May College Recruiting Newsletter 2023

Recruiting Guide – Contacting College Coaches

Prior issues of this newsletter have had a common theme: proactivity. The potential student athletes that are proactive in their search, in their identification of programs of interest, as well as their selection of ID camps are more likely to find the right fit for them. Another way you can be proactive right now is by contacting college coaches at programs that you are interested in attending. Below you will find 3 things you can do right now to get in touch with college coaches, and stay on their recruiting radar in the future.

Send an introductory email- This is a great way to get your foot in the door with a program you are interested in and allow the coaching staff an opportunity to get their first look at you. When sending this email, be sure to include the entire coaching staff, as this will increase the likelihood that someone on staff sees it (coaches are flooded with these emails each day). This initial email should not include an overwhelming amount of information, instead include key points that are not limited to but could include:
- Name, graduation year, high school and club
- GPA, test scores, academic information
- Position(s) that you play, highlight video
- Your contact information, as well as your coaches contact information
- The last section of this email should include how you plan to move the relationship forward. Will you follow up with another email in the coming weeks? Do you have any questions for the coach? Be sure to give them something to respond to in this initial touchpoint.
Follow-up phone call- After you have sent an introductory email, a great step to take in contacting college coaches would be to attempt to get on the phone with someone on the coaching staff. Depending on recruiting rules, any incoming junior is eligible to speak on the phone with college coaches after June 15. Prior to this phone call occurring, consider the below subjects as potential talking points:
- Research on the program and why it interests you
- Style of play of the program and why you are a good fit
- Questions regarding recruits for your class/what the coaching staff is looking for
- Culture of the program/core values and how they may or may not be a good fit for your personal core values
- This phone call is a great opportunity to personalize the relationship between you and a coaching staff. Once again, be sure to discuss next steps and how you can maintain an open dialogue moving forward.
Update coaches with new events and new highlights- Building the relationship with coaches is important, but keeping them engaged and interested is just as if not more important! As mentioned, coaches are flooded with communication and emails from recruits, so keeping you at the forefront of their mind and excitement is a vital part of landing a spot at your dream school. As you get new highlights, send them their way! Additionally, sending coaches clips of your play and asking for constructive feedback can also be a great way to start to build a coach/player relationship, while giving you an inside look at what each coach prioritizes and how they view the game. Continuing to update coaches with how you are doing, upcoming games and events, as well as keeping up to date with what their program is up to can be an organic way to keep conversations flowing.

These are just a few ways to develop a rapport with college coaches on your identified list of schools of interest! By maintaining a proactive, positive mindset you will be on your way to building relationships with each program, and getting one step closer to your goal of playing college soccer.

Personal Development – Developing Communication Skills

Contacting and building relationships with college coaches is a vital part of the recruiting process, but doing so in an effective or ineffective manner can make or break your opportunity to play at a given school. Impressions over the phone and in initial visits can go a long way in determining whether or not you will have a future at a given program, so being aware of how to be professional and an effective communicator is a crucial part of your personal development not only in your college search, but all other aspects of your life as well. Below are a few things to consider, as well as articles to read/dive in to the details a bit more.

Eye contact- in today’s day and age with technology, it is becoming less and less common to engage in important conversation face-to-face. When doing so, make sure you are comfortable giving direct eye contact to the person you are speaking to. Here’s why: https://brandastic.com/blog/why-eye-contact-is-important/
Active listening- you may come into specific conversations with an agenda, or things you want to make sure are discussed. This is completely fine, and shows that you are genuinely interested in making sure the conversations flows in a positive manner. While this is great, make sure you are actively listening to what the other person has to say and are able to adjust and navigate the conversation properly. https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/coaching-others-use-active-listening-skills/
Be yourself! Most importantly, don’t try to be someone you are not. By relaxing and being yourself, you will be able to have a natural, genuine conversation you are talking to. It is important to maintain a balance of professionalism, while being true to who you are.

Finally, one last article to help: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/communication-skills

Additional Resources from Sports Recruits

Articles

Sports Recruits Webinars

Messaging College Coaches: What your Need to Know: Available on demand. Great follow-up to this month’s topic

College Commitments

CJ DeBra – Youngstown State University
Riley Arnold – Ohio Dominican
Ellie Greenwell – Ohio University
Zara Graff – Wright State University
Abby Unkraut – University of Georgia
Mia Fiore – Xavier University
Victoria Zappasodi – Cleveland State
Ella Smith – Miami University
Jordan Church – Arkansas State University
Amanda Schlueter – Ohio State University
Sophie Decker – Marian University
Ruby Dunlevy – Eastern Kentucky University
Margo Roberts – Ohio Dominican University
Olivia Parmer – Marian University
Emma Morrison – Kentucky Christian University
Shannon Ott – Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Rose Vigran – George Washington University
Jill Planeaux – Ohio Dominican University
Katie Hoog – Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Millie Cluxton – College of Charleston
Mia Jackson – Purdue University Fort Wayne
Chloe Morrison – Milligan University
Kalyn Rich – Baldwin Wallace University
Ella James – Baldwin Wallace University
Donna Bundy – Northern Kentucky University
Timothy Griffin – Northern Kentucky University
Aiden Byrd – Transylvania University
Avery May – University of Dayton
Caitlin Burger – Wright State University
Sophia Kuerze – Wright State University
Lainey Smith – University of Dayton
Aliana Weibel – Kent State University
Peyton Jones – Thomas More University
Asia Espiritu – West Liberty University
Faith George – Thomas More University
Sydney Bortz – University of Richmond
Brynn Collins – Taylor University
Ellie Walker – University of Tennessee Southern
Trey Pitzer – Heidelburg University
Barrett Moore – Otterbein University
Mallory Como – University of Toledo
Brooke Wilson – University of Richmond
Brynn Collins – Taylor University
Brennin Sanders – Mount St. Joseph University
Molly Robinson – Transylvania University
Ashtyn Ivy – Austin Peay State University
Lexi Kollar – Otterbein University
Reece Heisel – Transylvania University
Ayden Theobald – Thomas More University
Killian Riley – Mount St. Joseph University
Rylie Niemeyer – Western Carolina University
Cole Marsh – Thomas More University
Lauren Link – Eastern Kentucky University
Claire Cress – Morehead State University

Remember to post your commitment to your Sports Recruits account and send commitment photos to info@kingshammer.com so that you can be recognized for your achievements.