Recruiting Enemy #1 Remains Wasted Time

A friend asked me, “What is today’s recruiting enemy #1?”

The answer is simple and easy to identify.  And it’s maddening, too.  As a college scout for 13-plus years, I have watched families kill so much time.  So my friend, what is recruiting enemy #1?  It is without question wasted time.

Parents vs. the Problem

See, my colleagues and I at National Scouting Report frequently discuss our work, as you might imagine.  What we do, we believe, is vital.  Assisting athletes and their families to secure college offers, our priority, is life-changing. That is true not just for families, but for us, too. And the families we help see right away that they have a major problem – their kids are not being recruited.  No calls from coaches, no letters, no evaluations.

Yet, even with clear evidence that their athletes are not being recruited, there are parents who just do not get it.  They inexplicably want to wait to insert their kids into the recruiting process.  It is as if magically college coaches will find their kids even though the clock is ticking away. Each day not in the mix is a wasted day, wasted time.

We have tried for years to put our finger on why parents, when presented with solid information, procrastinate in giving their kids the help they desperately need. Our conclusion?  There are three main reasons:

1. They don ‘t accept that they have a problem;
2. They rely on unqualified or misinformed people to guide them;
3. And, they don’t want to spend money to solve a problem they don’t believe they have.

Recruiting fundamentals

Recruiting at the high school level is about two things: exposure and relationships. Push all other things aside. Without them, no one gets recruited. They are specifically where every prospect and family should focus their attention. Nonetheless, time is always hovering over a prospect. As other athletes are jumping into the prospect pool, hundreds are waiting and waiting. For what, you ask? To learn how to swim?

A day waiting in recruiting is a day losing to competing prospects. In your face enough?

Understand this fundamental – getting “recruiting exposure” is different from what you might assume.  Local print media, or their Web sites, are exposure – for family, friends, and fans.  Coaches?  Nope. So, here’s the bad news: getting your name mentioned in the sports section your hometown circular every other week is not the kind of exposure you need. Truthfully, it’s not even close.

Real recruiting exposure happens when you are constantly exposed to a lot of college coaches.  Moreover, once exposed, you need a reliable vehicle to make you, your info and video accessible 24/7 to coaches.  Simple math tells you that every prospect is at a disadvantage from the get-go.  Only about one in ten high school athletes advances to the college ranks. So, plan to mail a few packages to a handful of coaches? That is unlikely to get a response. How about getting somebody to call a college coach for you? That might get you a letter, but probably not a call, nod or a wink for that matter. No, you need more, a lot more.

Solving recruiting enemy #1

Look outside the box, outside your comfort zone, but do it now. Explore options that others may steer you away from, but do it now. Get educated on what all is available and which is most effective, but do it now.

There are literally thousands of high school athletes who get left behind. Solving recruiting enemy #1 is not at the top of their list, but it should be. You could easily be in that group if you continue to waste time. Do something now. Take control of your future.

Note:  National Scouting Report is the oldest and most widely respected scouting organization in the world.