If you’re going to really get into soccer, you have to check out college soccer. It also goes without saying that if you want to check out college soccer, you need to understand the difference between NCAA divisions.

Keep in mind that NCAA divisions are considered to be amateur and not paid. Yet the best Division I players in the NCAA are compensated by scholarships.

These scholarships are very competitive, and players strive to be the very best they can be so that part or all of their college education is already taken care of for them.

There’s another benefit – college soccer is a great springboard into professional soccer organizations such as the MLS and the National Team.

There are three NCAA divisions, and they are determined primarily by financial commitments as well as the level of competition the college in question wants to participate within.

For example, NCAA divisions I & II allows for schools to sponsor players with scholarships, whereas Division III schools aren’t given that opportunity.

NCAA Div I

This is where you will find the best players for both men and women. Schools that are participating in division I are allowed to give 9.9 scholarships per season so you really need to be talented and perform well in order to get your hands on one of these.

However, if you make it to the Division I you are probably half way to the professional as MLS coaches are frequently looking for new players in these leagues.

The formula for success is pretty simple: perform well in Division I and you are on your way into the professional world of soccer.

NCAA Div II

The quality of soccer in Division II is not at the same level as the Division I. However, it is worth mentioning is that these schools have still managed to produce several professional soccer players. Also, colleges in Division I has also more liberal rules and many foreign soccer players in their teams.

Many Division II players pay for their college through a combination of scholarship money, grants, loans and employment earning’s. With other words, you need to be prepared to get a job in order to thrive at a Division II college.

NCAA Division III

The NCAA Division III consists of colleges and universities that choose not offer their soccer players financial scholarships. However, you should not feel discouraged just because you are playing in Division III – the experience is still worth its weight in gold!

Actually, it doesn’t matter where you are playing as long as you are playing well. In Div III there will also be less competition which means that you will play regularly and improve over time a lot faster.

Believe me, there is no point for you to join a Division I club that already consists of 30 players. Chances that you will watch the game from the side are pretty high.

In order to develop your soccer game you need to play regularly. This is why you should consider joining a Division III team instead of struggling with getting a place on the bench as a substitute in a Division I team.