1. You think you should have been contacted by college coaches without having to make any efforts. Wrong. You must be proactive! Even if you have played your sport for years, you’ve been a leader on your high school team, and you’ve played successfully in all the right summer tournaments, you still need to take control of your recruitment process.
2. You think your high school coaches are recruitment expert. They are not! Your high school coaches are not responsible for your potential future in college sports. You must
take steps to ensure your own success.
3. You rely on your parents, high school, or club coach to make phone calls to college coaches on your behalf. A confident athlete won’t be afraid to make the call. Colleges realize this. COLLEGE COACHES DO NOT WANT TO HEAR FROM PARENTS, HIGH SCHOOL COACHES, OR CLUB COACHES; THEY WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
4. You only want to play at a Division I school and ignore your other possibilities. The fact is most high school athletes will not play for a DI school. However, you can still play at the college level, earn scholarship money, and receive an excellent education at schools besides those that are Division I status. Don’t let your ego or lack of knowledge about your options stand in the way. Colleges that fall into DII, III, NAIA, and NJCAA may be your best bet towards achieving your goals.
5. You give up if your e-mail or phone call has not prompted a response from colleges. Don’t give up! You must vary your approach. Be prepared and confident when you call. Have the proper player profiles filled out and game film ready to send when you speak to colleges. Athletes who are relentless and obsessive with get noticed the most.
6. You are afraid to ask the tough questions when you do make contact. Don’t let fear of rejection stop you!
Ask if they have reviewed your profile and seen your game film.
Ask if you are on their recruiting board.
Ask when you can visit their school and meet with them.
Ask for closure so as to not waste their time or yours, but only if they have seen you play and watched your film.