National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.
If you are ready to take your recruiting to the next level, click the Get Scouted button below to be evaluated by an NSR College Scout.
Get Scouted Scouting Careers
- To see which kids respond and show reciprocal interest
- To get more detailed information such as stats, academic standing, email address, schedule, etc.
- To add to their file of available prospects for that particular high school graduating class
- To begin homing in on the prospects which might best fit their specific recruiting needs
- To start relationships with the prospects who might eventually be on their final recruiting list
So, that known, it’s fine to get excited about a letter from a coach, but put it in perspective, please. First, the letter means absolutely nothing if you don’t respond by filling out the questionnaire and returning it to the coach. I once ran into the mother of kid I was working with at the kid’s softball game. Here was our exchange:
Me: “How are things going?”
Her: “They couldn’t be better!”
Me: “Really, what’s happening?”
Her: “I have a stack of questionnaires on my kitchen table for Courtney which must be three inches thick!”
Me: “That’s great, but there’s good news and bad news.”
Her: “What do you mean?”
Me: “The good news is Courtney’s heard from about 30 colleges. The bad news is the questionnaires are still sitting on your kitchen table. Until you fill them out and send them back to the coaches, they mean nothing.”
A recruiting letter is only the very first step in a very long process. It tells you that the coaching staff knows your kid exists as an athlete, but nothing else. Until you respond and the coaches begin evaluating your kid’s qualifications as an athlete and student, nothing more can be done. Without a questionnaire in hand to review, coaches will not, cannot, take that next critical step.
Resist the temptation to tell friends and family that your kid is being recruited by the school. It’s simply not true. Sure, saying your kid got a letter is exciting news which deserves attention, but there is a long, long way to go before “being recruited” is a reality.
This is especially true when it comes to large university programs which recruit nationally, if not internationally. Keep in mind that when signing day comes, these schools will have poured over thousands of questionnaires and tapes and they will have seen hundreds of prospects play in person at the top tournaments in the country. There are only so many roster openings available and the chances of your child getting one of those spots are remote.
That is not meant to discourage your kid or douse your hopes with cold water, but instead it is experience saying to you, consider the total picture before bouncing off walls in anticipation. Keep it real.
National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.