Are they interested

Basically, the head coach of a high-level D1 school emailed me. They mentioned that their coaching staff would be reaching out to me in the future and they told me I should keep them posted about my athletic and academic career. They also talked about their team and how successful they were. Does this seem like recruiting? I replied back in a day and it has been a week with no response. Is this normal, especially as a junior?

Sounds like the coach is “shaking the tree” to see if there is mutual interest. This is the beginning step of the recruiting process when coaches have a very wide “funnel” of prospects and, over the course of the recruiting process, narrow it down to the actual recruits. If you haven’t heard back from the coach in another week or so, send a follow up email. Also, it doesn’t hurt to complete the recruiting questionnaire which will be available under “Recruiting” on the team’s website (usually on the far right of the page).

How did the coach get your email address? It could be a standard reply if you filled out the recruiting form at that school.

I didn’t fill out the recruiting form until after they contacted me. My email address is on a recruiting website, which is how all college coaches were able to email me. Still haven’t gotten a reply yet. Any advice?

Is your sport in-season now? Can explain coach silence. Unless the email referred specifically to seeing you at a specific event, or referring to some detail which can only apply to you, it is likely a broad email to many prospects. If you have any updates on your own athletic or academic achievements since your last response, feel free to respond again with those updates. Also, when you respond, copy the assistant coach as well the head coach since assistants are often responsible for managing preliminary recruiting tasks.

If you are interested in playing in college (and are a junior rather than senior), you might start researching programs at other schools and start to see how you match up to athletes on those teams.

If it is a school you are interested in and you believe that you are an athletic fit for the program, you will probably need to send another email with your NCAA number that says you have filled out the recruiting questionnaire and would like to learn more about the program. If no response follow up with a phone call. If no response move on. If it is a fall recruiting sport (e.g. XCTF) the coaches are swamped planning officials for the current crop of recruits and coloring in XC and might be too busy to contact you.

And I agree with the above suggestion to find the schools you are interested in and see where you fit.

Are they interested? Yes. Are they really recruiting you yet? Maybe/maybe not. In S’s non-revenue sport, the organization level of the recruiting varied widely from program to program. The Top 10 schools were always on top of things and kept in pretty good contact. Some of the others did, but not all. He received a similar letter from Stanford. He replied right away and filled out their recruiting questionaire like they requested. Updated them via email a couple times on his progress. They didn’t reply for 6 months, then out of the blue they called him and told him he was one of their top recruits. At that point he had given up on them and pretty much moved on. It just was really all over the board. Academic level of school didn’t seem to matter. The ones who always seem to have a top 10 recruiting class are on top of it. Not necessarily the rest.

But at this point I would say you are in the funnel, but the top of the funnel. You may make it through, or you may never hear from them again.Search this board for the details, but you need video, a resume, and an email to send to college coaches you are targeting. Then folllow up occassionally. Phone calls are always good.

I think the new rules about juniors has gotten everyone a bit off this year. The top juniors are getting a lot of attention and OV’s. The second cut seems to be getting ignored right now (purely what I am seeing anecdotally). Next year may settle into a new normal, but I think a lot of programs aren’t there yet. If you don’t play football, you are quite likely dealing with understaffed coaching rooms, that are trying to sign seniors, get top juniors on campus, and still actually coach the guys they have on campus. It is a lot to juggle.

But don’t be complacent. Make a list and contact them. Stay on top of it. Get an honest assessment of what level you should be looking at. Don’t waste your time at places that you probably aren’t a good fit for.

Good luck

@dadof4kids is giving you very good advice and important information. You would be surprised at the extremes in level of competence and professionalism of various coaching staff. The new rules do seem to be having an immediate impact–if one is a second tier or lower rung recruit, you may be finding that younger athletes are getting attention–it also allows for teams to plan out a bit farther–skip over current recruits they arent sold on…etc

Thanks for the help, everybody! I just learned that about a week and a half ago (before this thread was made) my coach apparently called the head coach of this college to learn more information. He said I was definitely one of their recruits. I’m still a little confused about why I haven’t gotten a response yet… I’m pretty sure they’re just focused on recruiting the seniors.

My kid always said going through the recruiting process was like dating…do they like me, do I reach out again, why is it taking so long to answer, am I being annoying, yay, they texted me on Christmas morning, they’re interested in me. Then when a coach tells you he/she isn’t supporting your application it’s exactly like being broken up with.

@alwaysdriving . . . . so true, including the “ghosting”

ha, my D is now attending a school that originally had no interest, then was interested and then in Sept the coach told her she was no longer on her list. And just like a BF/GF breakup, overhearing that phone call turned my stomach into knots. A week or so before needing to apply ED to whatever school she choose, D was told she is back on the list. It worked out in the end, but the stress leading up to hitting submit was awful. D is btw, very happy at her chosen school and loves the team and coach. It can be a game of musical chairs for those who are not superstars.

Yeah, and then the coach wants you, you apply ED…and the coach takes another job elsewhere!

^^^ This would have happened to my daughter at one of the ivies had she decided to apply. The coach that left showed up on staff at an official visit at another school.