How Do You Get College Coaches To Come To Your Game?

If a college coach has met you in person, or watched one of your games, you will have a much higher chance of receiving a scholarship offer from their programs. As a prospect who is doing their best to navigate the recruiting process, or the parent of such a prospect, I am sure you are wondering how best to get college coaches to come to your games.

The most valuable thing you can do is simply to develop relationships with coaches at the programs you are interested in. If a coach doesn’t know a lot about you, or has not watched your film/highlight videos, it is very unlikely that they will go out of their way to attend your game. It is important to remember that, with the increasingly large role technology plays in the recruiting process, coaches around the country are becoming more comfortable with evaluating recruits remotely. It’s not uncommon for recruits to receive offers from coaches who have never seen them play in person.

Despite the fact that getting coaches to come to your games is not the end-all be-all of recruiting, it still plays an important role in how most coaches evaluate prospects. It gives you a chance to impress them with your play, while also giving you an opportunity to get to know them better. By following the steps below, you can give yourself the best chance of getting college coaches to come to your games.

Tips For Getting College Coaches To Come To Your Games

The main reason many college coaches have a hard time attending recruits’ games is because of the time they need to invest in planning their visit. They are very busy, and often can’t find a way to free up their schedule to travel to your game. For this reason, the trick to getting college coaches to come to your game is to make the process as easy, and as valuable as possible for them.

Be Proactive: Typically, college coaches only attend high school games if they are scouting a specific recruit they are already familiar with. You will not get exposure to college coaches if you do not jumpstart the recruiting process by reaching out to them. The easiest way to do this is by sending an introductory email. You can also interact with them on various social media platforms.

Its Role In The Evaluation Process: Many recruits believe that the evaluation process can’t begin until the coach sees you play in-person. This is not true. In fact, a coach watching you in person is much closer to the end of the evaluation process than the beginning. Before coming to your game, coaches will want to see highlight videos, in addition to longer sections of film. They rely on this information to determine whether they are interested in attending your game. This means it is essential that you put together a well-made highlight video and send it to the coach at the programs you are interested in as early in the recruiting process as possible.

Give Them Options: This is one of the easiest things you can do to increase your chances of getting a coach to come to one of your games. When asking, include your schedule for the entire season. You never know what time might work best for the coach. If you only tell them about one or two games, it greatly increases the chances that they have a direct schedule conflict. If your team is playing in any tournaments be sure to highlight those games – tournaments are often easier for college coaches to attend because of how many potential recruits will be playing.

Get Help From Your Coaches: Your high school or club coach can be a very valuable resource in getting college coaches to attend your game. Many high school coaches have developed relationships with college coaches, especially if you are interested in local schools. They may be able to help you get into contact with various college coaches, greatly increasing the chances that they will be willing to come watch you play in person.

There is no exact science to getting college coaches to come to your games. By giving them options and providing them with the resources they need to begin evaluating you remotely, you give yourself the best chance of getting them to attend.

What Can I Do As A Parent?

Often, parents wish they could be more involved in the recruiting process, but aren’t sure how to involve themselves. While it may seem like there is not a lot you can do when it comes to getting coaches to attend your child’s games, this is not true.

Be Consistently Supportive: The recruiting process can be challenging for high schoolers to handle. Your biggest role as a parent is to remain upbeat and encourage your child. They will most likely not receive a response from every school they reach out to, so it is up to you to encourage them to continue reaching out and getting to know college coaches.

Keep Them On Track: The more organized your child is, the more likely it is that they will experience success in the recruiting process. Help them keep a list of schools they are interested in and coaches they are in contact with. Additionally, encourage them to set aside a specific block of time each week to respond and reach out to coaches.

Film As Many Games As You Can: As a parent the most practical thing you can do is film all of your child’s games. If they have more film to choose from, they can create much more appealing highlight videos to send to college coaches. This, in turn, will increase the chances that a college coach is interested enough in your kid to come watch them play in person. Be sure to use a high-quality camera and some sort of tripod/stand to ensure that the footage is clear and usable.

While it is important that you allow your child to be in control of the recruiting process, there is a lot you can do from a supporting role. In addition to driving them to games and practices and keeping them organized, you can help them create high quality film to send to coaches across the country.

Impressing Coaches At Tournaments

For the majority of recruits, the majority of their in-person exposure to college coaches will come at large tournaments, where high school prospects are gathered in a high concentration – attracting coaches from around the area. Here are some tips for standing out at these events.

Reach Out Beforehand: If you want a coach to single you out at a tournament, you need to reach out to them before. This will ensure that they know who you are, and greatly increase the chances of them taking notice of you. In the email, include your jersey number, schedule, and team name. Additionally, write a sentence or two explaining your interest in their specific program.

Be A Team Leader: At a showcase, coaches are watching dozens of players in a short period of time. While it is obviously important that you play well, coaches are just as likely to take note of your attitude and role on the team. Throughout the tournament, carry yourself professionally and do your best to encourage your teammates.

Follow Up Afterwards: After the showcase, follow up with the coaches at programs you are interested in. Thank them for taking the time to watch you play, and reaffirm your interest in their program. This will show them you are taking the recruiting process, and their program, seriously.

While these steps are most relevant for tournaments or showcases, they apply to any situation where a coach watched you play in person. Additionally, if you know beforehand a coach is coming to watch you play, be sure to research their program. They may want to talk to you either before or after the game and will be impressed if it is clear that you came prepared.

Things To Keep Mind

Reach Out To Lots Of Coaches: The reality of the recruiting process is that not every program you reach out to will be interested in you. For this reason, keep your options open and consider a wide variety of schools. The more coaches you reach out to, the more likely you will generate recruiting interest.

Try Not To Be Nervous: It is natural to be nervous when you see a college coach at your game, especially if it is for the first or second time. Do your best to relax and focus on the game.

Be Persistent: College coaches are busy people. There is a decent chance they won’t respond to your email asking them to attend one of your games. Don’t be afraid to send a second email to them, reaffirming your interest in their program and reminding them of your upcoming schedule.