December Plan? Stay Engaged in the Recruiting Process

As Coaches Take Time from the Grind, Tap On Their Window

The recruiting season, and college coaches, will slow down a bit when the Christmas break comes along later this month.   In fact, December 20 through January 3 is a dead period for NCAA coaches.  There can be no in-person contact between NCAA coaches and you.  Coaches may call or write to you during this time, however. 

As might be expected, they will be spending more time away from their offices and welcome time with their families.  They deserve this time of rest, believe us.  The hours are incredible, if not unreasonable, which a college coach has to put in to maintain and grow a program.  Beyond the obligations they have to their team and fellow coaches, not to mention the travel involved, there’s always something to do regarding recruiting.  But for a couple of weeks, all that will be on hold. 

As a recruit, don’t expect much communication from coaches during the break.  But, it’s a great time for you to update your resume and get copies of game footage video made.  Review the questionnaires you have received, making certain that they have come from a coach instead of the admissions office.  Fire off quick emails to coaches which have contacted you.  That will keep you at the forefront of their thinking and make a great impression on them.  In particular, write about your interest in their program.  It’s also a great opportunity to look more carefully at those schools’ Web sites to insure that they have your intended major, share your educational, athletic and social philosophy, and that the coaches’ backgrounds and histories sound good. 

If you are a basketball player or wrestler and are participating in a holiday tournament, let the coaches know now the dates, times and locations of your games.  Even though coaches aren’t allowed to have in-person contact with you, they may have set aside time to do on-sight recruiting.  Invite them to your tournament, but if they don’t attend, feed them post game emails about how you and your team performed.  It’s a great way to upgrade your status with a coach.

In short, while the coaches will be on a quasi-hiatus, you still should not fall off the map altogether.  There’s no need to overly extend yourself, but it is important that you stay engaged in the process.  When the first of the year rolls around, recruiting activity will pick up momentum and you’ll be in the position to make the most of it.