NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

 Now how does this relate to the recruiting process? In a big way! Trust me!

Many of you will be making unofficial visits as the school year progresses. For most of you this will be your first personal encounter with various college coaches, and most important event indeed.

How you present yourself may determine if a school continues to show interest in you. This first encounter impression can actually be of a most significant determiner that may place you in a priority position with the coaching staff.  My advice is to use the visit to separate yourself from the field.

For many years I greeted young people and their families as they entered the initial reception venue.  I would automatically begin to put together a puzzle and pieces of that puzzle that would either fit for our program or would be set aside for another program.

Remember this: If I decide that I am going to recruit you, I have decided that I am willing and enthusiastic to have you join my program and yes, to live with you for the next four years. We will live in the same dorm for camp, we will travel on the same airplanes and buses, you will spend a great deal of time in my office and on special occasions you will visit my home.

I can assure you that every person from the school that you visit may and will have some opinion of you as a person. It may be the security guard in the area that you park, it may be the people in the catering department that serve the lunch, it may be a recruiting secretary who presents you with visitors credentials, it may be the ticket department where you sign for your tickets, and in a most important way it may be the academic people or the admissions people. All of these people and more assist the athletic programs on weekends and evenings because they have a vested interest in athletics and want to help. Each and every one of the aforementioned departments communicates with the athletic department and can actually be a part of an evaluation meeting when your time on campus is over. Why take a chance of doing anything but making a great impression from the minute you arrive until the time that you depart. How do you make that great initial impression? Here a few important and fundamental suggestions from me and our staff at NCSA.

First, let’s talk a bit about the goals of the visit. What do I want to accomplish on this trip? The answer is that your goals should be to present yourself in a manner that permits the particular school not only to continue to recruit you, but to make it so positive that they “need” to recruit you. Arrive well rested, enthusiastic and most of all “on time.” If the trip calls for a two hour car ride give yourself three hours. If you have slept on the way, stop before arriving on campus and give yourself time to refresh and adjust yourself, so when you arrive you don’t look like you just got out of bed. Bring along your itinerary so you know exactly where to go, where to park and where to meet the coaches and staff. Also get cell phone numbers or contact numbers of the coach and staff members who are your contact people. Unavoidable travel delays make cause you to be late. Calling to let the coaches know of the delay shows a sense of responsibility and care, and reflects fine character.

When you meet are introduced to people give a firm hand shake and look them in the eye, and yes practice this greeting before you leave. Once again, practice the firm handshake and greeting before you leave. Sounds like a bit of peculiar coaching?  Perhaps, but why take a chance that this will not make a difference. I have been on the other end of the initial “sleep walk” introduction and I did not like it!

What should you wear? Before I write another word. Leave the jewelry at home! This not a fashion show. This is a business trip that may influence the next forty years of your life. If you are wearing a cap, wear it with the lid directly in front, wear it like Derek Jeter wears his Yankee cap.  Caps on backwards or off to the side for me in this venue are unacceptable. You do not need a tuxedo or suit for the visit, just wear clothing that is neat and creates a good impression. If you have to ask yourself, should I really wear this? Don’t!

Next, shut off your cell phone! Again, shut off your cell phone! Never, ever take a call on your cell phone while someone is speaking to you or when your are in an audience. There will be time to check your messages, and anyway what could be more important than the mission at hand.

Who do I bring with me on the visit? My suggestion is a parent or guardian. Someone who can assist you or coach you during the visit, or someone who will be a part of your decision making process, perhaps your high school coach or an assistant coach who you are close to.

It is obviously acceptable for a young man to have a girlfriend or a young lady to have a boyfriend, but for this trip leave them at home. I am not attempting to be rude, but explain to that important person in your life that this is a business trip and that you will share the details of the trip with them when you arrive at home. Why do I say this? I have stood in front of large groups on unofficial visits and have watched as I spoke young men talking to their girlfriends during the presentations, I have watched as my academic people spoke and the same distraction occurred.

This is a business trip. As you move from one presentation to another, remember to sit straight up in your chair, both feet on the ground and if the venue calls for it ask questions. Especially in the academic segment. Show strong interest in academics. It is important.

Finally enjoy the trip. Attempt to remember names of people that you have met. Ask various people for their calling or business cards. Keep those cards, and yes even drop a note or email of thank you. That gesture could make a huge difference. Lastly, thank the coaches for their invitation and let them know that you appreciated the opportunity. And once again a note or email of thank you will go a long way. If for some reason you have to leave a game early for many reasons let someone in authority know, don’t let an early departure suggest that you have lost interest. Follow these suggestions and the trip home will find you confident that your first chance at a good impression was successful! Good luck and know that I and the NCSA staff are here for you should other questions arise.

Coach C. Bob Chmiel

In our final part of this series next week, I’ll talk about the questions that you should be ready to expect from the college coaches you are visiting, and how to make the most of the answers you give them. -Chris Krause

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 at 2:15 pm and is filed under Athletic Scholarships, Visits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.