When Should I Start The Recruiting Process?

While every college program and college coach has their own unique timeline, across-the-board the recruiting process is happening earlier and earlier for student-athletes.  

Typically, Division I programs have the most accelerated timeline.  If you want to play at this level, it’s never too early to message these coaches and start getting feedback on which programs may be interested in you. Do this by sending messages--even if just to introduce yourself--and tracking which programs view your profile, or watch your video. It is important for these college coaches to know who you are and the fact that you are interested in their program.

If you aren’t sure what schools you’re interested in but know you want to play a sport in college, now is a great time to begin your process. This can be a long process. Be sure to build out your profile with all the pertinent information a coach needs to know about you.  Researching which schools might interest you is the next step. Perfecting your Favorites List is not important at this stage. Now is the time to explore what schools could be options down the road. Good thing we have a tool to help you out with this!

Be sure to notify your club/high school coaches when you initiate your process. These individuals are great to get feedback on what schools/levels to pursue and may even be willing to reach out to a coach on your behalf.

Finding the right school for you starts with research and ends with frequent, proactive communication. Contact schools with meaningful updates during your student-athlete career. Reach out to share things like a new video on your profile, an uptick in your GPA for the quarter, or an accolade you received from your high school season. The more times you actively reach out, the better chance you discover who is interested (i.e. multiple profile and/or video views, coming to watch you play live or reaching out to your club/high school coach). Basically, you need to put yourself out there to see results.  Consistently reach out to your target schools and you’ll find a thrill and excitement to every *ding* from your phone telling you who is looking at your recruiting information, watching your video, or downloading your transcripts.