Advice for your students that want to play sports in College

Many of your students will harbor dreams of playing sports in College. The 5 star athletes won’t have any issues as they will have coaches coming after them in droves. What about the other kids though that are good athletes, but not super stars? Many of these students will want to play sports but may not be sure how to get on the radar.

A recent article in USA Today discussed what to include in the first e-mail correspondence to the coach. Tips include:

* There is no combination of words in an email that will generate interest from a college coach if your student isn’t contacting the appropriate schools. Therefore, the student really needs an honest assessment of his/her abilities and then they have to search for colleges where they have a realistic chance to make the roster. Identifying all the college options that fit your students academic and athletic profile is the most difficult and the most important part of the recruiting process. That being said, a compelling email and a link to the students highlight video might open the door for many college coaches across the country who currently know nothing about them.

* They recommend that your student reach out to at least 30 colleges. The student should develop a spreadsheet that tracks progress with each college they have contacted. Make sure your student sends follow-up emails and get the current coach involved in the process. This information needs to be included in the spreadsheet, so your student knows where they stand in the process.

* The E-mail should be personalized and specific. The salutation should have the coach’s last name. Specific statistics should be included (not just that he is fast), a brief description of his academic profile should be included and make sure there are no typos. Finally, there are many other specific items that can be included. Remember, your student is trying to pique the interest of the college coach.

There is no magical formula for an effective email, but it is important to be specific, respectful and polite. Those three things go a long way with college coaches. When your student sends an email to a college coach be confident, but not arrogant. Make sure to be polite and respectful and don’t ask about a scholarship. The more your student can personalize the email, the better it will be received. Finally, have someone proof it before hitting send!