The most important part of the recruiting process can be summed up into one essential item; getting in contact and building relationships with college coaches. Many recruits come to us asking how to get recruited and begin to explain that they have had no college coaches or college scouts contact them or attend any of their games.
The truth is it’s up to the recruit to make contact with college coaches
Potential sports recruits have lots of added pressure when making their decision on where to attend college, including, performance in their sport, keeping up with their grades, and to get their name out to college coaches. It’s no wonder most get burnt out and don’t make it through a successful recruiting process.
Keep in mind college coaches, especially ones at smaller less known schools have limited budget for their recruiting; they have to rely on recruits finding them. This is why it is important to get your name and information out to college coaches early in your recruitment.
How early is too early?
We recommend you begin contacting college coaches during your tenth grade year. This way you will have some sense of where you want to play, what division level you will be aiming for and what you will want to major in.
In order for college coaches to see the type of player you are you will need to send them the right information. They will need to know all about you, including your grades, playing experience and teams you have participated on. Another great way to get their attention is to send them current video. This will allow them to easily access your level and see if you will be a good match for their program.
You may not hear from them right away
College coaches are busy people, even at smaller colleges. They will not always have the time to reply to a potential recruits email and they certainly will not waste their time on replying to mass emails; addressed to hundreds of college coaches at a time. Make sure you are sending coaches personalized information regarding why you are interested in their program and details and to what drew you to their program.
Another reason coaches will not be able to reply to potential recruits is due to NCAA division I and NCAA division II recruiting time periods. These time periods are strict, in a sense, coaches must follow through and only talk with recruits during specific NCAA specified times or they risk being penalized in their future recruiting ventures.
Not all colleges are bound to the recruiting time periods
NCAA division III, NAIA and junior college coaches have less restrictive recruiting periods of when they can talk with coaches. Being able to talk to college coaches is a great way to get feedback and ask for advice. Don’t feel restricted on the division level you choose instead, reach out to college programs you are truly interested in and want to play for.
If you have more questions about getting in touch with college coaches than leave a comment below of connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.
I’m not sure if the comment I left got posted or not but I’m 25 and I love football I played in middle school nd ly senior year of high school which was 2006, am I still able to tryout for a walk on scholarship ?
Hi Mike, At this point your option would be for the NJCAA level. NCAA and NAIA have eligibility requirements which basically begin once you graduate high school and since you graduated six years ago, your eligibility has expired.
Check out what NJCAA has to offer; there are competitive teams and some colleges are able to offer players scholarships. Let me know if you would like more information on Junior college opportunities.
Ok Thank you for that information, yes I would like more information about the njcaa opportunities !! Should I leave my email address on this page ?
The NJCAA has a great database you will be able to use to search for colleges in your area. There website is njcaa.org
When you begin to reach out to coaches you will find this information useful also: http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/category/contacting-college-coaches. Take care.
i am always ready to play collage football’ there is chance thanks
I am going to be a senior in high school this year and i want to play lacrosse in college but i plan on going to a JC and playing there for 2 years then plan on trancfering to a lower tier D1 school or a D3 school and try to walk on but should i now start to talk to college coaches even though i wont be there for another 3 years?? or dose it even matter beacause i plan on walking on?…..plz help haha
Hi Frank,
At this point you should be concentrating on reaching out to JC coaches. You are right to wait before contacting D1 or D3 college coaches. They will want to see your most recent skills and accomplishments once you are ready to become part of their team.
It will be a good idea to keep DI and DIII coaches updated after your JC seasons so they know you are interested in their program and so they will be familiar with your name.
Even if you plan to be a walk-on you still need to reach out to coaches and let them know why you want to be part of their program.
Will you be competing for a JC team or a club team before heading to a 4-year college?
I was going to get recruited my senior to elmhurst a D3 College for wrestling. I got injured and had surgery which took me out for 8 months. During that time I went to Central Michigan and tried to walk on their team. I was practicing in the off season with them came back home to train with my old coach. Then when I came back as a sophomore I was told they couldn’t take anymore wrestlers because of gender caps. Now I am looking to transfer back to Elmhurst for wrestling and I hope to compete for them. At 20 years of age and with my last competition 2 year ago is this a realistic goal or not?
What you will need to do is to get in contact with Elmhurst- contact the coach. They need to know you are still interested in competing for them. The coach should give you a better perspective about the number of players he is looking for to fill his team. Since you have not competed in awhile you will need to inform them of your training and what you’ve been doing to keep in shape.
Let me know if you have any other recruiting questions.
Good Luck.
I am currently a freshman in University of Illinois at Urbana. I want to play baseball there as a pitcher, but it seems like they are not going to recruit any more players this year. I decided to work my butt off this year and try to walk on next year. Is this a realistic goal? Is it possible to walk on in NCAA Div 1?
That is great you have a goal in sight. Remember there is more to walking-on then just showing up to try-out. Take some time to reach out to the coach and let him know you want to try-out- tell him what you have been doing to get prepared and why you think you will be an asset to the team. You are at an advantage because you are already a student at the school. Just make sure you give the coaches a heads up so they can keep you in the loop as far as walk-on dates.
Ive been out of high school 3 years now and want to go to college to play football because i miss it i wanted to go right out of highschool but didnt talk to any coaches is there any chance i could walk-on at a small school.
Hi Kyle, thanks for leaving your question. First off the NCAA and NAIA have rules for the amount of years a student-athlete has to compete in college sports. Typically is begins when you graduate high school – meaning you have 5 years to complete 4 years of eligibility. Even if a school is small if it’s under the NCAA or NAIA then you may be coming to the end of your eligibility. What you need to do is find colleges you would like to attend, now is the perfect time to start your research and begin to reach out to college coaches, since their season will be wrapping up in the next few months. Even if you plan to walk-on you need to get in touch with college coaches to find out when walk-on try-outs will be. Good luck.
Ok, quick question.. straight out of high school I was highly recruited among many div-1 schools. Football that is. Unfortunately my life was led with other responsibilities I as a man had to handle. Now, five years later I’m left with regret of not pursuing the amazing opportunities that was handed to me. I’m in the best shape of my life and feel my abilities are beyond where I was as a senior in 2007. I have no doubt I can still play at the next level & would love one last opportunity! I do understand NCAA regulations on student-athlete eligibility, so my question would be.. If I were to pursue NJCAA colleges, after a year or two, would it be possible to transfer to a D-1 university? Thanks, John
There are many different eligibility waivers and without knowing all of the details of your situation I can’t say for certain what your eligibility situation would be. Chances are, you would only be able to play at a Juco. I would still recommend you play at a Juco and immediately begin reaching out to the schools or coaches that had recruited you and let them know what you are doing. Good luck!
In your best interest, how would I go about the recruitment process? Things change when your on the other end trying to get attention instead of already having it.
You need to do your best to locate colleges and tell coaches your situation. The NJCAA have a great search tool on their site, which allows recruits to learn more about programs. Let us know if you have any other questions along the way.
I graduated High school three years ago, I was wondering if its possible for me to walk in and try out for a collage? To be honest My GPA in high school was a 2.3, and that the only reason that’s stop me from looking into a collage. I’m done dreaming about playing for a collage and do something about it. I’m 5/8 my weight 145, I can runs mile 6:20, I use both legs,play mid and forward . What are my chances?
Size and speed isn’t enough to know if you are going to be able to walk on to a team. Based on what you have said, it might be possible. The most important thing is to contact coaches at the schools you are interested in and find out what you need to do. Once you talk to them, you will know what you need to do.
Hi, I am a 3 sports athlete and a senior in high school. I would love to continue my athleticism and play in college, but how do I go about talking to th coaches? I am also enlisting into the army reserves. I have spoken with a few colleges and I’m in the process of visiting them. Did I wait too late?
It all depends on how the conversations with the coaches are going. For a regular college student, it would be too late to apply. However, the coaches might be able to help you through the late admissions process. Once you know more about the opportunities with the coaches you are talking to, I would be happy to help you. Good luck.
Hi i am a senior in high school about to graduate a few months and attend VCU in the fall. I am trying to walk on to there team. Ive have been working out conditioning so far and basketball drills as well. Ive been awarded during my high years Second team all confernce twice and am a four year varsity player. Also i have played on two top AAU programs in my state. However i only played one year in AAU due to me tearing my ACL twice. ( once going into my sophmore year and then into my senior year) In my high school career i have been contacted by 2 D1 colleges for basketball. But because of my injury into my senior year got “passed up”. Do i have a shot to walk on to VCU’s girls basketball team?
If you are already going to be attending VCU then you want to make sure and contact the basketball coaches to find out about the opportunity to walk-on. Good luck.
I’m 14 years, I’ll be in year ten next year. I am really good at basketball (I’m 6’6″). The hard thing is that live in Australia. what would be the appropriate time to contact a coach, or is there another way that I don’t know of?
Thank you for your message. The best time to contact coaches is now. Do you know what schools you are interested in? Do you have any ability to make a highlight video of yourself and get it online? I look forward to hearing back from you.
i,m interested in any school that will take my talents to the next level and help me get notice, any schools on your mind?? yeah I’ll try make a highlight video in a few weeks time.how do i get into contact with the coaches in America? thanks
Hey,
I’m from England, and I play at a National League level, I have represented both my County & my Region. I also do a few practice sessions with the local professional BBL team.
I have a few questions for you:
1) My grades are very good, however the translation between British and American grades is very difficult I’m worried this may prove more difficult for me to play NAIA or NCCA 1 or 2. Any advice? Also what are NAIA schools like academically or does it vary?
2) I am currently trying to contact high school and prep school coaches to play for one year then move onto a college team. I am currently just googling teams and trying to find coach’s emails, is there any easier way? Any advice on trying to pursue a high school route from currently being over seas (age 16)
3) What are the chances? Realistically, not having massive coverage like many US high school athletes will have they have entire seasons of coverage to back them up, will a coach really pick a player based on film etc? And do programmes that aren’t NCAA D1 do scholarships either sports or sports & academics combined in order for an athlete to play?
4) Can you rank and tell me about standards? My guess is NCAA D1, 2 then NAIA then D3, NAIA 2, then NJCAA is that accurate? Or does it totally depend on school etc?
Apologies for all the Q’s but I don’t know who to ask!
Thanks
The most important thing academically is that you are a strong student and you let college coaches see your academic records as soon as possible so they can have their experts look over your classes and see what you will need to do. Regarding what grades you will need, each university is different.
I don’t have much experience in working with high schools or prep schools bringing athletes in from over seas. Finding schools and contacting the coaches is what I would advise.
There is no real way to answer what your chances are. Based on the level you are competing I am sue you will get coaches to take notice. Getting a highlight film together will go a long way in getting coaches to want to see more of you play.
The break down of division levels is NCAA DI, NCAA DII, NAIA DI, NAIA DII, NCAA DIII and NJCAA. However, there can be a big difference between the top and bottom at the NJCAA level.
What position do you play? How tall are you? Do you have an video footage you can get online? Thanks.
Thanks for that, really helpful.
I’m a point guard, I’m six foot tall, but am very athletic, I run 100m in 12.6 and have a 27 inch leap,
I do have a highlight tape, but not of the highest calibre as made by myself.
My goal would be NAIA one, perhaps NCAA DII. academically are DII schools weaker than DI, as in quality of tuition and university prestige academically, as life after basketball is also a large consideration.
If I finished UK school at age 18, could I go to a highschool/ prep school for a year then play in college? I do not know how the process from HS to college works, as UCAS (British University applying system)
If easier could you reply to – Laurence.owen@hotmail.co.uk – thank you
I’m a Sophomore in High School and have been playing Varsity Tennis both years. I’m interested in playing D3 Tennis after I graduate, but I’m not sure how to contact a coach (What do I say).
Thanks, and if you have any advice in playing D3 Tennis that would be great.
I wouldn’t put to much pressure on yourself about contacting a coach. You simply go to the team website, find the email address for the coach and then write them an introductory email. Be sure to include a brief run down of your top finishes, your GPA and maybe a video showing your abilities. DIII coaches are much easier to get a hold of than the top DI coaches so feel free to email them. Good luck!
I played at a USCAA school last season as a freshman. Would i still be eligible to play JUCO for my sophomore season.?
Yes. As long as you meet the eligibility requirements for the school you will be attending. I would contact the coach as soon as possible and get your transcripts reviewed. Good luck.
I am in my junior year in HS and have played varsity football for 2 years and basketball this year. I have not gotten as much playing time as I would like because my coaches have favored the senior players. I will get more playing time next year, but I feel that is too late to start a highlight film. I want to play sports in college (DII or DIII). What do you suggest I do? Would it be beneficial to make my own “athlete” video showing what I can do, even though there won’t be much game footage? Should I contact schools and let them know my interest in walking on? I feel lost.
I wouldn’t get down on yourself. Contact the schools you are interested in and do the best you can about putting together a highlight tape. The idea that your senior year is too late is most applicable to the top DI programs. DII and DIII schools routinely recruit players they didn’t watch until their senior year.
Once your senior year starts, you want to get a highlight film together as quickly as possible. Take the first 3-4 games your senior year and make a highlight tape and send it to coaches. Follow that up with a complete season tape at the end of the year. You can still get recruited, but you need to have a focused list of schools that you like and might be interested in you. Good luck, thanks for the questions.