All these emails, letters, cards, phone calls and Unofficial Visits won’t mean much at the end of the day, unless they lead to scholarship offers, right?
Coaches put a ton of time into evaluations. They watch several games, try to see you play in person, contact several coaches and sources in the area to find out more about you as a person AND athlete. It’s a process, and they can keep their eyes on you for months before deciding to offer a scholarship.
“Interest” means they’ve seen or heard something about you from a trusted source, and have added you to their “Watch List.” Coaches are gathering info from several sources, combines and camps. They cast a huge net with each recruiting class (and position group within each class), to identify the best possible prospects for their system, university and team.
Beyond athletic ability, coaches are looking at leadership, morals, toughness and other intangibles. Can you become really great at a certain skill that can help lead to wins? Can you become a better blocker, defender, rebounder or help by creating turnovers? Sure, coaches are looking for scorers, but they’re also looking for other difference-makers that can help them win. Can you develop better skills, speed, strength and a specific “difference-maker” ability? Look at the pros at your position—the elite players are usually masters of one specific skill.
It’s difficult to be patient, but you have to understand it’s an in-depth process with most head coaches wanting input from several of the assistant coaches before making offer decisions.
