Senior high school athletes face head on with the college recruitment process for their final season. A competitive and tedious process for students aspiring to play at the collegiate level. Confidence, communication skills, and commitment are necessary aspects of the recruiting process.
To grab schools attention, athletes must attend showcases, ID camps, and prospect days to draw attention from college recruiters. These events can help athletes get to know coaches and what their program has to offer.
¨I went to a showcase in New Jersey…I did well in the showcase and High Point University program reached out to me at the event with an invitation of checking out their campus, to then offer me a spot on the team at the end of the trip,¨ said pitcher Garrett Gandolfo (12).
Before contacting recruiters, athletes must be prepared with organized film and game highlights which should be posted on their athletic recruiting profile. Social media is a useful tool athletes can utilize to display their athleticism and skill allowing coaches to further evaluate and discover potential candidates.
¨Reaching out a lot on twitter, following pretty much each social media. My dad would help me a lot with it. You´d message 20 different coaches in one day and continue sending film out… but if you don´t have the film for it, a lot of coaches aren’t going to take that chance,¨ said Offensive Lineman Cooper Javorsky (12).
With that, It’s beneficial to have an experienced coach who is familiar with this process to guide athletes into their athletic career. This could be a coach or familiar collegiate athlete who previously committed, giving younger athletes advice towards navigating this process. Coaches help to promote their players through calls and messages about them and their attitude on and off the field, court, and stage.
Athletes should prioritize strengthening and nourishing their mental and physical state. Staying consistent with practice and strength training should not be neglected once received or expecting an offer. This is especially important considering the varying skill ability on a collegiate team.
¨…getting stronger is a big part because athletes already on the team are obviously bigger, older, and stronger..staying healthy is super important and keeping grades up. You still need those to get a clear college path and to where you want to go. Administrations want to see you up to date with everything not slacking,¨ said Gandolfo.
Recruitment is an outcome of preparation, perseverance, and professionalism. Athletes who desire playing at the D1 level should not be hesitant to start the process.
