At Athnet, we constantly talk to high school athletes and their families about college recruiting. They always want to know if coach has serious interest in them and what things will tell them they are being recruited. The way a coach responds and acts to these five interactions will help you determine how seriously a coach is recruiting you:
Image from the Seattle Times
Official Visits
In most sports official visits are offered during an athlete’s senior year (basketball players can take official visits during their junior year). If a coach offers you an official visit then they are showing a very high-level of interest. Official visits cost schools money, and coaches have limits to how many they can offer; they are not going to use official visits on athletes they aren’t seriously recruiting. This doesn’t mean you are guaranteed a scholarship because you had an official visit, but it’s a great indication that you are near the top of a coach’s recruiting list.
Unofficial Visits
Unlike official visits, unofficial visits are visits that are paid for completely by the student-athlete. That doesn’t mean it can’t tell help you determine a coach’s interest level. Has a coach invited you to come on a visit? Is he making a point to set some time aside to talk to you while you are there (if you meet with an assistant coach instead of the head coach, that is ok because coaches are busy)? What was your interaction like after you visited the school?
Answers to the above questions help paint a better picture of the likelihood you get a scholarship offer from a coach. An invitation obviously speaks for itself, but not nearly as much as an official visit invite; since the unofficial visit costs only the recruit and their family, a coach doesn’t risk as much by having athletes towards the bottom of their list on a visit. After your visit if a coach makes a point to actively contact you then you know he wants to recruit you, and you may even get an official visit offer down the road.
Personalized Mail
Simply receiving generic typed messages does not indicate great interest in a recruit. Schools send out mass mailings to hundreds, if not thousands of athletes. Hand written letters from coaches that are personalized are the best indication of a coach’s interest in recruiting you.
Frequency of Contact
Once a coach has seen your highlight video and your recruiting resume or profile, the frequency he contacts you can help show how serious he is. If you are an underclassmen, he may not contact you as much due simply to your age; but if you are an upperclassmen and a coach actively contacts you then you know he has interest.
Sometimes coaches will send questionnaires frequently because they can’t send an athlete anything else. Prior to 11th grade, other than camp information and official university information, a recruiting questionnaire is the only mail a coach is permitted to send, so don’t stress out if you are only receiving questionnaires. Not all coaches send multiple questionnaires to keep in touch with athletes, so just because you aren’t receiving multiple questionnaires doesn’t mean you aren’t getting recruited, but if you are then it is a great sign.
Phone Conversations/Text Messages
How often is a coach setting up phone calls and sending you text messages (when it is allowed based on the recruiting calendar)? If a coach focuses on making sure there are set phone calls with you, or if he focuses on texting you to keep in touch and stay updated then you know that he has interest in you. It doesn’t mean you are number one on the scholarship list, but it’s a great sign and if you play your cards right you may end playing at their school.
Are you struggling to determine how much a coach is interested in you? Just ask us in the comments section below, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+!
What if they invite you to games?
Tom, thanks for your question. An invitation to go see games shows the coach wants you to see the atmosphere and get a better feel for what it would be like to play for the school. It also shows that coaches want to learn more about you. In terms of how interested they are, it depends on how much interaction you have had with them previously. How long have you been communicating with this coach? Will you be able to speak with either the head coach or an assistant while you are there?
What if they tell you to come to a college preview day
Jeffrey, thanks for your question. An invitation to a college preview is a great sign. The coach wants you to see what the college is like and learn more about you as an athlete. What does the preview day include? Will you be able to speak with any coaches while you are there, and perhaps take a tour or see a game?
What if you are denied the visa from the embassy
Is there any way you would be able to appeal the denial?
i got a basic letter telling me to look at a college, along with a questionnaire to fill out and return. I received both at the begginning of the summer. Due to the long NCAA Eligibility Process I wasn’t able to send in my questionnaire until about the end of the first month of school. It’s already been about a month and a half and I still haven’t heard back from this college. Does this mean they are no longer interested? Would it be wrong of me to email the coach and ask him/her if they are still interested/ received my questionnaire in the mail?
Hi Gracie, Questionnaires are a way college coaches can get their school and their team known to up and coming recruits. It’s good when you get them to fill them out and return them as soon as possible. The next step for you would be to create your own sports resume and video to send to the coach. You can begin your cover letter explaining that you have already filled out a questionnaire and then go on to explain why you want to be a part of the team. Here is our guide to get you started: http://www.athleticscholarships.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/How_to_Create_a_College_Recruiting_ResumeE-Book.pdf
Remember college coaches are only able to recruit you when they know who you are, it takes more then just a questionnaire to get their attention. Create your resume and send to out to the coach as soon as you can. Let me know if you have any other questions about reaching out to coaches.
I received an email from a college coach specifically stating they were “actively recruiting” me and wanted to call and talk. I replied to the email and told him that would be great and I would really like to speak with him about their program. I gave him my number and told him when I got out of practice. It has been a couple of weeks and I haven’t heard from him. What should I do?
Hi Kody, Thanks for sending in your question. That is great that you followed up with the coach and are prepared to talk with him. At this point you should contact the coach. Coaches do get busy so he may have forgot to call, make it a point to get a hold of him as soon as possible. This guide will give you more tips on reaching out to coaches: http://www.athleticscholarships.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Athnet-Guide-to-Communicating-with-College-Coaches.pdf Let us know how it goes and if you have any other recruiting questions along the way.
what if i already graduated
You still need to go through the process the same way. College coaches do not know who you are until you tell them, so have your sports resume and current video ready to send out to coaches you have interest in playing for. Have you thought about where you want to go to school? Are you currently in college- reach out to the coach at your school.
My son gets a lots of letters, emails, text & phone calls but no offers. Just recently a coach told my son he was going to be in our area next month & wants to meet with him and my husband and I. What does that mean?
That is a very good sign that your son is getting so much attention from college coaches. A coach wanting to meet personally with your son and you is an even better sign. It will be good for your son to have questions for the coach in terms of the school and the team- Here is our guide which will help you understand the recruiting process a little more- http://www.athleticscholarships.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Athnet-Guide-to-Communicating-with-College-Coaches.pdf Even though this is more for recruits beginning the process your son will find some valuable questions to ask. Please let me know if you have any more questions.
What if they tell your travelball Coach the have interest and they like what they saw at a showcase, and you are a Junior Softball player and havn’t received an email?
If they have expressed interest to your coach you should call and email them, letting them know you are interested in their program. Just remind them who you are and what club you play for and have a couple questions for them about what it will take to play for their team someday. Good luck.
What if a coach asks for transcripts and SAT scores but hasn’t talked about any kind of recruiting visit?
When a coach asks for transcripts and test scores they are simply doing the necessary background check. It is a great sign they are interested in you. They want to make sure before hey spend the money to bring you on a visit, you will have the grades to make it into their school.
our son has had two coaches arrange to meet him at his school, but after the meetings there has been no follow up from either coach. Is there something more he should be doing?
That is great news coaches are coming to the school. If your son hasn’t heard from the coaches have him call and email each coach. He should ask them if there is anything else they need form him and what more he needs to do to keep the process moving forward. As a rule of thumb you should always end conversations or meetings with coaches know what is needed next, if you don’t know, call or email them. Let me know how that goes and if you have more questions.
What if they wont talk back due to you being a freshman? What can i do
Be sure to include your coaches contact information and let your coach know you are contacting programs. What college coaches do if they can’t contact you back directly is, they will contact your high school coach and tell him the time for you to call. Coaches can talk to you if you call and they pick up the phone but they can’t call you. It is a silly NCAA rule but that is how coaches get around the problem if you are a freshman. Good luck.
I have contacted multiple coaches and updating them on my progress. Three coaches have responded muliple times. All going like this’ ” thanks for the email nick. See you on the field. Keep the updates coming”. Are they interested in me or are these emails generic emails? Every time I contact one of these three coaches they end with giving me their cell # and other various contact information. They also sometimes send emails ” we would like to personally invite you to our camp on date… So and so” what does this all mean? Should I bother continue contacting these coaches as I feel I am going no where in this process.
I live in another country and don’t graduate from HS until middle November 2014.Would I be considered a 2014 or 2015 recruit? Or, can I be either?
You would be a 2015 recruit because you expect to start school in the fall of 2015 when school starts here. Good luck.
question: trying to gauge the level of interest from a specific school / coach for my son (basketball) The coach flew into town for one night specifically to see my kid play . He then stressed that he was really impressed , as he has done for a couple months now, and said that he wants to get the head coach to town to visit him. Does this sound like the process that they go through when they are seriously interested? or still unsure of extending an offer?
This is a sign of a program that is very interested in your son. Coaches don’t waste money on flight, let alone multiple flights to watch a recruit unless they are very serious. If your son likes the program as well, I would have him call the head coach as well. A quick phone message saying something like “I really enjoyed meeting coach so and so (the coach you met) and am very impressed with what he has said about your program. I would really enjoy the opportunity to meet you as well.” This could go a long way in locking in the scholarship. Good luck.
I have been talking with a few colleges for soccer. One has seen me play 3 times, while 4 others have seen me play once. They all have said “keep in touch”. What does this gauge in their interest level?
If you are having coaches come to your games that means they have a lot of interest in you. If they are asking you to stay in touch, that means they like what they’ve seen. It is really important you call or email the coaches every couple of weeks so they know you have interest in them.
My son was called by a D1 baseball coach to come to the college and take in a baseball game and tour the college. The coach also called coaches from other JUCO’s to get their opinion of him. Coach told us and my son to call him the next day, of which we both did. Now we have not heard anything back. What is our next step. It has only been 5 days. My son absolutely fell in love with the team and the school.
I wouldn’t worry too much about not hearing back right away. After a couple more days call again and send an email. Make sure it is your son leaving the messages and writing them emails. When your son contacts, great questions to ask are what does he need to do to keep the process moving forward? Find out what academic markers he will need to meet and a timeline from the coaches. Good luck.
I would like to have unofficial visit to the one of the college. However, I will be at school 7am to 5pm and can’t make phone call to coach. I previously sent email to the coach but didn’t hear back. Is it ok with my mother call coach instead of me? Or any other suggestion?
I would call him yourself and leave a message as well as send another email. The coach would rather hear from you then her from your parents. Good luck.
What if a school has been showing you a lot if interest but, when you call to get an unofficial visit they deny “at this time” does that mean they are uninterested or just busy?
It most likely means they are just busy. I wouldn’t read more into it than that. Good luck.
If I have a gpa of 2.9 or 3.0 and a sat score of 1000
Can the head Football coach help in getting me in?
Yes. Coaches work with their admissions departments all of the time in order to get athletes they want into the school. What schools are you talking to? Have they told you want you will need to achieve academically?
I’m a junior and getting a lot of offers to attend summer football camps, some of which require extensive travel and expense. How do I determine which coaches are interested enough to spend the time and money on their camp?
The most important thing is that you list the schools by the order in which you like most. Then, talk to the coaches at each school and try to get a sense for how badly they want you. I am sure for some schools you are near the top of their list and for others maybe near the bottom. You want to go to the schools you like most where you are also high on their list. Good luck.
My son plays community college football, he red shirted his freshman year due to not getting any playing time. However, he maid allconference this year even though he tore his acl and only played 5 games. He was number 2 in the state for community colleges on sacks. We contacted a recruiter who said he needed more film. he will have his AA at the end of this semester. He just got a letter inviting him ot a spring game at a University also ther summer camp. What does this mean? I kind of lost hope because he is ready to move on to a university, but, his current coaches want him to play another season and are not helping him get recruited.
If he is being invited to spring games and summer camps that means the school is interested in him. If your son wants to and will be ready health wise to move on to a university then he should be contacting college coaches at the schools he is interested in. There is no need to rely on the coaches or a recruiter to contact coaches. Your son should email and call the coaches he is interested in, be sure to include his video. Good luck.
My son just got this letter….whats the best way to say we are looking for a full soccer-scholarship? But the way the link above are vary helpful….please help:)
Thanks for the email. We have a roster spot to fill and it is yours if you want it. Please contact me so I can talk with you more about our program and the school.
You want to begin the conversation with the coach on how much it is going to cost for your son to attend their school. Let them know you appreciate the opportunity and want to know more about the full cost of tuition, room and board for their school. Once you get that number you can let the coach what you will be able to afford. From there the conversation will turn to scholarships or other forms of financial aid. Good luck.
If you have an email starting off like this, what does it mean?: Our staff has enjoyed following you and I would like you to know of our desire to pursue you as a recruit for the Hilbert College men’s basketball program. Area coaches are speaking very highly of your abilities as a well-rounded student-athlete. These important characteristics prompt me to take this opportunity to share with you what our institution has to offer.
This means the program is interested in you and wants to know if you are interested in their college. Let the coaches know either way.
I recently went on a junior day visit with my brother to a couple top FCS schools. When we were at one of the junior days, my brother, family, and I were pulled out of the presentation and were brought into the head coaches office to meet with him. Very few kids at the junior day got to meet with the head coach, in fact one recruit asked if he could talk with the head coach and was denied. Is the next step a scholarship offer?
It’s a really good sign the program has serious interest in you, but not necessarily that they are prepared to offer you a scholarship yet. It all depends on how many athletes they are recruiting at your position and where they have you ranked. I would expect the next step to be an official visit once your senior year starts. You could get a scholarship offer first if the program has you ranked as one of the top recruits at your position. Either way, continue to talk with other programs and get more options because you don’t want to count on an offer until you have the scholarship papers on signing day.
I wanted to know what the coach will do if the coach directly told you in person during the college camp that he will be recruiting you
That means they are going to continue to watch you, do background checks with your coaches and school, review any social media accounts of yours. In general, they just want to get to know you better as an athlete, student and person. This is your opportunity to show them what you can do and make sure you take the chance to get to know them as well. Make it as easy as possible for the coach to continue to evaluate you.
My daughter plays softball and is a junior as of now but graduates 2014. We receive a few direct emails that will say you are personally invited to our prospect camps. Are we still supposed to pay for those camps when your invited? Also when your team is playing in a showcase but you are invited to a camp or school visit by DIII on the same date.
Some coaches waive the camp fees for recruits, other camps do not. It is a good question to ask the coaches. When deciding between a showcase and a camp you have to decide if the school inviting you is one you really like. If the school is near the top of your list, then go, if it is a school you are not that interested in, then go to the showcase. Either way, make sure the coaches at the schools you are interested in know where you will be playing for the summer.
Hello, my son has had several scouts to come to his school and ask to see him, but no one has gotten back in touch him yet. Does this mean they are not interested in him
I wouldn’t worry too much about them not getting back to you, it is common for scouts to take several weeks before getting back to athletes. I am assuming they talked to your sons coach. I would ask his coach who the scouts were and what organizations they were representing. Ask the coach how his conversations with the scouts went. Be proactive and contact the scouts to keep the process moving forward.
I have had a lot of coaches visiting my school. They tell me to go to their summer camps, but I haven’t gotten an offer from any of them. What does this mean?
I am assuming you are talking about not getting scholarship offers and not just offers to camp? Getting early scholarship offers generally only happens to the top 1-3 recruits at a specific position. Because they are inviting you to camp they are giving you the chance to impress them more and I would bet if you have a great camp performance a scholarship offer could follow. If you are waiting for an invite to camp, don’t. They have already asked you to attend so pick as many of the camps as you can attend and go. Good luck.