Scoring a goal in the championship game of NCAA Soccer's biggest conference (The Big 10) does not mean you are likely to become professional, a fact that Christopher Ianev, a Swedish Maryland freshman male soccer player, understands well.
After failing to secure a contract from a professional club in Sweden, Ianev searched for other ways to further his Soccer career, and managed to come across the American College Soccer system.
(INSERT VIDEO #1 - Chris - explains not being able to play in Sweden and deciding to come to the USA to play at college)
Though Ianev capped off his first regular season at Maryland by scoring the first goal in Maryland's 2-1 Big 10 Championship win over Indiana, he understands that the odds of him becoming professional are not in his favour.
Ianev's roommate Jake Areman, also a Maryland Freshman Soccer Player, understands how difficult it is to become a professional soccer out of college...
(INSERT VIDEO #2 - Jake - explains how hard it is to go pro from college)
According to NCAA Research into the Estimated Probability of Competing in Athletics Beyond the High School Interscholastic Level (LINKKKKKKK), only 1.9% of NCAA soccer players will be drafted to a Major League Soccer (MLS) team. This means that about 20 in every 1,000 senior soccer will be signed professionally.
Soccer players from Maryland would have a slightly higher possibility of becoming professional as the players and performances of their team means they are ranked 4th in the country, but this still provides no guarantees.
The statistics of college athletes becoming professional are similar across the other College sports as well; 1.6% in Football, 1.2% in Men's Basketball, 0.9% in Women's Basketball, 0.8% in Men's Ice Hockey. The only sport attracting significantly more college players, is Baseball at 9.4%.
As these statistics indicate that almost all college athletes will not be drafted to an American sports team, they are left with with the options of pursuing other ways to play their sport professionally, or beginning a career that is in the field of their college degree.
Areman, knows that even if he can't play Soccer professionally, he would still want to work in the field...
(INSERT VIDEO #3 - Jake - explains he has a comm degree that he would use to work in Soccer if he doesn't go pro)
Ianev has a similar outlook....
(INSERT VIDEO #4 - Chris - explains might want to be a sports agent)
As Areman and Ianev alluded to, many college athletes would prefer to work in their sport if they were unable to become professional.
But for many of these athletes, a combination of factors in college can often take away from their career opportunities post-college. These factors can include the type to degree the athlete is allowed to study (because of training schedules), the heavy-load of training versus study, and an overall insulated sporting society.
Colleges will often have services designed to help athletes with their future careers, but as Areman discusses, this isn't always the case.
(INSERT VIDEO #5 - Areman - explains what Maryland provides students with for future careers)
Though the chances of Ianev and Areman becoming professional are quite small, they are both adamant that if they work hard and stay focused, they will be able to achieve their dreams of playing professionally.
(INSERT VIDEO #6 + 7 - Areman Ianev explain they want to play professionally)
For the vast majority of college athletes, their career will not involve them playing professionally, but this does not mean they won't work as hard as they can to try and make their dreams come true.
After failing to secure a contract from a professional club in Sweden, Ianev searched for other ways to further his Soccer career, and managed to come across the American College Soccer system.
(INSERT VIDEO #1 - Chris - explains not being able to play in Sweden and deciding to come to the USA to play at college)
Though Ianev capped off his first regular season at Maryland by scoring the first goal in Maryland's 2-1 Big 10 Championship win over Indiana, he understands that the odds of him becoming professional are not in his favour.
Ianev's roommate Jake Areman, also a Maryland Freshman Soccer Player, understands how difficult it is to become a professional soccer out of college...
(INSERT VIDEO #2 - Jake - explains how hard it is to go pro from college)
According to NCAA Research into the Estimated Probability of Competing in Athletics Beyond the High School Interscholastic Level (LINKKKKKKK), only 1.9% of NCAA soccer players will be drafted to a Major League Soccer (MLS) team. This means that about 20 in every 1,000 senior soccer will be signed professionally.
Soccer players from Maryland would have a slightly higher possibility of becoming professional as the players and performances of their team means they are ranked 4th in the country, but this still provides no guarantees.
The statistics of college athletes becoming professional are similar across the other College sports as well; 1.6% in Football, 1.2% in Men's Basketball, 0.9% in Women's Basketball, 0.8% in Men's Ice Hockey. The only sport attracting significantly more college players, is Baseball at 9.4%.
As these statistics indicate that almost all college athletes will not be drafted to an American sports team, they are left with with the options of pursuing other ways to play their sport professionally, or beginning a career that is in the field of their college degree.
Areman, knows that even if he can't play Soccer professionally, he would still want to work in the field...
(INSERT VIDEO #3 - Jake - explains he has a comm degree that he would use to work in Soccer if he doesn't go pro)
Ianev has a similar outlook....
(INSERT VIDEO #4 - Chris - explains might want to be a sports agent)
As Areman and Ianev alluded to, many college athletes would prefer to work in their sport if they were unable to become professional.
But for many of these athletes, a combination of factors in college can often take away from their career opportunities post-college. These factors can include the type to degree the athlete is allowed to study (because of training schedules), the heavy-load of training versus study, and an overall insulated sporting society.
Colleges will often have services designed to help athletes with their future careers, but as Areman discusses, this isn't always the case.
(INSERT VIDEO #5 - Areman - explains what Maryland provides students with for future careers)
Though the chances of Ianev and Areman becoming professional are quite small, they are both adamant that if they work hard and stay focused, they will be able to achieve their dreams of playing professionally.
(INSERT VIDEO #6 + 7 - Areman Ianev explain they want to play professionally)
For the vast majority of college athletes, their career will not involve them playing professionally, but this does not mean they won't work as hard as they can to try and make their dreams come true.
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