way, you’re best prepared for college sports programs.
Compete With The Top-Tier Athletes
You get a chance to meet and compete with the best players in the USA and around the globe. Without a doubt, this improves your athletic abilities as well as social interactions, making you even more attractive to colleges.
Kickstart College Recruiting
At EXACT, we understand that you’re in a college ID camp because you someday want to be on a college team. So, we bring in college coaches who have handled collegiate sports recruitment time and time again. These coaches give you insight into how college recruitment really works. With valuable insider information at your fingertips, you stand a better chance of being recruited to the right college for you.
Bottom Line
College ID camps impact your sports career one way or the other. This is why at EXACT, we strive to offer the best of both worlds—ensuring we have a rich network of coaches from various colleges while every student player gets as much feedback and training as is needed for personal and athletic growth.
Are you ready to begin your career and be trained by exceptional college coaches? Request an invitation to the top-rated college id camp in the country today and be college recruit ready!
