Soccer players are not offered scholarships at the same rate as high-revenue producing sports like football or basketball. Major colleges and universities offer scholarships to the most highly regarded soccer players, but many good ones find that scholarship money or opportunities are not always available. In some cases, coaches contact players and ask them to "walk on" during tryouts to attempt to win a spot on the team.
Need For Walk-Ons
The average college Division I soccer program offers approximately 10 scholarships for men and 14 for women. That's not enough to fill out the men's roster, and coaches need players to come to tryouts and earn a spot on the team. Some players who have excelled at the club soccer or high school soccer levels will be invited to play for the team and earn playing time during the season.
Invited Walk-On Status
Invited walk-on status has several meanings. A player is asked to walk on when no scholarships remain. The coach tells the player that he wants him on his team and scholarship money will be available in the future as long as his production is consistent. In other cases, the invited walk-on is merely trying out for the team. The player will get a fair chance and a thorough evaluation from the coaches who decide which players earn roster spots.
Fair Chance
All soccer players want a fair chance to play to display their talents. Before accepting invited walk-on status, a player should check a coach's history and reputation. The player needs to do her own research and find out if the coach allows walk-ons to play regularly. Some coaches will say they give walk-ons the opportunity to play, but fail to deliver on those promises.
Best Opportunity
The best opportunity for the invited walk-on player comes when he is discovered late in the recruiting process. In that case, the coach is usually thrilled to have the player and will identify the player's role on the team and his spot in the lineup. If the player lives up to expectations, future scholarship money is possible.
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