A: If you’re interested in attending school out of state, and they’re not coming to you… go to them!
One of the first overall decisions to think about during the recruiting process is: do you want to go to school close to home, or do you want to experience another part of the country? If you grew up in the Midwest, does playing on the East Coast or West Coast excite you? If you’re from the South, do you want to move up North and experience winters or move to the mountains of California? Where is your heart drawn to?
No matter where you are looking to go to college, remember the #1 rule is that in order for a coach/school to be interested in offering you a scholarship, they need to see you play—either in person or on film. So get your film together (for most sports) and your Student-Athlete Resume and begin reaching out to programs you are interested in!
Ultimately, of the “8 Reasons Why Players May Be Recruited” – some are more cost-effective than others (or FREE!)- so check out your options, and find ways to get noticed by coaches, at any location.
Most schools focus on keeping the best players in the state… in the state. Ultimately though, coaches want to sign the best player to each position possible, whether they are in-state or out-of-state.
All schools vary on the amount of attention, finances and time they spend on recruiting players out-of-state, and especially how much attention they spend on recruiting nationwide. Some schools may have the budget to send coaches on crosscountry flights on a regular basis, and to fly recruits in from around the country for Official Visits—and others don’t! Many schools focus on recruiting only within a 5-hour driving radius of their campus, and depend on other potential players with interest in their program to contact them first.
If a certain area, conference or school interests you—go ahead and reach out to them! If they’re interested, the process will move forward after they’ve gotten a chance to see you play!
