Last week, the Signing Day Sports team announced the launch of soccer to its platform. The popularity of soccer continues to grow in the United States and Signing Day Sports will act as a vessel for its growth. Our team is committed to providing high school soccer players with the same high-quality recruiting resources that we have provided to athletes in other sports. 

This week, I got the chance to sit down with Trey Thompson, our soccer director. He talked about his own journey, what the addition of soccer means for players nationwide, and users’ experience on our platform.

Suffice to say, our team is beyond excited to bring in a whole new community of high school athletes. Trey’s thoughts echoed this sentiment, and it will be nice for our readers to hear what he has to say about our recent launch. 

Trey’s Interview

Garrett: 

With the recent launch of soccer on Signing Day Sports’ platform, what can potential users gain from signing up for Signing Day Sports? 

Trey: 

Opportunities will be given to more soccer players. That’s what this all comes down to. They’ll gain exposure and access to college programs on our platform. Players will become more educated. At the very least, they will gain valuable information about how to not get overlooked when it comes to getting recruited.

Garrett: 

How exactly will soccer players be able to use our technology now that it has launched?

Trey: 

Players now have something tangible that they can send out to college coaches besides just an email. The platform gives coaches a one-stop shop to know if a player fits their program. 

Players will be able to upload all of their academics to their profile including transcripts and NCAA ID numbers. Players can also upload game highlights in addition to positional highlights which can provide a more thorough breakdown of individual players. We also have an interview section where players can show colleges their authentic personalities. 

Garrett: 

You’ve talked a bit about your recruitment experiences growing up with some teammates that you’ve since reconnected with. Specifically, Brad Evans, team ambassador for the Seattle Sounders, and Andrew Weber, a retired goaltender and a current goalkeeper coach. 

Could you give a brief overview of your guys’ background and what motivated you to spearhead the launch of soccer for a platform that will provide opportunities to an unprecedented number of potential collegiate athletes? 

Trey: 

Brad, Andrew, and I were teammates growing up. Recently, we have had the chance to work together on Signing Day to try to give back to the community that gave so much to us growing up. 

Soccer Director, Trey Thompson

We were all very under-recruited even though we played on the number one ranked team in the country. We didn’t have access to any type of platform that could help us get recruited. There were two or three showcases we went to, and we basically just crossed our fingers and hoped that a college coach would watch our game. 

We would win games and the team we beat would have college coaches offering them right after they lost. If we had access to something that could really break down our film, it would’ve gone a long way in exposing us in a positive way. 

We have actually partnered with Brad, and he continues to be a major advocate for our product. Andrew was instrumental in the development process for our app. The goalkeeper technical analysis side of our app was created with activities that Andrew used as a professional player and now as a coach. Their expertise and insight have been hugely beneficial to the Signing Day Sports soccer platform. 

Garrett: 

You mentioned the technical side of the application and how it can benefit young soccer players. Could you dive deeper into the in-app experience and how it will look? 

Trey:

Players will start with an easy process where they can enter their basic information. Their name, the club they play for, their position. You can also provide your Trace, Veo, or YouTube link for game highlights in this section.

Next, the academics section allows you to upload GPA, ACT, SAT, transcripts, desired major, and NCAA ID number (eligibility center number). Everything is covered from the academic standpoint.

The Key Player Actions section is where players can upload video-verified technical tests as well as upload positional highlights. The interview section is when players can really allow coaches to understand your personality on and off the field. 

All coaches have different needs for their teams, so we want to provide everything on one platform for them. 

Garrett:

To wrap it up, I’d like to ask one more thing. What are you most excited for with Signing Day Sports’ launch of soccer?

Trey:

This is an opportunity to help youth soccer players achieve their dreams of playing at the next level. My coach did everything he could to help us get recruited. But if there were a tool like this available to us, we’d have taken full advantage of the ability to combine our academic and athletic achievements. 

This launch is so exciting because it’s a vision shared by a lot of coaches who have provided input for what they need. Lastly, it has allowed me to reconnect with friends from around the world. To include others with similar experiences growing up means everything. We believe in what we’ve developed.