Note:
Do not begin this phase without completing the organization step first. Once you begin seeking attention, you never know who will take a look. If you are not ready for people to view you, you will look immature, unpolished and unprepared. That may be your only shot and you only get one first impression. Make sure you are ready! |
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Communication is at the core of the recruitment process. In fact, it is so important, the NCAA has created a Recruitment Calendars specifically designed to regiment the communication process. Representatives of NCAA institutions are not able to contact prospective athletes at anytime. Understanding these calendars is vital to making contact with schools and the best times providing the best possible opportunity for reciprocal contact. "Strike while the iron is hot" is a maxim that definitely applies to the recruiting process.
There are few types of contact that an athlete can make to gain a college coach's attention. We will review the positives and negatives of each one below. |
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• Snail Mail • |
| The old fashioned letter may be dying but its value to a college coach is not. This is a fantastic way to contact a coach directly and share with them your interest in their school. A well designed and custom letter to a coach is the prefect way to introduce yourself to a college coach. Some athletes try to do too much with this step by sending pages of statistics, dvds, and lengthy biographies. College coaches are busy and need precise information to get them to what they want. Using a letter to simply introduce yourself puts you on that coaches radar and nothing more. Pages of statistics will be lost and DVDs become obsolete as soon as they are burned. Using a letter to simply say hello, I would like to play for you and most importantly, I will contact you again. |
• Telephone • |
| The telephone is a great way to stay in contact with a coach but is rarely effective unless a relationship with a coach is already established. The usual issues apply with telephone contact which are connecting when both are available to talk, long distance charges, etc. In addition, coaches may only call athletes within the parameters set by the NCAA. Those parameters designate during what year, how often and when during the year a coach may call. However, you may call a coach as much as you like without any constraints. |
• Website Interest Forms • |
| Most institutions have a form on their athletic's pages for prospective athletes. These forms are an absolute necessity for all interested athletes. Completing this ensures that someone from that institution will take a look at your in some way shape or form. Most coaches will utilize sites like MaxPreps to obtain statistics for a general overview but no athlete will be recruited by this form alone. |
• E-mail • |
| E-mailing coaches is the single most effective way to stay in constant contact with a coach at an institution you are interested in. You can e-mail a coach as much as you like and whenever you like. Coaches must abide by the Recruitment Calendars and other guidelines for e-mail just as with other forms of contact but e-mail is different. E-mail is immediate, efficient, can offer links to stats, video and websites. E-mail can be reviewed much faster than snail mail and saved much more efficiently as well. |
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Now that you have gotten their attention so they know that you exist, now its time to sell yourself.
To sell yourself to a college coach, you must have something to offer and they must be in the market to "purchase" your particular set of skills. That means, no matter how good you are, not all coaches will want you. To market yourself, you need a platform to demonstrate and prove your skills.
Collegiate coaches must be able to see years worth of statistics demonstrating not only your potential but also your growth over a period of time. MaxPreps is the industry leader for the major sports and can be used. If your coach is not keep statistics, you must take on this responsibility yourself. You must find someone to record your stats during your play so that you can relay that information to colleges.
Statistics only tell part of the story. Video fills in the blanks. No coach will recruit you on statistics alone. They will want to see you play before taking the next step. Photographs help tell the story but there is no replacement for video of you in competition.
The last thing a coach will want to know is "everything else." What kind of person are you? What interests you? What are your goals outside of athletics? Do you get along with your coaches? Were you a supporting player on your team or a leader? Telling that story can be done many ways but is imperative that coaches see you and not just your athletic skills. |
