Meet a college coach? Me?!

So what if your name’s not always in the headlines! You may not be your team’s star player, but you are a solid utility player who plays because you love the sport. Even if a sports scholarship isn’t likely in your future, should you meet the coach of your intended sport?

Absolutely! Contacting college coaches can be helpful regardless of your scholarship potential. “Meeting with a potential coach in person is a must,” says Steve Coccimiglio, head basketball coach for Diablo Valley College. “Meeting in person is the beginning of a relationship that can be evaluated by both parties.”

Coaches may be able and willing to boost your chances of admission if the college is also a reasonable academic fit. “As a coach, I want to meet the athlete to see if I want him on the program,” says Mark Davis, head coach of varsity men’s crew at the University of California at San Diego. “If the recruit is the type of person we are looking for and will help us obtain the program’s goals, then I will do whatever I can to help him get into our school.”

Learn the team’s practice and game schedule to help you understand the weekly time commitment expected. Meeting the coach and attending a college practice is an opportunity to see how the coach works with the team, preview the level of competition, meet prospective teammates, see the facility and cement your decision about whether or not you want to commit to continuing your sport. Why not meet the coach and see what’s possible?

Q: Is there a chance you’d miss your sport if you decide not to play?
A: Don’t ask yourself this question on a cold rainy day after your team loses The Big One. Wait. After the season ends, when your Saturdays are empty, does it feel like there is a hole in your life? Do you miss your teammates? Do you miss working out? Do you yearn to have a tennis racket, baseball bat or lacrosse stick in your hands? If so, play that sport in college. The question is, at what level of competition should you play?

Q: What level of competition feels right?
A: Will a division I, II, or III college match your level of commitment? Competitive division I schools offer national recognition. There will be, however, time-consuming practices and exhausting overnight travel that can hurt your academics. Remember that some teams do not even play freshmen. Are you willing to ride the bench for a year? A division II or III sport may offer a comfortable level of competition with more playing time and less rigorous practice demands. If you have had your fill of sports practices, consider an intramural club sport for team camaraderie and the no-practice option.
Continuing your participation in any kind of sport can help your self-esteem. “There are a number of studies that indicate that women who are involved in sports have higher self-esteem and better grades than the average student,” says Pattie Pinkerton, head coach of the women’s varsity crew team at the University of California at San Diego.

Q: How do I find a team that fits my ability?
A: By your junior season, you probably have a sense of your talent. From last year’s teammates, you may also have a sense of collegiate competition levels and time commitments. Are you mentally tough? Are you the right body size for your sport in collegian competition? Or are you so good it doesn’t matter? Your current coach may

have some advice as to the level of competition that’s right for you, though a college coach may see potential that your high school coach did not. Don’t put your dreams aside if you disagree with your coach’s assessment. Consider that a California water polo player of average talent may look very good to an East Coast coach, or a left-handed goalie of any ability will look great to a coach who needs one. You won’t know until you ask.

Q: Where can I get information online?
A: www.ncaa.org: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) site offers an eligibility clearinghouse with information on recruiting. It also identifies NCAA sports by college. Two free publications, “A Guide for College Bound Athletes” and “The Student Athletic Transfer Guide,” can be ordered online or by calling

(800) 638-3731.

www.naia.org: The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) does for small colleges what the NCAA does for large ones. This site includes similar information as the NCAA site, with links that offer recruiting information for a variety of sports.

Keyword searches: Another way to explore your possibilities is to do a keyword search for your specific sport and recruiting together (for example, “softball AND recruiting”). Some sports have national associations that offer sites where you can post your sports résumé and indicate an interest in being recruited by any college. You will be asked detailed information regarding your height, weight, personal records within your sport, SAT score and major. Prospective coaches in need of players will contact you if they sense a match. Ask last year’s graduating players for insight as to which sites are hot and which are not. The e-mails you’ll get from college coaches can be quite flattering, leaving you with a good they-want-ME feel.

Q: Where can I get printed information?
A: Try Peterson’s Sports Scholarships and College Athletic Programs. This reference book (available free from your guidance counselor or public library) lists NCAA scholarships from bowling to wrestling and is divided by division, gender and state. Information changes rapidly, so always double-check printed information directly with the colleges.

Q: How can I contact the coach?
A: College Web sites often have online recruiting forms for varsity sports and the e-mail addresses of freshmen coaches. When e-mailing, it is wise to write to the freshmen coach and copy the other coaches. Novice coaches change rapidly, and Web sites are not always updated. In your e-mail, include the name of your high school, semester and year that you intend to start college and your team position. Close with your name, full mailing address and phone number. Rigid NCAA guidelines restrict the method (phone, mail, etc.), the number and the timing of the contacts a coach may make to prospective athletes. It does not restrict athlete-initiated contacts. Start contacting programs in your junior year of high school and see what happens.

Q: How do I get coaches to notice me?
A: Ask for advice from your current coaches and last year’s graduating players. Sending a prospective coach a professionally videotaped play was once common in soccer. Find out what is standard for your specific sport. A friendly e-mail may be a better way to start a relationship.

Q: When should I meet the coach?
A: When you plan your college campus tours, save time in your day to meet the coach. Two to three weeks before your visit, e-mail the coach and request to see the facility on the day of your campus tour. Remember that many coaches are on 10-month contracts and won’t be available to you in the summer. NCAA guidelines allow contacts between the coaches and prospective players after July 1 between your junior and senior years. Before that date, contacts are more heavily regulated to protect coaches from overwhelming students. But at any time, a student can request a facility tour.

Touring the facility will give you a sense of a program. Is the equipment modern, orderly and well kept? Are there trophies or other symbols of achievements? Are there weight-training facilities? Trainers? Is there evidence of a team personality? Is there evidence of alumni support? Can you imagine yourself as a part of this team

Q: What should I ask for when I contact a coach?
A: Ask to attend a day of classes with a team member while you’re visiting campus. Following a typical day will give you a sense of a college athlete’s schedule.

Ask to attend a team practice. By the end of the day, make sure you have spent enough time with the coach to figure out if this is someone you want to work with. If so, ask the coach directly if he or she is able to offer any help in the application process.

Q: Is there any other reason I should meet the coach?
A: Yes: Because you can. With increasing competition for admission, can you really afford not to try every angle available? You may be surprised by the scholarships available. Colleges offer full and partial sports scholarships as well as academic, departmental and need-based scholarships, often with coach input. With or without scholarships, as an athlete, you may qualify for free tutoring and priority class registration.

Students who take the time to meet a coach generally come away with a decision. They do or don’t want to put time into their sport in college. Coming to that decision alone is a reason to meet the coach. “By all means, contact the coaches involved in your sport, and check out the culture of the universities you are looking at,” says Pinkerton. “Good luck!”

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