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When Should You Begin To Contact College Coaches?

Contacting College Coaches EarlyCommunicate with Coaches

Contacting college coaches is the most essential part of the recruiting process. In order to get recruited you will have to let coaches know that you’re interested in their program. The easiest way to do this is to reach out and let them know who you are.

Do Your Research

Student-athletes who are serious about wanting to take their skills to the next level can begin their research online. College athletic departments have their own web pages and most of the collegiate sports have detailed pages that give users an insider experience to learning all they need to know about the team and coaching staff.

Make the First Move

College coaches at most schools have limited resources when it comes to recruiting up and coming athletes. This is why it is important for student-athletes to make the first move. Send coaches an introductory email about who you are and why you think their program would be a good fit. The earlier you reach out to college coaches the better.

The Early High School Years

This does not mean that coaches are hoping to hear from athletes when they are only eight or nine years old; what it does mean is that coaches want to connect with serious athletes around their freshman and sophomore high school years in order to get a sense of the type of athlete they are dealing with.

Need Help Making That Initial Contact?

Take time to get to know the college athletic program and see what accomplishments the coaching staff has made to build up their team. The more you are educated about the team the better and more confident you will be when communicating with college coaches.
Start off by explaining to the college coaches why you are drawn to the program and how you plan to improve on your athletic and academic skills before entering college. Coaches enjoy hearing why recruits are drawn to their team, school, or program.

Be sure to let them know your particular reasons for contacting them. College coaches are going to be more willing to speak with recruits who have done their homework and are truly passionate about their program.

How to Respond

If a coach sends you any type of correspondence (email, letter, social media message) you need to respond back immediately. If a coach and his staff do not hear back from recruits in a timely manner they will assume that the student-athlete has lost interest and they will be ready to move on to recruits who WANT to be a part of their team.

Coaches rely on student-athletes to seek them out through email, phone or social media. Coaches must abide by sanctioned rules so they may not be able to return your enthusiasm, but what they can do is answer your questions and keep track of your progress and interest.

If you have questions about contacting college coaches than please leave a comment below or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Are you ready for the NEXT STEP!