Directions for the college athlete

So you’re a great player…on a great team… in a great league that is full of other great players.

So how will you ever get noticed? Lucky you, there are several ways to get your name out there! This post will focus on how to get college coaches and scouts to come watch you play.

Talk with Coaches

First, you should speak with your coach and let him know about your interest in playing in college. By opening up this dialogue, he or she will be better informed about your intentions. This information is valuable because coaches often times have more contact with college scouts than individual players have.

Player Profile Construction

Second, develop a player profile. A player profile is a document that lists your positive attributes as both a student and a player. Your player profile should include:

1. Your full name and contact information such as your email address and home phone number.

2. Awards that you have received academically such as: scholar athlete, AP awards, honor roll, etc.

3. Awards that you have received athletically such as: varsity letters, MVP, Rookie of the Year, All-League, All-Conference, etc.

4. An up-to-date list of your athletic history. This list should range from most recent to most dated. Only club and higher levels of athletic play should be mentioned. Coaches are not interested in recreational sports.

5. A list of extracurricular activities and volunteer work may be included. (This may help coaches determine if their school has a specific scholarship opportunity that you could try for.)

Email Letter

Third, develop an email that could be sent to many different institutions. The emails will be sent to college coaches to inform them of your interest in their school and program. (Hint: You can find a complete list of Div. I, II, and III schools on the NCAA website.) It should be no longer than half a page. It should include your name, athletic experiences, and goals.

The emails could be more personalized if you research about the school or sports program. You could say something like, “I’m really interested in USC’s psychology department. I have read that it is ranked very high in the field,” or “I’ve been following your program for a few years and I’ve noticed you haven’t had a high scoring forward for awhile, I think I could help you with that.” Don’t be afraid of being assertive; use common sense and try to be as professional and as concise as possible.

Create a DVD

The final method for getting noticed is by creating your own personal DVD. The DVD should essentially be a highlight reel of your past games. In addition to the segmented play, you should also include a full half or quarter of one of your best games. This will help coaches to assess your “unedited” ability. You could hire someone to edit the footage or do it yourself or with a parent. These DVD’s could be passed out at tournaments or sent out to college coaches that reply to the email that your already sent out.