The Path from College Goalkeeper to Pro: Insights from Carlos Herrera

My name is Carlos Eduardo Herrera Lepe and I am a professional goalkeeper for Detroit City FC. I was born in Mexico City and moved to San Leandro, California at the age of 3, where I spent my life until moving away for college. I attended a junior college in Iowa before transferring to a Division Two school in Texas where I finished my athletic and academic career in 2019. I spent a couple of years after graduating playing semi-pro with Contra Costa FC while working various jobs to pay the bills before earning my first professional contract in April of 2022. 

My path to the professional level wasn’t the most conventional, so I want to share my journey to let young goalkeepers know that there are many ways to reach your end goal, all of which stem from your mentality and desire to achieve your goals.

The College Years: Setting the Foundation

I didn’t know anything about how college soccer, let alone college recruiting worked. I just knew that the natural progression for me was to go to college to continue my academic and athletic career and didn’t care where that took me. I spoke with JUCOs, D2s, and NAIA schools and ultimately decided on Iowa Western Community College with no idea what to expect, just the goal of achieving my dreams.

Balancing soccer and school for me was challenging for me because all of this mixes in with my social life as well. Being away from home with no restrictions for the first time at 17 can be overwhelming because you’re fully responsible for all your choices. You choose if you go to class, if you are eating healthy or not, if you are doing extra gym work amongst many other things. Talent can help players stand out in college, but those who stand out the most are those who are professional enough to take care of their bodies. In an environment where there is so much noise and so many distractions, it’s important to not forget what you're there for, and what your ultimate goal is. 

Gaining Exposure & Getting Noticed

After transferring to Texas A&M International, I had an extremely successful first year, being named to all-conference and all-region teams, as well as being in the leaderboards nationally statistically. Nearby, I had USL teams Austin Bold and RGV Toros who took an interest in me and tracked me through my senior year. I began attending combines and trainings to keep myself on the radar, as well as to keep improving my game.

Summer leagues were pivotal to the development of my game. I played for the Little Rock Rangers and Laredo Heat during my college summers. The best summer teams consist of Division 1 players along with some former professionals, so it's the perfect place to compare yourself to the competition and keep improving.

During my time in college and in the NPSL, I met many people who helped me get to where I am today. From staff that helped me get to trails or find new opportunities, coaches that helped me get extra reps before or after training, and players that I have the pleasure of still playing against today or have meaningful conversations with. 

The Transition: Trials, Contracts & the Pro Lifestyle 

My first professional trial that wasn’t a combine was with Monterey Bay in 2022 for their preseason. I was confident in my abilities going into the preseason, but nervous because I didn't know what to expect. The difference in level between college/semi-pro to professional is night and day. Everything you can think of gets taken to a higher level. The shooting is harder, the passes are faster, the players are stronger, and the most notable change is the level of consistency in the simple actions.

After being on trial for close to 4 weeks, I was let go and was back to square one of having no team. I went on trial with a NISA team for a couple of weeks afterward, but that ultimately didn't work out either. An issue that made securing my first contract more challenging was the fact that I had a Mexican passport. This meant that I was considered an internationa l player, and teams only had limited international roster spots that are usually reserved for players with impressive careers. 

A few weeks into the 2022 USL season, one of the goalkeepers from Monterey Bay unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury. Following this injury, I received a phone call to go train the following day. After the training, I signed a 25-day contract and subsequently one for the remainder of the year.

The Mental & Physical Demands of a Pro Goalkeeper

Adapting to the faster pace and higher competition comes from giving it your all in every training. One of the things I've found best is that there’s someone who wants to do something extra after training. Getting as much work in while keeping your body healthy is the best way to adapt to the speed of play.

The mental side is one that isn’t spoken about too often, but one I believe to be the most important. In my first year at Monterey, I suffered from impostor syndrome. Having spells of no game time is something all goalies go through at some point, but in an environment where not playing could mean not having a contract the following year make these spells that much more taxing mentally. I am grateful to have found a sports psychologist who worked with me during the rough patches and made it all seem manageable. While there is still a bit of a stigma around seeing a psychologist, I believe training the mind is just as important as training our hands or feet. 

Maintaining the body healthy through an entire professional season came with a learning curve for me. My body was only ever used to 3-5 month seasons, not 10 months where every training session is twice as intense as before. After my first season ended, I spent the offseason dropping 10-15 pounds while strengthening areas that I had issues with in the season. While the offseason work is important, I believe the most important work happens during the season. In season, one must continue to lift, although with less weight, to keep the body strong. This combined with rolling out, stretching, and ice baths after every training session is what allowed me to complete a full season healthy while training at a high intensity every day.

Carlos’ Wrap-Up...

My advice to aspiring goalkeepers is to tunnel vision on your goal. Every decision should be one that is getting you one step closer to your goal. There will be extremely difficult times along the journey; moments in which you think you want to quit. I know this because many times I thought quitting would be easier. These tough times are just challenges to test how much you really want to achieve your goal. Remember there are many ways to get to the professional level, not just playing MLS Next, going to a Division One school, and getting drafted.