Rebecca Kessler is a goalkeeper who expects to graduate high school in 2023. Kessler currently plays for the PDA Blue ECNL ‘05 soccer team and is verbally committed to attend Binghamton University and compete on their women's soccer team. Kessler's club soccer accolades include a 2019 ECNL National Championship, 2019 ICC Future Finalist and a 2021 ECNL National Finalist. Her high school soccer accomplishments include being named captain of her varsity soccer team, 2020 NJ regional state champion, 2020 NJ All-County Selection, 2021 All-State Selection and 2021 All-County Selection. This interview includes Kessler's experience going through the recruiting process during COVID and the various factors that affected her decision.

What was your recruiting process like? Was it different because you're a goalkeeper?

My recruiting process had many highs and lows. It was filled with excitement, disappointment and confusion. It started very early and was like nothing I could have possibly expected. I was constantly sending emails, waiting on replies, making phone calls and going on visits. I went into the process with little to no idea what I wanted in a school or program. I did my best to explore all opportunities to help myself figure out the things I like and the things I don't in a school and in a program. It was very stressful and nerve racking at first. It required a level of maturity I had to quickly learn. 

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A goalkeeper is a very specific and unique position on the field. Most schools only play one goalkeeper for the majority of the season. A goalkeeper is not constantly subbing in and out. Teams usually carry 3 or 4 goalkeepers while they could have 8,9 or 10 defenders. This meant there were many fewer spots open to me than other positions. Field players can be taught other positions–they aren't exactly recruited for their position, but goalkeepers are only goalkeepers and aren't going to be recruited to be taught a different position. 

A lot of schools did not need or were not looking for a goalkeeper in my year because they already had 3 or 4 or 5 on their roster. This was one of the most difficult things to accept. Schools I might have been interested in didn't even give me a chance because they were not in need of a goalie. This definitely made my process unique. My dad would tell me probably about half of d1 schools are looking for a goalkeeper in my class. Of those half, half of them aren't within the distance I was willing to travel and within those schools, there were a lot I wouldn't consider. Just the fact that I was a goalie narrowed my search extremely.

Having a coach that believes in you and believes you can make a difference on the team is so important and made me excited for what's to come.

-Rebecca Kessler

What was the hardest part about your recruiting process?

I think the hardest part was ending it. It was such a long process that I started to get used to and comfortable with it, which made it very scary to end. When I was making my final decision, I was so worried about what opportunities I might miss out on or what else could come along. It made it hard to appreciate what I had. I am a very indecisive person so trusting my gut and not second-guessing decisions was difficult for me. Like I said before, I never really knew what I wanted so I was constantly worried every time I made a decision that I was making the wrong one. With this constant second-guessing, it was very difficult for me to shut down the process and accept an offer. In the end, I could not be happier with the choice I made even though making that choice started with a lot of anxiety and stress.

How did COVID affect your recruiting process? Did losing a season to COVID hinder your ability to get exposure and get recruited?

I believe COVID played a huge role in my process. COVID gave college athletes an extra year of eligibility, which while great for them, made it even more difficult to find schools that needed a goalkeeper. A lot of athletes stayed for a 5th year or have plans which makes the need for new players not as great as it was before. However, my ability to get exposure was not affected due to COVID. With the fairly new NCAA rules, coaches could not make contact with players in my class until June 15th of my sophomore year. So back when my season was canceled in 2020, coaches were not yet looking at my class. By the spring of 2021, we had a full season. I play for a great league (ECNL) that figured out how to host showcases that season. My team went to North Carolina for a showcase and then Florida for the national playoffs where many college coaches also came and watched. I got plenty of exposure that season luckily even with the COVID limitations.

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How did you know Binghamton U was the right school for you?

Figuring out Binghamton was the right place for me was a long process. The biggest reason I believe it is the right fit is because of the head coach, Neel Battacharjee. He expressed his interest in me early and was always consistent in the information he gave me. In the summer he moved around his own plans to accommodate my schedule so I could come up for a visit. He kept in great contact with me during the whole process. He constantly checked in on my high school season and gave me updates about his own season. He was always very enthusiastic about my potential to be an impact player at his program and very invested in my development. 

Having a coach that believes in you and believes you can make a difference on the team is so important and made me excited for what's to come. In the fall, I went to their ID camp and enjoyed working with all the coaches. I liked the way they critiqued, coached and encouraged. Another important thing on the soccer side that made me believe I was making the right decision was the style of play. Binghamton's style of play is very similar to how we train and play at PDA, and I believe it fits my strengths well. I was lucky enough to be able to visit campus for a third time to meet the players. The players were the second biggest reason I chose Bing. As soon as I met them, they were so welcoming and kind. I listened to all their stories about Binghamton and why they chose it, and they all seemed to be beyond happy with their decision. They were a lot of fun to be around, and I believe I fit in well with their personalities. 

Even though not all the girls I met will be there by the time I'm on campus, it told me a lot about the type of person the coach recruits, and they were all great people. Also Binghamton has the perfect academic program that incorporates all the subjects I hope to study and sets me up on a great path to go into any of the occupations I have considered. Lastly, it is a perfect distance from home and from my sister who also goes to school in New York.

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Did you use any recruiting aids or agents in your process?

No, I did not use any agents, apps or aids. I used my regular gmail account to reach out to coaches. My dad helped me with my emails and calls but I never paid him for his work!

Did you know that you were not only competing with other high school athletes to get recruited but also with the transfer portal/ potential 5th years? Did that change how you approached your recruiting process at all? How did it make you feel?

Yes, I was fully aware of this, and it had a big effect on my process. A school I was looking at very early on that I was very interested in and seemed to be very interested in me, ended up telling me they were no longer looking at a goalkeeper in my class. Their current goalkeepers had just informed them they were taking their extra year of eligibility. This was hard to hear because there really was nothing I could do. It wasn't like they didn't like me or didn't think I was a good fit. It was solely them not having the room on the roster for another keeper. This school was a school I had my heart set on. So after this happened, it was difficult to accept but it did change my approach. 

I widened my search and made sure to ask questions to coaches about how covid will affect their recruiting for my class. I made sure that a goalkeeper was a need and a priority. I had another school I liked tell me they were only taking a goalkeeper in my class if they didn't find one in the transfer portal they wanted. The transfer portal and fifth years limited the opportunities available to me. Knowing I was competing with current collegiate goalkeepers as well as the goalkeepers my age was a little intimidating. However it was motivating to make sure I was at my best every time I was on the field because I knew I was constantly being compared. It put a lot of pressure on me on top of the normal pressures of recruiting.

What advice would you give to a high school athlete currently going through the recruiting process?

I would tell them the most important thing is to always be prepared and do your research. Coaches are impressed when you come to a visit or get on a call prepared with interesting questions and insightful answers. They appreciate when you have done your research previous to the encounter and use that knowledge to have a conversation. When you are on a call or at a visit, coaches want to get to know you and get a sense of the type of person you are. Being prepared and engaged for conversations shows your maturity level, makes you memorable, and shows you are more than just a soccer player to them. 

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* Originally published on September 20, 2022, by Andrea Leitner