Coaches have limited time and money so they typically attend showcases, combines and regional meets that will get them in front of the most promising prospects.
Showcases and combines have grown in popularity in recent years and can provide coaches with more information than what they could glean at ordinary games,
Equally important, these events allow coaches to watch talented athletes on a more competitive level rather than watching a talented kid on an average high school team play another average team.
You shouldn’t assume, however, that you will be discovered at showcases. Let coaches know that you will be attending, introduce yourself during the event and follow up with the coach afterward.
Online recruiting services were borne out of this reality — beyond the athletic powerhouses, the majority of college athletic programs don’t have recruiting budgets large enough to find the athletes that they’d like.
With a legitimate recruiting service, an athlete can post his profile for free and coaches can use the databases for free. Families must pay only If they want extra services such as help creating a recruiting video or consulting with an expert.
“I think it’s fair to say that in some form or another every athletic program or at least 98% of college programs uses services like this,” observed David Frank, vice president of digital marketing at Reigning Champs, which is in the athletic scholarship niche.
While athletic prowess is a must, coaches are adamant that they are searching for mature team players with a good character and a positive attitude. Admittedly that’s a lot to ask of teenagers.
“When we scout prospects at games and tournaments, we look closely at a player's attitude and mental game,” said Sara Flinn, the head softball coach at Randolph College, a Division III school. She said these are warning signs that will turn off any coach: “a bad attitude, rudeness to parents and coaches and an inability to handle and bounce back from failure or adversity well.“
Keep in mind that when coaches are present, they could be watching you on and off the field.
A recruiting video does not have to be professionally done. It doesn’t have to be a video stuffed with highlights and a catchy soundtrack, but it must show the athlete’s skills. Volleyball players, for instance, need to show how high they can jump and how they hit the ball. The video should only be a few minutes long.
“When I see a swimmer it takes me half a length of the pool to know if I’ll continue to watch the video,” says Bill Wadley, the long-time swim coach at Ohio State University, where he has produced dozens of world-ranked swimmers and Olympians.
The process of finding the right college academically can be overwhelming. The journey can be even more challenging for student-athletes who are also seeking the right athletic fit.
“As the athlete, take ownership of your college search, let your parents support you, but you do the work,” says Tanya Kotowicz, the Division I lacrosse coach at Quinnipiac University. “Research all aspects of the school academically and athletically - do your homework.”
This also means that students should be the ones who contact coaches, including calling them on a phone, which can be daunting for teenagers who are used to texting and snap chatting.
While Wadley concedes that students are “absolutely scared to death” to call a coach, “it shows how serious they are and it shows forthrightness and passion.” In other words, just do it!
NCAA rules generally prohibit coaches from contacting a high school student directly before July 1 between their junior and senior year in high school. Teenagers, however, can contact coaches at any time.
Club and high school coaches can also act as an intermediary. A college football coach, for instance, might ask a high school coach to let a talented wide receiver, who is a freshman, know that he’d like to talk to him.
If you think you can play at the college level, you’ll want unbiased opinions. If you are interested in Division I teams, are you competing at a high level in your region against the best players? If it’s a sport where competitions are timed like track and swimming, do your figures stack up?