September 1st is right around the corner and it is an important date in the recruiting process. It will be important that you are truly evaluating where you are in the process prior to the start of high school and ensure you are prepared.
Juniors:
On September 1st, Division 1 college coaches will be allowed to be send written recruiting information. This may be the first time coaches show serious interest in you. If you have done the leg work in your Freshman and Sophomore years you should have been in communication with several programs prior to this date who will now be able to express serious interest. It is imperative that you respond to coaches within a 24 hour period of receiving an email. If they ask you to fill out the recruiting questionnaire, do so right away. I hear athletes say things like, “It’s a bit overwhelming!” or “I don’t have all the answers to their questions!” Don’t make excuses! Fill out the questionnaires immediately and if you have questions, call us at My Recruiting Solutions. It’s ok to not have all the answers, it’s important you take the time to fill it out because many coaches realize how tedious it is but when you fill it out they see you are truly interested.
The recruiting process does not begin September 1st your Junior year! It begins to become more serious at the higher levels, however it is important to recognize that you do not have a lot of time in this process! Visiting campuses, calling coaches and emailing with updates should have been a regular routine leading up to this date.
Seniors:
September 1st is a time where you will need to evaluate where you are in this process. Many of the Division 1 programs have already completed recruiting for your class and have made offers to other players. At this time, you will need to re evaluate what you are doing and make some adjustments. First, you will need to consider Division II, III, and NAIA schools as an option. Many of these programs wait until Senior year to seriously recruit. Take the time to go over what you have learned about yourself through this process. Define what remains important. If you have not worked with a recruiting service, this may be the time to sit down and talk with someone about helping you strategize on what to do next. There are only so many Division I opportunities.
Freshman and Sophomores:
This date should set a serious benchmark for you to kick it into high gear. You learn so much about who you are, what you are looking for in a college experience, and really mature throughout this process. You will need to begin by setting some serious goals that you can evaluate over time.
Begin building a list of programs that are an academic and athletic fit. If you need assistance with putting this together, this is what I am here for…call MRS and we can help you. You should start spending 15-20 minutes a day researching colleges. You will want to be proactive at sending emails to college coaches and keep them updated with your success. You need video! So be sure you are including a link that they can watch. This is a time to visit local college campuses and compare them. What do you like and what do you not like about these campuses? It doesn’t necessarily mean you will be recruited by these programs, however it will give you an idea about what college campuses are like and help you decide on a size. There is so much you can do during this time! This decision has an affect on you for the rest of your life! Do not wait to get started.