What You NEED to Know About the Recruitment Process.

Starting the recruitment process for college can be super stressful. Finding ways to get yourself out there and into the right fit can be a lot of work. Here's some tips for your recruitment process.

1. Use a good recruitment app or website.

It is so important to find a good recruitment site that you know coaches are going to be on. Putting your film on YouTube is great, but unfortunately, it would be hard to find you there. A website like NCSA can expose you to all different kinds of coaches. You can go in and type what kind of schools you are interested in, and you are more likely to run across their screen. It is super easy to get your film out there this way.

2. Have good films.

Film is your first impression, so yours needs to be good. Focus on your strong points, but also focus on what makes you different from everyone else. Maybe you play a different style or do a different skill than others. Just point out your differences and make yourself stand out. Take your time on your film and make sure it is good quality.

3. Reach Out.

If there are schools you are super interested in, reach out. There are only certain windows that they can email the athlete first. Just take time to email them, it can't hurt. Your email should give them all the information they need (height, position, major, interests, FILM, etc.). Remember that coaches get tons of emails all the time, make yours different from everyone else.

4. Be consistent.

Once your film is pushed out to coaches, be consistent on the website. Check once or twice a day to see if any emails have come through. Responding to emails pretty quick can make a difference since you are still fresh on the coach's mind. Stay consistent on the website and continue to update when you have new films.

5. GRADES

This is what can set you apart from another athlete who may share the same talent as you. This could be a make or break. You need to take care of your GPA in high school. Being an athlete and keeping a high GPA is not as common as you think, and it's appealing to coaches. You can add this in your emails to make you different.

6. Be Honest

Coaches have to know so many things about you. Being honest is so important during this process. Even if you think it is something they don't want to hear, it's something that could hurt you in the end. The truth will come out, so just don't do it.

Ex: lying about a knee injury that you had in the past, then getting the same injury in college because the coach didn't know your limits.

7. Ask Questions

Coaches love asking questions, but after all, it's YOUR future. You need to know everything about the college and the athletic program. Asking questions is so important and you should ask anything that comes to your mind. Academic questions are necessary too.

8. DON'T SETTLE

Once offers come in and you have decisions to make, don't settle for something that could make your academics suffer. If you have to make huge sacrifices just to go to a school, it's probably not worth it. Remember that the school needs you more than you need the school. There are so many schools out there, so keep your options open at all times.

So, there's a lot that goes into the recruitment process. It can be stressful and a lot of work at times. Just remember what you are doing this for. Your education is most important and what you are going for. Know your worth!!!