Recruiting 101

Has it been your lifelong dream to be recruited to play, your sport, at the college level? Have you watched college athletes with the ambition that, one day, you will be in their position? Well, the time to begin to make your dream a reality is now. What do you know about the recruiting process? More often than not, high school athletes assume that because they are being recruited, they are automatically entitled to a scholarship. The reality is that every athlete that is recruited does not acquire a scholarship. Do you have the tools to navigate from where you are today to take the steps that will guide you to fulfill your dream and solidify your future? Recruiting involves more than coaches watching you play, home visits, and signing a letter of intent. The reality is recruiting can be a confusing and complicated process. At times it can seem like a beast, which can potentially affect your decision-making. The NCAA has several guidelines that coaches, players, parents, colleges / universities, and alumni must follow. To explain every aspect of those guidelines would take another year. Deciding which college to attend is one of the most important choices for an athlete of any caliber. By having an understanding of the basics, the recruiting process will not only be a fun experience but you will be prepared to make an informed decision before signing the dotted line.

TYPES OF RECRUITING

There are several different methods and types of recruiting. In this section, we will discuss the basic types of recruiting and a few tactics that coaches may use to try to persuade you.

Camp Invites: Coaches may invite you to attend their camp at their school. Beware of such offers. Although camps are a good way to be seen, they also appeal to the masses. So if a coach has invited you to attend their camp, keep in mind that he / she may have invited several players to attend the same camp. If you choose to attend camps, make sure you are in shape and perform your best every day. Even if the coach did invite other players, at least you will leave a good impression.

Letters: There are various letters that a coach will use during the recruiting process. These letters range from typed letters to handwritten letters. A little piece of advice, everyone who is being recruited will receive a typed letter. Some people call these form letters or generic letters. These letters are not personal and I would lean more toward calling them generic because every one who is being recruited receives them. On the other hand, the handwritten letter is a little bit more personal because it is handwritten.

Phone Calls: If you receive a phone call in addition to any of the aforementioned items above, you know the coach is serious about recruiting you. The coach is using this phone call to get to know more about you so you use the phone call to get to know more about the coach. Ask questions! Ask questions! Ask questions! Showcase your personality and let the coach know you are more than just an athlete.

Visits: There are two types of visits (1) official visits and (2) unofficial visits. If you receive an offer from the coach to come out to the school, this is considered an official visit. Official visits typically occur during one of the college’s / university’s (school) festive-filled weekends. All recruits can take up to five (5) official visits and these visits are paid for by the school. An unofficial visit is a visit that you choose to take to a school to “see for yourself” what the school is like. You may take as many of these visits as possible, but they are not paid for by the school. You pay for these visits yourself. An unofficial visit is a good way to see what the school is like outside of a festive-filled weekend.

Regardless of which method a coach utilizes to recruit you, it is important to understand the difference among the methods. Some methods (camp invites, generic letters and sometimes written letters) are more impersonal; whereas, other methods (phone calls, official / unofficial visits, are more personal. Acquiring a basic understanding of the differences among these methods will assist you in determining how serious a coach is about recruiting you.

THE PRINCIPLES

What do you know about the recruiting process? As I stated earlier, more often than not, high school athletes assume that because they are being recruited, they are automatically entitled to a scholarship. The reality is that every athlete that is recruited does not acquire a scholarship. More importantly, the decisions you make during the recruiting process will directly affect your future. Below is a list of the basic principles, including some you may know and some you may not know, that you should remember while being recruited.

BE PROACTIVE: Top student-athletes are evaluated extensively not only on their ability to play the game, but also on their character, work ethic, performance inside and outside the classroom, and ability to adapt. Therefore, you, the student-athlete, should also make it your primary responsibility to your grades up in high school, continue to work hard in your respective sport, and extensively evaluate the college / university (from the academic perspective) and the head coach’s ability to perform up to your own standards.

The Coach Is NOT Your Friend: Some (not all) coaches provide a false sense of security by telling recruits what they WANT to hear instead of what they NEED to hear. They capitalize on all of the positive aspects of their college or university (school) in an attempt to persuade the high school student their school is the best choice.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO SAY NO: If you are not satisfied with what you are hearing from a particular coach or you know you are NOT interested in a particular school that is recruiting you, don’t hesitate to tell the coach you are not interested….aka NO. They have heard the word “No” a million times before you so it will not hurt their feelings. It will only make time for you to focus on the schools you feel are the “right fit” for you.