FAQ’s for Webinar Recap Blog Post

Why SportsRecruits
We understand you might be overwhelmed with all of the recruiting information out there. SportsRecruits entered into the recruiting space in 2009 to help simplify this process. Our members save an incredible amount of time using Advanced School Search to sort through schools and college coaches. We also give you information on every program and school from U.S. News and World Report, a messaging system to directly reach out to any college coach in the country, a tracking feature to know which coaches are interacting with your recruiting information, and analytics to help you digest and set realistic goals. See for yourself with this video below or check out this short blog post.

 

When do the different recruiting periods occur?

Remember, these define college coach communication boundaries to decrease intrusions into the lives of student-athletes. NCAA recruiting periods do not dictate or limit student-initiated communication! Students can initiate contact with college coaches whenever they want.

The DI 2016-2017 Girls Recruiting Calendar
The DI 2016-2017 Boys Recruiting Calendar

For DII and DIII recruiting guidelines, reference the official NCAA website.

Do college coaches have access to your database of players?

Every college coach can search for players with a SportsRecruits profile. Check out their tool!

How do we gauge if a coach is interested?

College coaches cannot contact prospects until September 1 of their Junior year. However, players reaching out to coaches is completely legal within the NCAA rules, and this includes all kinds of communication vehicles. The recruiting process is about trying to separate yourself from the pack. This is why I would recommend calling coaches who are interested in you. For those who don’t know, SportsRecruits notifies you of which coach is looking at your profile, watching your video, or downloading your academic information. More information on trying to gauge coach interest: Recruiting Engagement: Figuring Out Who Is Really Interested

How and when should I send my video/highlight reel to coaches?

Sending video to the coaches you’re interested in is one of the most important steps in the recruiting process. Sadly, coaches do not have time to watch full games of all of the prospects they’re interested in. Highlight reels have revolutionized their capabilities of evaluating players. You need to send your highlight reel to all coaches you are interested in, or coaches you might be interested in. Coaches have busy schedules and can’t make it to all of the events they’d like to, so being able to evaluate you from their office, home, or on the go is pure gold. If you want to get the attention of a coach you have been in communication with, we’ll let you in on a secret: coaches love being able to track progression.

I have a SportsRecruits profile through my club, what is my membership level?

All club members have a bronze package. This is the basic package that gets you access to the profile. If you would like to upgrade to have our editor help build you a highlight reel, please contact us.
Office number: 212-414-8417
Email: help@sportsrecruits.com

What does a verbal commit mean to players/coaches?

The NCAA defines a verbal commitment as “non-binding”. This means verbally committed players are committed to the application process of a particular school, but not yet officially admitted to the program or school. This verbal commitment becomes a binding contract when the National Letter of Intent is officially signed by the player. This is just like any deal in the real world. It’s not official until you sign the dotted line. Until then, many things can happen. By the way, here are some tips for that unofficial/official visit: 5 Tips for Your Official or Unofficial Visit

Citation: “What Is a Verbal Commitment?” NCAA.org. N.p., 04 Mar. 2015. Web. 17 Aug. 2016.

When should I be emailing or contacting coaches?

If you are interested in a college program and you have not reached out to them, there’s a very small chance they know who you are. Contacting these coaches is a must! Introduce yourself and let them evaluate you. “Active-communication” is a good motto to follow. It is a term we use to describe when student-athletes reach out to a coach AFTER adjusting, replacing, or adding something to their profile (i.e. new SAT/ACT scores, new summer season statistics, or a new highlight reel). All of these additions provide the coach a new reason to visit your profile and keep evaluating you as a prospect:

 

 

What’s the rundown on Prospect Days?

Coaches cannot send personalized information before September 1 of the player’s Junior year in high school. They are legally allowed to send prospect letters as a general reply to a player’s email. These prospect days are a great way to get on a school’s campus and play in front of a school’s coaching staff. It doesn’t necessarily mean a school is interested in you as a “prospect” for their school. We recommend student-athletes to attend prospect days of schools they are very interested in or programs the student has had previous correspondence with. All too often we hear, “but they sent me a prospect letter, that means they are interested in me!” That is not always the case. It is hard to gauge interest. Use technology to gauge that interest or pick up the phone and call (neither of these violate NCAA rules).

Relevant Blog post:

Unofficial & Official Visits: An Overview

Aside from webinars, how do we stay informed?

As you have seen throughout these questions, we frequently write articles touching on all aspects of the recruiting process. Visit our SportsRecruits blog sometime and poke around!