D3 Schools and communicating with coaches..

<p>Hi</p>

<p>I applied to a few top D3 schools including JHU and Washington U in St. Louis. I contacted the coaches with a bit of bio of myself (for soccer and academics) and am wondering what happens if they do not reply?</p>

<p>I am from Canada, and I would really like to play collegiate sports, and I'm pretty sure I'd be able to make the team(s) i try out for (soccer and maybe tennis, though tennis will be much harder because I'm not a top national player, and the schools I'm applying to have top 15 Div 3 tennis teams), but I want this to help me in the admissions process.</p>

<p>If I do not hear back from coaches should I try filling out the recruitment forms on the various websites? Will that help me get a response??</p>

<p>I don't think i'm not getting a response because of my bio, I think it's because of my method of contacting the coaches, but I wasn't sure what to do since I'm an international (I'm applying as a permanent resident).</p>

<p>Thanks for the help</p>

<p>I know the WashU coach very well. He is very nice, talkative and easy to get along with. What year are you???</p>

<p>high school class of '09 (i just applied regular decision)</p>

<p>do u go to WUSTL?</p>

<p>unfortunately visiting or anything is out of the question because i'm too far, so i can't see any of the teams at the schools i'm applying to :(</p>

<p>My D played for him at another school.They were very sad that he left, the team loved him and the upperclass women miss him very much. I would suggest you call him.He is very open and will talk to you. He has been recruiting nationwide for next season. He was recruiting D2 but she wouldn't go that far away and comitted to a DI program closer to home. He will run a DI program at a DIII school but you really need to be competitive. I think he is a great mentor.</p>

<p>Since it's your D i'm guessing you're talking about Jim Conlon, the women's coach?</p>

<p>Yea that's my bad i shouldve mentioned i'm a guy :P sorry</p>

<p>But i'm talking about the men's coach, Joe Clarke</p>

<p>If you didn't fill out the on-line recruitment forms, I would do that today! Some coaches seem to rely on them rather than emails etc. As time is running out, you might want to fill out the online form and follow up with a phone call if you truly believe you have the talent to play at the collegiate level. You really have to be honest about assessing your talent level though.</p>

<p>Thanks Mini Van that's exactly what i was wondering, I better get on that</p>

<p>About the talent thing, i'm not entirely sure that's the problem. But i have nothing to lose by filling out the recruitment sheets so i will anyways.</p>

<p>All i've seen is some youtube videos, but i think i'd be able to compete fairly well...</p>

<p>anyways thanks!</p>

<p>Soccer recruitment, based on my D's experience, relies heavily on seeing players at big showcase tournaments? Are you going to be in any spring tournaments? Because if you are, you can send emails to the coaches inviting them to see you play. If not, maybe you can gt someone to make a video.</p>

<p>Since it is D-3, you can always try to walk on once you get there, but if you want your soccer to boost your chances of admission, I think you are going to have to figure out a way for the coach to see you play.</p>

<p>Best of luck</p>

<p>You should go ahead and fill out the recruitment forms.
F/u with emails later.
Coaches get a ton of letters so its hard to get their attention that way.
StrykerMom is right, try to play some tourneys in the summer. Do they have Super Y where you live? Thats great exposure too.
My D just got accepted at at D3 school, the coach saw her on videos and contacted her old coach for feedback but he is a D2 coach so that helped.</p>

<p>From my D experience she was contacted by about 1/2 the coaches when she filled out the athletic forms so dont get discouraged.
Good luck.</p>

<p>Sorry...was away for the weekend! Yes..I was talking about womens side! Iwould still call!</p>

<p>Thanks for the info everyone.</p>

<p>Hockeymomofthree and Strykermom - unfortunately my team is not doing showcase tournaments. We were planning on in early winter but the person organizing it is in Brazil cuz her son got a spot on a pro club there (he was on our team for half the season). So there's no way I can be seen by coaches, since I also can't go by myself due to financial reasons.</p>

<p>About the Super-Y league, we have the Ottawa Fury here, but it costs thousands of dollars a year, which my family doesn't have to spend on soccer alone :P But I've known quite a few guys who've played it/are playing it now, and I'm as good as most of them - although some of them are obviously way better than me!</p>

<p>NorthMinnesota - I did hear back from the WashU coach (surprisingly), and he said he'd give me a chance at tryouts in fall, but no guarantees... but at least he was nice about it and replied? Haha. But i don't know why he said he'd give me a chance, as opposed to just saying try out? Maybe they have a different try out policy - i.e you have to be invited? I have no idea... But i guess if i go there I'll be trying out</p>

<p>thanks again everyone</p>

<p>Can you try to be a guest player on a team at the showcase tourneys? I know quite a few kids who do this around here.</p>

<p>i'm a junior and im almost positive that i would make the track teams of some d3 schools i'm interested in. however, im not sure if i actually want to run in college...
if i send in the recruiting questionnaire, does that mean that i'll HAVE to commit to running track for that school, or can i back out of it, if need be?</p>

<p>lavalamp, no commitment of any kind is assumed from filling out the recruitment form. It's just a way of starting the conversation. </p>

<p>If you submit your application to a DIII school and accept the support of a coach with the admissions department (using the sport to gain admission), you need to be honorable and be planning to run in college. </p>

<p>It's normal go through periods where you don't love running. You've got a lot of time, so try and stay in touch with former team mates now in college to see what their lives are like, running and being students. You're smart to think about whether and under what conditions you might want to continue in track.</p>

<p>100Canadian...you should contact Ottawa Fury and see about getting a superY spot. We live in the states, but Ottawa is in our region for SuperY. My son's SuperY team costs $450 and his club offers financial assistance. Also, you don't have to be on the regular season roster. The limit on that is 18 players, but SuperY can have 25 players so they routinely take on additional players. I am assuming Ottawa's program would be similar. I think the "thousands of dollars" comes into play if you are thinking of signing up for the team for a full year which is probably around $1500 plus travel expenses. I could be wrong, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out.
As far the recruiting goes...I think you are starting out a bit late, but you should fill out the online recruiting form, send a highlight DVD if you have one or can get one together, and call the coach directly. Also, send along your "resume" along with a letter of reference from your coach.</p>

<p>100Canadian - don't worry too much about the wording from the coach. He would be able to support only a few applicants each year, and since you are looking to start there in just a few months (can you believe it?), he probably already has decided on who he is supporting and had done that through the admissions office. What you want from the coach is for him to invite you to pre-season. That way you get to move in early and work with the team from the start. In order for him to do this, he needs to know that you have the skills to play. So, that loops back to previous postings that you need to get in front of the coach. Keep in touch with him during this process and be sure to ask for clarification if you are not sure what he means. Even better, set up a time to talk to the coach. Call him or ask that he calls you. Don't send a tape unless he asks. Still best - having him see you if possible. Ask where he'll be and try to guest play for ANY team at the tournament. Check the tournament sites and look for how you sign up. Be ready for teams to contact you even just a couple days before the tournament.
Good luck!</p>

<p>"Can you try to be a guest player on a team at the showcase tourneys?" </p>

<p>Same question but for volleyball.<br>
Is there anything like this in the summer (besides skills camps)?</p>

<p>If you are a good enough athlete, some travel/club coach will likely let you play. If there a particular team you think you are good enough to guest on, call the coach and see if they will let you attend a few of their team workouts. Once they see you play and get to know you, they may offer you a spot for the showcase tourneys. You can also ask your high school coach to call around if they are supportive of outside teams. Be careful about that, though, because some HS coaches have a very negative attitude towards travel teams.</p>

<p>With the recruiting forms I found that some coaches respond to them and the rest don’t. The other truism is that coach interest comes from who they see and with whom they speak. The three D3 and two D1 coaches interested in me met met at camps. Find a good camp and go year after year. Let them see you develop. Your ability to develop is what they want. No one is ready for the NCAA level in high school. They know that. They want work ethic, passion and dedication. Finally, the deal breaker is grades. There were better players at these camps, but without the grades. Prepare a resume and carry it with you always. It can be two pages and should have you sport experience, including work-out regime, personal training, private coaching etc; you academic record, including GPA, courses, awards, etc.; and references with email addresses. Have five or six references – you never know who knows who from a past life.</p>

<p>btw WashU has a jv team… they keep about 40 kids on the roster but only 20 or 22 dress for the regular varsity games.</p>