Is it worth it to reach out to coaches of college club teams? I understand some of these teams are very competitive and also have try outs but I didn’t know if they “recruit”. I know they don’t give athletic scholarships but can they / will they help with getting academic money or even just get potential athletes through the admission process?
Nope. They will not get you admitted or get you any money.
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I think it can’t hurt but to reach out and find out about the team, what’s required to make the team, and what they expect from you to make the team. However, don’t be surprised if it is hard to find the coach, any information about the team, etc. Many club teams are coached by a coach who is paid a minimal amount to keep things running but have no office, no university email, and full time jobs away from the school.
My niece played on a club team in college. She was in contact with the coach so the coach knew she was coming, the position she played, etc. The school gave one credit for playing on a team, including club. The school gave not one cent beyond the merit award she earned from her gpa/stats, and she really didn’t need help being admitted. My niece could have played D1 and received a scholarship at many schools in the country but not at the top 20 teams in her sport. Still, she was okay.
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It may vary a bit by sport and by college, but our experience is the same as above: no, no recruiting, no money. But sports are a great EC! They show commitment and sometimes achievement (if you get good and win things). So I would say they help an application - not as a hook like a recruited athlete would get, but as a solid EC which demonstrates the stuff that colleges are looking for: commitment, achievement, ability to learn, discipline to practice, resilience after loss, tenacity to stay with it when it goes wrong, etc.
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Very true. I think one of the reasons S23 was invited to many honors programs was because they saw that he could be a leader as well as a student and had the ability to multi-task and follow through with a commitment. . So, in that sense, they are valuable, but contacting the coach will not do anything for your application. I
I suggest you follow teams on their social media pages if they are active. That will give you a sense of who does their recruitment (often player lead) and what it’s like. It’s also a good way to reach out and show interest by asking questions.
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One of my sons played club soccer, it was competitive, my other son tried out at our flagship (very large), but no freshmen made the team, super competitive (my son played club since the 3rd grade and was a varsity captain). Club sports do not get a lot of love from colleges, students pay OOP for most of the costs involved.
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