Four Tips to Help You in the College Sports Recruiting Process

    Every week I have to read a chapter from the textbook for my Principles of Social Media course so we can discuss it in class. This week the chapter was all about how to create your own personal brand. There were so many steps and rules to follow but for me, it all felt normal, like I had already known this information for some reason. Was it because I grew up in a social media-heavy era? Was I just that social media savvy? Then it hit me. It all seemed normal to me because I had already been creating my personal brand and practicing those tips while going through the recruiting process. While it may not seem like being recruited for college sports and going through an interview process are even remotely the same thing in some ways they are. I had no clue what to do when I was being recruited. I didn’t know how to contact coaches, where to go for identification or “ID” camps or what I was doing period. Going through the recruiting process can be very daunting so I thought I would put together a few tips on how to get recruited for college sports. 

    1. Create a Player Resume

    Every high school athlete is told to create a highlight reel of their best plays, biggest moments, etc etc. Personally, I never created a highlight reel. I never really put one together, I didn’t think it was super important to have and I still stand by that today. Instead, I created a player resume. Just like a normal resume, a player resume includes general information about yourself. Name, age, grade, position and team, both high school and club. Make sure to also include pictures of yourself so coaches get to know your face. The pictures shouldn’t just be all action shots. You should include at least one clear shot of your face or yourself outside of a uniform. 

    Some key things to add as well are your jersey number so that coaches know who you are when they’re watching, along with what color jerseys your team wears. Another thing is your SAT and ACT scores, GPA and what you want to study in college. These things show coaches that while you value your sport at a high level, you’re still focused on school and have a plan for your future. 

    After that, you should include some of your playing history. Things like, what teams you have played for, how long you’ve played, any significant moments that have happened during your time as a player and any awards or recognition you've received for your sport. This gives coaches a brief background of how you got to where you are today. 

    Along with a brief history, you should include what type of player you are. Your skills, strengths and what sets you apart from other players they’re recruiting. These don’t just have to be things you do on the field. Remember, coaches are looking at the smallest thing

s you do, from helping up an opponent after a foul, to how you communicate with your teammates and coaches after a game. A brief overview of your playing style gives a coach a good idea of what you’re like as a player and allows them to see if you would fit well with their program. 

    Finally, you should include references from other coaches or directors you’ve had. Include their reference letter along with their email, phone number, job title and what role they played in your career. When you email coaches you should include a copy of your resume so they can start to get to know you better. You can also print copies out and hand them to coaches at showcases or any place you may be recruited. 

    2. Be Proactive, Not Reactive

    If there is one thing I learned from the recruiting process it is to be proactive. Don’t wait for a coach to email you. Hoping and praying will get you nowhere. If you know you want to go to a school and play for the program tell them that. Make them notice you as a player. More times than not a coach is going to remember the player who introduced themself, a player who put themself out there and knew what they wanted. And let's be honest, coaches are busy people. They’re not going to be able to notice every player they see play but if you make the first move they’ll be more familiar with you and therefore more likely to remember you. Take that chance because, like me, it could be the very thing that gets you recruited. 

    3. School Then Sports

    One of the biggest pieces of advice I got while going through the recruiting process that I think every aspiring athlete should hear is: don't pick a school just for the sport. One more time: don't pick a school just for the sport. While on your path to finding your future, you should take time to research the school itself because while the women’s soccer team may be first in the nation, the school's dining hall may be last or the school may not even have your intended field of study. Make sure you fall in love with the place that will be your home for however long your schooling will be because sports may not last forever. God forbid something happens to you and you can’t play your sport anymore you have to make sure you still love where you are or else every day is going to be a battle. Choose the school first then the sport because at the end of the day, the main goal while you’re there is to get your degree so why not love your university too?

    4. Research the Program

    Before contacting a coach make sure you do your research on the program you want to play for. Are they a top-of-the-table team? When did the coach start there and what does their record look like? Do they have a lot of players in your position? How many seniors will they graduate next year? Come up with questions for the coaches about things you think are important for a team as well. Maybe you want to know about the team culture, post-game meals or what the sports schedule is like while juggling classes. Always make sure to research, compare and come up with questions before considering a program.

    

I hope that you find these tips useful while going through the recruiting process. Remember that even if you feel lost right now, you will find the right school for you. Put yourself out there and shine in your sport, everything else will work itself out. Good luck!