Juniors Can Avoid Heading Down the Slippery Slope of College Recruiting

Look around closely enough and you will notice that loads of high school senior athletes and their parents are beginning to panic, the worry visible on their expressions, because their recruiting Plan A isn’t working.  It’s a natural, if not altogether pitiful, sight that we see every year at this time.  Six months to go and not just no offers, but no significant connections with college coaches.  Juniors need not repeat this painful experience.  By following a few simple directions, you can avoid this historically slippery slope.

The first thing that should be apparent is that you have to find a way to really be in the recruiting mix, not just on the periphery by being on a club team or making All-Conference.  You have to stand out like a bright light in the dark.  If there is no light on you, then college coaches don’t know about you and they cannot conceivably recruit you.  Job One?  Find a viable way for as many college coaches as possible to learn about you and your unique qualifications.  Taking this step is essential and without it, your hopes and dreams will disappear.  It’s really as simple as that.Second, realize that you do not have to be an accomplished, high-profile athlete for college coaches to recruit you.  Solid athletic performance over time, good to excellent grades, a keen desire to play at the next level and a supportive family are the ingredients every coach wants in a potential recruit.  With those in hand, there is a place for you in college athletics.

Third, high school and club coaches are limited in the scope of their reach and few have the time or expertise to promote you properly to college coaches.  Year after year that has proved to be true.  In the end, you have two choices:  do it yourself or enlist a service with a history of success in marketing and placing high school athletes.  The first is difficult at best.  Putting together a profile package for coaches which will attract their interest is typically problematic because most parents are unaware of what coaches need to see.  And then, of course, there’s the issue of coaches receiving info from parents.  Most of these mailings end up in a corner pile in their office or computer, never to be read or taken seriously.  Moreover, like with high school and club coaches, a family’s reach is severely limited and the time required to get your info in the hands of a multitude of coaches also has its high hurdles.  Few families succeed.

Fourth, services are the most efficient and productive path, that is if the service possesses two key features:  a broad and targeted promotional strategy in place, and a scout that knows you well and has the ability and knowhow to represent you to college coaches.  Few organizations offer both benefits.  Most today are online companies which post info on a Web site and conduct cursory and sporadic promo efforts, if any at all.  Look for a scouting service that covers the complete gamut of marketing and personalized service.

Once you choose a service that bets fits your needs, then you have a reasonable chance to work the recruiting system to your advantage.  With a complete marketing plan and scout by your side, you can begin to do the things which can make a genuinel difference in your future such as taking unofficial visits, communicating regularly with coaches, attending their camps, and most importantly, developing solid relationships with coaches so that in the end you will have choices of colleges to attend.