Turning Down Division I College Soccer Offers Was The Best Decision I Made

14 Dec Turning Down Division I College Soccer Offers Was The Best Decision I Made

Posted at 19:36h in Blog, College Recruiting, Uncategorized by erica 0 Comments

If you’re reading this article, please take what I say and think critically. You don’t need to do what I did, but consider this perspective, too.

Every young girl’s journey to college soccer will be different, and I’m not ignorant to the fact that the D1 path is AMAZING for many, and they thrive taking that route.

But it wasn’t for me.

And it’s not for everyone.

This blog piece is me simply sharing my story so young girls soccer players know that there are other paths to college soccer beyond Division I.

Because the truth is, a tiny percentage make it to the top D1 level.

For everyone else, you need to be flexible and pursue the right fit, and not limit yourself to D1 only.

Too often I hear the D1-or-bust mindset from girls on a weekly basis.

“I want to play D1!” they say.

And I always follow up with a direct “WHY?”

Oddly enough, no one has been able to give me a genuine, in depth answer.

They just “want to go D1.”

So I press even further and ask, “well, what schools are you looking at?”

Players will list schools like Clemson, UConn, UNC, Notre Dame, Florida State, and all the well-known D1 schools that the top 1% play at.

Then I follow up with, “okay, what specifically about these schools do you like?”

No response. Crickets chirping.

Know Your WHY

When it comes to college soccer recruiting, you must know your why – why are you pursuing these schools? If I ask this question to your face, you must have a deeper list of reasons other than “I just want to go D1.”

You don’t need to know this until you’re of recruiting age, too. Please, if you’re 10-years-old reading this, don’t rush. Yes, have big dreams, but narrow down your list by high school when things get real.

So what do you want?

Is it that school’s soccer culture? Is it the coaching staff? Is it the academic offerings combined with the level of soccer? Is the campus close to home? Is it a big or small school? Will you come in playing a lot and be an impact freshman? What is it????? Have you done your research on the team traditions, culture, their roster, their records? Anything?

If you don’t have a why, you won’t last and you will end up unhappy.

You’ll arrive on campus disappointed that you didn’t truly think thoroughly about where you wanted to go, and you just decided to go to a D1 program where you had no clue the culture, the coaching styles, your amount of playing time, and if you would even like the school without soccer.

And I know how your story ends. Like a lost puppy, into the transfer portal you go.

Before You Make a BIG Decision

Just like deciding who you marry, deciding on where you go to play college soccer is one of the biggest decisions of your life.

It’s another four years where you have the potential to develop into a better player and human, build close relationships and lifelong friendships with your teammates, and get the academics you need to launchpad you into your real world career when soccer ends.

I have this horrible feeling a lot of young players aren’t thinking long-term anymore.

They follow the trends, the D1 commit Instagram posts, and put pressure on themselves to do what everyone else is doing.

Today’s world is about social media clout, getting the most Likes and being accepted by your friends (and strangers) online. You to can’t wait to make the post and write the caption, “I’m grateful to announce my commitment to play D1 soccer at…”

I have a gut wrenching feeling that some players are more excited about making the social media post, rather than playing in college.

But I urge young players today to not do what social media wants, but what you want.

What do you truly want out of your college soccer experience? Is it playing time? Is it being on a winning team? Is it being friends with your teammates? Is it an amazing coach? Is it a major you want to study that only that school offers? Is it getting financial aid?

Can your family even afford this school? What scholarships do they offer? Are you even good enough soccer and academic wise to receive scholarship money?

If you don’t want to drown in student loans your entire life, then JUCO soccer is your best bet. Unless you have elite academics or you’re a #1 recruit in the country, receiving big scholarships is few and far between.

You need to wrestle with all of this, and get crystal clear.

Disclaimer: this isn’t to say don’t go D1, or that D1 schools don’t have these opportunities.

Again, some girls thrive and pick the D1 school that was the right fit for them, and they didn’t just pick it because it’s D1. They looked at their area of study, the coach, the team, watched games, and deeply researched a multitude of other factors. They researched the current roster and understood if they even fit at that level.

I’m sorry, but if you’re on the third best team at your youth soccer club, it’s very hard to compete with U.S. Youth Soccer National teams players that are on Florida State.

But it’s also worth mentioning that it’s weird how little players know about other divisions and how amazing they are, too.

Any time I list the best soccer and academic D3 programs like Wash U (who just won the 2025 national title) or Messiah who has won multiple national titles, or Emory who was a national finalist in 2025, or University of Chicago who has consistently ranked in the Top 10 for D3 soccer and has one of the best business programs in the country, or MIT the academic powerhouse who is consistently in the Top 25, players have no clue that these schools exist.

These are just a few examples of the many hidden gems in D3 players need to be open to.

Why I Turned Down D1

When I was a junior in high school playing for the top travel club in the state of Maryland, Bethesda Soccer Club, I got offers from University of Maryland, University of Wisconsin, and George Washington University – all D1 programs.

I wasn’t sure how much playing time I would get at these programs. It was all up in the air. The Johns Hopkins coach, on the other hand, told me I could play a lot and be an impact freshman if I came in and proved myself. Playing time was important to me, and I knew this about myself. I wasn’t willing to compromise on this. I want to be out on the field and not ride the bench. I’d rather walk on fire than be a bench warmer. LOL.

Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t get cocky after coach told me I would be an impact player coming in. I still worked during the summer off season before freshman year of college. I did strength and conditioning relentlessly. I played pick-up soccer with college men’s players to improve my speed of play and creativity.

Earning playing time wasn’t a cakewalk when I arrived at Hopkins. It took about a month to prove to coach I should be the starting left midfielder. I worked my butt off. And I turned into a starter.

Expounding further, I chose Hopkins for the high level of academics, the smaller size of the school, the closeness of the girls on the team, and the fun team traditions.

I researched their record over the years. I went out to watch a handful of their games. I saw for myself they were a winning D3 team playing quality soccer.

Hopkins was always the best team in their conference and ranked nationally in the Top 25.

I wanted to be a part of their continued success and help them rack up even more conference titles.

Looking back, choosing D3 over D1 was the best decision I made. College soccer at Johns Hopkins was the best time of my life and I look back fondly on my time being a bluejay. I started all 4 years, loved my teammates, loved our memories and traditions, played a ton of minutes, won 4 conference titles, was team captain, and left an impact on the program.

And somehow, passed my academics, learning grit, work ethic, and resilience in the process.

Getting inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024 was surreal, too.

Being a soccer player at a top academic institution in the world sure has its way of making you bust your butt and learn critical life lessons for the real world.

In fact, my transition from college to my career in the real world was easy. Nothing hard fazes me. Challenges pump me up. Adversity is where I thrive.

I thank Johns Hopkins for this because the rigorous academics lighted my competitive fire even more. A certain type of hyper-competitive-type A-student-athlete chooses to go the school. It ain’t for everyone. And only the strong survive.

Adding on, I made lifelong friends who I still catch up with today.

Several of my college teammates came to my wedding.

And we all continue to meet up when we are in each other’s area.

The other day when I was visiting my hometown in Maryland, I was able to catch up with one of my former Hopkins teammates over lunch. It was 3 hours of laughter and reflecting on our wildly fun times in college with the Hopkins women’s soccer team – the bus rides, the team dinners, the nights going out, the hardest games against our rivals, the preseason shenanigans, the fitness tests, and so much more.

I asked her what her recruiting story was, and she told me she turned down an offer from CLEMSON UNIVERSITY!

We both high fived each other and said at the same time, BEST. DECISION. EVER. And continued to burst out laughing at how amazing things worked out for us.

She’s now a successful dentist in Maryland who runs her own practice. She was grateful for the high level of medical education she got, while also playing for a badass soccer team. She thought long-term during her recruiting journey, and what she wanted for her life after soccer ended.

I understand not everyone will have my journey, or my former teammate’s journey. I get that not everyone will happily turn down D1 offers like we did.

But all I ask is to look deeper into your why. Even if you want to play at a top D1 like UNC, ask why.

My first athlete I trained, Carly Wetzel, was a D1-or-bust story, but she was clear on why she was. She wanted to play for Anson Dorrance, be in the competitive environment, go pro after college, and she also wanted the high academics that UNC provided to better transition from soccer to a career. She ended up going to UNC and is now playing professional soccer in Iceland.

However, her journey required a ton of sacrifices that not many are willing to make.

Most want the top 25 D1 dream, but not everyone is willing to put up with the costs and discipline that come with it.

Listen to her tough path to UNC here:

I have worked with a lot of girls who chose D1 like Carly did, and they loved their experience.

But they were extremely clear what they wanted out of college soccer. I remember having lengthy conversations with a lot of them about their decision. They weighed their options, made their pros vs. cons lists, didn’t make quick decisions, and were able to come to a conclusion with clarity.

On the other end, I have trained girls who have chosen other routes like D2, D3 and JUCO, all happy with their decisions.

Everyone’s journey is different, but do what YOU want, not what social media wants.

Follow your needs, not trends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Erica Mulholland is a former college 3x All-American soccer player and now Hall of Famer from Johns Hopkins University. She holds a Master of Science in Exercise Science and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach, who has been helping female athletes of all sports with speed, agility, strength, power, and conditioning for 14 years. She works with youth female athletes who want to become stronger and faster, as well as ACL rehab for female athletes in the later stages (over 3 month mark post-surgery) who want to return to sport better than they were prior to injury.

Work with Erica in Tampa and Lutz Florida for speed, agility, and strength training, OR late stage ACL rehab (must be at minimum 3 months into physical therapy and post-surgery): BOOK ASSESSMENT HERE

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