Staying on top of your college recruitment can make all the difference in your success. To help you create and sustain a successful game plan, below are some simple guidelines to help you through the critical stages of the recruiting process.

1. Return all questionnaires. This is the first contact by a coach to see if you are truly interested in their program and to collect general athletic/academic data on you. While it might feel like general or “bulk” mail, recruiting starts with an introduction, and often times the questionnaire is a coach’s first attempt to test the temperature of your interest level. ALWAYS return questionnaires (even if they’re sent to you from schools not high on your list). Consider stapling to the completed questionnaire a copy of your most current TEAM SCHEDULE and/or your academic transcripts. This shows initiative!.

2. If you receive a letter from a coach, make contact with that coach either by phone, email or mail with a “Thank You” letter. Always leave your phone number and email address with the coach. If you email a coach, suggest to them that they E-Mail you back with a phone number and best time to call them. Remember, NCAA has certain restrictions about how/when a coach can call you, but YOU can contact coaches any time you please.

3. Coaches will undoubtedly communicate with you via email throughout the recruiting process. Respond with a friendly “thank you” to each email you receive. In your reply email, feel free to ask the coaches questions, tell them about your most recent game, and/or express your excitement about their interest in you as a prospect. Here’s an idea… Put all your college email contacts into an email address book so you can update these coaches simultaneously. This is an efficient way to reach many coaches at once. Plus, by emailing coaches in “groups,” it demonstrates your demand among college coaches… bargaining power!

4. Whenever you receive a phone call, have a list of questions prepared to ask the coach. SAS clients receive various materials throughout the recruiting process, some of which includes examples of good questions to ask. Another good source is the NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete (visit www.ncaa.org for a current edition). Your goal is to find out how interested coaches are in you (i.e. where you rate on their recruiting list) and acquire specific information about the school, their athletic program, do they offer your major, etc. You want to establish as many relationships as possible with qualified colleges and coaches. Also, many coaches like to ask about current interest you’re receiving from other schools. Don’t be shy about mentioning some of the schools you are in correspondence with. There is nothing more desirable than a student-athlete who is already being contacted by other coaches.

5. If July 1 (prior to your Senior year) roles around and no (or very few) coaches have contacted you via telephone, review the list of coaches that have been corresponding with you to date and select the ones you have the most interest in and/or those that have been frequently contacting you via mail/email. Then, pick up the phone and call these coaches. Tell them who you are and that you’ve received written interest from them. Explain that you are very interested in their program, but have not received a call from them yet. Kindly ask them if you are still a priority on their “depth chart,” and ask if you should expect to hear from them by phone. If the coach is not in his/her office, leave a message. If you’re persistent, they WILL return your call. Don’t give up! Coaches are extremely busy people who have hundreds of prospects to consider. Make yourself stand out!

6. Game video and/or additional video may be requested of you by coaches who are interested in you! This is an extremely common practice among college coaches who have viewed your highlight film (online or DVD) and want to see additional game/skills video. Be sure to have videotape available and ready to send to coaches when they request it. If you’re an SAS client, no need to bother, as our staff has everything ready to go for you already. However, if you’re not an SAS client, video is critical to the evaluation process and can mean the difference between a coach recruiting you or someone else! In sports such as football, basketball, soccer and volleyball, your video should include footage from one full game or 2 halves (1 half of 1 game and 1 half from another). For baseball, softball, golf and other sports, a “skills tape” should be completed instead of a full game tape (NOTE: if you have questions, contact SAS for assistance). Have a MINIMUM of 10 DVD copies, make sure they’re properly labeled with your name, phone number, High School, Jersey # and the color of your jersey, and have them ready to go in case a coach requests a copy. One more thing… ALWAYS follow up with a phone call 3-5 days later to make sure the coach received your video!

7. Log all contacts from college coaches and stay organized! If you’re an SAS client, your College Contact Log is a familiar part of your management process. If you’re not a client, however, be sure to create a management system on your own. It’s critical to stay on top of your weekly correspondence and respond to coaches’ individual requests promptly.

8. Last but not least, take charge of your recruiting process and don’t wait for things to happen. Positioning yourself for the best opportunities means keeping your family up to date at all times; keeping your high school and/or club coaches informed weekly; staying in contact with your SAS recruiting advisor; letting college coaches know of any significant athletic or academic updates/accomplishments, and so on. Sending your top college choices a weekly email is a powerful marketing tool! Even if it’s just to let coaches know how you’re doing or to congratulate them on a big win over the weekend. Remember, this process is about building and sustaining relationships with college coaches!