Introducing Yourself to Coaches

You can’t expect college coaches to know who you are and want to give you an athletic scholarship simply because of your athletic success. There are thousands of other student-athletes out there that you are competing against. You have to set yourself apart and get in contact with the coaches you may want to play for. Email can be a quick way to reach out to coaches, but taking the time to send written letters may get you noticed as well.

Guidelines for Letters and Emails

Get your name out there. Contact at least one coach each week, or around 50 a year. That may sound like a lot, but building relationships with multiple coaches might just result in several scholarship options when it’s time to choose a college.

Research each school and coach. Find out specific information about the athletic program you’re contacting. Mention important wins or other recent success the coach has had. This kind of personal touch shows that you’re interested in the coach and the college.

Avoid using a form letter. Coaches can tell when you do. Take the time to personalize each letter or email.

Include some essential aspects. There are several basic things that every letter or email should include.

• A personalized salutation including the coach’s name. Never start with, “To Whom it May Concern.”

• Your basic information including your high school, the position that you play, or events that you compete in.

• Include some of your important athletic stats as well as academic stats like your GPA and placement test scores.

• Tell the coach of any club sports or camps that you’re participating in.

• Include any recognition you’ve received like all-conference honors, MVP mentions, and academic awards.

• Explain why you want to play for that college and coach. Be specific.

• Link to your athletic profile. Give the coach an option to find out more about you. A good way to do that is to create an athletic profile at NCSA.

• Don’t forget your contact information. Make sure you’ve included your street address, phone number, and email address.