5 Reasons to Start College Recruiting Earlier Than You Think
The college recruiting process should begin much earlier than most families are aware of. It seems as though the recruits that coaches are looking at are getting younger and younger. In order for you not to lose any ground in your recruiting process, make sure you are familiar with everything you need to know for your freshman year of high school.
Here Are Five Reasons Why You Should Start Your Recruiting Process Earlier Than You Think:
Coaches Are Looking Five Years Ahead
In order to secure promising young athletes to join their sports programs, many college coaches have started looking at recruit classes a few years ahead. There are some coaches who have successfully had kids as young as seventh graders commit to their program. So if you are waiting until your junior or senior year, you’re really late! Make sure to get organized and do your research as you enter high school so that you don’t lose any ground.
Freshman-year Camps Make a Big Difference
It’s no question that attending camps and showcases in high school can make a huge difference in how college coaches view you as a prospect. But even those camps that you attend as a freshman can mean a lot. College coaches will want to see your progress throughout high school, so the more stats and experience you have, the better. Make sure to keep track of all results and stats as you attend camps and showcases so that you have something to present to the coaches and they can see how you have developed as a player.
Recruiting Doesn’t Start When a Coach Contacts You
Athletes who are waiting for coaches to contact them are waiting too long! It’s a fact that coaches realistically can’t recruit you unless they know you exist. This means that it’s up to you to be proactive and get in touch with the coaches at schools you are interested in. If you wait around hoping that they’ll come find you, it may be too late to find an opportunity. Start researching schools early and create a list of target schools where you can contact coaches at. It is important to build that relationship with the coach so you know what to expect when you make that final decision.
If You Aren’t Talking to Coaches, Another Athlete Is
There is high competition among high school athletes to find an opportunity to play sports in college- even more so to earn a scholarship. So if you think about it, every day that you are not making contact with a coach, another athlete is. If those days start adding up, more athletes are building these relationships with coaches, and you are getting further and further behind. Don’t miss out on any opportunities you could be taking advantage of and get yourself organized for the recruiting process.
Getting Recruited is Your Responsibility, No One Else’s
Athletes need to understand that if they want to get recruited to play in college, they need to rely on themselves to make that happen. Too many kids are expecting their coach or their parents to take the lead in their recruiting, when in fact, they should be the ones contacting coaches. College coaches want to hear from the athlete and get to know them; they don’t want to hear from the coach or the athlete’s parents. Taking control of your recruiting process demonstrates to coaches how serious you are about competing at the college level and that you are mature enough to take responsibility of setting goals and making things happen for yourself.
If you still don’t know what the recruiting process is about, check out our Guide to Preparing for the Recruiting Process.
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