As a recently committed student-athlete to a Division III program, I can confidently say that the word “overwhelming” does not do justice to describe the college recruiting process. Within the first few weeks of my sophomore year in high school, I was asked where I wanted to attend college, what I wanted to major in, and a thousand other questions that I didn’t know the answer to. After a very long and exhausting two years, my recruiting process has finally come to an end. Looking back, I would have done just about everything differently. Here, I am going to share five pieces of advice to help you on your recruiting journey.
- Have a wide range of options
During my sophomore year, I was told to pick out a list of 20 schools to target. The problem is that I dutifully stuck to those schools for far too long. A lot can change in two years, especially your major, which is a crucial factor in what schools are the best fit for you. As you start to visit college campuses, you will also begin to discover their preferences as far as size and location. Don’t be afraid to change your mind about what you want. The things that you were looking for at the beginning of the recruiting process are likely not going to be the same by the end.
It is also helpful to have a mixture of schools from different divisions. While DI sports are often the go-to for most people, there are programs at other levels that may be a better fit. Try to pick programs that are not necessarily on your list of dream schools. You will be surprised by the quality of schools that you may not have heard of before. At the end of the day, if playing a sport in college is your ultimate goal, there is a place for you. Finding it may be a challenge, which is why keeping an open mind is crucial.
2. Stay consistent
It’s needless to say that getting recruited is a lot of work. It takes time and effort to find schools, cut film, and reach out to coaches, but for most people it is completely necessary. There is only a very small pool of athletes who have multiple coaches and offers coming to them. Remaining in consistent communication with the coaches allows you to stay on their radar and helps you to stand out from the rest. It’s important to remember that most coaches have dozens if not hundreds of athletes reaching out to them. If you reach out to them once every four months, they’re not likely to remember who you are. Be prepared to spend a lot of time working on recruitment because there is no way around it.
Also, if you don’t immediately receive a response from a coach, don’t give up right away. In my experience, even though a coach may not respond for several months, they have still been watching film and paying attention to you. Especially when their team is in-season, they may not have the time to invest in recruiting, but that doesn’t automatically mean they are uninterested.
3. Consider the lifestyle that you want
When looking at the level of competition that you want to play in, be realistic about the balance that you are looking for. In top tier Division I programs, your sport can start to feel like a full time job. Many coaches are looking for you to prioritize athletics over academics and in some programs there will be an expectation to play professionally. In a fall sport for example, players are required to move on campus about a month early for preseason training. After only a short break during the winter, intense training resumes in the spring. If you are looking for something a bit less hardcore, consider a DIII or NAIA program. These will offer a greater focus on academics and provide more balance with athletics and a typical college experience.
The difficulty of your degree is also something that should weigh into your decision. If you are considering something such as pre-med or engineering, it could become challenging to be on a top program that demands so much of your time.
4. Consider more than just athletics
Keep in mind that you will be doing more than just playing a sport in college. After taking a tour of impressive athletic facilities it is all too easy to be enamored by the sport and forget that you will be spending the rest of the time in a classroom. Commonly referred to as “the broken leg test,” you have to ask yourself whether or not you would still be happy at the college if you had a long-term injury. While every athlete hopes that it would never happen to them, the reality is that it could. If your sport is ever out of the question, you need to be realistic about whether you could see yourself at that school. Never settle for a school just because you are able to play. If you are having to change your degree path or live in a place that makes you unhappy, the odds are that it might not be worth it in the long run. When the school is right for you, there shouldn’t be much that you have to settle on.
5. Remember your why
There’s no way to say this lightly: prepare to be disappointed. For many athletes, myself included, there will be one school that seems perfect. The coach is interested, you love the campus, the academics line up. But then, the offer never comes. It’s not an easy thing to accept, especially if you have poured so much time and effort into that school. I was in this position around the middle of my junior year. When the coach told me that they ultimately weren’t interested, it was crushing to hear after I had such high hopes for the school. Looking back now, I am glad that it didn’t work out because it was not nearly as good of a fit as the college I am committed to now.
It can be all too easy to let up in your recruiting journey if something like this happens. But you have to stay focused on why you want to play in college whether it is purely love for the sport, scholarship opportunities, or professional aspirations. There will be another school out there for you where you can have just as amazing of an experience.
At the end of the day, playing a sport in college will never be an easy task. The recruiting process can be long and rocky, but trust me when I say that the sense of excitement and relief after you commit will make it all worth it.
