My name is Chris Traina. I was the head coach of Nichols College Soccer for 23 years. My career began with the women’s soccer program from 2002-2004, and continued to the men's program from 2005 to 2024.
Throughout my 23 years of coaching at the NCAA level, I have guided hundreds of families through the entire college recruiting process. I recruited players throughout New England, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, and Florida. Internationally, I brought in players from Brazil, Jamaica, Luxembourg, and dual-citizenship athletes from Belgium and Italy. From the initial application to the first day of pre-season, I assisted each student athlete through their journey. The information and guidance methods I have accumulated over the decades of my position is what I offer through this service.
In the spring of 2002, I began my career as the head of the women’s program. During my very first season, I led the team to the programs first-ever NCAA appearance. I inherited a great group of passionate players in 2002, and had three successful seasons with them.
In 2005, I decided to move over to the men’s side. I took on the task of improving the 3-11-2 men’s team, who were hungry for direction. The change began by improving the culture of the program, while finding new, talented players to help with my philosophy of accountability. During the early years, the program began to take shape, and together with my support staff, I was able to change the course of men’s soccer at Nichols.
I was blessed to lead both mens and women's programs to a combined 209 wins, and competed in 7 championships. We won three Conference titles, along with three incredible trips to the NCAA tournament. One with the women's team, and two NCAA berths with the mens teams. I accomplished this by finding athletes who were the best fit for us, both in character and in their ability.
Meeting and understanding the needs of the parents or guardians of the recruit; is just as important as meeting the player’s needs. College searches are challenging tasks. It is vital that parents feel comfortable and confident that they are leaving their son or daughter in a place where he/she will evolve into a successful adult.
I firmly believe that athletics plays a crucial role in student success. It teaches both accountability and responsibility during the college experience. Throughout my decades of coaching college soccer, I met over 50 NCAA coaches in and around New England; many of which I am on a first-name basis with.
Services
If you and your son/daughter choose to become a client, I will work to present you with several options to pick from for your college future. I must inform you that I will be transparent and realistic regarding where I feel you can play. Together we will find your pool of potential colleges, as well as a “reach” school! Players grow in size, speed, and overall ability. These changes will occur within your junior and senior years of high school, and increase exponentially once you are training and competing at the NCAA level.These factors will go into my assessment. As a former player, I never played each game the same way. I take this into consideration when we discover the pool of college that are viable options.
Now, to address the academics; which is why you will be attending college!
● Multiple communications to find out where your interest lies, and uncover a list of schools that offer these career goals.
● I will recommend several top ID Camps. * Not every ID camp has the same value as others!
● You will send me your current GPA, so that we can determine which institution will accept you; and explore options of schools who may be “flexible” with their GPA requirements.
● Match up academics and athletics, and find the “BEST FIT” institutions with this list.
● I will assist you through the application process if obstacles arise.
● Uncover ways for you to save you money on tuition and fees, even before your child has been
accepted!
● Discuss the value of Early Decision, the timeline of FASFA , and your recommendation letters.
FEE: A one-time payment of $249 covers my service to you.
There are no “Memberships” or monthly payments needed.
● We meet in person and/or by Zoom We will have several conversations along with multiple text messages
● After seeing you compete, as well as see any game film you have, we will discuss my assessment, via phone calls, Face-Time, and/or emails.
● Based on how you fill out the questionnaire, we design a demographic area in which you want to be attending college.
● Once I send these options, we meet or talk in person to go over the schools you wish to attend; from optimistic- to realistic!
I notify the programs of your choice of colleges, in no particular order unless you prefer I do so.
Once you have completed the applications and are accepted, we go over your letter of acceptance, as well as connect again to discuss any remaining questions.
Payment: If you choose to use my services, I have made the $249 payment options easy. I will send you my VENMO account @Christopher-Traina-1. Or, if you prefer to pay by check, you will make it out to: BEST FIT For College llc - and mail to 1036 Guelphwood Rd Southbridge Ma 01550
I am keeping the fees very reasonable. The larger recruiting companies who blindly blanket mass mailings to every coach in the US, can cost a minimum $500 for basic help, to over $2000 PER YEAR. Higher fees do not mean better service!
This is my way to give back to a career that has been a major part of my life, and cover my expenses while helping parents and student athletes, attend a great college. Tuition, and college fees continue to increase. The expense of campus visits add up as well. Finding the right fit can weigh heavily on the financial investment of your education. I understand and respect these costs, which is also why my service is a much more viable option.
That being said, there are no refunds, since you will obtain my expertise from day one. No one can guaranty your future. The advantage you have by obtaining my service my experience of the entire process, and the rapport I have made with a vast number of NCAA coaches.
My goal, is meeting you and helping you find the BEST FIT for your college experience!
