The recruiting process has gotten more and more competitive over the last few years. So if you are looking to maximize your scholarship and the number of offers that you will receive, you need to present yourself in the best possible way. How do you do that?
The answer to that is not as simple as people might think, because every coach might be looking for something slightly different when recruiting a player. However, there are a few things that you should definitely do and some you should definitely avoid during the recruiting process. Here is our top 3:
1. Clean up your social media! Believe it or not, one of the very first things that coaches do, is go look for you on social media. Your Facebook or Instagram can be very revealing and show coaches what type of person you are. So try to avoid having pictures on there of you drinking, smoking or partying and try not use any foul language or silly comments. It might seem like a small thing to you, but for coaches one “bad” picture can be the difference between a scholarship offer or never speaking to you again.
2. Look and act professional during your calls with coaches! This is almost equally important as your calls with coaches are the same as a job interview. Since most calls will be video calls, make sure that you dress smart and that you sit at a clean table with good lighting. Don’t wear your PJs or sweatpants and don’t do those calls “on the go” or in the car. You do not have to wear a suit, but a nice polo shirt or button up shirt will do. And one more thing, be polite! Coaches look for athletes with great character, so saying words like “please” or “thank you” and smiling during the call can go a long way towards receiving a scholarship offer.
3. Show up prepared to the calls with coaches! Before getting on the phone with a coach, do some research on the team, the school and the area, so that you know a few things about the person you are talking to. Showing up unprepared can make a coach believe that you are not interested and again might be the difference between a coach making you an offer or giving the scholarship to someone else. So go online and check out the school’s website and try to find out a bit more about the team as well as the coach, so that he or she will see that you spent some time researching prior to the call.
These three tips won’t always guarantee that you will receive a scholarship offer, but they will for sure increase your chances! So keep them in mind and treat the recruiting process like if you were trying to apply for a job. Of course, we are there to help you every step of the way and we will give you some additional pointers throughout the process to maximize your chances of getting that dream scholarship you are seeking!