College and Athletes

For the last 20 years, I have been a coach at various levels: I've coached jayvee teams that only won a few games, I've coached high school teams that were undefeated, and I've coached college teams stacked with All- Americans.

I love coaching because it's physical, it's immediate, and it's all about the interdependency of individuals coming together as a team. But what I don't like about coaching is the recruiting.

I'd like to share some advice, gleaned from my experiences both recruiting collegiate athletes and having my athletes recruited, with high school athletes who are potentially looking to play at the collegiate level (this is especially important for those juniors who play a spring sport because this will be your last season to impress recruiters).

While some of this information may not be new, my purpose is to help you begin to select a number of appropriate colleges and universities at which you might thrive academically, athletically, and socially. First, there are several harsh realities of which you should be aware:

1) College recruiting is a numbers game - as cold as it may sound, college coaches only have so many spots available, and they are continually attempting to improve the quality of their teams.
2) Just because a coach sends a letter to you does not mean that you are an suitable match for either the school or the program - coaches use camp mailing lists and all-star teams in addition to a variety of other sources in order to identify potential candidates . . . so while you may be flattered to receive a letter from a coach, understand that a coach will send out hundreds of such letters every year.
3) Coaches talk amongst themselves - it's likely that if you are applying to schools of the same academic caliber or in the same league that the coaches will be aware of what schools you are interested in regardless of what you tell each of them; as a result, it's in everyone's best interest for you to be absolutely honest.
4) None of the communications between coach, player, and family should take place in a vacuum: coaches do not admit students, Admission Department do, so it is imperative that you keep the admission people appraised of your thinking - be sure to stop by the Admissions Office when you visit schools, schedule an interview if possible, and never count on any admission decision until you have it in writing.

When you contact coaches, you should provide them with an athletic résumé about your past achievements, present level of play, and plans for the future. As well as physical size and athletic experiences, you should include a brief academic profile - SAT/ACT scores, GPA, class rank, etc. - to assist coaches in comparing you to the pool of applicants with whom you will compete.

In addition, coaches will want to see you play. Send them your team's schedule in case the coach or an assistant can come scout you in person. Let coaches know which camps you plan to attend this coming summer. If you can, have your games filmed; film can be invaluable resources for coaches looking to identify recruitable athletes

The college process should be an exciting time, full of potential and anticipation, for you and your family. The purpose of this process is to ensure that you find a school at which you will be happy to study and to play.

If you work closely with your family, your coaches, and your college counselors, that process will be successful.

--Steve McKibben
2/22/06