TDS Combines is finally on its way to the Midwest.

Taking place on Sunday, April 21 at the Inwood Sports Complex in Joliet, Illinois, the Chicago Combine will bring together the top players and college coaches in the Midwest.

In attendance to scout the Combine will be over 20 college coaches from Division I, Division II, Division III, and the NAIA. In addition to the individual exposure acquired from the Combine, players will also receive a recruiting seminar and Premier membership to TopDrawerSoccer.com for one-year. With the Premier membership, players will have the option of showing their scouting report from the Combine to college coaches across the country via their TDS profile.

Directing the Combine will be Mike Jeffries, former assistant coach and director of player personnel of the Chicago Fire. Jeffries has extensive coaching experience at all levels of soccer – from the NCAA to MLS to the World Cup. His MLS career included three seasons as the Dallas Burn’s head coach, and four seasons as an assistant coach with the Chicago Fire. During the 2010 World Cup, he served as a scout for the U.S. Men’s National Team under Bob Bradley. Jeffries has also worked as an assistant coach at Duke and Southern Methodist University, and is the current head coach of the USL Premier Development League squad Des Moines Menace.

As a player, Jeffries won the 1983 Hermann Trophy award at Duke University, and followed that up by being selected first overall in the 1983 MISL draft. He went on to play fourteen seasons as a professional in the United States before hanging the boots up to begin coaching full time.

“It’s incredibly beneficial for players to be seen by as many coaches as possible," Jeffries said about the Combine. "And this also helps them find an opportunity at the appropriate level.”

According to Jeffries, one of the best aspects of the Combine is the individual player evaluation. The evaluations let players know exactly where they stand in regards to their strengths and areas needed for improvement on the field. 

“College coaches can establish a certain level of comfort knowing that every player at the Combine wants to play in college,” Jeffries said. “These players are really putting themselves out there to be critiqued by the college and professional coaches on our staff.”

Jeffries also offered some advice for players to get the most out of the combine.

“Players need to come in sharp, fit, and healthy. Mistakes will happen, but the players who remain focused and relaxed during the Combine will avoid unnecessary mental errors.”

To see the current list of colleges scheduled to attend the Chicago Combine click here.  New colleges will be added weekly, so check back often.

To reserve your spot at the Combine, click here to register.  To see when TDS Combines is coming to your city, check out our 2013 locations.

With any questions regarding TDS Combines, feel free to contact Charlie Nobile at (562) 513-3729 or at cnobile@topdrawersoccer.com.