This past season was a humbling one for former Cleveland Alliance standout Ryan Lee as he played in 15 games and started one for the Big Ten Champion Ohio State Buckeyes.

A former team captain and NSCAA All-American at the club level, none of his credentials meant anything once he landed on the Ohio State campus. On the contrary, he was reduced to the same status as every other first-year player at OSU.

A freshman.

Here’s how Lee survived - and how you can too.

Don’t wait for colleges to come to you

“I wasn’t a guy who was very highly recruited. So for those of us (who aren’t blue-chippers) you have to make the colleges come to you. I sent out my information to prospective colleges and always let them know what tournaments I would be playing in so they could evaluate me. I sent out a lot of emails.”

Humble yourself

“I think the biggest mistake college freshmen make is when they come in with a big head thinking that they’ll automatically gain playing time. It’s never that easy – you have to fight for it. There is big talent everywhere and a lot of recruits coming in have financial backing.

“It’s a big-time humbling experience. You can come in as a captain of your club team and then all of the sudden you have to work so hard all throughout the week just to get a little bit of playing time.”

DO NOT procrastinate!

“You don’t really have much downtime, so after practice it’s not wise to waste much time relaxing or watching TV. If you have open time you have to finish schoolwork and take care of business. The workload is tough mentally, emotionally and physically.”

Be prepared for ‘the jump’

“Everything is more intense: the practices, the players. The stakes are so much higher and guys are playing for spots so we can be hard on each other. My first game of the season was a big eye-opener. I had really bad nerves, I came in off the bench and a lot was going through my mind. We were playing Gonzaga. It’s a big difference and you’re trying to be confident with your game against big names.”

Play faster

“The one thing that you have to be ready for is playing quick, one-two touch soccer. You have to know when to attack and when to make good decisions under pressure. If I could do anything over again I would be stronger mentally from the start. But work ethic is the most important thing. If you work your butt off you can make up for things.”

Enjoy it. It goes quickly

“We beat Michigan for the conference championship and I was just ecstatic. It was so great. I could not have planned the year any better.

“This upcoming year I’ll be ready mentally. I’ll know what to expect and have already adjusted to the college game.”