What Should You Not Say To A College Coach?
As a prospect hoping to play the sport of their choice in college, or the parent of such a prospect, I am sure at some point you’ve wondered what not to say to college coaches - both virtually and in person.
Although there are many topics you’ll want to avoid while communicating with a college coach, be sure to not be too cocky, don’t bad mouth your current coach, and especially try not to come off as uninterested in the conversation. Remember, coaches communicate with prospects partly as a way to evaluate how they would fit into their program’s culture. By not committing these mistakes, you’ll prevent yourself from being labeled as not a good fit for a coach’s program.
To maximize your chances of landing a scholarship from your dream school, it is important that you put your best foot forward each time you communicate with a college coach. Professional communication can be a hard process to navigate, especially for high schoolers. In order to help ease the stress of this process, we have included some advice for communicating with college coaches below.
The Don’ts Of Communicating With College Coaches
Due to time constraints and recruiting regulations, it is hard for coaches to get to know prospects that well before they choose to commit. As a result, coaches rely on limited communication with prospects to evaluate their fit with their program and culture. That being said, there are certain phrases, questions, and attitudes that college coaches hate to hear when talking to prospects.
Don’t Be Cocky Or Arrogant: One of the biggest red flags for coaches is a prospect who comes off as cocky or arrogant. This often shows up when prospects compare themselves to other potential recruits. While it can be tempting to overstate your abilities in hopes of selling yourself to the coach, it will not be received well. Coaches prefer players who are confident, but also humble.
Don’t Bad-Mouth Your High School Coach: When talking to a college coach, make sure to avoid bad-mouthing your high school coaches. This is a huge pet peeve for many coaches and can lead to the coach thinking you will throw them under the bus if things go poorly. Additionally, college coaches often interpret the bad-mouthing of high school coaches as a prospect making excuses.
Don’t Be Uninterested: Arguably the biggest thing to avoid when talking to coaches is seeming uninterested. Coaches want to see that you are passionate about both the sport and their program. Letting your parents talk for you, responding with one or two words, or just not responding at all is the easiest way to ensure that a college coach loses interest in recruiting you.
Questions To Stay Away From: Outside of the three things mentioned above, we included a list of questions that college coaches hate to be asked.
Why do you need to talk to my current/past coach? Why haven’t I received a scholarship offer yet? How much scholarship can you offer? How much playtime will you give me?
Coaches want to see that you are a respectful, coachable, and passionate person. Along with the tips above, keep this in mind whenever you are communicating with a college coach.
The Do’s Of Communicating With College Coaches
Alternatively, there are also things you can do when communicating with college coaches that will both improve the chances of them believing you would be a good fit in their program and set you apart from other recruits.
Be Professional: The first piece of advice is to be professional. College coaches are not interested in offering roster spots to players they believe will be a problem off the field or in the locker room. Whenever you are talking to a coach, make sure you treat them with respect and professionalism. While you do want to develop a strong relationship with the coaches recruiting you, it is important to keep in mind that they are just as much your boss as they are your friend.
Be Engaged: If you actively participate in conversations with college coaches, and show that you are truly passionate about the opportunity to continue playing the sport you love, coaches will be much more likely to have interest in recruiting you. One easy way to do this is to prepare for your conversations with coaches. You can do this by asking yourself why you are interested in both your chosen sport and the coach’s specific program.
Focus On The Whole School: A simple way of conveying that you care about the classroom in addition to the sports field is to ask about it. When talking to college coaches, do not be hesitant to ask them questions about the school’s academics or culture, especially as it relates to athletes. You can ask about the academic resources available to athletes, or even what majors are common among athletes in the coach’s program.
Great Questions To Ask: Just as there are questions that coaches hate to hear, there are also questions that make coaches’ eyes light up. Here are some of those questions.
What kind of academic support is available to athletes? What are the off-season expectations for players? How would you describe the team culture? What is a typical day like for a player during the season?
The way you communicate with college coaches is essential to acing the recruiting process. By following the tips above, both in terms of what not to say and what to say, you will be in a great position to generate recruiting interest.
Steps For Getting In Contact With College Coaches
Now that you understand the do’s and don’ts of communicating with college coaches, you are probably curious about the best ways to get into contact with them. To help, we’ve included a step-by-step guide for contacting coaches.
Introductory Email: The best way to capture a college coach’s attention is through an introductory email. Each email you send should be personalized and give an explanation as to why you are interested in that specific program. Additionally, your introductory email should include a highlight video, your GPA/ACT/SAT, and your schedule for the upcoming season.
Follow-Up Call: College coaches are incredibly busy people, and often don’t have time to personally respond to all their emails. Following your email up with a phone call to the program’s recruiting coordinator or assistant coach increases the chances that the coach will notice your email. If they do not answer, which is likely, be prepared to leave a professional and respectful voicemail introducing yourself.
Monitor Recruiting Letters: While digital recruiting is rising in popularity, some coaches still send recruiting letters to prospects they are interested in. Make sure that you are consistently monitoring your mail so that you do not miss any letters. If you do receive any letters, follow up with a personalized email or phone call to the program’s recruiting coordinator or assistant coach.
Getting into contact with coaches can be hard - many emails you send, or phone calls you place, will not get a response. However, by following the steps above, you can put yourself in a good position to receive a response.
Things To Consider
Honesty Is Always The Best Policy: College coaches will always appreciate honesty. Even if the truth paints you in a bad light, the coach will always prefer the prospect who is honest and upfront about the mistake they made to the one who tries to hide it.
It Is A Two-Way Conversation: As much as you want to impress the coach, do not forget that it is equally important that you determine how you fit into their program. Don’t be afraid to ask the coach hard, but relevant, questions - as long as they are asked in a respectful manner!
Don’t Be Stressed: At the end of the day, coaches just want to get to know the prospect they are considering recruiting. As hard as it may be, try your best to relax before each conversation with a coach.