Why I Started KVB Soccer Consulting (and What I Wish Every Player Knew)
My Background
Soccer has always been a part of my life. Honestly, until a couple of years ago, it was the main part.
Growing up on Long Island, I played for my high school team and club team, and trained with every other team that would allow me to. It was an obsession, and I truly loved playing all the time.
I was fortunate to be recruited to play at Duke University and then drafted into the NWSL following my college career. I played three seasons in the NWSL and also played in Sweden and the Netherlands.
Following my pro career, I always knew I wanted to be a college coach and was very lucky when an assistant coaching position at Elon fell into my lap.
I coached for one season at Elon while my then-boyfriend (now husband) was an associate head coach at Duke (no, he did not coach me in college — we met after I graduated, guys!). He then became the head coach at Indiana University, and I followed when I landed the head coach and strength and conditioning coach positions at Franklin College, a DIII school in Franklin, Indiana.
I ran both Franklin College ID Camps and managed Indiana Women’s Soccer ID Camps for three years. I also coached at the club level and truly know what it’s like to be on every side of the game as it relates to college soccer and specifically the college recruiting process.
We have since moved to Tallahassee. My husband is an assistant coach at Florida State Women’s Soccer, and I am all in on KVB Soccer Consulting.
The Beginning
I always knew that players and families needed help navigating the college soccer recruiting process, and oftentimes I was their resource.
Student-athletes reached out on a regular basis, parents asked tons of questions, and no one was confident they actually knew what they were supposed to be doing (which completely makes sense because the recruiting process is constantly changing and evolving!).
I was on ID Camp panels, helping players with emails and phone calls, talking to all levels of college coaches, and gathering as much information as I could to help as many players as possible.
One thing that was constant was the need for information and the lack of reliable places to find it. I found a sweet spot through my connections, gathering good, reliable, straight-from-the-source information that helped many players and parents.
The Push
I had all of this knowledge and experience with the college soccer recruiting process. I have friends who coach at every level of the game, and I knew it was a resource, but I didn’t think to tap into it until my good friend and former college and pro teammate, Mollie Pathman, kept bugging me to start something.
Mollie is an established and well-known physical therapist and small-group soccer trainer in Durham, NC, and works with hundreds of athletes, specializing in high school soccer players. (https://www.peaksoccerinstitute.com/)
She would reach out regularly asking me for college soccer recruiting advice and asked multiple times if I was willing to help her players through the process.
She had a great idea: to start my own consulting company for high school soccer players wanting to play college soccer. (Thanks, Molls!)
It only took me three years to finally make it official.
Erwin, my husband, returned from a week and a half away at the ECNL Playoffs in California. If anyone knows him, he’s not the most outwardly empathetic person, so when he came home and said to me:
“I feel bad for players and parents. They have no idea what they are doing in the college soccer recruiting process. They are confused, stressed, and it’s the players who actually are suffering from all of this pressure.”
That was it. I knew it. I said, I gotta start this thing!
The Progress
Since officially starting KVB Soccer Consulting, the feedback has been unreal. If I didn’t see the huge need for this type of guidance before, damn, do I see it now.
There are many common themes in parents’ and student-athletes’ conversations and questions. Everyone seems unsure and, honestly, desperate for reliable help!
Common questions I hear all the time:
Where do we even start?
Are we doing enough?
How do we know which ID camps to go to?
How do we know what to do and when to do it?
We have friends or teammates who are doing everything, going to ID camps left and right, schedules are packed, and we don’t have that time. We have other kids and family obligations — what do we do?
It seems like everyone is committing and we are behind. Are we?
I help with all of this and ease the process.
I’m constantly reminding student-athletes and families that the most important part of all this is that players continue to love playing soccer. If they love playing, they will tap into their full potential.
I help them organize their communications with coaches and feel confident that they are doing the right things at the right time for them.
We talk through different situations, prepare for showcases and camps, and sometimes I’m just the sounding board they need to say, you’re on the right path, keep pushing along!
The Reward
What I wish every player and family knew about the college soccer recruiting process is that it is a process.
Comparisons are a part of our world but don’t always help when it comes to each student-athlete’s individual journey.
We can absolutely learn from others who have been through the recruiting process before or are currently going through it, but each student-athlete is on their own timeline.
There are too many variables for everyone to be on the same path, so comparing to “everyone else” takes away from the goal: finding your fit.
There’s a need for players and their families to feel confident in the knowledge they have and the resources they can access.
If you or your student-athlete is in need of guidance and help in the college soccer recruiting process, please fill out our contact form and schedule a free intro call.
I’ve been there, I’m up to date on the many changes that happen year to year, and I can help.
I look forward to bringing more clarity to the college soccer recruiting process for many more players and families in the future.
Thanks for the read,
Kim
