College coaches spend 50% of their time on recruiting
Coaches are constantly looking for the best players to fill next year’s open positions. They rely on many different methods to finding the right recruits. As a recruit it will be your job to understand how college coaches recruit players so you will have the best opportunity to meet with them and talk about recruitment possibilities.
College coaches at different division levels have different recruiting practices
Not all recruiting is like division I football and basketball. Too often, recruits only focus on “full-rides” and become frustrated when college coaches are unable to offer them what they had hoped for. Do not limit your options; have an idea of what other colleges and other division levels are like. NAIA college coaches have less restrictive rules on when they are allowed to talk with recruits so you may want to start with these colleges and see what type of responses you get.
All college coaches want to see video
Make sure to have highlight film ready to send to coaches once you begin your recruitment. Most coaching staffs are going to watch all highlight videos they receive, in hopes of finding a recruit who’s qualified to compete on their team. Start planning out how to shoot your video beginning your freshman year. Having video on hand will always be useful as you move forward in your recruitment. You never know when coaches will want current video or a full-length game sent to them.
College coaches want to see you play
A lot of the time college coaches only have ONE chance to see potential recruits play. They realize it’s not an adequate amount of time to evaluate a player, but for many coaches it’s the only time they have.
It’s practically impossible for college coaches to watch every player who has expressed interest in their program. So if you get the chance, make sure to set a memorable first impression. Once you learn that a college coach you are interested in playing for will be attending a tournament or showcase you are competing at, let them know. Tell them you hope to see them there and hope they will have time to see you play.
Your recruitment is not like what you see on TV
Most recruits think if they are the best in their sport either, locally, regionally, or even nationally then they will be recruited, without any hitches, to a top college program. This is NOT the way you should go about your recruitment. College coaches still want to hear from top players, they are going to be more interested in potential recruits who take the time to reach out to them and ones who actually know about their team and colleges.
The more time you make for your recruitment the better
Remember to be open to reaching out to all college division levels; you never know what you will find once you start looking.
College coaches want to hear from serious recruits throughout high school. Coaches are going to be more drawn to committing players who have displayed interest in their program throughout their recruitment. This is why it is extremely important to continue contacting and updating college coaches.
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