College recruiting - general advice?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
My kid started a new sport this year and is pretty good at it. And, importantly, they really love it.
We got a note from their coach that a D1 coach reached out and asked for information about our kid, indicating that they'd contact us/our kid directly on June 15th which is apparently the first day D1 coaches can contact rising Juniors directly. Neither my wife nor I were student athletes, so this is all new to us. Also, scholarships aren't important to us, so while we certainly wouldn't mind spending less on college, we haven't been seeking this out. I'd welcome any advice from those who know more than me: How does the recruiting process work? What should we expect from both our kid's current coaches and the college coaches? What questions should we ask of the college coaches? If you or your kid played a college sport, what was the experience like? Thanks in advance! |
Anonymous
|
Get this book: https://rlopezcoaching.com/product/looking-for-a-full-ride-an-insiders-recruiting-guide/
You read it and have your kid read it. It’s a quick read. Be wary of any paid recruiting (NCSA is an example). Start pulling film, bio information, etc. |
Anonymous
| College Confidential, athletic recruit might be helpful. Also, ask your coach for advice/conversation from parents from your team, especially senior parents. |
Anonymous
|
So, the sport makes a difference if it's subjective (team sport like soccer) or objective (timed sport like track).
My DD plays soccer and is finishing her sophomore year. She plays high level club soccer and has been posting clips, reaching out to coaches since the beginning of this year. Our neighbor is a top track athlete and all of her times are logged and posted and she was really just contacting coaches to express interest. Did not need to send a clip of her running the 3200 for example. Does your child have any sort of social media specifically for their sport? Prior to June 15, my DD's club coach has been sharing info on what schools have been reaching out to him about her so she has an idea of who may be calling post June 15. They met a few times to talk through what types of schools to target as well. I also would say that in person calls are more of an indicator of interest over an email or text. Also, who are you speaking with - asst coach or head coach. Being invited to visit campus, tour the athletics facilities, etc. My DD did a couple of ID clinics to also get an idea of what different schools were like as well. Smaller local school versus large state school, etc. My nephew went through this as well and will be a HS senior next year. He just committed to play D1 college soccer at a Big 10 school. |
Anonymous
This book is a waste of time and money. I know first hand. Much of the info you can find for free on college confidential. |
Anonymous
|
I agree with the poster above about it mattering the sport.
In general- I wouldn't expect anything from a HS coach. Most of them have no idea or don't care about college recruiting. Things we learned junior year: 1. Register with the NCAA- some of the school questionnaires ask for the profile eligibility number. 2. Figure out schools that your kid is interested in going to- like is the sport really important or do they want to use the sport to open doors. 3. When you do an official visit- they will lay out the financials. Some schools will offer money for books and some will offer a lot more. Also sport dependent. 4. Also- sport dependent but social media can be important. Create an account that easily identifies the athlete and follow schools and athletes at those schools if there is an interest. 5. Some college coaches are great with communication- some are not. When replying to email- include the whole thread. They have a lot of athletes and it helps keep track. 6. Work on an email that talks about highlights- grades, sports, etc... Three to four sentences like an elevator pitch. 7. We created a spreadsheet to track contact and where our kid was in the process. |
Anonymous
| Questions to ask- will your kid participate as a freshman? How are the new rules impacting the roster? What is the schools opinion on NIL? Can a student athlete graduate on 4 years? |
Anonymous
|
OP. Thanks all for the input.
The sport is crew. No social media for the kid, but the school posts stuff and they stand out in group shots for their height which is apparently an advantage. Though I my understanding is that crew is a more objectively-measured sport like one of the PPs indicated - in addition to the non-performance dimensions others have mentioned. Is the process typically one-way? Meaning if they were interested in a specific school (one that's reasonably within reach academically), should they reach out to a coach there to try and get their attention? |
Anonymous
| Does anyone know how D3 schools work as far as recruiting and money - specifically for track? Any chance of money being given? |
Anonymous
Crew is different in that you usually row for your HS or a club, but not both…usually kids row for a club because their HS doesn’t offer it. At most HSs, it is a year round sport. In this instance, whichever applies to you, the coach should know the drill on Erg times and all the stats which I gather this D1 coach should know. I guess you need to decide if you are trying to use this for an Ivy where any $$$s are only need-based or a University of Texas which just announced all crew recruits will get full scholarships (I think they are doing it for all sports as part of the NCAA settlement). Ivy schools have been dominant, but maybe the full scholarships will change things. Not really any NIL $$$s in crew, so not sure you need to get into that. |
Anonymous
Outside of the top 20-30 academic D3 schools, all will give you merit $$$s to attend…not sport-related as they give to everyone. However, no a JHU or a Williams or a U Chicago will only give need-based $$$s. |
Anonymous
it all depends on the school. D3 doesn't give athletic money but some give merit for athletes. |
Anonymous
the kid should really set up an instagram account. it makes a difference |
Anonymous
the athlete needs to be pro-active and reach out to coaches and fill out the questionnaires. Cast the net wide. I don't think coaches are hunting down kids in most sports. |
Anonymous
|
There are only 39 D1 men’s crew teams.
If your kid’s coach is worth $.02, they would know them all, how to write any email outreach and how your coach can complement your efforts. |