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26 replies

Recruiting letters/calls/emails

FungoFungoHighly Regarded and Beloved Old Timer
As I look back at the recruiting roller coaster ride, I thought it might be helpful to discuss some of the obstacles or challenges you will face and how a parent and the player can better cope with these.
I think one of the most overlooked obstacles could be the administrative side of recruiting. This sounds as if it is a “good problem” and very well may be but it can get out of hand and can create some problems. If your son gets a letter where does that letter go? Does it go to his room or in his backpack to become lost with some of his other papers? Do you want to save it and take it to the family reunion or do fill it out and mail it off today? Who actually mails the letter? Does he mail it and if so, do you trust him to put the right postage on it? You know if he puts his schedule and some other papers in the envelope it might exceed the 1 oz. and the .39 and he probably doesn’t have a USPS scale in his room. If he does have a scale in his room you need to ask some other questions.
I also found colleges to be redundant in a lot of their correspondence. If you’ve already mailed in the questionnaire to State U and you indicated to them he was 6’2” and now you list him at 6’ it might raise some questions-----. Make a copy and file it away. I found professional questionnaires to be more overwhelming and I know some clubs sent us at least a dozen questionnaires. One scout also told me they never received a completed questionnaire back from my son so they thought he wasn’t interested in going pro. I swore I sent it but it may have slipped through the cracks.
PHONE CALLS: Make a “call sheet” that has the questions listed and place this call sheet around the house so your son can ask some very important questions like the name of the college and the coach’s name, phone number, and what state they are in. My son actually received some calls that he was unsure of the name of the college that called. Caller ID is good but many coaches use cell phones with blocked ID’s. Don't wait for the calls to start.....DO IT NOW!
Emails were seldom used with my son. maybe other can add to the email and Txt msg aspect.
Again, all this is probably a good problem but we’re not interested in good problems-----We’re interested in good solutions!
Fungo
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TRhitTRhit10,000+ posts
The methods have changed a bit over the past ten years--ie text messages and emails---but the "administrative " methods as Fungo so adeptly terms them remain pretty much the same

01--keep a file for each school involved in the process with a copy of EVERYTHING either received or sent---this way there is no miscues in info if 2nd and 3rd questionnaires are involved.

02--keep a phone call sheet at the phone so each call in and each call out can be noted with time and date and which coach you spoke too.

03-- keep in touch with your own coaches and HS AD regularly so you know who they may be speaking to or who called them. ( my sons AD called me at work every time he got a call regarding my son whether it was just a scout calling to talk or to tell him he was coming to todays game)

Just a few thoughts
BeezerBeezer1,000+ posts
Good info so far. Just a couple additional suggestions. There are small file boxes available that work perfect for this type of thing. They probably hold 50+ hanging files.

Another suggestion, keep EVERYTHING received. They may not think they're interested in State U today but they may change when they see the campus, meet the coach, know somebody else going there or get an offer from the school.

Finally, make sure YOU read the mail coming in. We made the mistake of letting our daughter handle this and many times she'd just glean over it missing some key information.
O Oak10+ posts
Fungo:

quote:
One scout also told me they never received a completed questionnaire back from my son so they thought he wasn’t interested in going pro. I swore I sent it but it may have slipped through the cracks.


One thing we did to help keep track was to send questionnaire responses via certified mail (or is it registered mail -- I can never remember the right name, but, in any case, where somebody at the school has to sign for it and you get a receipt back in the mail.) Put the receipt in the file for that particular school and you have a better chance of remembering just what you've done. Costs a few bucks per letter, but really helps keep things organized.
ND Novice Dad100+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by Oak:
One thing we did to help keep track was to send questionnaire responses via certified mail (or is it registered mail -- I can never remember the right name, but, in any case, where somebody at the school has to sign for it and you get a receipt back in the mail.) Put the receipt in the file for that particular school and you have a better chance of remembering just what you've done. Costs a few bucks per letter, but really helps keep things organized.


Good points by many in regards to organization. We used 3 ring binder with A-Z dividers and had a "to be completed pile" which my Son would fill out on weekends prior to filing...whatever works for you.

IMO the extra posatge for the receipt is overkill (but if it works for u so be it). If u want to make sure the school got the questionaire (which I'm not sure how close they look at by itself) I would recommend a follow-up e-mail letting the coach know the questionaire was sent back and of your interest in their school/program.

In regards to e-mail we used an e-mail address that we all had access to. This way any e-mails sent to our Son did not get missed, and we could coach Son on reply. Also make sure the e-mail name is appropriate "Biglazybutt@yahoo" or "bingedrinker@msn" probably wouldn't be a good idea.
E eBaseball10+ posts
All of the suggestions above are right on.
I could only add two things: 1) that players need to keep a couple copies of their skills videos readily available and make sure they have them in both VHS and DVD formats, and 2) make sure they stay on top of the Clearinghouse and are registered there. I have read too many posts in this forum where players have had problems and were ready to commit to a school, but their paperwork with the Clearinghouse was messed-up.
33'sdad33'sdad100+ posts
He will ask general questions about how is season is going. In detail, he will ask things like: what other schools have contacted you, what schools are you interested in? What are your top schools. How are your grades? Do you wish to sign early?

Some coaches might spend most of the conversation talking about their program and how your sign might fit in.

They are trying to find out as much about his character and intelligence as they can. Also about who their competition is.

Good luck and I hope he gets many calls. They are exciting to get.
ND Novice Dad100+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by Newcomer:
Not that I want to totally script what my son will say to a coach that calls, but can anybody give me an idea what a coach might say on a cold call to a player in early July or so? My son says I"m obsessed..but I'm just curious what a coach might find to talk about with a player at this early juncture.


Most of the coaches seemed to realize that the kids are nervous on the phone and carry the conversation. They did most of the talking the first couple of calls.
ND Novice Dad100+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by SeedThrower:
Is it acceptable to put the coaches on speaker phone?


I would say no. The coach wants to talk to your Son not you. In my Sons case he would take the phone call in a room where WE were not to avoid distractions and also so he can feel comfortable having a conversation without Mom or Dad waving frantically in the background and trying to steer the conversation.

At first it was pretty unnerving (and we would try to strain our ears from the other room to hear him...please don't tell him).
He was nervous at first but became more comfortable. We did encourage to say more than "ummm...yes.....no..."
N NYdad500+ posts
Question for those that have been thru the process, letter from coach at local DI that includes the teams schedule and basically says we are excited about our upcoming season and goes on to say I am not permitted to call you until Jul 01 but there are no regulations against you calling me. Good luck with your upcoming season and hope to hear from you soon. Is this just a mass mailing type form letter or initial contact/interest?
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momandcpamomandcpa500+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by Krakatoa:
Most, maybe all, schools seem to have that online recruiting form that the player can fill out and submit with a clcik of the mouse.

Does anyone know how a coach uses these online form submissions? Will the school start sending info about itself? Can the coach send a letter?


My son has received a fair number of DI letters unsolicited. He decided, however, that there were a few that he would like to consider as well that hadn't sent him any information. Therefore, he sent off two on-line questionnaires. We heard back from both of them almost immediately!

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