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College coaches are looking for athletes to fill in the roster of an already developing program. While you may be amazing on the field, how you present yourself in others ways is JUST as important. The first introduction most students have with coaches is through their primary contact letter. This is an important window for the coach to begin to understand who you are. Is your letter thoughtful? Well-written? Is it personal and friendly, yet professional? You aren't just trying to become a player for the team. You are also a representative for the college you represent. Everything you do offers insight to the coach about what sort of athlete, teammate and representative you might be.
Be mindful!
Before you begin reaching out to coaches and programs you have discovered in your preliminary searches, it is good to prepare before haphazardly sending off letters. Hopefully you have made a spreadsheet that collects all the necessary information in one place. That will make it easier as you proceed.
Here is a general set of guidelines to keep in mind as you prepare:
Have an honest talk with your coaches and athletic mentors about your skills. For what sort of program might an athlete of your quality be best suited? Know your strengths so you can mention them clearly.
Write a draft version of a basic "cover letter" to use as a template for each inquiry letter you send. Have someone you trust - a peer, a guardian - read over the letter for errors. What should this letter include?
a space for a personalized greeting to the coach and school you are writing
A paragraph that covers the basic information about your skills as a player. Mention that you have attached your student-athlete resumé as a pdf to the email so they can learn more.
Let them know that you have a video to send if they would like to see it. (Only mention this when you do in fact have the video ready.)
Once the draft letter is finalized, do a bit more research about each program in order to personalize the letter for each program you contact. This will include:
a greeting that includes coaches name,
a small nod to the successes of the current program. Perhaps they beat their rival last year, or maybe they have an important game/match in the next month, or congratulate them on their currently NCAA ranking.Share what you like about their program to give it a personal touch,
A small mention of what it is about the program that attracts you to contact them.
When they reply, make sure to follow up with whatever makes sense to the information their letter contains. For example, if they ask you to complete an online profile form or questionnaire for the school, do that as soon as possible. Once you are done, you can follow up with them.
If you don't hear back right away, don't worry. They might be on a road trip with them, or very busy with other things. That doesn't mean anything personal to you. If this is a program that you believe is the right fit for you, keep contacting them weekly. You might even want to follow up with a call.
Always, have patience.
Check out these three links to outside sources for more ideas and strategies to employ during the letter writing process:
USA Today: Basics of Communication
USA Today: 25 Reasons to Contact a Coach
(FYI: USA Today (newspaper) is working in collaboration with NCSA (recruiting support provider). Because of this “relationship,” these articles might nudge you to join and pay the NCSA for services. While this might be helpful, one recruiting expert who supports BHS says emphatically that paying for services like these is UNNECESSARY. )
WHY? The most important aspect of recruiting revolves around YOUR responsibility to self-initiate contact with coaches. And beyond that, staying on top of the process with consistency, respectful language, and a little bit of creativity when you do communicate. An intermediary, like the NCSA might offer some advantages, but everything you need to do and know involves direct contact, athlete to coach.
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