Welcome to iSoccerPath’s “Ask The College Coach” column, where real college coaches tackle questions from soccer parents around the country. If you’re interested in having a coach answer your question, please send us an email at news@soccernation.com with the subject “Ask the College Coach.”

“Dear iSoccerPath,

We had a college coaches talk at our club recently and the question that came up was: ‘Are college coaches saving more spots for international students/players to come over and join their programs?’ The example that the coaches used was that the two soccer teams that won the college championship this year both had about 30 percent of their roster as internationals. Is this something that we as parents should be concerned about for our kids here in the U.S.?”

Karen H, mother of 9th grade player in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Our answer this week comes courtesy of Kai Edwards, Assistant Coach of Oakland University Women’s Soccer Team:

The modern day world is a global, free-flowing community, and soccer is no different. With video, skype and global friends, schools have been able to diversify their rosters by attracting student-athletes globally. Also, at most private schools, a player that lives two blocks from campus costs the same amount to attend as someone from a different country. Life is global and universities want more internationals in their school and soccer is a great way to do it. American players should not be afraid of this trend, they should enjoy the fact that the student-athletes your son or daughter will play with could have grown up in a different background and help open the eyes of an American player to what is going on in the world.

Kai Edwards

Oakland University Women’s Soccer

Assistant Coach

kedwards23@oakland.edu

To sign your son or daughter up for iSocerPath and get them the College Coach designed program to get a roster spot, visit www.isoccerpath.com