DO’s and DON’T’S of RECRUITING
1. DO: Get in front of as many college coaches as possible. The best way to be recruited is to be seen! Your best opportunity is with your summer league team. There are countless showcases and some are well worth the money while others are not. College Christmas camps and specialty camps are always good ones to attend. I would shy away from most showcase camps unless you know for sure that the coaches will be working directly with you vs. just in attendance. Big Difference!
2. DON’T: Send DVD’s unless requested by the coach. I can’t tell you how many times that I received DVD’s, emails and resumes with player profiles from various recruiting agencies and players. As a coach you simply don’t have time to watch every DVD and the resume doesn’t tell you much other than stats. Unfortunately, the first question that comes to mind is “I wonder who keeps these stats?”
3. DO: Send emails. Emails can be a good tool if used properly. I recommend including a link that will direct them to your video, such as YouTube or other media sharing outlets. This draws the coach’s attention and allows him to view it without hassle and you will have a chance to see the number of times the video has been viewed. I would recommend keeping the video short and filmed from different angles hitting, pitching and fielding. If you are a pitcher I would recommend 1 pitch from the 1B, 2B, 3B and home plate sides. If you are hitting, video the open side. Don’t include bunting!
4. DON’T: Send a mass email that includes emails of other coaches email addresses. Personalize each email to the coach’s last name and make the body of the email short. Make sure and do your homework specific to what the school has accomplished and why you are interested.
5. DO: List names of references that you are familiar with in the email. All coaches will rely on their network of contacts in the area and outside their area in different regions of the country. As a college coach there is not enough time to see every player, the recruiting and playing schedule can often seem non-stop. So include references and the coach will more than likely contact those guys first if he is interested and has a relationship with one of your references.
6. DON’T: Get involved with Recruiting Services. These guys are often very pricey and send out mass emails and flood the coach’s mailbox with stacks of paper that you do not have time to look at. The coach will more than likely throw the papers in the trash. Besides, you can do most of the legwork yourself and save your money.
7. DO: Realize that you can always call the coaches but the NCAA has restrictions on when they can contact you. If you have their number available don’t be afraid to send them text messages of when you will be pitching or playing in the summer circuit. One player last year called me countless times along with several other schools. He worked so hard at recruiting me that I felt like I had to go see him pitch. Once I arrived at the park there were more than 25 coaches there to see him pitch. This was a kid that was considered below average for the D1 level but did such a great job selling himself that he drew their attention. I am not sure where he ended up but that guy could work for me anytime.
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