Are You Tired of Form Letters? So are College Coaches!
July 20th, 2009 - byA common complaint that we receive from student-athletes is that the majority of the letters they receive from college coaches tend to be generic and impersonal. It is amazing how a personal contact from a college coach can influence a recruit’s opinion of that school. In fact, we have noticed that some recruits who have seemed dead set on attending a DI university completely change their tune by receiving a simple phone call from a DIII coach. Everyone wants to be wanted, and understandably the personal touch goes a long way towards impressing a recruit.
What most recruits do not realize is that the same line of thinking holds true in reverse. College coaches receive an awful lot of information from potential recruits interested in their program. Unfortunately, some of the information can seem just as general and broad as the form letters that the coaches send to recruits.
What does this mean?
Get personal! If you are writing a letter to a college coach, make sure to individualize the letter for that college coach. Do some research beforehand and learn about the program and school. Express specifically what interests you about the college and why you might be a good fit for the program. If you talk to a college coach, make the conversation memorable by being more prepared than the other recruits that coach is talking to. When going on a visit, try to stand out by displaying the ability to effectively communicate and fit in with not only the coach but also the rest of the team.
An evaluation is made by both the college coach and the recruit after every single form of correspondence. That particular step in the process is either going to make the college or recruit more or less attractive. Keep that in mind the next time you are going to communicate with a college coach!
