One of the most important things that you can do as a high school athlete who wants to play sports at the collegiate level is to get in touch with as many coaches as possible. Once these coaches have you on their radar, it can exponentially help your recruiting process and increase your chances of playing at the next level. So, how does one go about getting that information?

Resources to Get Information on Coaches and Programs

Getting in contact with any college coaching staff member may seem like a daunting task to any high school athlete, but in reality, it's straightforward! In an article posted by USA Today's High School Sports section, many myths about contacting collegiate coaches have been debunked. As the article states, most coaches will have their contact information (Email address or Phone number) located on the team's athletic website. For larger programs, coaches may have a recruiting director that you can contact, which will put you in touch with a member of the coaching staff. 

Which Coaches Should I Be Reaching Out To?

When trying to get in touch with coaches, it may be more challenging to contact the Head Coach of the program, since Head Coaches usually bear the most responsibility and could be busy when trying to communicate with them. The better option would be to try and contact a position coach. Although busy as well, Position coaches do not have the burden of carrying the entire program on their shoulders and will more than likely have at least some time allotted in their day to be able to speak with you.

Communication is Key!

According to a statistic by the National Federation of High School Athletics, “there are more than 15.2 million high school athletes and only 2,200 colleges with athletic programs.” Therefore, as you can see, it is not easy to get recruited to the next level. The biggest key to this process is communication. You will want to try and communicate with as many coaches as possible to let them know that you are not only interested in their program, but that you are taking the time and effort to follow up with these coaches and letting them know that your interest in their program is legitimate. One thing coaches hate the most is to feel like they are having their time wasted. If you can be a successful communicator with coaches and reach out to enough programs and members of the coaching staff, you will significantly increase your chances of playing at the next level.

Finding out the necessary information to contact college coaches is very accessible. Most of the data should be on the athletic website, and there should be a multitude of coaches in the directory should the Head Coach be busy. Assistant coaches and position coaches are great resources to speak to as well, and it's important to always remember to be communicating efficiently and effectively with these coaches to maximize your chances of success in playing at the next level. Just remember, just because the information is accessible does not mean it is easy; being a competent communicator is a huge part of showing these coaches you have what it takes and are willing to buy into their programs.

Resources: Athletic Quest, USA Today HSS

* Originally published on July 22, 2021, by Jay Korman