5 Things Each Year to Get Recruited
Ninth Grade
This is your first year of high school- your time to jump in and get your feet wet. This will mark the beginning of documenting your athleticism and academics to later show to college coaches.
Keep track of your highs: your high scores/ stats, your high tournament placements, and your high grades. These are all items you should feel confident in sharing with college coaches.
Begin creating your first sports resume, cover letter and video footage. This is what you will need when you begin to reach out and contact college coaches. Tell them who you are and what you plan to accomplish to meet your college-bound goals.
Start hunting for the perfect college. Get to know college programs by searching them online. Use social media to follow coaches, players, and others affiliated with the team. This will get your name out there and show them that you have been considering their program since the beginning.
Fill out recruiting questionnaires on college athletic webpages. Taking the time to do these will show coaches that you are interested in their program and will enter your name into their database of possible recruits.
Tenth Grade
Continue to play and practice whenever you get a chance. Becoming involved in a club team will supply you with experience all year long and possibly increase your chances of being seen by college coaches at national tournaments.
Keep adding valuable information to your sports resume; including camps and training techniques that you have adopted to keep in shape and on top of your game.
Research and attend camps and showcases. This will help in improving your overall game. Camps are a great way to gain exposure and meet face-to-face with college coaches.
Reach out to college coaches by sending them your updated sports resume and keep in contact with them; making sure to update them with any milestones you have accomplished.
Take some unofficial visits to college campuses and schedule a meeting with the coaching staff. This will allow you to get a feel for the coach and see if this will be a lasting relationship.
Eleventh Grade
This is the most important year for your recruitment. Coaches want to see that you have improved your abilities and are serious about taking your skills to the next level.
Have an updated video of your game footage that you can send to coaches.
Don’t delay in replying back to college coaches who take the time to respond to your emails or phone calls. Not responding will show coaches that you are no longer interested in becoming part of their team.
Start to narrow down your college choices so you can focus on colleges that will be a good fit and ones that are interested in you as a player. Continue to communicate with coaches to begin talks about “official” visits.
Schedule SAT or ACT tests. Know the requirements for the division level you hope to play for.
Twelfth Grade
Continue to excel at your sport.
If you are certain that you will be participating at the NCAA DI or DII level then you need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Coaches will need you to be cleared academically and athletically before they can offer you an opportunity to play. NAIA also has an eligibility center where student- athletes are required to register before they can begin collegiate participation.
Make sure that coaches you have been in contact with have your most recent sports resume so you can begin discussing potential scholarship opportunities.
Retake SAT or ACT tests if you are not satisfied with your initial scores.
Know when the National Letter of Intent signing day is for your sport.
If you have more questions about getting recruited, connect with us on Facebook or Twitter!
Find opportunities for athletic scholarships and get connected to college coaches.