During the Spring it is very important to be aware of the contact communication periods within your sport as well as the communication regulations that accompany them. This information is easy to locate within the NCAA and NAIA regulations on their respective websites. This information can also be accessed in your Prepstar profile under the My Recruiting Calendar tab.
It is also important to note the communication rules. While many divisions (D1, D2, D3, etc) have similar communication rules, in actuality, there are some glaring differences. For example, D2 coaches, in comparison, have much more leniency with prospect communications For example, in football, FBS schools (those that go to bowl games) have similar contact periods than FCS or D2 colleges. And D3 college have no restrictions on communications.
Now, the key to communicating with college coaches in the Spring is to be proactive! Every student -athlete should be aware that athletes are permitted to contact coaches at any time as long as they are a high school student. This means that to communicate with college coach outside of designated contact periods has to be initiated by the student-athlete. Additionally, this rule also applies to underclassmen (Freshman and Sophomores). So again, no matter what time of year and no matter the contact period, college coaches are permitted to talk with prospects as long as the prospect makes the first move to contact them.
The NCAA posts, “The rules define who may be involved in the recruiting process, when recruiting may occur and the conditions under which recruiting may be conducted. Recruiting rules seek, as much as possible, to control intrusions into the lives of student-athletes.” However, it makes no mention of prohibiting student initiated communicating with college coaches!
Clearly, understanding and utilizing this rule would provide a recruiting advantage. So, I highly recommend that student-athlete take the initiative to reach out to coaches with emails, texts and voicemails. Never just wait around for coaches to call you! Instead be proactive and make the effort to contact them.
To wrap up, it would be an atrocious understatement to say that recruiting is anything but a year round process. There is no downtime because college coaches are always recruiting. They are always looking for that special student-athlete who can impact their program. So make sure to use Spring to your advantage. Its a great time of year to get aquatinted with coaches, plan visits and build that ever important recruiting relationship.
Elite Athletes Recruiting 