What Is A Recruiting Letter?
Several benchmarks in the recruiting process can indicate if a coach is interested in recruiting you. One of those significant benchmarks is receiving a recruiting letter from a college coach in the mail. But what is a recruiting letter?
A recruiting letter is a letter from a college coach to provide you more information about the college recruiting process for that school. Ultimately, a recruiting letter from a college coach means they either want to know more about you or want you on their team. Their level of interest can be determined by what type of recruiting letter a coach sends. Coaches send general information about the school, camp invitations and more personalized or handwritten notes.
It can be strange to get a letter in the mail when so much communication is digital now. Recruiting letters can seem like a formality or a non-important part of the process. In reality, recruiting letters can be an excellent indicator that a coach is interested in you as a recruit.
What Are The Different Types Of Recruiting Letters?
There are at least three different types of recruiting letters you might receive, depending on what year you are in school and what programs you’re looking at. You might get these letters in the mail to your house, but high school coaches can also pass messages along to you.
General Information: If you get a brochure, pamphlet or questionnaire in the mail, these are considered non-recruiting materials. Any student-athlete may receive these, including underclassmen. The NCAA restricts Division I and II college coaches from sending recruiting materials to student-athletes before June 15 of their sophomore year or September 1 of their junior year. Getting general information from a college coach in the mail means they want you to know how the recruiting process works for their program.
Camp Invitation: An invitation to a camp will be pretty clear. It can either be a generic letter that a college coach has sent out to multiple student-athletes, or it’s a personalized letter sent only to you. If the letter mentions your highlight video or includes your name, then you know they’re reaching out directly to you. This type of message means that a coach is interested in evaluating you and maybe having you as one of their recruits. Camps are an excellent way for college coaches to get to know you and see your skills in person.
Personalized Letter: A personalized letter is a clear sign that a coach is interested in you as a recruit. They can come in varying degrees of personalization, from referencing your name to a handwritten letter with custom graphics. No matter how specific the note is, a personalized letter is a great sign that you’re being recruited. The coach is trying to impress you with their attention to detail and show you that you’re high on their list of recruits.
With all these different types of recruiting letters, it can be not very easy to tell if a coach is interested in recruiting you. The more personal and impressive a letter is, the better it is for your chances of being recruited. General information from a school can be a starting point for you to get your name out there, while a more personalized letter indicates a higher chance of being recruited from that school.
What To Do If You Receive A Recruiting Letter?
So you’ve received a recruiting letter in the mail. But what should you do next? The answer to that question will depend on what type of message you received. Below are a few different steps you should take, depending on what letter you got.
General Information: If you receive this type of information from a college coach and you’re an underclassman, let your high school coach know. While you won’t be penalized for reaching out to a college coach, Division I and II college coaches won’t be able to respond to you if you send them an introductory email. Your high school coach may be able to coordinate with the college coach and set up some time for you to talk. If you’re an upperclassman athlete, take these letters as an invitation to reach out to the coach and do some more research on the school. You know that you’re on the coach’s radar, so you have a better shot at getting a spot on the roster than a school that you haven’t heard from yet.
Questionnaire: College coaches will often send a request to fill out a recruiting questionnaire as part of their general information letters. They send out hundreds of these letters, so it’s essential to keep working hard to get noticed by the college coach. If you’re interested in building a relationship with the coach, definitely fill out the questionnaire. After doing this, you can send the coach an email and let them know you filled out the questionnaire and are interested in learning more about the school.
Camp Invitation: An invitation to a camp is usually pretty clear in a recruiting letter. A coach may send a generic request or a more personal one that references your specific skills or highlight video. The personalized invitation is a more reliable indicator that the coach wants to recruit you. Still, either letter is an opportunity for you to connect with the coach if you’re interested in the school. Make sure you respond to the message and let the coach know if you can make it to the camp or not. You can send your game or tournament schedule to give them a chance to watch you play if you can’t make it to the camp. Make sure you include your highlight video and contact information when you respond!
Personalized Letter: A personalized letter is a definite sign you’re being recruited by the college coach, especially if it’s handwritten. If you want to play for that school, respond to the coach with your own letter and let them know your interest level. You can reach out through other communication channels, as well, including email and phone calls.
No matter what type of recruiting letter you get, it’s important to remember that the letter is one step in the recruiting process. To receive that final, more important offer letter, you’ll need to develop a relationship with a coach. Filling out a recruiting questionnaire and reaching out to a college coach is just a couple of many steps to take to build that relationship.
Are There Different Recruiting Letters For Each Division?
Because of the NCAA requirements, there are some main differences between divisions. Depending on what kind of college experience you want, you may consider different divisions. But should you be expecting different types of recruiting letters from each division?
Division I And II: Division I and II athletics are more competitive than other divisions. For this reason, it’s less likely to receive recruiting letters, especially handwritten or personal ones, unless you have a high level of talent. It’s critical to be realistic about your skills and abilities, as it can help you navigate the recruiting process. Prioritize your top schools before you start reaching out to coaches or responding to recruiting letters. Knowing which schools are at the top of your list can affect who you respond to and what you say in your response.
Division III: Division III colleges are not part of the NCAA regulations, so the recruiting process is a little different. These schools aren’t restricted to how many recruiting materials they send out. Even if a Division III school isn’t on the top of your list, you can take the opportunity to research the school and reach out to the coach.
For the most part, recruiting letters will be the same across all divisions. You may receive them at different times, but a recruiting letter is usually a positive sign. No matter what division you would prefer to compete in, a recruiting letter from a college coach is a great way to find out more about a school, get on a coach’s radar or build a better relationship with a coach.
Things To Keep In Mind
Parents: A common question parents may have is whether or not they should respond to recruiting letters, especially since they may see the letters in their mailbox. Parents of student-athletes should take a step back here and let their child take the lead. College coaches want to hear from their recruits, and an over-involved parent is a red flag for many coaches.
Official Visit Invitation: College coaches may also send letters offering an official visit invitation. An official visit is an all-expenses-paid visit to campus where you’ll have the opportunity to meet the team and coach. This is an excellent sign and means that you’re part of the coach’s recruiting class. You should respond and accept the invitation if you’re interested in the school.