Meeting a college coach in person can be very nerve racking for some student athletes. It’s intimidating! Being prepared is the most important piece of advice I can give you. Most student athletes will meet college coaches during visits to a college. When you introduce yourself in person for the first time you should be standing up straight, confident, dressed professionally and give a strong handshake. Not the kind of handshake that will break the coaches hand. It should be a firm handshake while making eye contact. This shows a coach you handle yourself well. This is your first opportunity to make a good first impression.
Student athletes make the mistake of coming to their first interview in torn jeans, revealing blouses, tank tops, and flip flops. Lets put yourself in a coaches position here. If you have up to a $250,000.00 to offer a student athlete to come to your school and play their sport what would your expectations be of the candidate? Take the time to think about this answer carefully. How would you want a candidate to dress, behave and what would you look for overall. While on recruiting visits, young men should be dressed in khaki’s or dress pants and a polo. Young women can wear skirts, dresses, dress pants and nice blouses with tasteful shoes. Girls do not wear platforms! This is for your first day with the coaches and players. When on an official visit and you are staying overnight with the players, day 2 you can be more casual.
It’s best to be prepared to sit down with the coaching staff with a folder and a list of questions to ask. My clients who show up to colleges for their visits are more prepared than the coaches 9 times out of 10 because coaches aren’t used to you having it all together. Make sure you ask questions about the academics, after all that is the reason you are going to school. Ask the hard questions such as, what happens if my classes conflict with practice? When you are walking the campus on a tour and you are with a parent be sure to speak loud enough that the coach is a part of your conversation. Do not whisper or talk lightly because it makes the visit awkward. Focus on the positive when talking to the coaching staff. Be sure you are taking lots of notes on the pros and cons. You will definitely need these notes when you get home to review and talk over with family.
Make sure you smile, enjoy yourself and take it all in. It’s normal for you be feel a little emotional while on your visit. But ask yourself: Do you envision yourself in this school? How do you feel about your potential teammates? What are your expectations of a college coach and a college program? Sometimes going on these visits helps you figure out what is important to you. I highly suggest making the investment to visit programs you feel are a strong match. You only have one chance to be recruited! My Recruiting Solutions is available anytime to help you through the process!