Calling College Coaches
I want to skip ahead to this topic for two reasons. The first is that after reviewing many of the survey responses, calling coaches was one of the topics that people wish they could have had more help with. The second is it is almost that time for many sports where players are going to have to be picking up the phone to call coaches.
Calling coaches is probably one of the scariest parts of the recruiting process. You may think that a coach doesn’t want to talk to you, that you are annoying them, you will sound stupid or you don’t know what to say. Well, to start you are NOT annoying the coach. Receiving calls from players is something that coaches do all the time. It is a crucial part of the recruiting process that you CANNOT leave out. Yes it is scary, and you don’t want to sound stupid, but picking up the phone means a lot to a coach. Plus, since they do this all the time they KNOW how scary this is for you and are very understanding over the phone. In fact, they will probably carry most of the conversation for you. They are professionals, and they will help you through the call. But, even after knowing this it will probably take you 30-45 min to muster up the confidence to press send ( I know it took me that long), which is why I made this post! So, without further ado, here is everything you need to know about marketing yourself through the phone and communicating with college coaches.
Some things to remember before you call:
-Remember to review the rules regarding how coaches can contact you depending on what grade you are in.
-For more information on this and an easy to read chart that outlines the communication rules for all divisions, stay tuned for a follow up post, or contact me directly if it is an urgent matter.
-There are no limitations on D3 and NAIA schools regarding communication
-Here is a link for D1 and D2 recruiting calendars:
How do I call a Coach?
You can find a coach’s contact information many ways. First start off by asking your club coach if they have the college coaches number. If they do, and you are not a junior yet, your coach can set up the phone all for you. If not, you’re going to have to do some work. You can find a coach’s office number on the school’s website. From there, you will just have to try calling until they answer. If a coach does not answer, LEAVE A VOICEMAIL that includes your name, position, year, why you are calling, and when you will call again. Sometimes a coach has a secretary that will answer. Don’t panic! Ask if the coach is in, and if not ask when a better time to call is and have her/him leave a message for the coach detailing when you will call again. Don’t ever think you are being annoying, and don’t give up until they pick up the phone. The best time to call a coach is most likely in the late afternoon . Know the coaches time zone so you are not interrupting them during dinner, for example.
See at the bottom for a link to a practice role play conversation with some helpful tips.
Why do I need to call coaches?
Calling coaches is one of the biggest ways to market yourself as a player and stand out to a coach. As you may know, coaches get hundreds of emails a day/week of players asking them to come watch them play or watch their video, etc. Do you really think they can remember each person’s name, or put all of them down on their schedule as someone to watch? NO! This is why calling coaches sets you apart. Not many players have the maturity or confidence to pick up the phone and college coaches know this. That’s why when they answer, you introduce yourself and tell them the dates of your next game, you can be sure they will remember your name the next time they see an email or a brochure and that they will put you down as a player to watch. It shows your interest is genuine, you are mature, and you are confident in yourself as a person and a player. These are all invaluable qualities coaches look for in a player that they may not be able to see on the field.
When do I call coaches and What do I say?
There are several different instances when you may need to be calling a coach. Here they are listed below.
Informing a coach of an upcoming game, tournament, or showcase.
If you have noticed a school of interest has watched one of your games before and want to set yourself apart from those hundreds of emails of girls/guys giving out their schedules to coaches for the next tournament, call the coach and tell him over the phone. Before you call, make sure you have a notepad with your talking points (why you are interested and game date/times). Start off by introducing yourself with your name, position, and year. Next mention that you have noticed that they have viewed one of your past games, and would love them to come watch at *insert name of tournament or showcase here*. Tell them what your team’s schedule is, when you believe you will be playing the most (for example, the first half, inning, or quarter), and make sure they know what NUMBER you are. Lastly, end the call telling the coach you will also send your schedule through email so they can have it in writing, and thank the coach for his time.
Following up with a coach after a game, tournament, or showcase.
You saw one of the schools you were interested in had watched you play after you had emailed or called them to come watch. YES!! Okay, that’s great but it won’t mean anything if you don’t follow up. Sure you could email the coach with a follow up, but you will most likely not get a response. It’s time to put the nerves aside and call. Use the PDF I have linked below, or get out a notepad and write down some key talking points such as: reasons why you are interested in that particular school, how you played, and whether or not that school might be interested in you as a recruit. Yes, these are scary questions to ask but it needs to be done. If you hear an answer you don’t like don’t let your confidence waver. Again, thank the coach for their time, and no matter how the conversation went make sure you let them know how interested you are in their school, and when your next games are.
Setting up an Unofficial/Official Visit
This kind of phone call will come after a coach as already watched you a couple of times, and has expressed some interest in you. Again you will want to set up some talking points and have a notepad ready so you can write down notes and dates. An unofficial/official visit is the next step in your “relationship” with the school of interest. You can consider it getting serious as an unofficial/official visit can make or break the relationship. In order to set a visit up, call the coach like any normal “follow up” call, then let the coach know you are interested on going on a visit. It’s as easy as that. If the coach is interested in you, he will help set up a date where you can tour the school/facilities with him or an assistant. Keep in mind that coaches cannot pay for anything on unofficial visits, and you cannot get excused from school for them either. Only on official visits can coaches pay for your food and travel fees as well as get yourself excused from high school. For more information on the differences between an unofficial and official visits and the timing of them, stay tuned for an upcoming post exclusively on this topic.
Breaking up or committing to a school
Yes, you will have to “breakup” with some schools. To be completely honest, many of you will not break up with schools over the phone. Most of the time it will be over email, but the most mature thing to do is let the coach know in person or over the phone you are no longer interested in attending their school. On the flipside, many of you will COMMIT to a school over the phone, and yes it is as nerve wracking and exciting as it sounds. I myself committed over the phone. You will only be making this phone call if a coach has put forth an offer for you. If you have decided that this is your dream school and agree to the offer, all you have to do is call your coach and tell them you want to commit. They will be just as happy as you are to let you into their family. This will be the easiest and best phone call you will make throughout the recruiting process. Oh, and you won’t have to worry about talking points, or taking notes!
DON’T FORGET!!
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- To smile while you talk (coaches will be able to hear” your smile, believe it or not, and it shows a good attitude)
- To write down talking points before you call
- To take notes (it would look really bad if you forgot what a coach said
- To do research on the school and team before you call
- To not call coaches during dinner
- Practice enunciating
- Practice courteous language
- The coaches name!!!
- BE YOURSELF
Even after reading this post, many of you are still extremely nervous. I wouldn’t have called coaches if my mother didn’t strongly encourage me and support me before during and after the call. Some of you will need an extra push. Ask a coach, parent, or friend to support you (aka sit in an adjacent room as you call the coach, help you with talking points, practice with a roll-play scenario, etc). Below is a note taking guide/outline to use when calling coaches as well as a role play conversation with helpful hints and tips. Feel free to download and use to your liking.
If you have any more questions, or need help calling/interpreting what a coach said to you, please use the Q&A page to contact me directly for help. I’m here for you!
roleplayconversationplayertocoach
Making the team 
This has helped me so much with talking to coaches over the phone! I was extremely nervous my first time calling a coach but this has helped me improve my confidence and preparedness with each call. Very good advice!
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Before I saw this page, I had called a few coaches and thought that it went fairly well. After reading this I learned that I did not prepare enough, I need to do more research on the school and show the coach I am genuinely interested. Thanks for the help!
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This absolutely brilliant piece of spectacular sports writing should be a building block for people looking to become recruited to a college. The copious amounts of research that Zoe Clevely put in shows, with her work illuminating the often murky college recruiting process. I consider this article an article that provides both the basics and intricate details on the college recruiting process.
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