What Do College Coaches Want To Hear?

As you jump into the recruiting process, you may have no idea what college coaches want to hear. Well, you’re not alone. Many prospective student-athletes have no idea what coaches want to hear, and that’s just fine.

College coaches want to hear everything they can about you and your athletic and academic abilities. With the recruiting process being so short, coaches want to learn as much about you as they can and as quickly as possible. When meeting with coaches, be sure to use your academic and athletic achievements as a way to start the conversation. Don’t gloat, but be confident in your ability to play at the next level.

Included below is some additional detailed information that should help you decide what to mention when chatting with college coaches. More specifically, this article goes on to discuss some direct examples of what coaches want to hear about, as well as what they don’t.

Coaches Want To Hear About You

College coaches don’t know you all that well. Especially when compared to your peers or family. With knowing so little, coaches want to be brought up to speed. Use the topics below as conversation starters that specifically highlight to coaches that you are worth considering as a potential recruit.

Your Grades: When meeting with a coach, grades will almost certainly be brought up. As a prospective student-athlete, the transition from high school to college will be difficult. Coaches want to be confident in your ability to make that transition and good grades do just that. But, if your grades aren’t the best, be honest about it. Even if your grades are low, tell the coach that you will work even harder in the classroom to better grades. Showing a coach that you care about your academics is a great way to slide onto his or her radar.

How You Feel About Your Game: Another thing that coaches will want to hear is how you personally feel about your game. To gauge this, coaches may ask questions wondering “if you think you are good enough to play at this level.” Confidence is a key thing that many coaches will look for in an athlete. Having greater confidence in your abilities will make a coach feel that you are more reliable. Be sure to harp on this as coaches are looking for prospective student-athletes who are driven, talented, and ready to compete.

Extracurricular Involvement: When recruiting, college coaches are typically looking for prospective student-athletes whom they consider to be well-rounded. While the more time you spend in the books and in the gym the better, coaches also like to see involvement elsewhere. You may want to tell him or her about any of your hobbies or things that you consistently do outside of school and your sport.

Questions For Coach: When meeting with coaches, another thing that they are likely to ask is if you have any questions for them. You should have a few questions going into the meeting that you are wanting to ask. By asking questions you not only show your interest in the program, but also that you are diligent and want to understand what his or her school truly has to offer.

These are just a few examples of different things that coaches like to hear. Remember, the recruiting process for coaches is all about building a relationship with potential recruits. To gauge whether or not they want to offer you a roster spot, coaches will try and get to know you as well as possible. Be sure to tell them about both your athletic and academic achievements, as well as anything else you believe him or her should know.

What Coaches Don’t Want To Hear

Just like how there are things coaches love to hear, there are also plenty of things that coaches hate to hear. If you are a hard-worker with a team-first attitude, it’s likely that most things you tell a coach will be beneficial towards getting recruited. Coaches often dislike talking to recruits who don’t work hard or are lazy. Avoid developing these habits early; the harder you work, the better chance you have of making it to the next level.

You Don’t Hustle: To many college coaches, having a scholarship athlete who always hustles is a necessity. To be able to succeed at the collegiate level, coaches know that everyone on the field has to be working hard and hustling. If college coaches find out that you’re lazy on the field, they probably will look to a different potential recruit.

Poor Academics: During the recruiting process, coaches are often searching for prospective student-athletes who they can see succeeding at their college/university. To be able to succeed as a student-athlete, it takes hard work not only on the field or court, but in the classroom. If your grades are low in high school, coaches may even scratch you from their recruiting list because they believe you’ll struggle at the next level.

Stretching The Truth: One thing to remember when talking to coaches is that you shouldn’t stretch the truth. Be honest about your abilities and what you are capable of. Don’t try inflating your weightlifting numbers or giving yourself a few extra miles per hour on your fastball just to get in a coach’s good graces. Be truthful about what you are capable of and keep a coach updated on any new developments in your game.

Who Else Plays My Position: This is another question that many coaches don’t like to be asked. One of the key takeaways a coach will have from this interaction is that you may not be entirely confident in your abilities. Coaches encourage competition so that everyone makes each other better; shying away from it won’t go a very long way in the recruiting process. This is occasionally understandable if a roster is jam-packed at one position, but if not, show coaches that you have what it takes to compete and play at his or her school.

This is just a brief overview of some things that coaches don’t want to hear from recruits. As soon as your high school career starts, be sure to dedicate yourself both inside and outside of the classroom so that you can build up a strong profile for coaches to see. The harder you work, the better you’ll look in the eyes of collegiate coaches.

Things To Keep In Mind

Stay Focused: It’s easy to get wrapped up in all the antics that come along with the recruiting process, but try your best to remain focused. If you produce good numbers, coaches will give you the attention that you deserve. Be sure to stay focused both in the classroom and on the athletic field or court. As long as you continue to grow your game and prove to coaches that you are capable of playing at the next level, then you have a great chance at becoming a collegiate athlete.

Be Honest: When talking to coaches, it’s extremely important to be honest. Being dishonest about your athletic and academic abilities will eventually get the best of you. If you gloat to coaches about how strong your game is, yet can’t back those remarks, that’s never good. Be sure to be truthful and only tell coaches what you are honestly capable of.

Show Interest: During the recruiting process, coaches are trying to learn a lot about you as well as develop a relationship with you. Just because coaches are asking you questions doesn’t mean you can’t do the same to them. When meeting with college coaches be sure to prepare a couple of questions in advance that show you’re seriously interested in his or her program.