We all know that the secret of recruiting is being proactive and letting the coaches know about yourself….but when you are making that initial contact what should you tell them? Think about it like a job interview, you are applying for a “job” on their team. You have to be clear with your talents, the reasons you want to go to their school and why you would be an asset to their team.
Your first contact should be made by e-mail, you can find the coaches email addresses on each school’s athletic websites. When you send your email you will want to include several pieces of information.
Cover letter: Explain why you are interested in their school and program; make sure to include your talents as a student and a athlete. This should be written as a letter to the coach to get them to let them get to know you better.
Resume: You will want to include things like; name, contact info, parents contact info, date of birth and graduation Year and physical attributes.If you have a game or skills tape attach a link to the video in the resume again. Include your High School & Club Team Recognitions as well as future events, games or competitions. You will need to also let the coach know about your academic goals and standings. Start with information like High school and contact info, GPA, class rank, SAT/ACT scores and AP/Honors classes. Make sure you include your NCAA eligibility center number if you have registered already. Coaches will also want the contact information for your club and high school coaches so they can speak to them about your character and work ethic. Make sure to also include your best times/stats that are relevant to your sport.
Once you make the initial contact with the coaches you will want to make sure to follow up with them and keep them up to date with any improvements or with upcoming camps and events you have so they have the opportunity to watch you compete in person. Recruiting is a gentle balance of being informative and proactive but don’t become a pain or overbearing. Treat it like applying for a job; be professional, respectful and positive.
If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments below or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.
I am a speedy defensive end looking for a school to call home. I want a team that pushes you to different levels and looks for good character on and of the field. I can play tight end if needed. Im 6″3 and some change and I weigh 245 im doing this for my family.
Joshua,
Have you shared any of this information with college coaches?
Will the college coaches answer all of the emails that sent to them? and where I can find a good example of email?
College coaches won’t always answer the emails you send further clouding the challenge of getting a coaches attention and an eventual scholarship opportunity. As we share with student-athletes all the time, it might take many emails and many phone calls to get a response from a coach.
My advice is to make them timely. If you decide to call a coach on Monday at 3pm I would let him or her know that you will be calling again on Wednesday at 3pm. When you call on Wednesday at 3pm I would let the coach know you will call on Friday at 3pm. After a few weeks of this the coach is going to get the point that for some reason you want to speak with them. The key is being consistent.
College coaches won’t always answer the emails you send further clouding the challenge of getting a coaches attention and an eventual scholarship opportunity. As we share with student-athletes all the time, it might take many emails and many phone calls to get a response from a coach.
My advice is to make them timely. If you decide to call a coach on Monday at 3pm I would let him or her know that you will be calling again on Wednesday at 3pm. When you call on Wednesday at 3pm I would let the coach know you will call on Friday at 3pm. After a few weeks of this the coach is going to get the point that for some reason you want to speak with them. The key is being consistent.
So it’s a rarely chance that I will get the response of the first time of contacting by email? For the first time I send the email, should I include all of the information above? I am an exchange student (sophomore) and I have 2 years back home and I am looking forward to play golf in college. Is it possible for me to play golf in USA college? Should I start emailing college coaches now?
I would start contacting coaches as soon as possible, especially if you are planning to play golf. Golf is one of a few sports in which coaches recruit multiple years ahead of graduating classes. With golf you stand better opportunities at getting 1st email responses but I can’t say you are guaranteed. The best advice is to try and try again until you see success.
If I put all of my info in the first mail and has no response, should I keep trying the same info or what should I do? Thank you for all your suggestions, they are all very useful.
Hey I’m a student at a community college and I would like to play for Florida International University . or get a scholarship to play but I don’t put too much attention on the scholarship part because I just want an opportunity to play at the college level . I need help !
The best way to get an opportunity to play at FIU is to talk to their coaches. Have you contacted them? Send them your athletic resume and highlight video and see whether they might have any opportunities for you. You should also try reaching out to other schools in case FIU doesn’t work out.
Where can you find the gpa and sat/act requirments for a collage that you are interested in ?
Because each school is different, you will need to speak with the coach or the admissions department to get an idea on what you will need academically. It is a great idea to contact the coach so they know you are interested in their program as well.