Article: Playing a sport in college is a big commitment. At top ranked schools, you will be playing and practicing nearly every day of the week. While in season, you will be traveling and missing classes for games.  The majority of soccer teams are regulated under the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which has three divisions. Only Division I and Division II schools are eligible to offer athletic scholarships; you can narrow your search to these schools.  Players on Division III teams can earn academic and merit scholarships, but these will not constitute soccer scholarships. This takes self-reflection and being honest with yourself about your abilities. Playing for a top ranked college is not going to be feasible if your soccer skills are not at an exceptionally high level. Playing soccer at a college level is a huge commitment and if you are not 100% committed to playing, you will not succeed.  Setting goals that are appropriate to your skill level can save you from heartache and disappointment down the line. Within Division I and Division II schools, colleges vary on their competitiveness. Look at the current college soccer rankings to identify schools that are more competitive than others. Even though you want to play soccer for this college, you are also there to get an education. The colleges that you apply to should fit your academic goals and be a good fit for you outside of soccer. Again, these goals should be realistic and reflective of your academic abilities. Colleges set academic requirements for their athletes and if you fall below this grade point average you can be suspended from the team. If you are an exceptional student, you will have more opportunities available. Talk with your high school and club coach about your skill level, your potential to win a scholarship, and where you can improve. Be candid and open with your coaches about your goals to win a scholarship and ask for their help.  Your coaches will most likely have established relationships with some colleges and recruiters. The number of contacts that your coach will have can vary widely, but they can get your foot in the door. Ask them what skills and areas you can improve on. Even the best soccer player can fine tune their skills and improve their consistency. Your coaches can help you identify the areas you are weak in so you can improve before playing in front of recruiters. Talk to other players that you know who have gone through this process and players that are now collegiate athletes. Ask them about their experiences and for advice on the process. Consider asking them questions like:  What has your experience playing soccer in college been like? What were the most challenging parts of the recruiting process? What do you wish you had known about the process before you had started it? Men and women’s teams are ranked based off of their win-loss record and performance in tournaments. If you want to focus your search to the most competitive schools, you should aim to be recruited by schools that are in the top 25 of the nation.  Men’s and women’s teams are ranked separately. You may find that some schools have stronger men’s programs than women’s or vice versa. Based on your goals, your coaches’ input, and your skill level, you can begin to identify schools that you are most interested in. This list of schools should include the name of the soccer coach and their contact information. Most schools will have a website devoted to their athletic program where you can find this information. Your list of schools should be large in the beginning of your process and become narrowed down over time.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Decide what type of college experience you want to have. Set appropriate goals. Set academic goals. Talk to your coaches. Talk to other players. Look at team rankings. Make a list of schools.
Article: When coping with the stress and the problems of day-to-day life, it can be easy to lose track of what truly motivates you. Finding these things can be really helpful in overcoming the low points in life and moving forward.   There are a wide variety of things that can be your motivation! For example, it can be your work, your hobbies, or your relationships, or a combination of all of these things. Any of these things can bring you joy, a feeling of accomplishment, and the motivation to keep moving through life. Make a list or write an entry in your journal about what motivates you most in life. This could be a quick list or a more thorough exploration of drives and propels you in life. Writing out your motivations will allow you to revisit them when you are feeling down and can't remember why you need to move forward. Try reawakening your inner child. Find a new hobby or something to take your mind off things for a period of time everyday. Volunteering is a great way to cope with life because it can show you both the wonderful things in life and the way you can specifically can make a difference in the world. If there are things in life that bring you joy, find a way to work that into your volunteer work.  For example, work with animals at a local shelter if you love pets, help out at community events even just picking up trash in your neighborhood if you are interested in the environment. It can be hard to see the beauty of life when you are weighed down by the troubles of life. However, in order to cope with life, it's important to find beauty and joy in the world. This can help you to relax and rebuild your strength when times get hard. This could include the beauty of art, moments of kindness between children, or the wonders of nature, just to name a few things. Sometimes finding motivation and purpose requires you to change a variety of things in your life. For example, it may be that you need to change jobs or manage your time differently in order to find satisfaction with your life. Whatever it is that you need to change, change in general can be scary. It may take a lot of conviction and perseverance to make the changes you need to. However, keep in mind that the ultimate payoff for following through with changing you life is a happier and more fulfilling life.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Think about what motivates you in life. Make yourself useful. Find moments of joy and beauty. Make room for change.