Gettin’ Schooled with Grayson: Should I Contact a Coach?
Over the past ten weeks, Grayson Williams-Krebs has been an outstanding addition to the CoachUp family as a hard-working intern that knows the passion required to play sports after high school. Although she’s headed back to the West Coast for her senior year at the University of Puget Sound and the final preseason of her career, we realized that Grayson should continue her work with us outside of the office. That’s why we’re launching a new series called Gettin’ Schooled with Grayson!
Check back every other week as Grayson will detail her journey through collegiate sports, answer the tough questions, and help athletes that need inspiration along the way!
Question #1: How do I know if I’m ready for the next level?
Question #2: The Must-Know Terms of Recruitment
Question #3: Should I contact a coach? What do I say? How do I find these email addresses? How many should I reach out to?
Believe it or not, the recruiting process is a two-way street. Even if you’re an elite, five-star athlete, you’ll still need to put yourself out there and take control of the situation. More or less, this means that, yes, schools are trying to recruit you, but you are also recruiting schools as well. Some schools may contact you first, but you need to your homework too, particularly so if you have certain places in mind.
Of course, it should go without saying, but you cannot expect your dream school to call you up and offer a spot on the team. Just as you’ve worked so hard on the field for an opportunity like this, you’ve got to work just as hard off of it in order to land where you truly belong. An easy first step in this process is to reach out to coaches by email.
To find a coach’s email address, generally speaking, you can go to the team’s website and it will have contact information listed there. In addition, if you’re competing in a showcase or tournament where college coaches will be attending, you can often find a list of attending coaches on the appropriate website. If you can’t find a coach’s email, don’t forget to utilize your high school connections as they’ve gone through the process before and might have the missing information.
(Don’t forget to make sure you’re contacting coaches within the correct window period!)
How many coaches you reach out to is up to you — there is no right or wrong answer! If you’re just starting the recruitment process, it’s a good idea to cast a wide net initially, especially if you’re unsure of what you want. As a side note, just make sure that you’re not sending out mass emails. You definitely want to personalize your email based on the coach and school that you are reaching out to — so do a little research!
In your email, you want to sell yourself to the coach. Let the coach know your basic information, including: high school, club team, age, and position. In addition, you’ll want to list your athletic experiences and achievements, going into detail as to how you’d add value to the team. Explain your goals, aspirations, and how that particular school can help you reach them.
Finally, if you have a highlight video, send that their way too! You could even contact the college coach with your upcoming game schedule if the school is in close proximity. Either way, the takeaway is this: the recruitment process is a tricky sea to navigate.
So if you’re a teenager looking for some direction, don’t be afraid to reach out to as many coaches as possible to gauge your options. Be creative, be courteous, and be enticing — you never know whose eye your email might catch!
Until next time,
GWK
