Sample Email to College Coaches
Email has become the preferred method for introducing yourself to college coaches. Just having talent, playing for a travel team and attending showcases does not guarantee you will get discovered. Using email and some hard work, you can ensure college coaches know who you are and how to contact you.
The recruiting process is starting earlier than ever. In an effort to lock up the most talented recruits, the top colleges are recruiting and offering scholarships to athletes in the 8th and 9th grade. NCAA rules prohibit coaches from initiating contact with a recruit before their junior year of high school, but, they can talk to you if you if you contact them first.
Email is just an introduction
The email you send to a coach should serve as just an introduction. You want to show the coach you have researched their program, have the potential to be a college athlete and a give them a schedule of where they can watch you.
Guidelines for Emailing Coaches
Personalize each email – If you don't take the time to personalize the email to the coach, they won't take the time to respond. College coaches receive hundreds of emails each week. They can tell when an athlete has taken the time to write them a personalized email and when someone is using a form letter, just changing the name of the coach and school.
Include the contact information for your coaches – If you are emailing a college coach before they are allowed to respond to your email, they need the contact information for your coaches so they can let them know they are interested. Here is how it works, you email the college coach, and if they are interested, they will contact your coach and let your coach know when to call them so you can talk.
Just your basic athletic and academic information – Coaches don't expect you to be a college ready athlete when you email them; they just need to see that you have potential. Include your basic info, there is no need to detail every award or stat from the last few years.
Let them know where you will be competing – Second to your contact information, coaches need to know where/when they can watch you in person. Coaches bring a list of athletes they want to watch at a tournament or showcase; they don't go there hoping to discover talent. They need to know where you are playing so they can add you to their list of players to watch.
Template for Emailing College Coaches
Dear [Coach's Name],
My name is [Your Name], I am part of the class of [Your Graduating Class] at [Your High School] in [Your Hometown and State]. I am interested in [The Name of The University] and learning more about your program.
[Include information here about the research you did into their program]
I play [List your position or best events here and the name of your team]. Some of my best accomplishments to date are [list your top two or three best times, awards or recognitions]. You can view my complete online profile here [Link to your online profile if you have one]. Here is a link to my highlight tape [link to your online highlight tape]. Please feel free to contact my coach(s) [List the email and phone number for your high school and/or club team coach]. Here is my schedule:
Date Location Name of Event My Team Name
2/22/2014 Sacramento, CA Elite 7-on-7 Tournament Nor-Cal All-Stars
[List your GPA and test scores here if you have taken them]. [Talk about what you like about the academic reputations of the school].
I will be following up this email with a phone call. I look forward to hearing back from you and learning more about your program.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Email]
[Phone]
[Address]
Use This Checklist Before You Send Your Email
Have a professional sounding email address – Creating a new email account is free; there is no excuse for emailing a coach using your baller420@aol.com email address. Make it something simple with just your name and graduating class johndoe2015@gmail.com.
The title needs to make the coach want to open it – Include your name, position and graduating class in the email. Coaches appreciate being able to tell what the email is about in the title. For more on that, go here.
Do proper research – You should know things like if there are athletes from your hometown on the roster, how many upper classman at your position, the team's record and the athletic background of the athletes currently on the team.
Collect the coach's email and phone number – There are several ways to get a coaches email address. You can use our free recruiting profile or go to the athletic website and look for the staff directory. Here is how to find a coaches contact information.
Spell Check and use proper grammar – This is not the time to use "text speak". Have someone read the email before you send it.
Follow up your email with a phone call – The phone is the best way to get a hold of a coach, you should follow up you email with a phone call.
No comments:
Post a Comment