Q: What is a Recruit?
What does it mean to be a "recruit?" A recruited college athlete is someone who is guaranteed a spot on the team when he/she arrives on campus as a freshman. Recruited athletes don't have to "try out" to make the team.

Q: When to start Recruiting?
I am a junior on a good club team. Right now I am a starter on the varsity team. When should I start the recruiting process?
In a word: now. If you start college recruiting now, you can proceed at a leisurely pace, whereas if you wait until this time next year, you're going to have to hustle. Another good thing is that if you start now, you'll have more time to think about what colleges are right for you. You're more likely to assemble a list of colleges that really match your needs than if you wait and try to do it when the pressure is really on. Continue using our Online Guidance to find the right colleges and also start tapping into your club and high school coaches, as well as a teacher or two who you really respect.

Q: How Good do You Have to Be?
Do I have to be the best player on my club or high school team to play sports in college? No. As long as you're a relatively good player, there's probably a college team out there that needs you. You don't have to be a regional standout, or even an All-State selection for that matter. However, your resume should probably include a few years as a starter for your high school team and a strong sports background. College coaches are generally not looking for recreational players.

Q: A College Coach Just Called. What Should I Do?!?
If a coach calls you, be an active participant on the phone. Don't just sit there and receive a lecture. Think on your feet, ask questions, and make observations. At the end of the call, thank the coach for taking the time to call you. Let him know that you will be in touch in the near future. If you self-recruit well, as a senior you will start receiving phone calls from your candidate coaches. Your work will have begun to put you in the college recruiting spotlight. This does not mean, however, that you should stop calling the coaches. You should definitely reciprocate from time to time. It's a great way to raise your standing. In other words, if a coach has been calling you, a call from you will leave him feeling very positive about your recruitment.

Q: What is a Walk-On?
What does it mean to walk onto a college sports team? A walk-on is an athlete who must try out to make a college team. Athletes who haven't been offered a roster spot -- and therefore aren't "recruits" -- typically have to go to open tryouts. This is a situation that should be avoided at all costs. Walk on tryouts are famously unfair. Players often find themselves having a very limited opportunity to prove their ability. Instead, you want to show up on campus knowing that there's a place for you on the team.

Q: What's the best way to contact a coach? Is it email, phone, Facebook?
Given the importance of being different when you promote yourself to college coaches, it’s always a good idea to hire a professional Marketing firm like YourSportsReel. Certainly "all of the above" is the right answer. More and more coaches are popping up on Facebook. Especially younger coaches, who tend to be assistants and recruiting coordinators, can be found on Facebook, which is definitely a legit way to contact them. All of these are good ways to contact coaches. What's more important is the frequency with which you use them. Generally speaking, you should send an email once a month and make calls every three months. Remember though, be different. Say something in each letter or phone call that will make you stand out. Send them a professional portfolio. It doesn't have to be outlandish, just a specific detail that gives the coach something to remember you by.

Q: Will Sports Get Me Past the College Admissions Gate?
I've heard that being recruited to play at a college guarantees admission to that school. Will my athletic ability allow me to get around the school's academic standards? Being a recruited athlete rarely opens the admissions door if you don't measure up academically. If a coach knows that your academic record is sub-par, it's unlikely that he'll make a stand for you with admissions. Coaches know that standing up for academically unqualified recruits usually fails. It also weakens the coach's credibility with the admissions department. An admissions department will be apprehensive of a coach who brings academically unqualified recruits to the table.

Q: What If I'm Not Offered a Scholarship?
If a coach doesn't offer me a scholarship, does that mean he doesn't want me on his team? Year in and out this pernicious myth races through circles of players and parents. Unfortunately, it has been the downfall of many college careers before they even begin. Don't be deterred if you aren't offered a scholarship. The reality is that between dramatic legal and financial restrictions, college teams are very limited in their ability to pay their players' tuition. Does that mean that you might not get an athletic scholarship? Possibly. Does it necessarily mean that a coach doesn't want you on his team? No.

Q: When Should I Let a College Go?
At what point should I decide that it's no longer worth my time to pursue a particular college? If after multiple attempts to reach out to a coach, you find that the coach is still inattentive, you should seriously assess the likelihood of playing for that school. Be honest with yourself—does playing for that team seem realistic? Then again, if you're determined to make a college team, you cannot fold at the slightest sign of adversity. Who knows, a coach may just be disorganized, overwhelmed with work, or even bluffing a bit to see how committed you really are. If you still want to play at a school where you haven't received much of a response, don't write it off before you’ve had an honest discussion with the coach. Don't be afraid to press the coach for an explanation. Does he think that you're qualified for his team? As a recruit? As a walk-on?

Q: What if I identify an additional college when I have already made a lot of progress with my original list of colleges?
Say you've been diligently self-recruiting for five months. Your mother's friend comes over for dinner and talks up her alma mater. If you're convinced, all you have to do is a little catch-up work for that school. Fortunately, you have your cover letter saved on your computer and your YourSportsReel DVD profile or website address close at hand. That very night, send them off to the coach at the new school and get things rolling.

Q: What Happens When You Don't Hear From Coaches?
My teammates have received recruiting solicitations but I have not. If I am not "in the spotlight" does it mean that college coaches have determined that I am not capable of playing sports in college? No. Don't be deterred by coaches' oversight. Imagine the vast pool of high school players a college sports coach has to sift through. If you haven't been identified, don't resign yourself to not playing in college. Instead you must commit yourself to going out and making it happen. If your teammates are being recruited, it may actually be for schools that aren't right for them academically and/or socially. Additionally, many coaches send out bulk mailings, which are little more than a shot in the dark. To counter this inefficiency, you must personalize the recruiting process and make it more targeted. You determine which schools are right for you and then you work for the attention of those coaches.

Q: College Recruiting Calls That Don't Work Out?
I got a call from the coach at ________ University and I kind of froze up on the phone. I didn't really know what to say and I feel like the conversation didn't go well at all. What should I do? Before you start to analyze how the call went, give yourself a pat on the back for getting this far. Getting a call from a college coach is a real accomplishment. Done. Now let's have some constructive criticism. In all likelihood it wasn't as bad as you thought. Even if it was, you probably didn't hurt your chances. The coach has probably had hundreds of phone calls like this. It's also more than likely that he has gone on to coach players with whom he's had conversations like this. If you want to patch things up, give him a call in a couple of weeks and have a list of things you want to talk about to keep the conversation with the college coach flowing. These don't all have to be about recruiting, the team, or your latest accomplishments. You can literally talk about the weather, recent games that you've seen on tv, your favorite flavor of ice cream. It's all good. That's how you can smooth over the call you just had. But how can you avoid this situation in the future? The answer is to be prepared. Have a list of talking points and questions by the phone. That way you'll be ready next time it rings.

Q: What to Do When a College Coach Says No
What if the coach at one of my top colleges tells me that under no circumstances does he see a place for me on his team? Unfortunately, responses of this sort are not unusual. It's what inevitably happens when you try to funnel a million high school athletes into college sports, which can only accommodate a few thousand players. This statistic is small consolation; rejections are bound to sting. Such an outcome may wound your pride, but don't let it shatter your confidence. Don’t give up your hopes just because one coach doesn't have a place for you on his team. Throw away the file folder for that school and focus your self-recruiting efforts on the teams that remain. If at the outset of self-recruiting you found ten or so teams that matched your ability, by the end you should have at least one or two coaches who want you to play for them.

Q: Do College Coaches Attend Individual Games?
It's unlikely that college coaches will attend isolated high school or league games unless signing you is an absolute priority or you play close to the college. If these conditions aren't working in your favor, you should still provide coaches with a schedule of your regular season games, if for no other reason than to show them that you are playing regularly. With that being said, sending a professional Highlight Reel can go a long way in showing a Coach what you’re capable of. A Professional Company like YourSportsReel is a good place to start.

Q: Recruiting while injured.
After I recently got back from visiting a college, I went straight into a high school camp. On the last day of camp, my knee buckled while I was dribbling and blew out. I found out the next week that I had a complete tear of my right ACL. I'm getting surgery on Thursday and starting physical therapy next week. So, my problem is what and when I should tell the coach about my injury? This happens all too frequently and really derails the recruiting process for some people. On the ACL front, some very good news was reported in the New York Times this past week. Doctors and physical therapists have developed an exercise routine that can reduce ACL injuries -- especially in girls -- by up to 40%. Increasingly, this is a regular part of college teams’ daily workouts. And it should be part of your team’s as well. As for the question, there are some people out there who say that you shouldn’t tell your college coaches. That is bad advice. The best thing you can do in the recruiting process is be honest. Give the coach a call and tell him what happened, that you're really bummed about it, but that you're doing everything you can to return to action quickly. If you don’t tell him, he'll probably find out one way or another, and may not like the fact that you weren’t up front with him. So you can call him and let him know what's up. Then send him monthly email updates on your recovery. This will be a good incentive for you to work hard and it will show him how serious you are about overcoming the injury and convincing him that this is just a minor setback for you. Good luck and keep us posted on your recovery!

Q: Recruiting for high school seniors.
I'm a senior soccer player and I haven't really had any contact with college coaches. I play for a good club team in southern California, but I still haven't gotten much recognition from coaches. What should I do? First off. Don't fret. There's still time. You just have to buckle down. You didn't mention whether you've started looking at any colleges in general. If you already have a list of colleges that you like, you've actually made more progress than you think. The next thing to do is to introduce yourself to the coaches at those colleges. This weekend you should email them a cover letter and DVD or a link to your YourSportsReel profile. Follow up in a week by email to make sure they got your stuff and ask them what tournaments they're going to over Thanksgiving and winter break. There's still plenty of time. You just need to be focused. What exactly does that mean? Spend a couple hours working on it this weekend and then an hour or so every week or two on an ongoing basis. Let us know if you have any more questions!

Q: What If I'm Not Offered a Scholarship?
If a coach doesn't offer me a scholarship, does that mean he doesn't want me on his team? Year in and out this pernicious myth races through circles of players and parents. Unfortunately, it has been the downfall of many college careers before they even begin. Don't be deterred if you aren't offered a scholarship. The reality is that between dramatic legal and financial restrictions, college teams are very limited in their ability to pay their players' tuition. Does that mean that you might not get an athletic scholarship? Possibly. Does it necessarily mean that a coach doesn't want you on his team? No.

Q: When Should I Let a College Go?
At what point should I decide that it's no longer worth my time to pursue a particular college? If after multiple attempts to reach out to a coach, you find that the coach is still inattentive, you should seriously assess the likelihood of playing for that school. Be honest with yourself—does playing for that team seem realistic? Then again, if you're determined to make a college team, you cannot fold at the slightest sign of adversity. Who knows, a coach may just be disorganized, overwhelmed with work, or even bluffing a bit to see how committed you really are. If you still want to play at a school where you haven't received much of a response, don't write it off before you’ve had an honest discussion with the coach. Don't be afraid to press the coach for an explanation. Does he think that you're qualified for his team? As a recruit? As a walk-on?

Q: What if I identify an additional college when I have already made a lot of progress with my original list of colleges?
Say you've been diligently self-recruiting for five months. Your mother's friend comes over for dinner and talks up her alma mater. If you're convinced, all you have to do is a little catch-up work for that school. Fortunately, you have your cover letter saved on your computer and your YourSportsReel DVD profile or website address close at hand. That very night, send them off to the coach at the new school and get things rolling.

Q: What Happens When You Don't Hear From Coaches?
My teammates have received recruiting solicitations but I have not. If I am not "in the spotlight" does it mean that college coaches have determined that I am not capable of playing sports in college? No. Don't be deterred by coaches' oversight. Imagine the vast pool of high school players a college sports coach has to sift through. If you haven't been identified, don't resign yourself to not playing in college. Instead you must commit yourself to going out and making it happen. If your teammates are being recruited, it may actually be for schools that aren't right for them academically and/or socially. Additionally, many coaches send out bulk mailings, which are little more than a shot in the dark. To counter this inefficiency, you must personalize the recruiting process and make it more targeted. You determine which schools are right for you and then you work for the attention of those coaches.

Q: College Recruiting Calls That Don't Work Out?
I got a call from the coach at ________ University and I kind of froze up on the phone. I didn't really know what to say and I feel like the conversation didn't go well at all. What should I do? Before you start to analyze how the call went, give yourself a pat on the back for getting this far. Getting a call from a college coach is a real accomplishment. Done. Now let's have some constructive criticism. In all likelihood it wasn't as bad as you thought. Even if it was, you probably didn't hurt your chances. The coach has probably had hundreds of phone calls like this. It's also more than likely that he has gone on to coach players with whom he's had conversations like this. If you want to patch things up, give him a call in a couple of weeks and have a list of things you want to talk about to keep the conversation with the college coach flowing. These don't all have to be about recruiting, the team, or your latest accomplishments. You can literally talk about the weather, recent games that you've seen on TV, your favorite flavor of ice cream. It's all good. That's how you can smooth over the call you just had. But how can you avoid this situation in the future? The answer is to be prepared. Have a list of talking points and questions by the phone. That way you'll be ready next time it rings.

Q: What to Do When a College Coach Says No?
What if the coach at one of my top colleges tells me that under no circumstances does he see a place for me on his team? Unfortunately, responses of this sort are not unusual. It's what inevitably happens when you try to funnel a million high school athletes into college sports, which can only accommodate a few thousand players. This statistic is small consolation; rejections are bound to sting. Such an outcome may wound your pride, but don't let it shatter your confidence. Don’t give up your hopes just because one coach doesn't have a place for you on his team. Throw away the file folder for that school and focus your self-recruiting efforts on the teams that remain. If at the outset of self-recruiting you found ten or so teams that matched your ability, by the end you should have at least one or two coaches who want you to play for them.

Q: Do College Coaches Attend Individual Games?
It's unlikely that college coaches will attend isolated high school or league games unless signing you is an absolute priority or you play close to the college. If these conditions aren't working in your favor, you should still provide coaches with a schedule of your regular season games, if for no other reason than to show them that you are playing regularly. With that being said, sending a professional Highlight Reel can go a long way in showing a Coach what you’re capable of. A Professional Company like YourSportsReel is a good place to start.

Q: Recruiting while injured.
After I recently got back from visiting a college, I went straight into a high school camp. On the last day of camp, my knee buckled while I was dribbling and blew out. I found out the next week that I had a complete tear of my right ACL. I'm getting surgery on Thursday and starting physical therapy next week. So, my problem is what and when I should tell the coach about my injury? This happens all too frequently and really derails the recruiting process for some people. On the ACL front, some very good news was reported in the New York Times this past week. Doctors and physical therapists have developed an exercise routine that can reduce ACL injuries -- especially in girls -- by up to 40%. Increasingly, this is a regular part of college teams’ daily workouts. And it should be part of your team’s as well. As for the question, there are some people out there who say that you shouldn’t tell your college coaches. That is bad advice. The best thing you can do in the recruiting process is be honest. Give the coach a call and tell him what happened, that you're really bummed about it, but that you're doing everything you can to return to action quickly. If you don’t tell him, he'll probably find out one way or another, and may not like the fact that you weren’t up front with him. So you can call him and let him know what's up. Then send him monthly email updates on your recovery. This will be a good incentive for you to work hard and it will show him how serious you are about overcoming the injury and convincing him that this is just a minor setback for you. Good luck and keep us posted on your recovery!

Q: Recruiting for high school seniors.
I'm a senior soccer player and I haven't really had any contact with college coaches. I play for a good club team in southern California, but I still haven't gotten much recognition from coaches. What should I do? First off. Don't fret. There's still time. You just have to buckle down. You didn't mention whether you've started looking at any colleges in general. If you already have a list of colleges that you like, you've actually made more progress than you think. The next thing to do is to introduce yourself to the coaches at those colleges. This weekend you should email them a cover letter and DVD or a link to your YourSportsReel profile. Follow up in a week by email to make sure they got your stuff and ask them what tournaments they're going to over Thanksgiving and winter break. There's still plenty of time. You just need to be focused. What exactly does that mean? Spend a couple hours working on it this weekend and then an hour or so every week or two on an ongoing basis. Let us know if you have any more questionss wound your pride, but don't let it shatter your confidence. Don’t give up your hopes just because one coach doesn't have a place for you on his team. Throw away the file folder for that school and focus your self-recruiting efforts on the teams that remain. If at the outset of self-recruiting you found ten or so teams that matched your ability, by the end you should have at least one or two coaches who want you to play for them.

Q: Do College Coaches Attend Individual Games?
It's unlikely that college coaches will attend isolated high school or league games unless signing you is an absolute priority or you play close to the college. If these conditions aren't working in your favor, you should still provide coaches with a schedule of your regular season games, if for no other reason than to show them that you are playing regularly. With that being said, sending a professional Highlight Reel can go a long way in showing a Coach what you’re capable of. A Professional Company like YourSportsReel is a good place to start.

Q: Recruiting while injured.
After I recently got back from visiting a college, I went straight into a high school camp. On the last day of camp, my knee buckled while I was dribbling and blew out. I found out the next week that I had a complete tear of my right ACL. I'm getting surgery on Thursday and starting physical therapy next week. So, my problem is what and when I should tell the coach about my injury? This happens all too frequently and really derails the recruiting process for some people. On the ACL front, some very good news was reported in the New York Times this past week. Doctors and physical therapists have developed an exercise routine that can reduce ACL injuries -- especially in girls -- by up to 40%. Increasingly, this is a regular part of college teams’ daily workouts. And it should be part of your team’s as well. As for the question, there are some people out there who say that you shouldn’t tell your college coaches. That is bad advice. The best thing you can do in the recruiting process is be honest. Give the coach a call and tell him what happened, that you're really bummed about it, but that you're doing everything you can to return to action quickly. If you don’t tell him, he'll probably find out one way or another, and may not like the fact that you weren’t up front with him. So you can call him and let him know what's up. Then send him monthly email updates on your recovery. This will be a good incentive for you to work hard and it will show him how serious you are about overcoming the injury and convincing him that this is just a minor setback for you. Good luck and keep us posted on your recovery!

Q: Recruiting for high school seniors.
I'm a senior soccer player and I haven't really had any contact with college coaches. I play for a good club team in southern California, but I still haven't gotten much recognition from coaches. What should I do? First off. Don't fret. There's still time. You just have to buckle down. You didn't mention whether you've started looking at any colleges in general. If you already have a list of colleges that you like, you've actually made more progress than you think. The next thing to do is to introduce yourself to the coaches at those colleges. This weekend you should email them a cover letter and DVD or a link to your YourSportsReel profile. Follow up in a week by email to make sure they got your stuff and ask them what tournaments they're going to over Thanksgiving and winter break. There's still plenty of time. You just need to be focused. What exactly does that mean? Spend a couple hours working on it this weekend and then an hour or so every week or two on an ongoing basis. Let us know if you have any more questions!

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