What To Say To A Coach When You Want To Be Recruited?
Many high school prospects find it hard to begin the recruiting process. They don’t know how to reach out to coaches, what to say, or how to generate recruiting interest. As a recruit, or a parent of one, I am sure you are wondering what exactly to say to college coaches when you are interested in their program.
The most effective way to reach out to a college coach is sending an email introducing yourself. Regardless of what platform you choose to use for your initial communication, make sure to clearly introduce yourself, include a highlight video and other relevant information, and explain your interest in each program you are considering.
Communicating with college coaches is an essential part of the recruiting process. After all, your relationships with coaches will play a huge role in deciding where you choose to continue playing your respective sport. To help, we created a guide to communicating with college coaches – beginning with what to say when you want to be recruited by a coach’s program.
Effective Ways To Reach Out To College Coaches
There are numerous ways to reach out to college coaches. Some recruits feel more comfortable sending an email, while others prefer reaching out over the phone, or even social media. The tips below will help you write the perfect introductory message to coaches at programs you are interested in.
Don’t Forget To Include Essential Information: Coaches are very busy people and receive lots of messages from recruits. For this reason, make sure to send an easy-to-interpret message with all of the relevant information. If you are sending an email, the subject of your email should include your full name and graduation year. [How do you introduce yourself to a college coach?] If you choose to use a social media platform, that information should be included in your bio. Additionally, your message should include a highlight video, your high school transcript, and an upcoming schedule.
Personalize Each Message: There is nothing that annoys coaches more than an email that was clearly copied, pasted, and sent to dozens of different programs around the country. Coaches are much less likely to recruit you if they see that you didn’t even put in the time doing basic research on their program. In each introductory message you send, include 1-2 sentences about your interest in that particular program.
Don’t Be Afraid To Follow Up: Just because a coach does not respond to your initial email, it does not mean that they are not interested in recruiting you. It may have gotten lost in their crowded inbox. Because of this, they will not be annoyed by you sending them a follow up email – or even two. In fact, they may appreciate your persistence.
Spend Time On Your Highlight Video: While it is important that you send a personal, well-written email, the coach ultimately wants to evaluate your athletic ability. This makes the quality of your highlight video essential. Try your best to film all of your games, to maximize the amount of tape you have to choose from. Highlight videos should be roughly five minutes long, and include clips that are between ten and twenty seconds long [What Do Coaches Want To See In A Recruiting Video?].
One common myth about the recruiting process is that coaches typically make the first move. The reality is that this is very rare. The prospect is almost always responsible for opening the line of communication with the coach. For this reason, it is important that you reach out to as many college coaches as you can. There is no better way to get coaches to notice you than by directly contacting them.
Communication Tips For After The Introductory Message
The introductory message you send is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to communicating with college coaches. Throughout the recruiting process, you will constantly be communicating with coaches – both virtually and in-person. While this can seem nerve wracking at first, with practice and preparation it will become a great opportunity for you to learn more about the programs you are interested in.
Be Yourself: Coaches talk to dozens of recruits every year. They will be able to tell if you are being dishonest, or avoiding a question. You will develop the best relationships with coaches, while also ensuring yourself the best chance of getting recruited by those coaches, if they see you as mature and genuine. One simple way to do this is by answering questions with more than “yes” or “no.” Prospects who respond with mostly one to two-word answers will have a hard time building relationships and generating recruiting interest.
Come Prepared: By doing your research and coming prepared, you can show coaches that you are serious about their program and the recruiting process in general. In order to arrive prepared, you need to do two things. First, do background research on the coach’s program until you are able to explain your interest in their specific program. Second, create a list of questions. Try your best to ask questions that are not easily answered on the program’s website. A good way to get started is by thinking about what you would need to know about the program before you would feel comfortable committing.
Take Charge Of The Process: Despite their good intentions, parents tend to over-involve themselves in their child’s recruiting process. [The Parents Role In College Recruiting.]. When it comes to communication with coaches, it is important that the recruit take the lead. The coaches are there to evaluate how well you fit into their program, not your parents. Unless a question is specifically addressed to your parents, the majority of the conversation should be between you and the coach.
Hopefully, you feel more ready to meet with college coaches after reading the tips above. By coming prepared, being yourself, and asking thoughtful questions, you can leave coaches with a good impression of you and improve the chances of them wanting you to be a part of their program.
How To Tell Coaches You Are (Or Aren’t) Committing To Their School
Eventually, you will decide about where you will attend college and the recruiting process will come to an end. However, before the celebrations officially begin, you have to inform the coaches at the programs who recruited you of your decision. This can be hard, especially if you developed close relationships with coaches at numerous programs. Here are some tips on how to best navigate this process.
Thank Them For Recruiting You: The first step is to let the coaches at the programs you did not choose to attend know of your decision. Be sure to thank them for taking the time to recruit you, and giving you an opportunity to continue playing your respective sport in college.
Ask What The Next Steps Are: After informing the coaches at the program you chose of your decision, you should ask what the next steps are. They may have an off-season training/nutrition program for you to follow, or they may want to schedule a meeting with you to discuss your future in their program.
College coaches have been through the recruiting process numerous times. They understand that most recruits are considering multiple schools and that their program is not the best fit for everyone. As long as you tell them in a respectful and grateful way, they will not hold your decision to commit elsewhere against you.
Things To Keep In Mind
Don’t Ask For A Scholarship: One of the most common mistakes prospects make early on in the recruiting process is asking a coach if they will receive a scholarship. When the coach is ready to breach this subject, they will bring it up on their own.
Keep Your Options Open: It is not a guarantee that every school you reach out to will get back to you. For this reason, it is in your best interest to introduce yourself to as many coaches as possible.
Take Your Time: While you will obviously be excited when you receive your first couple of offers, do your best not to overreact. Just because it was the first offer you received, doesn’t mean it is the best fit for you. Take your time and consider each opportunity you have before deciding to commit to a school.