Path to a top college: Sports recruiting game

So your child is a rock star on the court, or field, or track, or…? College recruiting often begins as early as the sophomore year of high school. This means that student-athletes must maintain strong academic and athletic performance from their freshman year onward, and strategically engage with recruiters.

As a Command Education senior mentor working with athletic recruits, Jesse McDonough has witnessed firsthand how dramatically athletic recruiting has evolved over the years.

Communication between players and coaches, which used to be mostly via email and phone calls, now also occurs via text. Plus, she said, name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities — where a third party compensates the athlete for the use of their name, image and likeness — are an important factor in the college sports recruiting process.

“Given how drastic these changes are, it’s critical to stay informed and understand the latest rules and guidelines because the landscape is constantly changing,” McDonough said.

Ace the race: What the college recruiting process involves

“Athletic recruiting involves communication between student-athletes and coaches about the possibility of continuing their athletic career at a particular college. If both parties show mutual interest, the process often progresses to informal and formal campus visits,” said McDonough. NCAA regulations vary by sport and division, dictating when coaches can begin contacting athletes.

For most Division 1 sports, McDonough said official recruiting begins June 15 of a student’s sophomore year, when coaches can call or email athletes, but the athletes themselves can proactively reach out to coaches earlier to express interest and get on their radar (coaches may simply not respond).

“As a mentor, I constantly remind recruits that maintaining strong academic performance throughout this process is essential, especially if students are targeting academically rigorous schools such as Ivy League institutions, which prioritize grades and test scores over athletic talent. ” she added, noting that. Athletic scholarships vary by league and sometimes by school. For example, Ivy League schools do not award athletic scholarships.

Remember, student-athletes will have to juggle academics with athletic ability. Throughout their high school career, make sure your student competes in tournaments or showcases where coaches can observe their skills early, McDonough said. “These opportunities vary by sport, but they are critical to gaining visibility among college coaches.”

Think about your goals

McDonough always begins the process with student-athletes by asking what their goals are: Do you want to pursue a higher education? Want to play for a top program? Do you want to continue playing professionally? Want to have a balanced college experience?

The answers to those questions help McDonough guide them through the recruiting process, “putting what they want out of him at the forefront.” It also allows students to consider whether they want to hang up their training shoes while pursuing their higher education path. “If you want to perform at a collegiate level, there are going to be sacrifices you have to make along the way,” such as missing social events or time with friends, McDonough said.

Philippa Portnoy, co-founder of LaunchBreak, a networking community for female athletes based in New York City, emphasized the importance of establishing your child’s desired level of commitment to college-level sports early on (ie D1 with a large time commitment or another division with less time commitment).

“Coaches want players who will play throughout college and work to get better,” Portnoy said.

“It’s so important to know and remind yourself of your ‘why,'” McDonough added. “So get clear about your purpose!”

Focus on academics early

Although some players come out later, recruiting can begin almost as soon as a student-athlete is identified as a ninth-grader, said Jay Paterno, Penn State’s former recruiting coordinator and coach, based in State College, Penn., and son of the legendary Penn. State coach Joe Paterno.

Paterno and his colleagues told students that their academic performance in their freshman and sophomore years can be even more important than their senior year, “because recruiting is generally decided and done by the time they start their senior year.” their last”.

Plus, he pointed out, when looking at a comparable group of athletes, academic record is the big differentiator. Don’t overlook game-time consistency either. “Consistency of performance from game to game is also important,” said Paterno, author of “Blitzed! The Comprehensive Pressure of the New Era of College Football.” “You never know if a potential college recruiter might talk to an opposing coach who has seen you play.”

Given the continued uncertainty about what comes next amid pending legislative changes, it’s important for student-athletes to explore options at a variety of schools, Paterno cautioned.

“This is all the more pronounced given the challenges coaches face in building their future teams from their current rosters as it relates to potential roster size and budget pressures from revenue sharing and scholarship increases,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s supposed to be about academics, so a good start is to find schools with majors that interest you and find schools you’d want to attend even if you weren’t going there to play a sport.”

Let your child call the shots

McDonough preaches independence. She encourages her students to take the lead in the recruiting process. “Coaches value independent, driven athletes who demonstrate they can thrive on their own,” she said. “Giving your child agency not only builds their confidence, but also demonstrates their readiness to navigate college life and athletics without constant parental supervision.”

“Coaches want to get to know the student-athlete and feel comfortable that the athlete will fit well with their team culture,” echoed Paterno.

“Coaches can easily spot emails written by parents that may seem inauthentic. By creating their own emails and following through, students demonstrate independence and maturity – qualities that coaches value,” said McDonough.

Remember to continue to cultivate connections with coaches and mentors you are already familiar with from your high school career. “They can be your advocate,” Portnoy said.

Parents can handle some of the legal administrative work in the background. “While it’s still too early to know what athletic level your child may reach, do your research on the differences between all athletic divisions, roster limits, your family’s financial needs, whether NIL money is important,” Portnoy said. “Talk to coaches or other parents who have gone through this process.”

Direct communication

Your job is to make the recruiter’s job as easy as possible. Paterno recommends organizing all videos, transcripts, contact information and dates for potential visits.

He also advised asking all the questions when connecting with a recruiter or coach. “Have a game plan, know what you want to learn from that interaction, and have questions ready to go. Coaches often mistake a lack of questions as a lack of interest,” Paterno said.

Portnoy said you need to understand who the school’s key individuals are. “Often the assistant coach is the first point of contact,” she said. “On visits, pay attention to details from the coach and other players. Ask the players questions. It’s important to understand the culture of the team.”

Regardless of who your main person is, make sure you and your successors display proper etiquette (and that the student-athletes show good sportsmanship). “Sports recruiting is a small world,” Portnoy said.

Perfect your written communication

One mistake McDonough sees students make too often is using a generic email template to contact multiple coaches. This can lead to errors such as addressing the wrong coach or mentioning the wrong school. “As I guide students through the process, I encourage them to take the time to personalize each email and support them in researching the program and demonstrating genuine interest in both the team and the school,” she said. Since coaches receive a large volume of emails, McDonough emphasized that staying organized and consistent during correspondence is the student’s responsibility.

Follow the fun beyond the scoreboard

Less than 10% of high school athletes play varsity sports in college and less than 2% play at NCAA Division I schools. “There are a lot of great opportunities at universities on club teams or intramurals if it doesn’t work out,” Portnoy said.

“Choose a school where you’ll be happy both on and off the court,” McDonough said. “Loving your school as much as you love your team and coach will ensure you have a satisfying college experience, no matter where your athletic journey takes you.”