As a high school student athlete, one of the first ways to get on the radar of college coaches is by sending them a letter* of interest.
Doing this is imperative – being proactive is the only way to ensure a coach is aware of you and your interest in their school. The old adage “you miss 100 percent of the shots you do not take” certainly applies here.
The letter serves as a starting point of your correspondence with that coach and school while also highlighting your interest in the program.
*Before going any further, let’s get this out of the way: I am dating myself by calling it a “letter.” You will, in all likelihood, not be sending an actual letter, but a message via the interweb. (Disclaimer: Sending handwritten notes may help you distinguish yourself from other candidates, but it is not a common practice in 2014).
But where to start when writing these notes? Well, there is really no “right” answer, but there are some things to be cognizant of.
Here are some “Do’s” and “Don’ts” to consider. While by no means a comprehensive list, using these as guidelines should put you on the right track.
DO
Spell the coach’s name correctly (and spell check the rest, too)
While this may seem like common sense, you would be shocked at the number of instances coaches have told us this occurs. Spell check and fact check everything. Then, do it again.
Simple errors that may seem trivial reflect poorly on your attention to detail. Coaches love saying that little things win games. Show them you care about the little things early on.
Include details about the school outside of athletics
Make it a point to note why you are interested in the school off the field – notably academically. Research majors and courses offered, and align them with your areas of interest and potential majors.
Provide specifics about the team
Show good knowledge of the team you are interested in, citing recent accomplishments, facility upgrades or other similar information. You want to make it very obvious your interest is real and genuine.
Highlight your own accomplishments academically and athletically
While modesty is a great quality, now is not the time for it*. Be sure to note any awards you may have received, positions of leadership you have held and most importantly, how these reflect on your work ethic, passion and dedication.
Awards will not make you successful at the next level, but those underlying qualities that led to them will help.
*This is not free reign to brag about yourself and ramble on, but the only way a coach will know about your accomplishments is for you to tell them.
Include a link to your highlight reel
If you have a SportsRecruits.com profile and you use the Built-In Messaging System (where every college coach is a registered user and one click away), this is done automatically for you. One click gives the coach everything they need.
Either way, be sure you are providing coaches with the ability to watch you play. Sending a message to a college coach without video is akin to applying for a job without attaching a resume.
DO NOT
Use a form letter
This is an unforgivable offense to many coaches (and rightfully so). It is very obvious when a form letter is being used, and it shows you many not actually be interested in a school. It’s fine to have a template, but be sure each note is filled with personalized information that highlights your real interest in a school.
Begin your relationship with each program on the right foot. No one likes being treated like a number – you and coaches included.
Only write about athletics
Lacrosse will only be part of your collegiate experience, so be sure your interest in a school is not based solely on sports or a particular coach.
Instead, be sure to pick schools you think you would be a good fit academically and socially as well. Be realistic, and be honest with yourself.
Ramble
Yes, it is important to get your information to the coach, but this is not the time to channel your inner John Steinbeck or William Shakespeare.
Be concise – coaches are busy, and do not have the time to read your autobiography. They will appreciate your brevity, and you will get good practice trimming down papers (something you will likely need in college).
Include grammatical or spelling errors
Again, this is obvious, and we covered this above. Yet it is worth repeating. Do not treat this note like Twitter or a text message. Your attention to detail is a reflection on you, so don’t send the wrong message (pun) about yourself. Use complete sentences, and do not cut corners.
Said another way: It won’t be gr8 when a coach LOL’s + deletes UR note b/c it wuz sloppy.
Forget to include your highlight reel
There is a saying in the movie business that you need to show, not tell. So show the coach you can play!
Simply sending an email without video is purchasing a one-way ticket to Obscureville. Be sure a coach can match a player to the information!
If a picture is worth a thousands words, then a video is worth a million.
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Ultimately, a letter of interest serves as an icebreaker between you and a college coach. Do not stress too much about the notes – just be sure your interest is genuine, and that will reflect in the letter.
Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression!
How SportsRecruits.com Can Help
Considering the importance of getting on a coach’s radar, here is how SportsRecruits.com can help you like it has helped thousands to date (click here for the proof).
As a member, you can use the Built-In Messaging System for quick access to these coaches, putting them one click away from your profile, which includes your academic data and highlight reel. Every college coach in the country – DI, DII and DIII – is a registered user. Sending letters of interest to coaches could not be easier – no searching for email addresses or forgetting to include important links!
Along with the innovative suite of tools like the messaging system, our staff can look at a member’s profile, transcripts and highlight reel to help guide the player in the recruiting process. Staffers are former collegiate lacrosse players who can help give a member an idea of the 20-30 schools to focus on.
SportsRecruits.com was started by two former Wesleyan (CT) lacrosse players and is staffed by former lacrosse players who played at every level – from Virginia to Monmouth to Wesleyan. Members deal with former college players when issues arise – players who have dealt with many of those same issues themselves.
With so many players already having success using SportsRecruits.com, the time is now to act! Visit www.SportsRecruits.com for more information, or call 212-414-8417 today.
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MORE LRNEWS 101
Club Lacrosse
The NESCAC
Official v. Unofficial Visits
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