Athletic resume question

Athletic Recruits
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<p>My two cents…I work with a lot of sales people around the country. They are taught to leave something with the customer based upon the type of meeting/agenda that has been setup. In my mind, your son or daughter is “selling” themselves to the school, just as the coach is selling his program to you. Most schools are going to give you information about their school and program. I think an athletic and academic resume shows a level of “professionalism” and maturity for young student/athlete to show his potential future coaches. I think it show the coaches that you are managing your recruiting situation to the best of your ability. In some cases, it can really seperate you from the herd as 10sScholar pointed out in his posting. </p>

<p>Over-communicating your capabilities and value to the team is expected, and under-communicating can be disasterous. Will it make you or break you, probably not in most cases. Everyone knows this is a numbers game. You are trying to get in front of as many coaches as possible that meet YOUR academic/athletic requirements. In some cases, the number of coaches you’re able to get in front of can be small depending on the college major or the sport. An academc resume is a “leave behind”, and shows the coach you are serious about the process. I would want to have all my bases covered, and putting my best foot forward. JMO.</p>

<p>fenwaysouth</p>

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<p>Using a brag sheet during the interview/coach meeting also allows you to access different processing styles: some people are visual, not auditory. The words you are saying may not sink in, but if the coach is intently looking at the brag sheet while you are talking, chances are they are taking in a large proportion of your information through that medium. Visual processors may not remember a single thing you’re saying without the written reinforcement. An auditory processor will likely not look at the sheet while you’re talking.</p>

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<p>Before the unofficial visits, D had communicated with the coaches by e-mail and in some cases had filled out their recruiting questionnaire as well. Thus they had already been informed of the basics about her athletic accomplishments and their response indicated they were interested enough to want to meet with her. So on the visit day, she brought along a copy of her transcript and a copy of her PSAT scores (she began this process early and hadn’t yet taken the SAT), so they’d be able to see what we had pre-determined–that she was in the ballpark for their school academically. The coaches seemed to be grateful for that written documentation of the academic info. she had self-reported previously. Our goal was to give them that assurance early on so she’d be placed on their recruiting list right away.</p>

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<p>Our experience was similar to GFGs. D did have a DVD of her performances which, frankly, was a little awkward to present to the coach during her unofficials. What we ended up doing was putting them up on youtube, and after the unofficial visit sent the coach a thank you email with a link to the videos. They really seemed to appreciate it.</p>

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<p>i guess my D did do a “resume” but it was over several months and in bits and pieces via emails to the three coaches trying to recruit her. so like gfg suggests, if possible, you want your athlete to communicate the “athletic resume” in advance via emails (and phone calls) so that 1) the coach knows your story in advance and 2) you’re building a relationship so when it comes time to the meeting (aka the unofficial or official) the coach has already made a decision and your kid is just there to “close” on the deal.</p>

<p>I’m a vet in biz dev and I always like to have it sold before the meeting (visit), the meeting is not where a decision is made, it’s just where the decision is announced!</p>

<p>So, given that it’s March, parents of juniors should be encouraging their athletes to start communicating and relationship building with the coaches (schools) they most want to play for and go to. </p>

<p>further, look for clues in the coaches emails to your kid for how much they want them. such as “i heard you won last week” or “way to go on that test score” these type of personalized communications show real interest. And they’re fun as heck for a parent to see…parents of juniors, enjoy the ride because recruiting season is about to kick in to hi-gear!</p>

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<p>My D wasn’t interested in DI recruiting, so her experience may be different. She wanted to explore a bunch of D3 schools that she had not been exposed to at showcases or camps. We both thought she might stand out a bit more if she sent a packet of info via snail mail, which included a cover letter about her interest in playing for that school, a dvd of her playing in a couple different settings, and an athletic resume. This generated a much bigger response than we expected, so I think there was some benefit to a single, cohesive packet of fairly comprehensive info. The coaches could look at her list of accomplishments in school, service, ECs with leadership components, and 3 different sports - emphasizing the recruited sport, of course. They could readily evaluate whether she would be at the top of the admissions pool, and in a highly selective LAC that can be a really important factor. I thought our homemade video was pretty pathetic, but apparently it helped too :)</p>

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<p>Amherst asked for a video, no one else, and for our sport it didn’t seem to matter.</p>

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<p>My S didn’t do a resume. All the info that would have been on the resume went on the online recruiting questionnaires and all the coaches knew exactly who he was and what his pertinent stats were. His is a simple sport though - only one number really matters!</p>

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<p>Right, we had no sports resume, just the form and his excellent transcript. They already had looked up all his stats.</p>

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<p>I’m surprised but intrigued that this has become such a debate. My 2 cents.</p>

<p>If you’re a tippy-top nationally ranked athlete, it’s obvious that you’re going to be fighting off coaches, so you don’t have to do as much self-promotion. If you’re a tippy-top nationally-ranked athlete with excellent academics, you will get to choose between literally every school in the country. But for those of us who lack these accomplishments, you need to separate yourself from the pack. </p>

<p>In my subjective sport, there are rankings, but there’s also a lot of ambiguity and flaws in the rankings. Most of the competition takes place regionally, and it’s difficult for coaches to see everyone even at the one or two national tournaments that everybody tries to play each year. There’s no huge database with all stats, both athletic and academic, for coaches to reference. Most of the recruiting takes place the summer after junior year.</p>

<p>When I walk up to meet coaches for the first time in the summer (or potentially on unofficials junior year), and I hand him a one-page resume along with a copy of my transcript and ACT/SAT, it does a few things.</p>

<ol>
<li>Exude preparation, maturity, professionalism, and confidence.</li>
<li>Tell him instantly that he won’t be wasting his time watching me play.</li>
<li>Let him realize he can, more or less, walk down to admissions with these sheets of paper and have full confidence there will be no issues.</li>
</ol>

<p>When coaches are evaluating who to invite on official visits, etc., you want to do everything you can to stand out in their mind. We are advised to start contacting early and often, etc., all in an effort to stand out. To me, this is just another step. They’re likely evaluating hundreds of recruits. I’d love to be that guy at the top of their mind and list who they know everything about, but the reality is that I’m in competition with many players with similar skills. In my sport, the coach has full discretion at who he wants to bring in, there’s no simple rating or times. Giving him a list of good tournament results, significant wins, academics, and where he can actually see me play, is a way to get noticed, an extra look, etc. Having all this information in one place makes things easier for him when he sits down to evaluate everybody and determine his order.</p>

<p>Let’s say your dream school is Stanford, which happens to be one of the best schools in the country for your sport (a pretty typical reality). You’re below the average recruit they bring in, but not by much, and you could be a late bloomer anyway. The coach might not know who you are because of your rankings, but he won’t discount you because of them either. If you make it clear to him you’re academically qualified, highlight why he should pick you athletically, and give him something to keep him in your mind after the meeting, I say it gives you a leg up. Maybe it doesn’t get you the spot, but it might at least get you another look, an extra consideration. What’s there to lose?</p>

<p>I understand that much of this has been communicated to the coaches by email, etc., prior to in-person meetings - I had as well. But I still think it helps. Coaches are talking to tons of kids. Signals get crossed, test scores blend together, tournament results are missed, etc. Hey, if you can get along without it, good for you. But if your looking for every advantage you can give yourself because you know how stiff the competition is, then I think this is another tool in the toolbox that can be used effectively.</p>

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<p>10scholar, excellent post. I couldn’t agree more. Congrats again on your college plans. No, I won’t spill the beans, but what you’ve outlined here had a tremendous result :)</p>

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<p>Thanks, as always, riverrunner!!</p>

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<p>^^I think it’s a valid point, if you’re in a sport that is not easily covered by college coaches then a resume presented on meeting the coach could help. And certainly the passion for your sport demonstrated by a well designed resume may influence a coach.</p>

<p>But for D1 schools with competitive programs I’m trying to think of a sport where the college coach wouldn’t already know about the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tier athletes coming up from high school.</p>

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<p>^^^
My daughter has been a competitive athlete since she was very young. She swam in her first regional swim meet at the ripe old age of 4 yrs, 3 months. She added triathlon to her resume at 10 yrs old and competed until the age of 14, when a growth related issue prevented her from running. She was quite successful, including series championships, regional championships, and national championship. A google search of her name will produce many pages of athletic accomplishments in both swimming and triathlon. </p>

<p>Since starting high school, my daughter has tried several team sports and has enjoyed the team aspect tremendously. She started rowing this year and it has become her passion. It seems to combine the best of all her sports in one. She loves being on the water, being part of a team, and working as an individual. She decided quickly that this was the sport she wanted to pursue in college. Despite a lack of experience and race results, as soon as her recruiting profile was updated to include rowing, she began receiving emails from coaches of very competitive DI programs, including State flagships, LACs and 7 of the 8 Ivies. She has been in weekly contact with eight of these schools, including 4 Ivies. </p>

<p>Is my daughter a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd tier athlete? Heck, I don’t know! All I know is that for whatever reason, based on their demonstrated desire to keep in contact with her, these coaches like what they see. She has been sent lovely information packets, has been asked for her transcripts, test scores and yes, athletic resume. She has been asked to come on unofficial visits and has meetings set up with 8 coaches over the next few weeks. So, in my opinion as a retired high school coach with some experience with recruiting for another sport, she is indeed being actively recruited for her new sport. </p>

<p>When my daughter goes on her unofficial visits, she will have a packet for each coach that will include a photo, athletic resume and official mid year transcript. To me, it presents her in the most positive light, demonstrating professionalism and desire to make the process as simple as possible for the coach. Personally, I think this is the way to make the best possible impression, regardless of what tier athlete you are.</p>

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<p>10scholar, I wish you the best of luck! And I appreciate your contribution to this forum. I look forward to reading your posts as you continue on this journey. Congrats!</p>

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<p>^^i’d say she’s first tier if 7 out 8 ivies are seriously interested. Rowing is like a religion at the ivies. that’ great that she’s found a sport she loves.</p>

<p>I’ve heard that women’s rowing is very competitive now and a highly recruited sport…don’t rowers have times like runners…a rowing machine time? Isn’t that the key stat that interests coaches? And therefore it’s a time mainly that gets their attention, and not so much a resume?</p>

<p>In any case that’s great that she’s so heavily recruited! what are the top women’s rowing teams/schools?</p>

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<p>Thanks, fishymom. Pacheight, one last try. You said “But for D1 schools with competitive programs I’m trying to think of a sport where the college coach wouldn’t already know about the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tier athletes coming up from high school.”</p>

<p>I don’t think we’re trying to say the coach hasn’t heard of athletes coming up before the meeting. We’re not saying that the resume is the reason the coach chooses the athlete. It’s just another way of communicating and getting the recruit attention, i.e. separating them from the pack.</p>

<p>In each of the “tiers” of recruits, there are going to be many more athletes than there are spots at each school. A nice simple resume is a way to stand out, communicate strong points, and make things easier for the coach. Maybe it has zero affect on a particular coach, but I certainly don’t think it could hurt, and IMO there is an upside.</p>

<p>Secondly, let’s say you’re a “tier-2” athlete looking at a “tier-1” athletic program. The coach might not look below certain rankings or notice some talented players, so it’s just another way to bring attention to yourself.</p>

<p>Alas, we might not agree on the merits of the resume, but I think this discussion is good because it presents a variety of opinions for prospective student-athletes to read and evaluate on their own.</p>

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<p>pacheight: Yes, it is all about the erg time for crew! Maybe that is why there seems to be a bit less of a need for an athletic resume in this sport. Of course, the program/school that one is rowing for counts, as do the race results. As my daughter says, it is great to have a low erg time, but if you can’t move a boat, no one’s going to want you! Crew is a highly recruited sport all around, for Ivies, D1 and D3, and Title 9 has made all the difference for our girls. Height, physical build and potential are also major considerations in crew.</p>

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<p>^^cool, congrats to her! I believe it’s also one of the only sports where if one team member fails they all fail, which creates intense bonds with teammates or do you say crewmates:)</p>

<p>the idea that a resume could hurt a recruit is interesting, maybe there’s case where an athlete might look like they’re selling or pushing to hard to make up for their performance on the field, or on the water! But the kid would probably have to be pretty pushy. So if it can’t hurt then I guess why not use one!</p>

<p>crew in the Ivy League, that’s very cool! A scholar athlete!</p>

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<p>pacheight: Please don’t read from my post that athletic resumes hurt anyone! For all I know, they are the best thing ever - we have just seemed to have no need for them, & perhaps it is because crew is a numbers-oriented sport, with not nearly as many people participating as in more accessible sports like soccer, football, lacrosse, tennis, etc. However, of course, I can only speak to our experience.<br>
Regarding great D1 crew schools, I believe that one is very close to you: Stanford is one of the top 2 in the country, for a scholar/athlete :slight_smile: Admissions has done an academic pre-read on my rower, and Stanford is probably the only school that could get her to head west…Otherwise, the Ivies (in varying levels) and a whole lot of other great schools: MIT (only Div. 1 sport they have, I think), UVA, Duke, Georgetown, along with OSU, IU, U of Miami, and on and on…and then SO many great Div. 3 programs. A lot of rowers out there!</p>