Athletic Recruiting
College Recruiting
Advice for Parents
College sports recruiting is a complex process and is anxiety producing. But with the right information and patience, your child can have a successful experience. We’ve listed below items of importance you need to consider in search of finding the “right fit” for your child.
1. Grades are very important.
The better they are, the more options you (the player) have. Good grades means more choices and more money in the form of merit scholarships. Grades will keep you from being recruited.
2. The word prospective: And the term Prospective Student-Athlete is important. Regardless of how many letters you get from college coaches, until someone decides you are the right fit in terms of athletic ability, grades, position and personal character, you are a prospect being evaluated.
3. College coach’s mail out thousands of letters as part of their recruiting efforts.
Sometimes athletes not on a mailing list find their way onto the coaches radar screen and are recruited. The point is, there are a lot of people and the right ones are hard to find.
4. College coaches will not “find” you because you are a good player.
There is one coach and thousands of athletes, do the math. Learn the meaning of the word “proactive.” It is OK for a student athlete to call, write or e-mail a college coach. In fact, coaches prefer to hear from the student, not the parent. Overzealous parents will ruin their child’s recruiting chances.
5. Treat your college search like a job search.
Visit college Web sites; study the background of the coaches, open positions and the team’s recent history. Know your target as well as you can. Create a professional player profile with your athlete and academic history. Craft a custom cover letter for each coach you mail information to.
6. Not every college offers athletic scholarships.
Most scholarships are only partial and usually less than half the cost of attendance. NCAA Division I and II schools, NAIA schools, and some Junior Colleges can offer athletic scholarship aid.
7. Parents have anxiety the first time a college coach mails their child a form letter.
Keep it in perspective, mail back the questionnaire and then go research the school. If you do not hear back from the coach, it is likely because they looked at your information and made a decision not to pursue you. It could have been for numerous reasons, some of them surprisingly arbitrary, but if you feel you are a legitimate fit and want to attend the school, call the coach and find out if they are interested. If they say no, ask why, and offer to send game film.
8. A recruiting video must be between two and four minutes of highlights, clearly marked with the student’s name, phone number, jersey color and number, and school or club team name.
A tape is meant to spark enough interest to continue in the recruiting process, to get a coach to call your references, request more tape, try to see you play in person, etc.
9. College sports is big business…and the fact is, the spotlight shines on only a select few.