Meet a 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 and university coaches can still be helpful, regardless of your scholarship potential.

“Meeting with a potential coach in person is a must,” says Steve Coccimiglio, a head basketball coach. “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 school 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, varsity men’s crew head coach 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 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. 

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, hockey stick 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 to you?
A: What levels of sport will match your level of commitment? Competitive 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 first-year students. Are you willing to ride the bench for a year? A less competitive 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, just play 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 a women’s varsity crew team.

Q: How do you find a team that fits your ability?
A: By your third season, you probably have a sense of your talent. From last year’s teammates, you may also have a sense of competition levels and time commitments. Are you mentally tough? Are you the right body size for your sport in postsecondary 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 or university coach may see potential that your high school coach does not. Don’t put your dreams aside if you disagree with your coach’s assessment. As examples, consider that a hockey player of average talent may look very good to a coach in America, 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 you get information online?
A: www.ccaa.ca: The Canadian Colleges Athletic Association is the governing organization for Canadian college teams. Look here for rankings, scores and member institutions.

www.universitysport.ca: The official place for university sports in Canada, the Web site for Canadian Interuniversity Sport contains helpful student-athlete requirements and regulations, athlete profiles and more.

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

www.naia.org: The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) does for small colleges/universities in the States what the NCAA does for large ones.

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 postsecondary school. You will be asked detailed information regarding your height, weight, personal records within your sport and major preferences. 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 coaches can be quite flattering, leaving you with a good they-want-ME feel.

Q: How can I contact the coach?
A: School Web sites often have online recruiting forms for varsity sports and the e-mail addresses of first-year coaches. When e-mailing, it is wise to write to the first-year 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 team position. Close with your name, full mailing address and phone number. Guidelines may restrict the method (phone, mail, etc.), the number and the timing of the contacts a coach may make to prospective athletes. They do not restrict athlete-initiated contacts. Start contacting programs in your third 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 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. At any time, a student can request a facility tour.

Touring the facility will give you a sense of the 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?
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 an 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 that you have access to? You may be surprised by the scholarships available. Postsecondary schools 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 after high school. 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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