Too often in the recruiting process, student-athletes can fall into traps that can not only hinder them, but have the potential to derail the process completely.
While it’s important to take care of business academically and athletically, it is just as important to remember that coaches are recruiting people and families, not just athletes or students.
Here are three traps to avoid in the recruiting process that will allow it to feel less chaotic and put you in better control.
1. Focusing on The Processes of Others
Too often in the recruiting process, high school players and parents are too focused on the processes of others more than their own.
Hearing that another player has already committed to a school often results in added pressure that can be a hindrance to the recruiting process. This is the wrong way to attack the recruiting process, and it becomes reactive v. proactive.
The last thing you want to do is begin rushing your process. It is imperative to find the right school for you, academically and athletically. A decision made because someone else has made one is likely not the correct one!
Take your time!!
2. Social Media
While things like Twitter and Facebook are entertaining ways to communicate with friends, a word to the wise: Do not put anything online that you would not want read by your parents, college coaches or teachers.
What you put on the Internet is a direct reflection on you. Avoid bad language or subjects that would be considered sensitive. Use your discretion. Remember, what’s written on the Internet is written in non-erasable ink. Deleting posts or editing them will not stop an earlier screenshot or some other database from capturing it in perpetuity.
If you would not say something to your parents, coaches or teachers, do not say it online. A quick laugh is not worth the chance at your dream school!
3. Ignoring the Little Things
Especially at club events and showcases, there is a notion that playing in a “me-first” fashion may get you noticed and help you stand out. In fact, though, the opposite may be true.
You need to show college coaches you can do little things well, and they are looking for these things more than a flashy play that happened outside of the team construct.
So do the little things well, hustle and play smart. Doing these things consistently is the best way to ensure you are being noticed for the right reasons.
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