By Laura Chmiel
This is Part II of my Sesame Street alphabet song about recruiting. You can check out Part I here.
Ready? Great. Here’s the next series answering: What are coaches looking for in athletes?
Hitting the Gym
In-season and out, make healthy choices for your team and your body when it comes to staying in shape. If you’re bored with your current off-season workouts, we have a number of sport-specific drills from our partners at Go Pro Workouts you can browse and use to get faster, more agile and more powerful.
Involving Yourself As Early as Possible
The recruiting process is starting earlier and earlier for sports across the board. While we believe it’s never too late, we also know the great advantage of getting involved in your recruitment early on.
Juggling
School. Sports. Family. Friends. And navigating your recruiting. It can feel like a juggling act. Don’t burn out: make lists, prioritize, and keep a calendar. When the things you need (and want) to do and get done are in front of you and organized on paper, they seem so much more manageable.
Knowing NCAA Rules and Regulations
Please. Please please please. Make sure you are up-to-date on the rules of the NCAA. No coach, parent or NCSA scout can help you combat being ineligible to play your sport in college because you didn’t fill out a FAFSA or verify your eligibility in the NCAA Eligibility Center. Knowing when you can contact a coach, take a visit, or have to have forms and other matters of compliance submitted is imperative to your recruitment.
Loving the Game
Never lose sight of one thing: all the joy the sport has brought to your life. If your sport begins to feel like a chore, take a time out and get back to what’s driving you – a love for the game, love for your teammates, love for the great impact sports has on you and your future.
Maximizing Every Opportunity
Maybe you’ve never heard of the coach or school that sent you an email. Maybe you just don’t feel like going to that optional morning workout. Maybe your cousin’s birthday party is the same day as the combine you registered to attend. These three things have a common thread – they are all opportunities to get ahead and get to the next level. Take advantage of every chance you get, and explore all your options while you can – it means sacrifice, but it is so worth it.
Eating & Nutrition
What you put into your body is your fuel for the day. I write about this all the time because it’s so important. Be conscientious about how you’re fueling yourself and take time to find meals and snacks that only enhance the hard work you do on the field and in school.
Feeling Optimistic
The point of this entire list is that you are in control of your own recruiting. Be kind, be positive, and be a bright light others like to be around and look up to.
Persisting
While we definitely suggest a certain set of guidelines when it comes to contacting coaches and college programs, the right amount of persistence can pay off in a huge way. Be confident in your abilities and what you could bring to a team, and don’t be afraid to contact coaches in the right way at the right times. It could be what gets you the look that gets you the scholarship.
