The When and How of Recruiting + COVID 19 tips

 A few parents have asked that I share some helpful tips and hints in the realm of recruiting. This topic can be very overwhelming, but like with anything, if you can plan and prepare for what’s ahead, then you will be able to minimize some of the stress and anxiety. 

This is a soccer timeline but there are a few takeaways for all sports. See below and if you have any questions feel free to comment at the bottom of this blog!

Top Two Interesting Facts:

Colleges & Universities hand out more than 9 times more money in academic merit scholarships than in athletic scholarships. $9.5 billion, compared with $1billion for athletic scholarships.

Official visits may be limited, but unofficial visits can happen at any time. Take advantage and get on campus!

Programs per division Rules of Contact 
2017 data
​

Division	​	​
​	Scholarships​	Programs
NCAA D1	14	333
NCAA D2	9.9	265
NCAA D3	​Academic Only	441
NAIA	12	188
JUCO	18	181

Teams typically carry between 25-32 players per roster. This is a valid question to ask any coach you come into contact with. You can also check the rosters online. Be aware of programs that have JV teams as this will mean a significantly higher roster. Check to see how many first-years from the year before are still on the team as this will give you a great sense on how the coach recruits and if she/he makes cuts each year. You may also want to ask if every player graduates and stays with the program for all four years.

Rules of Contact (Coach to Player)

Method	​NCAA D1	NCAA D2	NCAA D3/NAIA
​Phone (inc text msg)	​June 15th Soph Year	​June 15th Soph Year	Recruitable Age
Email	​June 15th Soph Year	June 15th Soph Year	Recruitable Age
Off Campus	Aug 1 of Jr Year	​Aug 1 of Jr Year	June 15th Soph Year
Tryout	None Allowed	1 on Campus (Jr. Year) After HS season ​	None Allowed (D3) Allowed (NAIA)
Official Visit	Aug 1 of Jr Year*	​June 15th Soph Year	Jan 1st of Jr Year
Unofficial Visit	Aug 1 of Jr Year	No Limit	​No Limit
Camps/Clinics	June 15th Soph Year**	No Limit	​No Limit

*Take a limited number of official visits (one per college, a maximum of five visits to a Division I school, unlimited visits to Division II, Division III, and NAIA schools)
**Division 1 coaches cannot have conversations about recruiting with prospective student-athletes (PSA) at camps/clinics

Average timeline for college soccer recruiting

First-year/Freshie (Feeling Out Period)

• On a map, select areas or regions you and your family are willing to visit schools
  • You can either color in a blank map and use a traffic light system of green (willingness/interest) to red (least interested) preferences or you can use colorful pins
• From there, create a list of schools (10-15) per region or state that you might be interested in at least visiting
• Ask your coaches, teammates, teachers and extended family members if they have heard of these schools and start to form a google doc of blind pro’s and con’s. Blind meaning - other people’s opinions since you have yet to visit the schools
• Register on the NCAA and NAIA website and complete eligibility information
  • http://www.eligibilitycenter.org OR www.playnaia.org 
• Register and create basic, no-fee profiles on the following websites:
  • College Fit Finder
  • NCSA
  • PrepHero.com ($9.99/month)

 

• Lastly, you should start to think about the important “X-Factor’s” that are going to be of utmost importance to you and your family's decision about finding the right “fit”. See the chart below, print and cut it out to begin your planning:

Finding the Right School for You (Rank 1-10)

​Academic	1-10	Social	1-10	Financial	1-10	Athletic	1-10
Has your major	​	Dorm life	​	Tuition​	​	Competition Level​	​
​Student : Faculty	​	Location	​	​Financial Aid	​	​Facilities	​
Job Placement	​	​Urban/Rural/Sub	​	Room & Board​	​	Playing Time/FY Play​	​
Reputation/Alumni	​	Religious Affiliation	​	Private/Public​	​	Team Fit​	​
Class Size​	​	Extra-Curricular​	​	Dining Options​	​	Style of Play​	​

Sophomore (Getting on the Radar)

• Summer prior to entering Sophomore year: Narrow down list and visit schools.
• Complete the Online Recruit Questionnaires of EVERY school you’re interested in
  • Cheat sheet: Most are similar, so keep a running google doc of your basic information and copy & paste - the only time it’s permissible!
• Make a plan for the entire year including next summer: visits, sign-up for camp/clinics
• Watch live or televised college games
• Email coaches an introductory email explaining who you are, where you come from and what your goals & ambitions are, attach a PDF resume and list tournaments you’ll be attending for the year. Possibly mention that you completed their recruit questionnaire for added brownie points :-)
• Be willing and ready to jump on a call with the coach as you get closer to starting classes in September. Have a set of questions ready to ask coaches either by phone call or in person based upon your top 5 “X-Factors” as discovered from above.

Junior (Conversation, Character building and Compliance!)

• Narrow down YOUR school list (10-12)
• Email chain communication truly begins:
  • Sending grades, transcripts, soccer development, awards, tournaments, film, references
  • Ask for evaluations from camps and clinics
  • Ask for a timeline of committing to each school. Most will differ
  • Write down coaches answers to your questions. Keep a notebook.
  • Ask to talk on the phone (at least 3 times spread throughout your junior year)
  • Ask the best way to communicate with the coach. Texting may be better for both parties
• Scheduling campus tours and visits prior to attending clinics may be more important
• Official visits - ask about overnight protocols. Try to time it with a clinic. Aim for Friday nights and Sunday nights so that you can attend a class and get a true feel for school.
• Do they offer the chance to meet or speak to players on the team? Clinics are popular for this

Senior (Decision Year)

• Narrow down YOUR school list (1-5) and confirm coaches timeline
• Coaching changes are possible in the May-Aug period so be ready! Make sure you REALLY like the above schools
• Official visits - ask about overnight protocols. Try to time it with a clinic. Aim for Friday nights and Sunday nights so that you can attend a class and get a true feel for school.
• Committing to a school - what does that look like?
  • Early Decision/Early Action/Regular Decision/Open Enrollment

Recruiting During COVID-19 Tips: 

• Find the positive. Stay engaged. Communicate with the college coaches still. Keep them in the loop.
• What if no video: even if you don't have game footage, share with them what you are doing on your own. Show skill work, creativity, activities in the garage.
• Be bold! Get out there and show interest in a school that you are interested in. Be sure to do your research. There are video tours, video of previous seasons games on athletic websites, and more. BE AUTHENTIC.
• How can you use this time to show how adaptable, flexible, and capable YOU are of dealing with adversity? These are key traits that colleges look for in their players.
• This is a chance to show how "coachable" you are.
• Are you a problem-solver? Coaches want to see how you can solve problems. Show that during this time.
• You are a student-athlete. Key word student. So make sure you are staying on top of and ahead (if possible) with your academics. This is something you will have to manage when in college.
• This is a chance to study for SATs/ACTs. Do practice tests, learn new words, math skills. We don't always have that time during the year. Use it now.
• Reminder… make SMART and RESPONSIBLE decisions with your social media. Coaches have more time to check this stuff during this pandemic. Be careful with all social media interactions — public and private. Don’t ruin your chances.
• Social media can be an opportunity to do GOOD things. So BRAND yourself in a way that is going to look good to college coaches.
• 4:1 selfie rule. Branding, branding, branding. What does this ratio say about you? Go through your Instagram now. How many selfies? Coaches don’t want self-absorbed people in their programs.
• Parents: guide your son/daughter. Help them out. They can still lead the process but you can help them stay connected, do research, and stay engaged with the school. You can also have some Zoom calls with your club coach to learn more.
• Parents: don't stress your child out over this. Let's calm them down as we know everyone is stressed. Let's stay positive and support them.

Resources:

What I wish I knew back then by Ellie Jean

What it takes to be a college athlete | Joe Cleary, Wayne State Women’s Soccer