The Recruiting Process is Like Finding a Job

When a person graduates from college, gets a degree and sets out to tackle the real world, employers aren't lined up at his front door looking to jump at the chance of hiring him. Not in this economy. A graduate has to create a resume, send it out to hundreds of potential employers, call and set up the interview, secure the interview, nail that interview, and then follow up several times until he gets an answer....and keep doing this time and time again until he gets lucky enough to land that job.

Ditto that for the recruiting process. A high school athlete must create a recruiting profile complete with video of his skills, send it out or more preferably, create a web site or web based recruiting system to make it as easy as possible for many coaches to view. He must then follow up and call those coaches to see if they received it and if so, thank them for viewing it. This can happen anytime in the recruiting process. While NCAA rules prohibit coaches from calling or e-mailing recruits prior to July 1 after their junior year, there are no restrictions for a recruit to call or e-mail a coach. In fact, it is smart to get the attention of the coaches early...get on their radar...let them know that you have no fear in calling and letting them know of your desire to play at the next level...just be prepared to back it up.

After you have had the chance to "interview" with coaches, start a e-mail campaign to keep them informed of your progress, increased work ethic and dedication to being better throughout your High School and summer season. Then, continue to play hard and often, because that is how it will be in college. There is no down time in the college baseball season. You will be on the field or in the weight room from the first day of school to the last...then be assigned to a collegiate wood bat league that summer. Show a coach that you can handle that while still in High School, and have consecutive productive seasons, then an offer or offers could be in the cards.

Like finding a job, a recruit needs to be proactive and contact the coach, because unless you are a high profile blue chip that everyone knows about, chances are the coaches will not know about or seek you out. There are just too many other players out there today proactively marketing themselves through College Development teams, showcases, camps and recruitment web sites...getting their name out there...marketing themselves like a product on a TV commercial...and you know what? It works...

So...take the initiative...be a self starter and be proactive and start contacting the coaches...but only if you have the talent level for that coach and his team...more on this later....