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Contacting College Coaches 

College coaches are busy. There are tons of college programs out there looking for a student-athletes. If you sit on the sidelines and wait for your process to happen, you will join all that talent that let their recruiting process pass them by.

Put yourself ahead of the competition by being more proactive than they are. The way you do this is through contacting coaches. 

There is not a single NCAA rule that keeps you from chasing your dreams. No NCAA rule is keeping you from inviting a college coach to have a look at your profile and watch your video. 

How to contact college coaches is a question usually asked by families. While coaches have their own method for finding players, the best way to let a coach know about you is to contact the coach yourself. Email, texting, phone calls and even social media messages are all acceptable ways for student-athletes to contact college coaches. 

Here are 4 steps to contacting college coaches:

  1. Send an introductory email

  2. Follow-up with a phone call

  3. Respond to any recruiting letters

  4. Keep in touch with coaches

Send An Introductory Email To A Coach

The best way to contact college coaches is through email. This is a great way to initially send your

information to college coaches. You can send messages to any college program in the country. 

To increase the odds of a college coach responding to your message, make sure every contact with the coach has a purpose.

 

Coach contact 

College coaches rely on phone calls, texts, emails, letters and social media to start communication with recruits. At times, it can be hard to determine what a specific type of coach communication really means. Below we’ve outlined the different types of coach contact and how to respond to each.

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baseball Coach

How to Contact College Coaches

Baseball

A Mass Email From A College Coach

College coaches send out mass emails with the expectation that student-athletes who are interested in their program will respond. If an athlete skips over a generic email, the college coach may assume they aren’t interested and move on. Here are steps student-athletes can take to turn generic emails into opportunities to build a relationship with college coaches.

  • Whether interested or not, email the coach thanking them for their email. (Always leave a good impression).

  • If interested, respond with your athletic and academic information, contact information, and a coach you can use for a reference.

A Personal Email From A College Coach

Personalized college recruiting letters are good indicators that a college coach is interested in recruiting an athlete. 

How to respond to a personal email from a college coach

  • Recruits should respond to personalized emails as soon as possible. Address any questions the coach asked and include your upcoming schedule. It’s a good idea to follow up with a phone call, or provide your availability to schedule a phone call and begin discussing a campus visit.

 

A Personal Letter From a Coach

The best way to respond to a handwritten letter is with another handwritten letter. Write a simple thank you note, acknowledging that you received their letter. Also follow up with a phone call to let the coach know they appreciate their message and that they are interested in the program.

A Phone Call From a  Coach

College coaches will set up phone calls with recruits that they are strongly interested in. These conversations give coaches and recruits an opportunity to build a relationship and ask important recruiting questions.

  • Research the school and program. Prepare questions for the coach.

  • After the call, follow up with an email letting the coach know you enjoyed the conversation.

  • Include any information that the coach asked for, and/or any questions you didn't have a chance to ask on the call.

A Social Media DM From a Coach

College coaches are using social media more and more to communicate with recruits. The direct message feature, is a fast, efficient way for college coaches to introduce themselves and their program. A DM conversation will oftentimes lead to a scheduled phone call if a coach is interested in recruiting you.

How to Respond to a DM From a Coach

  • Respond promptly!

  • Familiarize yourself with the coach, sports program, and the school before sending.

  • Be short and to the point.

  • Thank the coach for their message and answer any questions they asked.

  • If you are interested in being recruited, let the coach know you would like to schedule a phone call to learn more.

A Camp Invite From a Coach

College coaches send two different types of camp invites: personalized and generic. Regardless of the type, receiving a camp invite from a college coach provides athletes an opportunity to start a conversation with a coach and the chance to develop as a player.

A personal camp invite is a good indication that you are on the coach’s radar and one of the select few invited to the camp as a recruit! How do you know if it’s a personalized camp invite? A good indicator is if the coach mentions the athlete’s highlight video or has viewed their recruiting profile. Another good sign is if you’ve already had recruiting conversations with the coach and they include their personal contact information, like a cell phone number.

Much like a mass recruiting email, a generic camp invite is sent to a long list of student-athletes. If you receive a somewhat generic invite to the camp, it probably means you aren’t currently on the coach’s list as a recruit. Keep in mind, there is still value in attending as a camper. Camps are a great way to visit a campus, get great coaching advice, and see how you stack up against other recruits!

How to respond to a college camp invite from a coach:

Student-athletes should respond by thanking the coach for the invitation and confirm whether they will attend. If you plan to attend, let the coach know you are looking forward to the camp and follow the registration process. If you are unable to attend, include a schedule of your upcoming games and tournaments so the coach has other opportunities to watch you compete.

Regardless of whether you plan to attend a camp, always respond. Ignoring an invite is never a good recruiting move. Responding to a personal or generic camp invite is a great way to open conversation with a coach.

A coach request to complete a recruiting questionnaire

A recruiting questionnaire is generally the first request recruits receive from college coaches. These forms are designed to educate the student-athlete on the school and collect some information that the coach can use as they build their list of prospective recruits. Today, recruiting questionaries are typically located online but sometimes they can be mailed.

How to respond to a coach request to complete a recruiting questionnaire

If the recruit is or might be interested in the program, complete the recruiting questionnaire. The earlier, the better. This is just one of many steps that student-athletes will take as they start their recruiting journey and communication with coaches. If the recruit is an upperclassman, they should contact the college coach to let them know that they filled out their questionnaire and are very interested in the program.

A College Coach Reaching Out to You

EMAIL

  • Add your own twist to this. You want to personalize your letter of interest.

  • You want the coach to understand that you have a true interest in his school.

  • Show interest in the school's academic program (avoid talking only about athletics).

  • Discuss your educational and career goals, leadership ability, and your personal values.

  • Emphasize your athletic accomplishments and why you feel you can contribute to their team.

  • Inform them of any events you are attending; Camps, Showcases, or your regular schedule.

  • Ask questions about their program.

  • Request information about the school that you can't find elsewhere.

  • See if the coach would like to see your highlight tape (if you haven't already sent it).

  • ​Make sure you update a video of your different skills.

  • Add or update your transcript.

  • Let them know if you are going to visit campus.

  • If you have an official visit set up, contact the coaches 5 days before your official campus visit.

FOLLOW-UP CALL TO A COACH

If the contact period has started (June 15 after sophomore year or September 1 of junior year), following up with a phone call to the coach is an important step. 

Keep In Touch With Coaches and update them With New Stats

Sometimes the most difficult part of the recruiting process is keeping the lines of communication open with college coaches. Here are some reasons to reach out to a coach:

  • you have new athletic or academic stats.

  • you’re planning on visiting their school and want to set up a meeting.

  • you want to invite them to an upcoming tournament where you’ll be competing.

You Reaching Out to a College Coach

Preparing for Coach Communication

When communicating with college coaches, don’t forget to add key information which could include includes:

  • Your highlight or skills video

  • Your best athletic stats

  • Academic information, such as GPA and ACT/SAT scores if applicable

  • Contact information for you, your parents and your club/high school coach, plus the contact information for any personal trainers that you have

  • Schedule of where and when you’ll be competing throughout the upcoming season

  • Write down what you’re looking for in a college, team and coach. What is most important to you as you narrow down schools? 

  • Research the school and team to show the coach that you are personally invested in their program.

  • Have questions prepared and be ready to take notes. 

Which Coaches Should You Contact?

Your plan of attack for coach communication will depend on the college, size of the program and sport.

Things to consider when searching for the right coach to contact:

  • What is the division level? The size of the program plays a factor in who you should contact. 

  • Does the program have a recruiting coordinator? 

  • See if the program has a position coach. A great next person to contact is the coach for your position.

  • Check for an assistant coach. When the previous two options fail, look for the contact information for the assistant coach.

  • Check for a graduate assistant coach. 

At times, you will find the head coach is the best person to email after exhausting other options. Just keep in mind that head coaches are very busy, and depending on the division level, they can be a little more difficult to get ahold of initially.

How to Find Coach Contact Information

Finding coach contact info is easy. Many of college coaches have their email addresses or phone numbers listed on the school’s website. There are two places student-athletes should look for college coaches email list. The first is under the coaches’ bio, which can be found under the team’s roster. If you can’t find the info there, look under the staff directory for the athletic department.

Parent and Coach Communication

Understanding your role as the parent of a student-athlete during the college recruiting process can be confusing, especially when it comes to coach communication. Talking to college coaches can be intimidating for student-athletes, so parents may be tempted to pick up the phone for them. But this can actually do more harm than good. While the athletic recruiting process is a team effort, parents should encourage their athlete to take the lead when it comes to contacting college coaches.

How Long Do College Coaches Take to Respond? When Should I Stop Reaching Out?

After sending an introductory email to a college coach, recruits can expect a response within one to two weeks. If you receive a response within this timeframe, a coach is most likely interested in recruiting you. Keep in mind, coaches have busy schedules and depending on the time of year it may take longer to read your email.

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