College Placement

How to establish communication with college coaches

As you begin your recruiting efforts, you may often hear or read that, “If you’re good enough, coaches will find you.” While this is true for some elite athletes, the great majority of club athletes must reach out directly to coaches to make their presence known.

• Email is often a great first step. Before hitting send, make sure you’ve done your homework about the coach, the school, and the program. Include your basic athletic information and GPA. You should be able to explain why you are interested in the school and how you could contribute to the team. You should also include a link to your online profile/highlight video as well as your best contact information.
• Phone is always a good call. As you can imagine, a coach’s email is often overloaded with incoming messages. What many athletes don’t know is that coaches receive very few actual phone calls from recruits. A phone call is a great way to introduce yourself in person and to make a memorable impression. But don’t pick up the phone until you are prepared with questions to ask the coach and also prepared for questions directed to you. Chances are you may not get through on your first call, so be prepared to leave a voicemail as well.
• Social Media is being used more and more. Some athletes are reaching out and connecting with coaches through social media. Only reach out if you are active and monitor the channel (you don’t want to miss any messages) and that there is nothing questionable posted in your account.
• In Person introductions can’t be beaten. Camps and unofficial visits are a great time to introduce yourself to a college coach. Coaches understand you might be a little nervous, but if you’ve done your homework you should do fine. Remember not to fall victim to one-word answers and to stay off your phone. This is a great opportunity to make a personal connection with a college coach.