What Does It Mean When A College Coach Sends You A Letter?
Throughout high school, and as senior year quickly approaches, you will start to receive an increasing amount of letters from colleges. You may not be accustomed to receiving so much “snail mail” so it can seem overwhelming to sift through all of the brochures, pamphlets, and handwritten notes you receive from college admissions offices, coaches, and athletic programs. As a high school athlete looking to be recruited, you may be asking yourself, what does it mean when a college coach sends me a letter?
In short, letters from college coaches don’t necessarily mean you are getting recruited, but it is important to differentiate between the different types of letters you receive so that you can understand the likelihood that a coach is recruiting you. The more personalized a letter is to you, the more likely you are being recruited. Always make sure to keep track of the letters you receive from coaches and the responses you give.
Coaches communicate with athletes through varying means whether it be email, phone calls, mail to your home or school, or indirectly through your high school coach. Forming relationships with college coaches and understanding what messages to respond to can seem overwhelming. But, this guide should help you understand what it means when coaches send you different types of letters.
The Different Types Of Letters From College Coaches
There are several types of letters you may receive from college coaches. Below we outlined a few examples of letters and what it means when a college coach sends you each type of letter.
Mass Letters About The College: Many college athletic programs create mailing lists to student athletes based merely on how close you live to the college, what high school you go to, or your team’s performance in state or district championships. These coaches may not even be aware of your skill level. You can spot these types of letters because they are extremely generalized and merely give information about the college itself and the athletic program. Your name may not even appear on the letter, and sometimes these letters are sent from the college’s Athletic Director and not even the coach.
These types of letters are not indicators of whether you are being recruited. If you are interested in that specific program you should definitely send a handwritten letter back to the coach or send an email with your highlight video. But it is important to remember that DI and DII coaches are not allowed to send recruiting information before June 15th after your sophomore year or September 1st of your junior year depending on the sport.
Questionnaires: Questionnaires are another form of communication that coaches can use to learn more about athletes before they are upperclassmen. It is important to complete these questionnaires but it does not mean a coach is heavily recruiting you as they send these to many high school athletes.
Handwritten Letters: Handwritten letters are the most personalized way that coaches can reach out to you and are usually a good sign that the coach is recruiting you. If the coach takes the time out of their day to sit down and write you a letter, they are likely interested in having you join their team. If the letter includes personal information about your ability or if the coach gives you their personal contact information, this is another strong sign that you are being recruited. You should definitely respond to the coach with a handwritten letter as well, expressing your interest in their program. This will help you begin a relationship with the coach.
Invitation To Take An Official Visit: If a coach sends you a handwritten or typed invitation to take an official visit at their campus, this is a sure sign that you are being recruited. If you are interested in the college you should definitely call or email the coach as soon as possible to schedule your official visit. If a coach expresses interest in coming to watch you play, this is also an indicator that a coach is interested in recruiting you. This is also a great opportunity to meet the coach face to face and further your relationship with the coach.
It is clear from all of the different types of letters why many high school students are unsure what it means when a college coach sends them a letter. This list should help you decipher what a coach is trying to communicate with you and whether or not you are being heavily recruited depending on the type of letter you receive.
Other Types Of Letters You May Receive From Colleges
As a high schooler actively seeking to be recruited, it can at times be difficult to differentiate between letters related to academics versus those related to a college’s athletic programs. The two types of letters below are strictly academic letters and are not related at all to whether you are being recruited by the college’s athletic program.
Mail From The Admissions Office: Any mail from admissions offices are entirely separate from mail that you receive from coaches. You may receive mail from the admissions office of a college where you have received letters from an athletic coach as well, but these lines of communication are not connected. Thus, letters from admissions offices are not related to whether you are being recruited as an athlete at all. Furthermore, an acceptance letter from the admissions office is not the same as a letter of intent to play, and thus if you get accepted to the university it does not necessarily mean you will play on their athletic team. There is no need to respond to these generalized brochures or letters unless they are personalized to you or require a response.
Mail About Scholarships Or Aid: After receiving an acceptance letter from a college, you may receive a letter offering you a scholarship or financial aid. This may be confused with an athletic scholarship, but mail from the admissions office about academic scholarships is different than mail sent from coaches about athletic scholarships. If you are receiving an athletic scholarship you will accept it by signing your National Letter of Intent which is sent by coaches after they have verbally offered you a spot on their team.
Make sure you separate letters sent from coaches versus those sent by admissions offices. Letters sent from coaches are important to respond to, especially if they are specifically personalized to you.
What It Means When Coaches Email Or Call You
Some coaches may be more likely to email or call you rather than send a letter based on their preferences. Thus, it is important to understand what it means when coaches contact you in these forms.
Emails From Coaches: General, mass emails are similar to generalized letters and usually do not mean you are being actively recruited, but rather that coaches are trying to spark interest in their program. However, if you receive personalized emails from coaches you should definitely respond with a highlight video, your stats, and your interest in the program as a coach is likely more interested in you and wants to gauge your interest. However, handwritten letters are still higher indicators of being recruited than personalized emails.
Phone Calls From Coaches: Phone calls from coaches are usually good signs that you are being recruited heavily by that coach. If a coach wants to take their time to have a back and forth conversation with you, they likely already know you are interested in their program and want to get to know you on a deeper level.
As you begin to communicate with coaches through different modes, it is important to remember to keep the conversation flowing and update coaches through email or phone call if they give you their personal contact information.
Things To Keep In Mind
Personalization Matters: The more personalized a letter is, the more likely they are recruiting you. For example, a handwritten letter is more personal than a personalized typed email. But don’t worry if you don’t receive any handwritten letters, not all coaches send these.
Respond, Respond, Respond: It is crucial to respond to coaches. This is how they know you are interested in their program and can help you begin to build a relationship with the coach. If you respond and build rapport with the coach they are more able to determine if you would be a good fit for their program.
Don’t Lose Hope: You may hear other athletes receiving more letters from coaches than you, but don’t lose hope. Depending on the sport and the coach, there are different frequencies and timelines of communication.