How College Coaches Recruit

By Nancy Nitardy, courtesy of All-Stater Sports

These valuable tips can help you get noticed by college coaches. All college coaches are different. Some football coaches rely on defense and a strong running game. Others prefer a prolific passing attack to produce points. Certain basketball coaches stalk the sidelines, glare at officials, and bark out instructions to players. Others sit calmly on the bench and casually watch the action. But when it comes to recruiting athletes, practically all coaches in the country have a few things in common. Here are five basic recruiting methods used by just about every college coach:

College coaches swarm to state and national championships and regional competitions to recruit high school athletes. After a competition, coaches send recruiting letters to athletes who could contribute to their programs. Many athletes receive these recruiting letters after participating in these events. The letters mean coaches are interested, but the relationship is not personal just yet.

Most of these letters include a questionnaire. These are key to the recruiting process. If you receive one from a college that you wish to attend, answer the questions and return it promptly! Responding to questionnaires lets coaches know that you are interested in their programs. Some coaches may remove you from their recruiting lists if you fail to return their questionnaires.

Coaches often spend the off-season coaching at camps, which gives them the opportunity to interact with and recruit high school athletes. Most college coaches run camps on their respective campuses. If they don't run their own camp, they probably work at someone else's. If possible, you should attend camps and clinics where college coaches will get to see you play. Here, coaches get to meet you and watch you compete. At the same time, you get to learn about their coaching philosophies and techniques.

3. Coaches recruit athletes who show an interest in their program.

One of the best ways to trigger the recruiting process is to write letters to coaches. Personal letters attract the attention of coaches. Simply write a basic letter in which you include your academic assessment (GPA, test scores, and class rank) and your athletic achievement (the level at which you are competing). Most college coaches will probably respond in one of three ways: "We are very interested in you," "This is what it takes to be a part of our program," or "Sorry, you are not performing at the level we're looking for (either athletically or academically)." These responses tell you what options are available to you or what you need to do to make them available. Get some attention! Write those letters NOW!

4. Coaches recruit athletes only after seeing them in action.

Coaches rarely recruit athletes without first seeing them perform. Since college coaches can not possibly see every athlete compete, many of them will want a video of you in action. This is especially true if you play a team sport. Be prepared! Have a video of your championship play available to send to coaches on request.

5. Coaches recruit athletes who are recommended by club and high school coaches, alumni, and other college coaches.

Coaches can't possibly know about every great athlete out there. Club and high school coaches help expose their players by recommending them to college coaches. Coaches also receive tips from college alumni, who let coaches know of talented athletes in their hometown area. College coaches even share information about recruits with each other.

Division I schools tend to have the largest number of scholarships available and the largest recruiting budgets. This makes them more likely to recruit athletes aggressively. But if you aren't recognized by the Penn States, UCLAs and Nebraskas of the world, don't be discouraged. There are plenty of other opportunities.

Schools at the NCAA Div. II, NAIA, and Junior College levels also offer athletic scholarships. Since their spending is more restricted, however, they may not be able to pursue you as actively as they wish. If you show interest in programs at these levels of competition, your enthusiasm will not go unnoticed.

Another great place to compete is at an NCAA Div. III school. Div. III schools do not offer athletic scholarships, but a great percentage of their students and student-athletes take advantage of other means of financial assistance such as academic scholarships, grants, student loans, and work-study programs.

One last thing to keep in mind is that college coaches love to coach, but they don't necessarily like to recruit. If you're interested in certain schools, don't sit back and wait for them to call you. Let those coaches know!!!