Follow Up

As a follow up to yesterday's post from Carmen Bucci, we would like to reiterate that any players that have been getting interest from recruiters via e-mail or letters, should take the time to respond with meaningful information. If a player was participating in a showcase or high profile tournament and had a good showing at these events, then recruiters may send out letters to prospects stating that they were impressed by what they saw at those events. A player may get several letters a piece from various colleges and their recruiters. Unfortunately, many players don't know what to do when they receive these letters and many are ignored altogether. Why? Players don't know how to repond to those letters and that's the focus of this post.

Thank Them
First, a player should tell the recruiters that he appreciates the interest and if it is a school he is interested in, he should tell them that he will be following their team as well and that their team is on his list of schools he wants to attend.

Send them Stats
Many recruiters are assistant coaches and don't have time to follow a players progress at high school games, so a player should send them his stats and highlights. They will apreciate the information. Remember, they sent the letter to the player becuase they saw something they liked at a weekend or weeklong event. However, they will still want to know how a player stands up over an entire high school season. This is the one time it's OK for a player to brag about himself a bit. The recruiting game is like a job interview. A player has to sell himself and convince the recruiters that he is the best choice for them.

Compliment Them
If a player is truly interested in a certain school, follow them on Gametracker and "watch" their games. Players should compliment them on their wins to show that he is genuinely interested in their school and has become a fan. This shows that the player is not only enthusiastic, but has a love for the game as well.

Do it Yourself
Players...you must take the initiative. Parents...don't do it for them. College is all about independence and self expression...this exercise is a great start to practice his future independence.