WHSA Hires Director of College Recruitment

Sciacchitano’s role, in the newly created position, will consist of three areas of focus:

1.     Developing relationships with collegiate level soccer coaches and working with them to understand their program’s needs; including, but not limited to, number of players needed, positions to be filled and program aspirations.

2.     Collecting and assessing analytics on the NJ Elite program and its players to develop a profile which will be leveraged to ensure that the Club is maximizing its resources for the benefits of its players. 

3.     Providing support for players as they educate themselves about the college recruitment process.  This support includes developing educational collateral, raising awareness of certain programs/ID clinics and conducting informational seminars.  

The program, which launched in October, has already exceeded Sciacchitano’s expectations.

“When I first began to engage with college coaches, I did not know how they would respond to the role.” “Immediately they saw the value of having a dedicated resource at a program like NJ Elite and were more than willing to share their insights.  Meetings that were scheduled for 15-20 minutes have lasted 60 minutes with coaches following up with emails and materials.  They recognize that it not only helps the players in their searches, but also provides them with a significantly more efficient way of identifying and engaging prospective players for their program.”

Frank Sena, President of Watchung Hills Soccer Association/NJ Elite agrees.

“We’ve been extremely pleased with what John has been able to accomplish in the limited time the role has existed.  We know that the college recruitment process can be overwhelming for players.  The creation of the Director of College Recruitment provides our players with the insight, education and support they deserve.  We are excited about the future of these relationships and look forward to working with college programs more closely. “

Positive changes are already evident within the Club.  Last month, a College Recruitment Overview presentation was held to provide education on the recruitment process.  On February 7^th, the Club held its first ever College Commitment Signing Night to honor those players that will continue on and play at the collegiate level.  Highlights of the event can be found on this link:  https://youtu.be/tSZJiIR6MRs

For more information on the NJ Elite program, please contact NJEliteInfo@gmail.com

For more information on the NJ Elite College Recruitment program, please contact NJEliteCollege@gmail.com