Starting the College Recruiting Process

For High School Student-Athletes (SA’s) and Parents

Presenter: Matt Griffiths

� Varsity Baseball Coach at Joel Barlow

� Former Division 1 Baseball Player

� 3 years as an Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Division I & III level

� 7 years as a Head Coach at the NCAA Division III level

Mattgriff50@gmail.com845 546 5341 cell

WHERE TO BEGIN??

You are a High School student athlete interested in playing one or more sports in college.

Between school, sports, planning for future ect, navigating the recruiting process can be a tall order…

Classic Initial Questions from SA’s

�Am I good enough to play in college?

�How do I get recruited, where do I start?

THE REALITY

The Reality: Recruiting Funnel (D1 example)

TYPES OF SPORTS PROGRAM

� Division I – Full scholarships, partial scholarships, recruited walk-ons, walk-ons

� Division II - Partial scholarships, recruited walk-ons, walk-ons

� Division III - Recruited walk-ons, walk-ons

� Club – Walk-ons

� NAIA – Independent Association outside of NCAA

Changing LandscapeGone are days where coaches are burning pavement to see every high school game. SA’s who are not pro-active in the recruiting process put themselves at an extreme disadvantage.

� Skills videos can be sent and viewed on the spot

� Coaches are more accessible: e-mail, cell phone, text, and social media

� Showcase-type events allow recruiters to see hundreds of athletes in one day

New Challenges for coaches and SA’s

� Coaches inboxes are inundated with prospective student athletes inquiries and simply do not have the time or resources to vet every single player that expresses interest.

� Showcase events and camps can be a significant financial burden for SA’s and parents

� Facebook and other social outlets can have a very negative impact on recruiting

� While coaches are more readily accessible, ineffective communication from SA’s can end the recruiting process before it begins

� Number of students competing for spots (athletically and academically) is larger than ever SA’s can easily become overwhelmed and intimidated without a coordinated and collaborative process

How Can Student-Athletes best position themselves?

With a little bit of know how, planning, and process the student athletes can put themselves in the best possible position to find a college that meets all objectives.

� Knowing what you want (specifics)

� Organization and Planning

� Showcasing, Skills Videos, Visits

� Effective communication

� Admissions and Academics

� Tracking and follow through

Knowing what you want: to find the right fit Create a list of at least 20 schools that fit YOUR criteria.

Considering factors might include:

� Distance from home

� Academic programs are a fit (ask guidance counselor for help)

� Size of school

� Cost

� Level of academic support

� Competitiveness of athletic programs and coaching staff

� Scholarship / Non Scholarship

Organization and Planning: Create a Recruiting Databaseü Gather all coaches contact information and create one single

database where all pertinent information is in one spot for quick reference and tracking.

Database can include:

� All target schools name into database on one tab

� Application deadlines (RA, EA, ED)

� Head/ Asst Coaches name and contact info

� Fields to track scheduled visits, notes from conversations, and Next Steps

� Share with High School coach and work collaboratively

Recruiting Database (example)Organization and Planning:

Showcasing, Skills Videos, Visits: Choosing showcases and creating opportunities for coaches to see you play

� Pick and choose showcases that some or all of your target schools have attended in the past

� Always communicate which ones you’ll be attending

� Keep coaches up to date with regular season game schedules, summer or travel team schedules

� Be creative – ask HS coach to provide dates where coach can attend a workout at school

Showcasing, Skills Videos, Visits: Utilization of technology: Skills Videos� Keep it short and informative

� Include basic Bio with video (either in description or with e-mail). Name, Position (s), Grad Year, GPA, High School, e-mail, Phone, HS coaches phone & e-mail

� Most importantly make it easy for coach to watch by sending a link (best), or portable drive

� Ask coach for help

DO NOT:

� Waste $$ on high quality production, no bells/whistles

� Send full game tapes unless coach asks

Showcasing, Skills Videos, Visits: Recruiting Video Examples

� https://youtu.be/rpnJr3OeQoM?t=1s

� https://youtu.be/u2AFmNfmSMk

� https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxuLIOjvBL0

� https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB3Fvc0qbTI

� https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJno-m3ndpc

Showcasing, Skills Videos, Visits: Types of visitsUnofficial (Informational)

� On your dime

� Admissions tours

� Informational, coaches may or may not be available to meet

Official (Recruiting Event)

� School is paying for transportation and/or meals

� Stay on campus for up to 48 hrs with current athletes

� See a practice/game and/or attend a class

� Deep dive tour of all facilities

� Great chance to ask players questions

Home Visits (Mostly high level D1 Recruiting Event)

� Coach is traveling to your home, sometimes will make on spot

� Good indication you are a top recruit

Effective communication: Getting on Radar

1. First, always fill out a prospective student questionnaire on website

2. Follow-up with a brief e-mail and/or call and have HS coach also follow-up. Continue to follow-up with updates.

� Initial contacts should be brief, personal, and to the point.

� State your purpose in reaching out.

� Provide opportunity for coach to see you play (showcases, games)

� Include info such as class, position, contact information, and grades.

� Make it easy for coach to respond

� Record ALL interactions good or bad in database

How interested are they?

Effective communication: Example Email (Coach to Coach)

Effective communication: DO NOTS!

� Send form letters out to 100’s of coaches

� Ask coach to do too much

� Send too much information too quick

� Get frustrated if no response after one attempt, this is common (on average you will get a response after the 3rd or 4th meaningful attempt, you can utilize transcripts videos, test scores, as reasons for additional attempts)

� Send multiple e-mails a day, or even a week when no response

Effective communication: Example E-mail – Student athlete to coach

Effective communication: Sample Questions to Ask on Phone/In Person� How many players are you looking to bring in next years class, positions?

� How much academic support is offered to student athletes?

� Travel and missed classes?

� Practice schedule and format?

� Time commitment in season vs out of season?

� Expectations on field, classroom?

� When are recruiting dead periods?

� What do you look for in a player? How do you rank your recruits?

� Do Athletes typically house together, is it expected or mandated?

*Important for the SA to take the driver seat with questions vs parent, most especially for questions relating to playing time or similar inquiries

*Appropriate for parents to ask about academics, scholarship info, department support, fundraising, game schedules, logistics, and travel

Effective Communication: Quite / Dead Periods� Contact Period: This is pretty much what you would expect.

During this time coaches can have face-to-face contact with athletes including visiting schools and watching competitions.

� Evaluation Period: During this period, coaches can watch athletes compete, visit their high schools, and write or phone athletes. However, the coach can’t have any off-campus contact with the athletes.

� Quiet Period: The only face-to-face contact allowed during this time is on the college campus. Phone and email/letter contacts are allowed.

� Dead Period: No face-to-face contact allowed on or off campus. Only calls, letters, and emails are allowed.

RECRUITING TIMELINES: DIVISION 1� Division I, Sophomore Year:

� Coaches can send mailed publications about the school, the athletic program, and the NCAA to students.

� Students can call coaches at any time.

� Coaches generally cannot call students, but there are a few exceptions for specific sports (men’s basketball, women’s ice hockey, and men’s ice hockey).

� Students and coaches cannot meet in person if they are not on the college’s campus.

� Official visits are not allowed, unofficial visits ok.

Junior Year

� Coaches can send dedicated recruiting materials to most prospective student-athletes beginning September 1.

� Students may begin receiving emails, texts, and faxes from coaches on September 1 of their junior years (with the exception of men’s basketball players who can receive electronic correspondence over the summer and men’s ice hockey players who can receive electronic correspondence during their sophomore years). Students can continue to call coaches at any time.

� Coaches can begin to call students; calls may be limited in number.

� Coaches and students can meet in person off campus within NCAA guidelines, with the exception of football players.

� Men’s and women’s basketball players can make official visits to colleges. No other sports are permitted official visits at this time. Student-athletes can visit up to five Division I colleges, but cannot visit the same college twice. Students can, however, visit as many Division II colleges as they’d like.

� Students can continue to make unofficial visits, provided the visits do not take place during dead

Recruiting Timelines: Division 1� Senior Year:

� Students can continue to call coaches at any time.� Coaches for men’s and women’s basketball can make an unlimited number of calls to prospective

student-athletes. Football coaches are permitted to call students once per week starting on September 1; calls are unlimited after a student signs a National Letter of Intent (agreement to attend an institution) or during a contact period. Women’s ice hockey coaches are permitted to call prospective students once per week beginning the summer before the student’s senior year. All other coaches are permitted to contact student-athletes any number of times provided the student has signed a National Letter of Intent, received a written offer of admission, received a written offer of financial aid, or submitted a deposit to the college.

� Off-campus meetings between coaches and students are allowed for all sports, but, the number of in-person meetings is limited. After a National Letter of Intent is signed, an offer of acceptance is received, an offer of financial aid is accepted and signed, or a deposit is paid to the college, meetings are unlimited.

� All students-athletes can be invited on official visits to colleges. Student-athletes can visit up to five Division I colleges, but cannot visit the same college twice. Students can, however, visit as many Division II colleges as they’d like.

� Students can continue to make unofficial visits, provided the visits do not take place during dead periods.

� Division II

� Students can receive brochures, campus publications, and NCAA publications at any time.

� Coaches cannot send dedicated recruiting materials until June 15 after a student completes his or her sophomore year.

� Coaches can call students any number of times following June 15 after a student completes his or her sophomore year.

� Students can call coaches at any time.

Recruiting Timelines: Division II� Students can receive brochures, campus publications, and NCAA publications at any time.

� Coaches cannot send dedicated recruiting materials until June 15 after a student completes his or her sophomore year.

� Coaches can call students any number of times following June 15 after a student completes his or her sophomore year.

� Students can call coaches at any time.

� Coaches and students can meet off campus starting June 15 after a student’s sophomore year. Meetings are unlimited.

� Students can make unofficial visits at any time except during dead periods.

� Official visits are authorized on or after June 15 during the summer before the student’s junior year. Students can make one official visit to each college, visiting up to five Division I schools. Visits to Division II schools are not limited.

Recruiting Timelines: Division III

Division III

� Students may receive brochures and other mailed publications at any time.

� Coaches can call student-athletes any number of times at any point during their high school careers.

� Students can call coaches at any time.

� Coaches can have off-campus meetings with students who have finished their junior years of high school. Meetings are unlimited.

� Students can make unofficial visits at any time. Official visits are authorized after January 1 of a student’s junior year. Students can make one official visit to each college, visiting up to five Division I schools. Visits to Division III schools are not limited.

Admissions and Academics� Know application deadlines for your top schools

� Be sure clearinghouse, unofficial transcripts, test scores are up to date, accessible, and digitized for emailing

� The amount of influence a college program has with admissions varies by institution, do not be afraid to ask coach for help

� Unless a high level D1 don’t expect a huge amount of help with admissions

� Important to challenge yourself Senior year with course load in case of wait listing or late decisions

� Always keep coaches up to date with your admissions status

� Explore all options as it relates to academic scholarships and grants

How to begin (steps): � Create your Initial list of at least 20 target schools and rank it

if possible (cast biggest net possible)

� Gather all coaches contact information and create a databasewhere all info is in one spot for quick reference and tracking.

� Create a skills video and/or basic athletic resume if applicable to sport

� Make sure unofficial transcripts, test scores, clearinghouse paperwork is easily accessible and digitized for e-mailing

� Put together a rough recruiting timeline with some target activities and benchmarks based on your sport (Initial Contact, Unofficial Visits, Official Visits, Application phase, Decision Phase) and stick to it

� Ask coach for help and begin contacting coaches via e-mail and phone and tracking all interactions

Sample TimelineJunior/Senior Year

Fall

Winter

• Start to narrow list down list, plan and pick summer showcases Send up to date game schedules. Pre-reads. NCAA Clearinghouse

Summer

Spring

Fall sr yr

Winter sr yr

Skills video, Unofficial visits, update coach with newest grades/ test scores, send skills video.

20-50 list of schools, database, begin to send initial e-mails

Narrow list further, showcases, schedule fall visits, up to date transcripts

Official visits top 3-5 schools, applications

Admissions, decisions Final Decisions

Revisiting Initial Questions from SA’s

�Am I good enough to play in college?

�How do I get recruited?

THANK YOU!!!!

� Power Point is available for anyone who wants a digital copy

� Happy to help in anyway I can, e-mail mattgriff50@gmail.com, or cell 845 546 5341