Life is Changing

One thing I know about the recruiting process, it is scary. Up to this point in your life, your decision about what to do after high school is probably the biggest decision you have had to make. For the first 18 years of your life you are in a bubble. The bubble has problems, but it is generally safe and more importantly it is known.

When you think about where to go to college you are imagining yourself stepping outside of all that is familiar to you.

Add to that your desire to continue to be a collegiate athlete. Currently you are probably one of the better players on your team, maybe even one of the better players in your region or state. What will become of you when you play in college?

Will you be able make the transition to college sports? Will you be good enough? Will you be accepted by the players currently on the team? And how in the world will you figure out where to go?

The best advice I can give you is to be PROACTIVE.

My 2 Biggest Tips

Here are my 2 biggest tips for you to get started

Research Colleges

Get started. Stepping on the field and hoping to be noticed is not enough. You may be found by a coach if you are lucky, but chances are slim that the best fit for you, will find you with no effort on your part.

Figure out what schools would be a great fit for you academically, athletically, distance from home and the values of the school. It is important that you know what kind of schools interest you and what is important to you. If a coach comes calling from a school you have not researched, you will be prepared and know what to look for as you check out this new school.

Contact Coaches

You will take a lot of fear and wishful thinking out of the process when you actually begin contacting coaches. You have to put yourself out there. What is the very worst that can happen? They tell you no or ignore you. That is not so bad, is it? Here are a few guidelines once you have researched and picked out several schools.

1. You are free to call, text, or email a coach at any time. And I recommend that you reach out! Fear can delay you, but the longer you wait the more doors will close, and that should scare you more than reaching out. On the other end, if you are in 7^th or 8^th grade, wait until high school.
2. Call the coach and let them know you are interested and will be sending them information. If you get a voice mail, that is okay. Leave a message with your name, cell number and that you will be following up by email. Initiative is like gold to a college coach. They want to know you are interested in their school.
3. Follow up with a short email. Introduce yourself, include information that makes it clear that this is a personal email and not a generic one sent to every coach in the country. Include something about the school and why you are interested in them particularly. Finally, finish with what events you will compete in. Include your resume as an attachment.
4. Next fill out the recruiting questionnaire on the team’s website.

In this order, call (leave a message if there is no answer). Send an email. Fill out the team’s recruiting questionnaire.

Surprisingly, much of the fear you feel now will disappear or lessen as you begin to take steps to research colleges and reach out to coaches. The unknown will quickly become the known. It is still a big decision, but as you arm yourself with information you will unlock the mysteries that are holding you back.

Do you want to know more about how to research colleges and contact coaches? If so, it is time for a step-by-step plan to guide you through the process.

How to Get Recruited: Got Talent. Get a Plan. Get Recruited.

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Thanks,

Bryan

P.S. Come join our Facebook group, The Recruiting Code. This is the place to be for parents and coaches to talk about college recruiting. Come learn from each other, share stories and get information that will help your child become a college athlete.