D3 Athletic Recruiting is Easy

Athletic Recruits
1

<p>A couple of questions have been raised abut D3 college recruiting. Really, there is no magic. Having 2 recruited playing different D3 sports (and perhaps one in the wings), here are my thoughts:</p>

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<li><p>There are NO D3 recruiting budgets. Therefore, unless you live within ten miles of the school, the chances are very good that the coach has never heard of your child's athletic prowess. This is a very good experience for your child. It is JUST like looking for a job. </p></li>
<li><p>You (the student) needs to show interest. The student should email the coach and voice interest in the program. If possible, send some information that lets the coach know the level of play the student is capable of (tapes, times, etc). Look closely at the response. Being put on a mailing list for a college camp is not being recruited. Remember, if a coach is going to see a baseball recruit play, he needs to have 30 other players at the camp. A personal response MAY indicate interest. It depends on what is said. </p></li>
<li><p>Be aggressive. Whenever you are visiting a school, pre-arrange a meeting with the coach. It would be great if the student can do this, but it is acceptable for the parent to be in on arrangements. The parent SHOULD go to the meeting with the child. Many times the coach wants to speak to the parent. He or she may want to size up interest or see what type of person the parent is. Most importantly, the parent is best able to interpret "coach-speak." Knowing "coach-speak" is the most important part of the process. Personally, with a coach interview, we were NEVER able to do more than one school in a day, as many coaches may just hold onto you as long as they can (a "good" sign in coach speak).</p></li>
<li><p>You (the student) need to show the coach your talent. Depending on the sport, this can be done in several ways, from recruiting tapes to newspaper clippings, game tapes to recorded times, showcases to camps. Apropos of this point, be smart. If your child doesn't do well at showcases, send in tapes. If you don't know how to edit game tapes, skip it. And, give your child some experience. If he has to go to Amherst, don't make the Amherst camp the first camp he attends. Send in your material to the coach before your pre-arranged meeting.</p></li>
<li><p>Prepare for the coach meeting. Have your child prepared in advance with three questions to ask of the coach. They can be the same three questions for each college. Bring a transcript and tapes (if applicable) to the meeting. Bring a method of reviewing the tape to the meeting. Ask the coach to look at the tape while you are present and ask for comments (sometimes the coach has never looked at the tape -- see coach speak). Ask the coach to give you feedback on your transcript. </p></li>
<li><p>Know coach-speak. This is easier for a parent than a child. Realize that the coach is not just recruiting athletes. He is also recruiting applications. The easiest way to know coach speak is to slash through and ask. Will my child make the team? Do you cut? Can he get into the school? Where is she on your recruiting list? A request from the coach for an overnight is good, but not necessarily a sure thing. Comments like "we'll be in touch" means that there is some interest, but you are not at the top of the list. A comment like, "she can try out if she gets in" means that she is not being recruited. The coach is always more likely to keep a recruit than a walk-on no matter what division. </p></li>
<li><p>The old mantra was go to the school where they want you the most. I disagree. The student should go to the school that he or she likes the most. Everyone sees the stars who continually succeed at each level and assume that will be their child. What if your child gets hurt, gets cut, or just wants something other than sport for 4 years. In short they should go to the school that they like the most without regard to sport.</p></li>
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2

<p>From the perspective of a parent that has had two sons go through the process, this is an excellent post. My only quibble: The title should read “D3 Athletic Recruiting is Simple” because when you are dealing with your 17yo kid it’s not always easy … it’s a process that demands careful attention and requires some hard work. ;-)</p>

3

<p>Hard work goes without saying. I should have added hard work because you (the student) should be in continuous contact with a coach at the school where he/she wants to play. Once a month is not too often. Thank you notes for a visit, thank you for the comments on the tape, an update on a new award or achievement (academic or athletic), by way of example. Remember that both coach and student are dealing with moving targets – a coach’s best recruit may apply early elsewhere or not have the grades to get in. The student might change his mind. Being in continuous contact shows genuine interest to the coach. It also helps the student with understanding coach-speak, including the most difficult coach speak to interpret of all – the no response.</p>

<p>Again, D3 recruiting should be treated like finding a job. Keep at it, and you can find a college that fits your child well, and no one should ask for more than that. By the way, I can personally attest that the skills your child will learn in the process will be an enormous help when he or she graduates to the work force.</p>

4

<p>Excellent post. I agree with all of it. Some D3 schools are tougher to get the coaches attention, such as the NESCAC conference. The only thing I have to add, is that the camps are a frustrating experience, but not a useless one. My daughter attended 3, and as far as we could tell, they are a money making device, that eager parents are willing to pay for. If you can be seen at a college showcase that is the best. Contact the coach with your match time and place. Your student is playing with their own team mates, and not at a camp, where everyone is ball hog.</p>

5

<p>gointhruaphase - Good post. I think it is very difficult to generalize with D3. We found the greatest recruiting variance in D3 (over D1). Your mileage may vary. Most D3s where I live recruit locally and regionally. They don’t have the national draw because they don’t have elite national Admissions requirements or baseball requirements. </p>

<p>However, some D3s that recruited my son were national (CA, TX, GA, MA, etc). They had the financial resources to attend national showcases and recruit national talent on the field and in the classroom. They also were the teams that played in the D3 college world series very frequently and their low admissions also reflected a national flavor.</p>