Recently I was at a tournament when a coach pulled me aside to describe the things athletes do through the recruiting process that drive him nuts. After this conversation, I posted on my FaceBook page and requested more college coaches write me about their pet peeves. I wanted to write this post for educational purposes, so I highlighted the top 5 “Pet Peeves.”
Pet Peeves:
1. Writing an introduction the day before a tournament without a video link! College coaches NEED video footage to evaluate you prior to watching you play live. The highlight reel will help them identify whether you are someone they want to watch more closely. Take a look at our YouTube Channel to get an idea of how you should create your videos.
2. Recruits who communicate via text/email, and who refuse to talk over the phone. College coaches need to get to know you. Texting and emailing is great, but there are things which cannot be communicated without talking on the phone. Keep in mind, college coaches get thousands of emails. To set yourself apart from the competition and show your genuine interest you’ll need to pick up the phone, and set up a visit.
3. Calling a college coach without questions and knowledge about their school. Most college coaches are going to ask you what interests you about their school or program. You need to take the time to research the school. This doesn’t mean you should know everything, but you need to describe the 3 things that stand out to you. You can indicate the size of the school, location, and a potential major all are things that interest you for example. This will show the coach you didn’t randomly send an email to his/her program without considering these factors. After all, the decision to attend the college or university will have an effect on the rest of your life. Be sure you have great questions to ask the coach.
4. Student athletes who contact a program that are not an academic fit. Evaluating student athletes on the court is already tough enough with limited travel budgets. However, top colleges have minimum admissions requirements/standards that need to be met. If you are contacting a top academic school, it’s a good idea to share your gpa and test scores if you have them. You can also attach them to your email to prove you are a fit.
5. Families who “play games” and never communicate their ultimate financial goals and needs. If a coach shares with you they don’t have money for you, then they do not have money for you. You may never receive money, so staying in touch with a program and communicating it’s your top choice is a HUGE mistake if you will need money! You are wasting your time and theres for that matter by leading the program on if it’s not something you can afford. Be honest and straightforward from the beginning. It doesn’t do anyone any good to miscommunicate your needs. For NCAA Division 3 programs, college coaches are unable to discuss the financial aspects of the school. They can share how much tuition, room & board is, but they cannot discuss what your reward may be, or promise you money. The college coaches will typically put you in contact with the advisor who works with the athletes. This is such a sticky situation, because they don’t want to lose a recruit over money but unfortunately it’s the nature of the business. The better your student is in the classroom, the more academic money they may receive.
To schedule a free consultation and learn more about the recruiting process, email [email protected]. You can also call Kara Hill at (714) 323-8088. Our program is unique, as it is our goal to understand your families needs to create a strategy for success from the beginning. All of our appointments are offered via Skype or FaceTime.
