ODR365 Junior & Senior Introduction
Email Templates
Schools Who CAN Contact You
Subject Line: [Year], [Position], [School], [Best accolade/achievement/stat here]
Dear Coach [last name],
My name is [Name] and I am a [Jr./Sr.] at [High School] in [City, State]. I play [positions]. Some of my best accomplishments are [list your top two or three awards or accolades]. My GPA is a [list GPA here]. [DELETE THIS IF NO SATS] I have taken my [SATs/ACTs] and received a score of [score]. [List other notable academic achievements here.] [DELETE THIS IF NO SATS] My [NCAA/NAIA] Eligibility ID Number is [list ID number here].
I have been looking into [Universities Full Name] and your program. I really like that [Include here 2-3 facts you like about this school after doing the research into their program. THIS IS A MUST AND NEEDS TO BE SPECIFIC TO THE SCHOOL OR PROGRAM].
Are you still recruiting for my position and grad year? If so, after watching my film, do you think I have the talent it takes to play for your program? My profile is attached and has all of my information listed. I also keep my schedule updated in the event you would want to come see me play. Thank you for taking the time to read this email, coach. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best,
[Name]
[Email]
[Phone]
[Hudl link]
Recruiting Caledars
The NCAA defines recruiting as “any solicitation of prospective student-athletes or their parents by an institutional staff member or by a representative of the institution’s athletics interests for the purpose of securing a prospective student-athlete’s enrollment and ultimate participation in the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a contact?
A contact occurs any time a college coach says more than hello during a face-to-face contact with a college-bound student-athlete or his or her parents off the college’s campus.
What is a contact period?
During a contact period a college coach may have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, watch student-athletes compete and visit their high schools, and write or telephone student-athletes or their parents.
What is an evaluation period?
During an evaluation period a college coach may watch college-bound student-athletes compete, visit their high schools, and write or telephone student-athletes or their parents. However, a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents off the college’s campus during an evaluation period.
What is a quiet period?
During a quiet period, a college coach may only have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents on the college’s campus. A coach may not watch student-athletes compete (unless a competition occurs on the college’s campus) or visit their high schools. Coaches may write or telephone college-bound student-athletes or their parents during this time.
What is a dead period?
During a dead period a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their high schools. Coaches may write and telephone student-athletes or their parents during a dead period.
What is the difference between an official visit and an unofficial visit?
Any visit to a college campus by a college-bound student-athlete or his or her parents paid for by the college is an official visit. Visits paid for by college-bound student-athletes or their parents are unofficial visits.
During an official visit the college can pay for transportation to and from the college for the prospect, lodging and three meals per day for both the prospect and the parent or guardian, as well as reasonable entertainment expenses including three tickets to a home sports event.
The only expenses a college-bound student-athlete may receive from a college during an unofficial visit are three tickets to a home sports event.
What is a National Letter of Intent?
A National Letter of Intent is signed by a college-bound student-athlete when the student-athlete agrees to attend a Division I or II college or university for one academic year. Participating institutions agree to provide financial aid for one academic year to the student-athlete as long as the student-athlete is admitted to the school and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules. Other forms of financial aid do not guarantee the student-athlete financial aid.The National Letter of Intent is voluntary and not required for a student-athlete to receive financial aid or participate in sports. Signing an National Letter of Intent ends the recruiting process since participating schools are prohibited from recruiting student-athletes who have already signed letters with other participating schools.A student-athlete who has signed a National Letter of Intent may request a release from his or her contract with the school. If a student-athlete signs a National Letter of Intent with one school but attends a different school, he or she will lose one full year of eligibility and must complete a full academic year at their new school before being eligible to compete.
What are recruiting calendars?
Recruiting calendars help promote the well-being of prospective student-athletes and coaches and ensure competitive equity by defining certain time periods in which recruiting may or may not occur in a particular sport.
Your Guide to Texting College Coaches
While texting has become a favorite means of communication in daily life, it only recently became an acceptable way for college coaches and recruits to correspond in all sports. There has been a lot of ambiguity around texting college coaches in recruiting, with many athletes asking: “Can college coaches text recruits? The answer: Yes, they can! Now, college coaches can send unlimited texts to recruits starting either June 15 or Sept. 1 of the athlete’s junior year (check your sport in the NCAA recruiting calendar to find the exact date when you can start receiving electronic communications from college coaches).
How does texting work in recruiting?
Texting college coaches is a great way to build relationships and get to know a coach in a more informal setting. Usually, texting will start further along in the recruiting process, after the first or second email, and often after your first call with the coach. College coaches don’t give out their phone number to every recruit, so take that as a good sign you are getting recruited by that coach.
While texting college coaches may be a convenient—and more casual—way to interact, a few misplaced texts could damage your prospects. Even though you’ve progressed far enough in your recruiting to get to this point, you are still a recruit, and the coach is still evaluating you. Don’t be lazy in your texts to a college coach, and if you’re not sure a text is appropriate, ask your current coach or parents to give a read before you send it.
NCAA rules on texting college coaches
As of April 2016, the NCAA Division I Council deregulated texting for some of the last remaining sports under the ban, including football, cross country, track & field, swimming, and diving. This means that for every sport, texting falls under the umbrella of digital communications, alongside social media direct messages, emails and faxes. As of September 1 of your Junior year or June 15 of your sophomore year for DIII and DII sports and DI men’s basketball players of high school, coaches can send you unlimited texts. Remember: You can always text a college coach, as well.
If you’re diligently looking at the NCAA recruiting rules, you may notice that for DI football and a few other sports, texting is not listed as an acceptable form of digital communications. Rest assured, college coaches can text you at that time. The recruiting rules do state that coaches can only correspond with recruits through a private means of communication. In other words, coaches aren’t allowed to post on your Facebook or Twitter feed or engage with you in online discussion forums. Texting, email and fax are all private digital forms of communication and are accepted!
What to include in your text to a college coach
Coach Scott, who has coached volleyball at the NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III level, explains a key part of texting college coaches: Showing your character in texts is more important than stats. The coach is going to look up your stats or ask questions if they want to know. Focus on showing the coach you care about playing for them.
Coach Scott recommends that, when texting college coaches, you start out your text with something about the coach or the coach’s team. Show the coach you’ve done your research and then say something about you. A few ways to kick off your text to a coach:
Congratulate them on a recent win
Tell them you were impressed by a recent stat you just saw about their program
Explain that you’re looking forward to watching the team this season
Thank the coach for looking at your highlight video, coming to see you compete, etc.
Close out your text with something about you. You can tell them about a big win, or invite them to watch you compete. Here are a few text examples:
Hey Coach, good luck Saturday! I’m looking forward to watching the game. I’m getting ready for a big game this weekend too! We have been practicing hard this week and are playing better than ever. Thanks, Jane Doe
Hey Coach, I saw that XYZ University just got an award for the most beautiful campus in Ohio! I’ve seen pictures, but I’d love to visit this fall. My dad and I are looking at Oct. 30. Would you be free to meet that day? Thanks, John Doe
Hey Coach, Thanks for watching my highlight film! I have a tournament coming up April 13 [link to tournament site.] I’ll be playing my first game at 1p.m. Would love to see you there! Thanks, Jane Doe
Before you send that text, go through this checklist
While you may be used to firing off texts to your friends, it pays to take a second or third look over your text to a college coach. Double check each of the following before you hit the send button:
Are there words misspelled or glaring grammar issues?
Sure, texting college coaches may be more casual than emailing, but that doesn’t mean you can get lazy. Major grammar or spelling issues can detract from what you’re trying to say, and might leave the coach with a bad impression.
Have you used profane language or racial slurs?
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it does happen when recruits get too comfortable texting college coaches and start to talk to them like they do their friends. It’s great to have friendly conversation but you should never use inappropriate language or images. If you wouldn’t post it on your Twitter feed or show it to your parents, you probably shouldn’t be texting it to a college coach.
Is it a weird time of day?
A good rule of thumb to follow is to avoid texting college coaches between 11p.m. and 6a.m. Even if a coach texts you at midnight, wait until the next morning to respond.
If you’ve sent 3-4 texts that have gone unanswered, it’s time to reevaluate your strategy in texting that college coach. Maybe texting isn’t a great way to communicate with this coach. You can try direct messaging on social media, an email or a phone call. Or perhaps this coach is evaluating if you are still a prospect. Peppering the coach with endless, unanswered texts is not the best way to get them to take notice.
Just like with other types of coach communications, your texts need to be positive, well-thought out and show the coach that you’re interested in their program. The more you can personalize your message, the more the coach will see that you care about their school, and the more they’ll be interested in you.
Calling College Coaches
In an era filled with text messages, emails, tweets and other communications, a well-placed phone call to college coaches can be extremely impactful. In fact, my research has found that the average college coach receives a mere seven phone calls from recruits each week—or fewer! Taking the time to call college coaches is a great opportunity to stand out from the crowd and get attention.
When should you start calling coaches?
The best time to start calling college coaches is after you’ve sent them a couple introductory emails. According to NCAA recruiting rules, athletes can call college coaches at any age and coaches are allowed to answer the call! However, where it gets tricky is pinpointing when coaches are allowed to initiate a call to recruits. Keep this in mind as you’re calling college coaches. If the coach isn’t able to call you yet and you get sent to their voicemail, make sure you let them know when you will be calling them again, so they know to pick up the phone at that time.To help you make the most of every coach call, I’ve included some preparation tips, sample scripts and questions. Overall, remember to be enthusiastic and passionate about the coach’s program. Coaches look to recruit athletes who genuinely are interested in their program, and phone calls are a great time to communicate your excitement.
Heads up: If you are having a hard time getting a hold of a college coach, ask your high school or club coach to call the college coach and schedule a phone call for you. College coaches can call club/high school coaches back at any time, which makes it easier for them to get in touch. An added bonus: When the college coach is talking to your current coach, they can ask your coach questions about you to help with their initial evaluation.
How to get ready for calling college coaches
Calling college coaches takes some preparation, but if you put in the work before-hand, your call will go much smoother. And remember: College coaches have been through this process thousands of times. They understand how intimidating and nerve-wracking it can be for high school athletes to call them. If you go into the call armed with the right information and a plan, the coach will most likely be impressed with your effort so don’t worry about any small mistakes along the way.
Practice with a friend.
Before calling college coaches, role-play the call with a friend. Have them play the part of the coach, and make sure they ask you tough questions (I have a list of potential questions coaches will ask you outlined below) that you will receive when you’re calling college coaches.
Do your research about the school and program before calling.
Make sure you have a few key facts about the school and the team at hand. If you can, call coaches while you’re in front of a computer, laptop or tablet. Open up a few different tabs you can use for reference: the school website, some articles about the team and the team roster, as well as your phone call script and your list of questions for the coach. Have your initial emails to the coach open, too, so you can reference when you sent them, and you can resend them if the coach asks.
Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.
Coach Robertson, who has coached men’s and women’s basketball at three different Division I schools, says, “Coaches want to have a good, personal conversation.” He adds, “If your family wants to listen, that’s fine, but make sure that you aren’t distracted.” If you feel more comfortable taking the call alone, let your family know you need to be in a quiet room without distractions and fill them in on the call afterwards.
Call coaches between 6-9 p.m. when they are in season.
Before you start calling college coaches, consider what times throughout the day and week they will be available to talk. Coach Robertson explains, “Typically, I’d get out of practice around 6 p.m. and be talking to recruits anywhere from 6:30-11 p.m. at night,” Coach Robertson explains. If the coach isn’t in season, there is more flexibility to call them in the morning or afternoon. However, if you’re not sure when is a good time to call a college coach, just ask them!
Insider tip: Try calling college coaches during the summer. They tend to be less busy at this time, so you will have fewer practices, games and other commitments to work around.
General script for calling college coaches
When you’re calling college coaches, think of the framework for your call like this:
Introduction, the reason you’re calling
Why you’re interested in their program
What you’d like to know about the program and what you’re going to do next.
To help you get a general concept of how a call with a coach will go, I’ve created a script for you to reference:
Introduction
“Hi Coach Brown, my name is Jane Doe and I’m an outside hitter at ABC High School. I recently sent you an email with my highlight video and wanted to follow up with you! Do you have a few minutes to talk right now?
In your introduction, bring up the specific reason you emailed the coach: Was it is to send them your highlight video, to show them your top stats and accolades or to arrange an unofficial visit? Be specific here.
“It’s not a good time”
“No problem! When would be a better time for me to call you back?”
Wait to see what the coach says.
If they need to consult their calendar and get back to you, let them know you’ll follow up via email to schedule a better time. Try to set a meeting during this call, but if that’s not possible, don’t force it! Either way, let them know you’ll be in touch.
If a coach says that they are not interested in recruiting you at this point, that’s OK. You can always ask them for advice in the recruiting process. Be sure to thank them for their time.
“I can talk right now”
“Great! I’ve been following your program for a while now, and was really impressed by your win against XYZ State last weekend. I’d love to learn more about what you’re looking for in an outside hitter.
At this point, you can start asking the questions that you have prepared.
The coach will probably want to ask some questions of you, as well. Make sure that you listen attentively to what the coach has to say and take notes to reference later on.
“I have to get off the phone”:
“Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me! I’ll resend you the email I sent on Tuesday so you can take a look at my highlight video when you get a chance. I’m looking forward to hearing your feedback!”
No matter how the phone call went, be sure to thank the coach for their time. If this is the first of many calls—or the only call you have with this coach—you want to leave them with a positive impression of you.
Leaving a voicemail for a college coach
In many cases when calling college coaches, you’ll get sent to their voicemail. Before you call the coach, write out exactly what you want to say if you do get their voicemail. Then, give yourself a call and leave your prepared message. Listen to how it sounds and revise your script if necessary. Here are a few key pieces of information you want to be sure to include:
Your name
Your high school and location
Your position
Your grad year
Reason you’re calling (for example, following up on an introductory email, trying to schedule an unofficial visit, etc.)
How you will be following up (via email, phone, etc.)
The best number to contact you at
A closing “thank you for your time”
We’ve included a sample script to help you get started in writing yours:
“Hi Coach Brown, my name is Jane Doe and I’m an outside hitter at ABC High School and will be graduating in 2020. I’m calling to follow up on an email I sent on September 1. I’d love to know what you thought of my highlight video and if you have any feedback for me.
“I’ll give you a call back tomorrow, September 28th at 7:30 p.m., and I’ll resend my email so you can check out my highlight video. My phone number is 123-456-7890. Thank you so much and I’m looking forward to talking to you!”
Heads up:: Try to keep your voicemail to less than 45 seconds.
Questions to ask college coaches
When you’re calling college coaches, you need to have a list of questions prepared to ask them, which you will customize for each individual coach you’re talking to. For example, if you’re speaking with a coach at a highly competitive academic school, focus on academic-based questions. I’ve included some questions below that can help you get started.
Academic
What are the most popular majors for athletes on your team?
Does your team have an academic advisor and/or tutoring available to athletes?
Are there any specific majors that would interfere with the athletic schedule?
What are good academic goals I should strive for to meet the criteria of your university?
Athletics / Recruiting Process
How is your recruiting class looking for my graduation year?
What’s the best way to update you on my progress?
Are there any camps, combines or showcases that you’d recommend I go to?
Where do you typically evaluate your athletes?
If I come to your school for an unofficial visit, would you be able to meet with me?
Cultural / Social Fit
How do the athletes on your team interact with each other? Do they hang out together outside of practice and games?
What is the housing situation for athletes? Do athletes stay on campus during the summer?
Heads up: During your first few calls with a college coach, avoid asking for a scholarship. You need to develop a relationship with the coach before you start asking them for money. A way to ease into the conversation could including asking a question like, “What does it take to earn a scholarship with your program?”
Questions to expect from college coaches
As with any conversation, your calls with college coaches will involve you asking questions and the coach asking some in return. No matter how tough the question, the best policy is honesty. If you are asked a question you don’t know the answer to, don’t be afraid to tell the coach you’re not sure, but you’ll get back to them later when you have the answer. Take a deep breath and a second to think before responding if you need it. To help you prepare for coach questions in advance, I’ve created a list of questions coaches will like you ask you during an initial phone call. I recommend that you prepare your responses to these questions before you start calling college coaches.
How are you doing in school: What is your GPA and test scores?
What major are you interested in?
What are your strengths and weaknesses as a player? What are you currently working on improving?
What kind of training have you been doing?
Why are you interested in my school and/or program?
What are your interests or hobbies outside of your sport?
What other schools are you interested in?
What other schools are recruiting you?
Why do you think you can play at this level?
Is it bad for a parent to call a college coach?
As Coach Robertson mentioned, coaches want to get to know student-athletes during phone calls. Especially at the beginning of the recruiting process, it’s important for athletes to be the ones calling college coaches. Later in the recruiting process, parents will get the opportunity to speak more with the college coaches, especially on the topics of financials and housing. Robertson’s view:
“The worst thing for [coaches] in our world is if we get a phone call and it’s the mom or dad of a high school freshman or sophomore telling me how good their kid is.” Coach Robertson says. “If I had a piece of advice for parents, I would say, do what you can do to really empower your kid to be able to put themselves forward.”
A lot of parents worry their athlete is just too shy or too modest—or not driven enough—to stay on top of calling coaches. If it’s between never communicating with coaches and the parents calling, then parents might need to do a little bit of the legwork to get the process moving. However, recruits will have to talk to college coaches at some point, and with the right amount of preparation, even the shiest athlete can ace their coach calls!
Gauging Interest of College Coaches
Once you have put in the work of identifying schools and reaching out to coaches, your list of potential colleges will take shape based on what coaches are interested in you. Not every program you contact is going to be interested in you and not all coaches’ interest is the same. It is important you know how to read a coach’s behavior to gauge how interested they are.
No Contact Means No Interest
Rule number one, if a school hasn’t contacted you (or your coaches) in any way, don’t assume they are interested. Many people think a program might be interested in them, but isn’t showing interest yet because of the NCAA contact rules. The truth is, if a college program wants you to know they like you, they will find a way and they won’t wait. There are several different types of interest from coaches and they all mean different things.
If a coach gives you their personal contact info, that’s a great sign.
College coaches guard their privacy and while you can often find an email address and phone number for them on the school website, their personal info isn’t listed there. If you are a high value recruit, a coach will give you their personal cell phone number. Additionally, some coaches have a personal email (not listed on the school website) and they might give you that as well, so you can easily contact them. If you are fortunate enough to get this info from a coach, use it and show interest by calling and emailing with your questions.
Personal Letters or Emails Saying “We Know Who You Are”
The next best level of contact to receive from a coach is a letter, email or phone call, letting you know they know who you are and they will be continuing to watch you. This usually means they have you ranked in the second tier of their recruiting class and your offer (whatever it will be) will need to wait until they know what is going to happen with their top ranked recruits. This is a great position to be in (most schools miss out on their top recruits). If you are getting this type of interest, you will have to be patient because your offer is going to be determined by the recruits they have ranked ahead of you.
Impersonal letters, camp invites, and questionnaires
The introductory level of interest a college program will show you is sending generic letters inviting you to camps or asking you to fill out a recruiting questionnaire. While this is better than not receiving anything, many athletes take this to mean the program is seriously recruiting them and they don’t follow up properly. Think of this as a request for a highlight video or upcoming schedule; these coaches are looking for the info they can use to make a preliminary evaluation and see if they want to follow up and watch you more. It is critical you respond to any school that shows interest and don’t stop until you are getting personalized letters or phone calls.
With the stress and anxiety of the recruiting process, it is easy to over think communications with college coaches. If a program is very interested in you they will show it. If you aren’t getting the “we are in love with you” vibe from a school, they are probably still interested, but you might not be the top recruit. Keep working at it and your options will begin to materialize.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly at 757.793.0048, aruggles@gemclassrecruiting.com, or you can create a recruiting profile at HERE and I’ll contact your family shortly.
Unofficial Visits for Recruiting Benefit
Unofficial visits are a great way for student-athletes to get a feel for different college campuses. In the past, going on unofficial visits, or college visits financed entirely by the recruit’s family, was the key to snagging an early offer from a coach, even as young as 14 or 15 years old. However, effective May 1, 2019, the NCAA changed its rules around unofficial visits at the Division I level to curb the trend of athletes receiving such early scholarship offers.
Before the rule change, athletes could arrange unofficial visits with college coaches, even before college coaches were allowed to proactively communicate with them. Then, when the athlete was on campus, the coach would meet with them and, in many cases, extend an early scholarship offer. With the new rule change, however, athletes and their families are not allowed to arrange unofficial visits with a school’s athletic department (including the coach) until August 1 of the athlete’s junior year. Families can still go on unofficial visits before August 1 of junior year, but they aren’t allowed to have any recruiting conversations with the coach while on campus.
A key reason to go on unofficial visits is to evaluate if a college is the right fit for you, especially if you’re not yet a junior in high school. Get a campus tour, check out the dorms and get a feel for if you could live there for four years. The best part: Unofficial visits are unlimited and can be taken at any age and at most times throughout the year. You can also assess college fit during an official visit as well, which athletes in most sports can begin taking August 1 of their junior year. However, many student-athletes never receive an invitation to go on an official visit, as programs might have limited budgets and aren’t able to offer many official visits to recruits. Check the school calendar and steer clear of homecoming weekend and other busy dates to avoid paying premium hotel rates.
Unofficial visits will be a little different based on your age, desired division level and recruiting journey
Before you start planning your unofficial visits, there is a lot to consider. Due to the new NCAA recruiting rule changes (effective May 1, 2019), how you plan your unofficial visits will be different depending on your goals for the visit, your age and the division level of the school. If you’re visiting DII, DIII and NAIA schools, you won’t be impacted by the NCAA recruiting rule changes—they are only applicable for DI schools. This means that, no matter your age, you can arrange the unofficial visit with the athletic department or coach, and you can speak with the coach while you’re on campus.
If you’re interested in visiting DI schools, you can’t arrange the visit with the athletic department—or talk about recruiting with the coach while you’re there—until August 1 of your junior year of high school.
If you’re an upperclassman visiting D1 schools, or a recruit visiting schools at the other division levels, you can use your unofficial visit as a chance to advance your recruiting with the coach at that school. To do so, you need to make sure that the schools you’re visiting offer real recruiting opportunities. Ask yourself each of the following questions before you set up the visit:
- Have you already been communicating with the coach?
- Has the coach approached you or your high school/club coach about setting up an unofficial visit?
- Has the coach reviewed your academic information?
- Has the coach seen your highlight video?
- Have you reviewed the school’s information and determined that it might be the right fit for you?
If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, you’re in a great position. Most importantly, you want to ensure that you have been in communication with the college coach. You don’t want to waste your time visiting a school that may not be a realistic recruiting opportunity for you. To set up your visit, call the coach and let them know you’re interested in seeing the campus. Ask them what dates they would be available to meet you and your family. Some recruits lean heavily on their high school or club coach to help them set up unofficial visits with college coaches.
If you’re an underclassman interested in D1 schools, there are a few different routes you can go. First, you can take unofficial visits to those D1 schools as if you were a regular student. Tour the library and the campus at large. Check out the town. Ask questions, take notes and determine what you like about the campus. This can help you better understand what you’re looking for in a school, so you can refine your target list. Don’t forget to check out some DII, DIII and NAIA schools—you never know what your best fit will be until you explore the different options available!
There are a few different ways unofficial visits can “pay for themselves.” First, schedule back-to-back visits with schools that are located close to each other. Second, set up visits with schools in cities you’re already visiting. For example, if you have a tournament in the Kansas City area, consider visiting the University of Kansas in Lawrence if you have been in communication with that coach.
What happens on an unofficial visit
While every school is a little bit different, most coaches will take some time to speak with you and your parents/guardians about the school and their athletic program. Come prepared with questions for the coach and use this opportunity to get them answered. Then, the coach may take you on a tour of the athletic facilities. The rest of the time will be up to you to arrange a tour of the campus and possibly meet with an academic adviser. You and your family may also be invited to attend a home sporting event.
While unofficial visits are a great way to get to know a coach and the athletic program better, they also give you a chance to really experience the college campus. Can you picture yourself living there for four years? Here are a few key ways to familiarize yourself with the college campus during your visit:
- Check out the library and sit in on a class.
- Visit the different housing options, both on and off campus.
- Meet your future training staff.
- Eat in the school cafeteria or food court.
- Set up a meeting with an academic adviser.
- Hang out on the campus grounds.
As you’re checking each of these spots off your list, take a couple minutes to write down your thoughts. It might seem trivial at the moment, but as you visit schools throughout the year, they can all start to blend to together. You can always refer back to your notes later on when you’re working on narrowing down your target list of schools.
What are the NCAA unofficial visit rules?
According to the NCAA unofficial visit rules, you are allowed to stay on campus with an enrolled student, but there are some specific rules the institution must follow based on its division level. For DI and DII schools, recruits can stay in an enrolled student’s dorm; however, the athlete must pay the regular institutional rate for that lodging. DIII recruits can stay with currently enrolled students in their dorm if that housing option is available to all students who visit the school, athletes and non-athletes alike. DIII schools can also pay for a student-athlete’s housing during an unofficial visit if they provide housing for every prospective student. Your parents/guardians will still need to find their own accommodations.
Questions to ask the coach during your unofficial visit
When you go on your unofficial visit, one of your top priorities should be to ask the coach any questions you have about the school and the program. Before you go, write down your questions and keep adding to the list throughout your visit. When it’s time to talk to the coach, you’ll have your list ready to go, rather than trying to come up with questions on the spot. Here some examples of questions you might want to ask:
- What are the athletic and academic requirements? You’re probably well-versed in eligibility requirements—if not, read more about the NCAA Eligibility Requirements. Each coach will have slightly different criteria that they look for in their athletes.
- What kind of academic support does the athletic program offer? Being a successful student is the most important part of your college career. Make sure that you’ll be set up with the tools you need.
- What commitments do you expect from athletes in the off-season or during holidays? If going home over the holidays and for summer break is important to you, then you need to know what commitment level is expected during these times.
- What is your coaching and training style? By this point, you’ve probably played for a few different coaches with various coaching styles. And you probably know what kind of approach works best for you. Remember: The coach has to want you on their team, but you also can choose a team that best fits what you’re looking for.
- Will I be able to meet any current athletes? It’s important to see the team dynamics, if possible. Do they joke around or are they more serious? Do they hang out on the weekend or do they have separate friend groups?
- What are the training facilities like? To stay healthy and in shape throughout your tenure as a college athlete, you’ll need access to the right facilities and people.
- What are you looking for in a recruit? This is your opportunity to find out what spots the coach is trying to fill and ultimately who they want on their team to fill these positions.
What to wear on an unofficial visit
A lot of recruits ask us what to wear, and our best piece of advice is to err on the side of overdressing, rather than underdressing. You want to look neat and clean throughout your entire trip. For men, bring a collared shirt with nice jeans or khakis. Bring athletic clothes and shoes in case you get invited to work out with the team. For all D1 sports—minus men’s basketball—athletes are not allowed to try out for a team during a visit; however, the team captain can organize a team workout, which recruits can join if the coach is not present. Similarly, at DIII schools, recruits can join in an unofficial team workout. For Division I men’s basketball and all DII sports, recruits are able to take part in tryouts during visits.
After your unofficial visit: The coach follow-up
When you get home, write the coach a “thank you” note. Tell the coach what you liked about the school and thank them for their time. You can also include a brief list of where you’ll be playing next so they can watch you in person. Not only does this show the coach that you are a thoughtful, courteous athlete, but it will keep you top-of-mind as the coach works on creating their roster.
Gameday Visits
What are game day visits?
Game day visits are considered unofficial visits, meaning you’re required to pay for travel, accommodations and food during the trip. However, the school provides you with three tickets to attend the game. While they’re most popular in football recruiting, other sports conduct game day visits as well.
College coaches use these visits during their season as an opportunity to get recruits on campus. Student-athletes can watch the team in action, get excited about the school’s atmosphere, and tour the facilities.
Should you attend a game day visit?
Seeing your top college choices in person almost always helps with your decision—either one way or the other. Maybe being on campus completely validates your assurance in attending, or it makes you realize you’re looking for a different experience. That being said, you have to keep in mind that game day visits are unofficial, so they can get costly. If it isn’t practical for you to visit all of your top choices, you should be strategic in your selection.
Most importantly, you want to visit the schools where you know the coach has real interest in you as a recruit. Some programs will target seniors for game day visits and have the athlete meet with a position coach, and possibly even receive an offer. But in other cases, college coaches may invite several (even hundreds) of recruits in their database on game day visits. Not to mention that unlike official visits, your one-on-one time with the coach is cut short (or you may never have any at all) because they need to focus on the game. So when you’re sifting through your game day visit invitations, start with the coaches you’ve already been in contact with, or you know they’ve conducted an initial evaluation of your skill set. That way, you’re maximizing your chances of getting recruited. Then, when you’re ready to attend, here are a few tips to help you leave a great impression.
Look presentable, but don’t get too dressy
It’s worth stating that you don’t need to overdo it on game day visits. On an official visit, you would probably dress up a bit—maybe khakis and a collared shirt, or a dress. But game day visits are a little bit more casual (It’s not a job interview, so wear something practical, and comfortable while cheering in the crowd). For example, something you would wear on a Friday night out—clean and presentable, like dark jeans (no sweats and hoodies.)
Follow the code: Only talk to the coach who invited you
You could find yourself in a position where more than one coach is recruiting you. Sounds great, right? But when it comes to game day visits, there’s proper protocol you should follow. For example, let’s say you were invited to the game by the home team, but you know the visiting coach has also shown interest in you and is actively recruiting you. The unwritten rule is: priority always goes to the home team/the coach who invited you on the visit. Even if you are interested in both schools, you should respect the coach who invited you (and supplied you tickets) by focusing on their program and college.
Always follow up with a thank you note
Don’t forget to send an email to the coach and staff thanking them for the chance to watch their team play in person. Even if you didn’t meet with the coach personally, you should still follow up, especially if you’re interested in the program. You want to continue to proactively reach out to the coach and update them on your progress as you continue through your recruiting journey. Plus, you want to ask about next steps and feel confident about where they are in their recruiting timeline.
Game day visits are just like unofficial and official visits, in that you want to make a good impression with the coach and team. You should always be respectful to your parents, the coaches and people around you, and you should be engaged and interested in the school while you’re there. Don’t look at your phone the whole time, or stare at the floor when a coach asks you a question. Instead, feel confident and excited to evaluate the program. College visits are a chance to picture what life would be like on campus and as a college-athlete. Even if it doesn’t work out, it’s one step closer to finding the right college for you.