Have you ever noticed that college coaches aren’t lined up behind one another at local high 
school games? Why is that? Isn’t that how they recruit athletes? The simple answer is no, that’s not how college coaches recruit high school athletes.
College coaches don’t have the time or resources to visit high school after high school, hoping to come across talented players to recruit. The truth is, if they make a visit to a high school, they are there to see one or two particular athletes that they have already been in contact with, or who have caught their eye. If you haven’t had college coaches approach you during an event, chances are that they haven’t even seen you yet.
So how do you get college coaches to come see you play? The easy answer is: tell them where you’re playing! The recruiting process can only start once you have contacted college coaches and sent them your resume and highlight video. On your resume, have your upcoming schedule of games and tournaments so that they can plan on coming to see you if they are interested.
But sending them a calendar of events isn’t going to cut it. You need to have genuine interest in playing for their program and express that interest in your email or Facebook post or however you want to contact them. Only when there is a mutual interest will coaches make time to travel to see a potential recruit in person. And the only way to know if there is mutual interest is to contact them first.
You can also ask college coaches what events they might be attending. If they can’t schedule a time to come see you, you can always find a way to go see them. Camps and showcases are great places to meet college coaches in person, and letting them know you are attending means they can look out for you.
Here are some do’s and don’ts of getting college coaches and scouts to see you play:
DO:
– Contact the coach and send them your info, including a calendar of events where they can find you.
– Ask coaches about their upcoming schedule and whether you might be able to find them at an event sometime.
– Follow up with coaches who were able to see you play; make sure to maintain contact with them and update them on your progress
DON’T:
– Wait around for coaches to come to your events; they don’t know your schedule and will not come looking for you.
– Get mad if you feel like they aren’t paying attention to you; if you haven’t contacted them beforehand, they won’t know to look for you
Do you know how to get the attention of college coaches? Ask us your questions about the recruiting process by leaving a comment below or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.