In the last issue of
SkipShot, I focused on the new NCAA recruiting rules which took effect Aug. 1. Since the prime recruiting season is underway for juniors and seniors, this is a good time to review the best practices for contacting and communicating with college coaches—and especially how to get on coaches' radars.
After registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center—and subject to the new NCAA rules reviewed in my last "Shooting for College" column—student-athletes can contact coaches at colleges they believe they might like to attend. Visit the College Directory on USAWP's website (
http://www.usawaterpolo.org/resources/college-directory.html) for links to men's and women's collegiate water polo programs. Look at team rosters to see if you know anyone, such as former high school or club teammates—. Then feel free to contact them to get information about schools, teams, coaches, and schedules so you can attend events in your area or—again, subject to new NCAA rules—visit campuses. Click on the recruiting tab and complete and submit the prospective athlete questionnaire. Click on the coach page for information about coaching staffs, including contact information. Send head coaches emails introducing yourself and expressing interest in the schools and water polo programs. Remember: There is no such thing as being "discovered"—you need to let coaches know you exist and are re interested in their schools and programs.
If a member of a school's coaching staff replies and asks for unofficial transcripts, copies of standardized test score results, or other information, respond promptly and send the requested information (scan and send by e-mail or fax). This is an indication that the coaching staff is interested in learning more about you. Once the line of communication is open, send periodic updates about significant events, such as if your team wins a major tournament, league, or section championship, if you've earned good grades for the semester, scored well on a standardized test, received post-season honors or recognition, and so forth. Use good judgment and write at appropriate intervals—in other words, don't view a request for information as an invitation to become the coach's pen pal! Also, assistant coaches often are in charge of recruiting, so they may be the ones to respond to inquiries addressed to the head coach and screen prospective student-athletes, organize recruiting events, and so forth. Therefore be sure to treat them with the same respect, respond promptly, and otherwise give their requests the same attention you would give to communications from head coaches.
Be careful about sending videos of yourself. A DVD or YouTube video containing game (not practice!) highlights—demonstrating a range of your offensive and defensive skills, labeled to identify the opposing team, and explain what you're trying to emphasize—may help a coach understand your capabilities, especially if the coach is unable to observe any live games. Be sure to keep it short (maximum of 4-5 minutes) and tasteful—remember, coaches get a lot of inquiries from prospective recruits and have limited time to review materials they receive. If a video clip of you in action appears in an online column, consider including a link to the clip in your next correspondence.
If your team is scheduled for a competition a coach might attend, invite the coach to watch you play (don't forget to include your cap number in the invitation!). But remember—off-campus meetings are strictly regulated by the NCAA, may be subject to NCAA mandated black-out periods, and the coach must carefully follow instructions from the school's compliance officer to avoid violating any rules. So be respectful of and comply with restrictions the coach must observe.
Finally, remember that coaching is a job, and that coaches may change jobs or leave their positions, so don't get too attached to a particular coach or rely too heavily on promises made—use common sense. If a new coach comes on board, you may have to restart the process of getting acquainted. Also, don't forget that
only authorized admissions officers can make offers of admission to college. Coaches may be able to support student-athletes throughout the application and admissions process, but they don't make the final admissions decisions.
Questions? Write to Angela Kraus at angela@shootingforcollege.info. Angela Kraus is an experienced and certified college counselor who focuses on advising high school athletes as they navigate the athletic recruiting process, with emphasis on water polo players.
