CHECKLIST: 10 Tips for Unsigned Seniors
What to Expect: Year-by-Year
Q: I didn’t have a good junior year, is there any way I can get looks my senior year? Is junior year the most important year?
A: Yes, recruiting can pick up or even begin your senior year. If you have little or no interest after your junior year you have a few options. The most important things to remember if you are in this situation are that you must be willing to do the footwork on your own (do the research, make up to hundreds …
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Q: What grade should I start going to college camps?
A: It’s perfectly fine to wait to go to camps the summer before your senior year. If you are an elite, top prospect in your state, you may be encouraged to attend camps the summer before your junior or sophomore year. If financially possible, attending camps prior to your junior or even sophomore season are a great way to help …
Q: When a team sends you a questionnaire, what does that mean? Will they recruit me?
A: If a coach has sent you a questionnaire (one that you did not request), that’s a good first sign. Coaches send questionnaires to players they’ve heard SOMETHING about. You may have been recommended by your coach, attended a local/national combine and had good measureables (height, weight, speed) or were impressive in a game or tournament a coach was scouting. …
Q: When is the best time to contact NCAA coaches?
A: A few answers to this question… Best time of day: Between 11am-2pm (local time) on their office phone. College coaches may not be in their office the whole time, but most coaches will be in their office at some point during this window—eating lunch, returning phone calls, responding to emails and getting ready for practice or workouts. Best time …
Q: When is it legal to send emails or videos to a college coach?
A: Any time. High school prospective student-athletes can call or email college coaches at any time at their own expense. The rules only apply to when coaches are able to contact prospective student-athletes or their families. You can reach out to them at any time! Realistically, if you don’t have any offers, it’s best to wait until your junior season. …
Q: My daughter is a junior and a DII coach said if she’s not recruited by D1 schools by now that she never will be. True?
A: Everyone’s situation is different and college coaches are constantly evaluating talent and trying to find the best players available. From my experiences, there is no such thing as “too late” to coaches (even Division I coaches) if they think a prep player can help their team win. Period. Timing is important in the recruiting process—a program may only need …
Q: What grade do college coaches start looking at you?
A: While they can’t contact you until sometime around your junior year (it varies by sport), coaches are researching and compiling lists of top sophomores and freshmen, sometimes even younger. Coaches work off a list of players that they are recruiting, let’s call it their ‘Watch List.’ They are constantly adding and subtracting names from their personal list and begin …
Signed, Sealed & Delivered: Advice for Scholarship Signees and Invited Walk-Ons
The NLI is signed! But… this is not the end of the process for you– it’s just the beginning: #1– No matter how talented you are, you didn’t get to this point alone. Now is the time to thank your parents, siblings, coaches, family members, mentors, teammates and friends who have helped and supported you along the way. #2– No …