As an athlete in high school there are always challenges your senior year when recruiting isn’t going the direction you want it to. Aspiring to be an athlete in the college world is an immeasurable deal, and getting there does not have to be as difficult as preconceived notions. When you need to get a hold of a coach or simply want to communicate with a coach about his or her university, there are a few simple and easy ways accomplish this. Everyone seems to believe that if a coach isn’t already looking at you or talking to you then you cannot contact them; WRONG! It’s strongly encouraged that if you are interested in that institution and the specific athletic program there to go ahead and reach out to the coach by contacting them.On the athleticswebsite for most universities there is a list of the coach’s information (either email or phone or address) to help activate the contacting procedure. To get you started here are 5 helpful ways that athletes can use to contact a coach and start the communication process.
1) By Email. Most coaches are going to be exceptionally busy especially when they are in season but no matter how busy they are it seems they are always accessible to their email. When you email a coach make sure you are making the right first impression. Compose the email properly with a respectful heading to that specific coach. Also make sure you use proper English and punctuation; coaches want to see well carried individuals that don’t only excel in their sport but also in the classroom. Never forget to end with a closer. When writing a closer it never hurts to put your email and number under your name. This gives the coaches multiple ways to get back in contact with you if that’s what they please to do.
2)By Phone. Coaches may be a little less accessible on the phone depending on their daily schedules but this is another great way to get your foot in the door. Calling a coach will never hurt; if they don’t answer you can always leave a message which gives them a chance to get back to you. Also recognize that coaches have a lot on their plates so, if they don’t get back to you within the week you should be persistent and call them back. You can call a coach as many times as you feel necessary however a coach is limited to the number of times they are allowed to contact you. Remember as I said in tip one that how you present yourself over the phone will be the one of the determining points on if they will have further interaction with you. Make sure you acknowledge them in the way they should be acknowledge and don’t forget to speak properly and clearly. Realize that in leaving a message you should uphold the same standards as if you were talking to them on the phone.
3)By Mail. Mailing a coach is another fantastic way to reach out and inform coaches that you are interested about them and their program. Coaches get a heavy load of mail and most do their best to look at everything but unfortunately sometimes it slips under their radar. Contacting a coach by mail may take a little longer simply because it takes a greater amount of time for them to receive it, which in turn will take longer to get information back to you. When mailing a coach, make sure your salutation includes their name; it is said that when you just say hey coach in the salutation 95% of the time they will simply toss it in the trash.I also strongly believe that you should include your email and phone number at the bottom of your letter under your name in the closing. This makes it easier for the coach to contact you back if everything you presented was intriguing to what they are looking for. A letter to a coach should not only include multiple ways to contact you but also it should include the basics of your athletic and school roles. You should write a letter with great description and emphasis on yourself, along with your accomplishments but make sure you keep it short and sweet. Recall the rules from the other section, present you letter with proper English and make sure you ensure them that you want to be part of their program and university. Unfortunately mail isn’t as personal as a phone call or in person meeting so you really have to get what you want across to them but also make yourself wanted in the process.
4) At one of your home events. At events talking and socializing with coaches is a bit harder, however some coaches or assistants from universitiestry to come and observe high school events in search of potential candidates for their rosters. When approaching a coach at an event, make sure you carry yourself well; also know what you want to say and ask about the program; coaches have a very busy schedule so wasting their time because you are ill-prepared for an opportunity, can possibly be detrimental to your future communication with them. You want to leave the coach with the notion and impression that you are interested in them and in their institution. This way the next time you try to reach out to them they will be more willing to talk or if they reach out to you they know you will be interested in what they have to say.
5) At one of their home events.At the coaches home event it might be extremely hard to communicate with them since they are intensely busy, however it is doable.Depending on the sport and the coach contributes to the chances of whether there is an opportunity for communication or not. At events like these the best advice would be to either to wait until they approach you or find a time they are relaxing to take the opportunity to sneak a talk in with them. You should never give up an opportunity to communicate with a coach if it is something you really want to do and a place you really want to go with a program that you want undoubtly to be a part of.
As an athlete at a division one university myself I didn’t know about the opportunities of contacting a coach. I got looked at by a few colleges coming out of high school and got offered a hefty scholarship to one. This place wasn’t really where I imagined myself in college; but the coach I wanted looking at me, offering me a chance was nowhere to be found. So I took the chance at the one school and it just didn’t suit me, I had this vision in my head of where I wanted to be in my running career and in college and it seemed where I was, wasn’t where I needed to be. I then got motivation from my advisor to reach out to the program I really wanted and where I pictured myself. I took that opportunity by starting off with an email and then some phone calls; I ended up exactly where I always saw myself being and where I wanted to be.After the advice given by my advisor that I could contact that coach and ask for a chance to be part of that team I realized what so many athletes rising into the college athletic world don’t know; that is you should go make yourself known and introduce yourself to those people that you want to be part of your future with your sport; because if you do this you will have so many great opportunities open up to you. Being intensely involved in a division one athletics program I can say that all sports teams give the opportunity to those people who reach out, coaches are always look for new talent to add to their already talented teams.
References:
http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/contacting_coaches.htm
http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/contact-college-coaches.htm
