Author: eliteathletesrecruiting

Coach Mike- National Scouting Director with CSA PrepStar Professional collegiate sports scout working with qualified next level student-athletes to find the right college athletic and academic fit.

Seven details you should include in a short email to college coaches

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This ebook is a great resource for to help write emails for any recruiting need.

Email communication with college coaches is the most effective and most important method for student athletes to show recruiting interest. Often athletes are unaware the the essential information to included.

As a result of frequent requests from student athletes I recently wrote a Guide to Writing Great Recruiting Emails specifically for those athletes needing help with writing emails to college coaches (click on the book cover for more info).

The ebook is a great resource for any recruiting need. Inside the book has includes:

  • 10 email templates for every recruiting situation
  • plus real examples from scholarship student athletes
  • and step by step easy to follow instructions 

Today, I want to share a useful outline and examples of seven details that should always be included in a short initial email to college coaches.

  1. First, break the ice with a note of thanks,
    • in the introduction of the email always thank the coach for contacting you
    • for example, “Thank you for taking the time to contact me… write me…..email me..send me a postcard….
  2. Next, introduce yourself and, if applicable, remind them where/how you met
    • Include name, from High School or City, State
    • We met at the (camp, combine, event, location)
  3. Then give them some specifics about you
    • for example graduation year, sport, position, height, weight, academic interest
    • I attended the (camp/combine) on (date)
  4. To impress them, tell them something about their program and/or college (doing some quick research will help)
    • Ex. “Your school has both a great (sport) team but also a top-notch (subject) program”
  5. Now, request information about the athletic and academic programs be sent to your home
    • Ex. “I would like to know more about….
  6. As you wrap up, make sure to include your contact information (i.e. address and phone number) in your signature after the salutation.
    • “Sincerely”, “thanks”, or  “Best regards”
    • Address, phone number
  7. Finally, in your signature include how they can connect with you on social media
    1. hyperlink your Twitter handle or Instagram profile info at the bottom of your signature.

Finally, keep in mind any email to a college coach should be fairly short, but detailed enough to give the coach enough information to put you on the recruiting radar. Several examples of short but effective recruiting emails are included in the ebook. Get your copy and get the confidence you need to write great recruiting emails. writing


How to set yourself apart as a serious recruit

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The recruiting tip for this week is to set yourself apart from other recruits but taking the time to research the college and the academic programs before talking to the coach. Most student-athletes neglect this important opportunity to make a great impression.

Also, I will be publishing an ebook with useful tips and templates for emailing college coaches. The book will launch soon, so keep posted to the elite athletes recruiting page for more information.

What to know about official and unofficial college recruiting visits

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Since this is the time of year for athletes to visit college campuses I thought it good to share a few helpful tips about official visits and unofficial visit. In most recruiting situations the official visit often follow one or more unofficial visits. Frequently, college coaches reserve official visits to make offers, but it is not uncommon to get a verbal offer outside of an official visit. 

By definition, an official visit is any visit to a college campus by a college-bound prospective student-athlete and his or her parents that is paid for by the college. This includes transportation, lodging, entertainment, food and as many as 3 tickets to a game. Conversely, campus visits paid for by the parents of the student-athlete is deemed and unofficial visit.

In total, student-athletes are permitted up to 5 official visits for D1 and D2 schools. However, only 1 official visit per school is allowed.
Photo by Travis Essinger on Unsplash

Traditionally, official visits have been reserved for Seniors only. However, since April 2018 new recruiting regulations have been implemented for sports such as baseball and softball, allowing  Junior and Senior student-athletes to take official visits after September 1st. In contrast, in many other sports, such as football, only Senior student-athletes are permitted to take official visits.

In total, student-athletes are permitted up to 5 official visits for D1 and D2 schools. However, only 1 official visit per school is allowed. Parents and athletes should know that D3 and NAIA schools have no limit on official visits a student-athlete can take. Additionally, D3 and NAIA regulations are similar to those outlining the recruiting process of D1 and D2 schools where the prospective student-athlete is allowed 1 official visit per school.

Lastly, always keep this in mind that recruiting is a process. Many student-athletes and parents let their minds run wild with negative assumptions, especially when an official visit is not offered right away.  To reiterate, recruiting is a process and every coach has his or her method, budget and preference for recruiting. So, with this in mind I recommend to keep a clear head and a positive attitude. Try to relax, stay calm, and enjoy the process.

Finally, I would love to hear from athletes attending official or unofficial visits. Athletes can also tag me on twitter when posting about visits (@michaelwoosley). Also, if you need help preparing for a visit, I’m glad to schedule some time to help with preparations. Just send me an email at mwoosley@csaprepstar.com. 

Tips for communication between prospective student-athletes and college coaches

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Parents and students always ask about coaches not responding to their communication. 

Three tips to why:

  1. You may be contacting the wrong coaches so be realistic in your search for best athletic and academic fit
  2. You may not be asking the right questions. Often you get a reply if you ask. But surely you won’t get a reply if you don’t ask any questions. 
  3. You need to be more proactive. Proactive  is being  persistent. Being passive is not a plan. 

Coach Mike oversees the the recruiting of talented next-level athletes to develop a recruiting strategy to get seen, scouted and recruited.  As a coach with over 20 years of experience, and a as former college athlete, Mike now mentors families through the academic, athletic and financial aspects of college recruiting.  

Website: www.csaprepstar.com/coachmike

Blog: https://eliteathletesrecruiting.com/

Starting the recruiting process

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Is your inbox full of invites to camps, showcases, combines and other “recruiting events”? Have you become frustrated by the promise of exposure only to pay a bunch of money then see your kid get minimal reps and very little exposure? 


Frustrating isn’t it? Most athletes and parents are. 


So, when is the best time to start the recruiting process? Thats the topic for today. 


Did you know that most prospects are identified before end of the sophomore year? (Thats the current class of 2022!)   However,  many parents are told by high school and club to wait. That’s not good advice. Here’s why.

 1. Waiting significantly reduces the amount of time for college coaches can properly evaluate players. 


2. College coaches can only recruit players they know about. (So if they don’t know about a you they can’t recruit you!)

3. For many sports, student-athletes can take official visits, recieve phone calls and even get offers starting September 1 Junior year. 


Bottomline, there isn’t as much recruiting time as you think. Thats why its best to start as early as possible.  Read my article, Checkpoints along the recruiting journey for year by year outline. 


It is certain, families that start the process early always have better recruiting results!  Why? Staring early allows time to work through the process. Plus, the extra time allows your family to be more strategic about recruiting events and will save thousands of dollars along the way!

If you want to know how to get started, text “Gameplan” to (480) 605-4050 free recruiting assessment to outline the recruiting process for you.  

COMMUNICATING WITH COACHES DURING THE FALL SEASON

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Often, I compare the recruiting process to a roller-coaster. The speed of the cart is determined by the track. How the track is designed involves many twists and turns as well as places where the pace becomes so slow that it seems to stop. Like a roller-coaster, and depending on the sport, recruiting in the Fall can simultaneously cause both excitement and anxiety so here a few tips to as you buckle-in for the ride.

During the Fall, and after the window of the contact period closes, it is very important to know what contact period of your sport and 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.Now, be aware that all divisions (D1, D2, D3, etc) have similar, but different, communication rules. For example, D2 coaches have much more leniency  with communications in comparison to D1 coaches.  Additionally, in football, FBS schools (those that go to bowl games) have similar contact periods but different number of evaluation opportunities.

The key to communicating in the Fall is to be proactive! Throughout the year, and at any time, athletes are permitted to contact coaches. This means that to communicate with college coach outside of designated contact periods, student-athletes have to be the one to initiate contact. Additionally, this rule also applies to underclassmen (Freshman and Sophomores). 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.

So, I highly recommend that student-athletes take the initiative to reach out to coaches with emails, texts and voicemails.  Don’t ever wait for them to call, instead call them.

To wrap up, it is an understatement to say that recruiting is a year round process. There is no downtime because college coaches are always recruiting. So use the latter part of year to your advantage. For Fall sports this is a great time of year to get aquatinted with coaches, take visits and build that ever important recruiting relationship. Likewise, student-athletes that play winter or spring sports can use the Fall to as a great opportunity to get on the radar and generate interest from coaches for the upcoming seasons. Good luck!

Coach Mike oversees the the recruiting of talented next-level athletes to develop a recruiting strategy to get seen, scouted and recruited.  As a coach with over 20 years of experience, and a as former college athlete, Mike now mentors families through the academic, athletic and financial aspects of college recruiting.  

Coach Mike – Email: mwoosley@csaprepstar.com   Office: 805-622-STAR

Recruiting after September 1 : the contact rules have changed

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I wanted to share a quick tip about the recent communication period. It is important to know that as of September the recruiting contact period begins. Now that the contact period begins, Junior and Senior college prospects can start receiving a lot more communication from college coaches.

Here are some forms of communication that can take place, however the most common are:

  • Weekly phone calls from college coaches (one per week)
  • Personal correspondence from college coaches via text, phone or email
  • High school campus visit (only one)
  • Verbal Scholarship Offers
  • Invitations for official college campus visits
  • Recruiting materials such as college brochures and letters

Athletes who experience this level of communication can be sure that it is a favorable indicator of interest.

However, athletes not getting any communication should start being proactive immediately. There is an old but true phase, “if you keep doing what you’re doing, you will keep getting what you”re getting. If the results you have are not what you expected then it’s time to make a change.

Student athletes and supportive parents should consider contacting a reputable and credible recruiting resource like PrepStar to to learn how to increase exposure and open recruiting communication with college coaches.

Have questions? Need help?  Contact me to set up a time to talk (get free advise!) or use the comment section below.

Coach Mike oversees the recruiting of talented next-level athletes by helping families develop and implement a recruiting strategy for athletes to get exposure, evaluated and recruited. As former college athlete with over 20 years of coaching experience Mike now mentors families through the academic, athletic and financial aspects of college recruiting.  

Coach Mike – Email: mwoosley@csaprepstar.com   Office: 805-622-STAR

Recruiting contact periods during the high school football season

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Many high school football teams will take the field towards the latter part of this week to compete in their season opener. Along with the excitement of the lights, crowds and cheers comes the hopes of college recruting. In the previous two article  we looked at the three contact periods that take place within the football season. This article is to outline the dead period and provide some useful tips improving recruiting opportunities throughout the season. 

By definition during a dead period a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their high schools. Coaches may write and telephone student-athletes or their parents during a dead period.

Not to be mistaken for the quiet period, the dead period does leave open the doors for communication. However, there is no room for coaches to evaluate players by watching games in person or visiting high school campuses. 

Not to be mistaken for the quiet period, the dead period does leave open the doors for communication.

This rule seems to handcuff athlete exposure. So how can athletes get exposure during the quiet period?  First, athletes should rely of video. They can improve exposure opportunities by keeping game video resources up to date with recent game film. Additionally, athletes can contact coaches by email and social media but should do so not expecting a return reply.  Athletes can also use a credible, reputable recruiting resource to keep them on the radar.  These groups, like PrepStar, act as a go between. For instance, PrepStar provides college coaches with your updated athletic, academic and video highlights throughout your high school career, ensuring you that college coaches always have access to your latest and most updated information.

To conclude this outline of the three contact periods that take place during the high school season I want to wish a success season to all high school football players. Hopefully, the details provided have been helpful and created some new ideas for communicating with college coaches during the season. If you need help, I’m glad to share tips or advice to help you along in the process. Simply, text the word GAMEPLAN to 480-605-4050.  I’m glad to talk with you about your recruiting concerns and give you some helpful suggestions. 

Contact periods for football college coaches and prospective student athletes.

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To pick up where we left off last week lets pick up where we left off. During the football season, the NCAA mandates 3 different contact periods for college coaches and prospective student athletes. The first of the two periods work in tandem. Beginning August 1, the Dead Period/ Quite Period is underway. At this time, college coaches may not have face to face contact with athletes or their parents. It also means that college coaches cannot watch players compete UNLESS that student athlete is actually on the college campus for a camp or college visit.

During the high school season, there is another contact period squeezed in September 1 through November 30, 2019

Now, during the season, there is another contact period squeezed in. The exception arrives between the days of September 1 through November 30, 2019. This is the evaluation period. By definition the evaluation period permits college coaches to watch college-bound student-athletes compete, visit their high schools, and write or telephone student-athletes or their parents. However, a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents off the college’s campus during an evaluation period. 

So, even though coaches can see athletes compete the coaches is not permitted to communicate with the student athlete or their parents. Additionally, coaches are permitted a certain number of evaluation dates depending on the sport.  For example, football coaches are allotted 42 evaluation dates. During those dates, coaches can visit a player once at his or her high school. 

What does this mean for student-athlete seeking to get recruited? First, the primary focus for the athlete should be playing ball. It should go without saying that athletes who are distracted and don’t perform on the field won’t get recruited so limit the distractions and just go play ball.  Second, its important to be patient with the process. The contact periods are designed to slow down the process so that coaches have adequate time to scout prospects. Thirdly, players can, and should, continue reading out to coaches during all contact periods so that they stay on the radar.

Lastly, if your not sure about the ins and outs of the contact period I’m glad to send you free contact period outlines for your sport.. Simply, text “GAMEPLAN” to 480-605-4050 and I’ll send you the sport specific contact period outlines.

3 communication periods for FCS D1 during the football season explained

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Soon, the high school football season will be underway. All the hard work, summer workouts and dedication will start to show itself on the field. For many high school football athletes the ensuing games will have surely influence their recruiting. Game day is the opportunity to “get film” that college coaches will certainly find useful in the recruiting process. In the next three blog articles I will outline the 3 communication periods for FCS D1 during the football season.

Game day visits are great opportunities to communicate with coaches during the Quiet/Dead Period
Photo by Riley McCullough on Unsplash

Beginning the month of August is the Dead Period/ Quite Period. This means that from August 1st through the 31st coaches may not have face to face contact with athletes or their parents. It also means that college coaches cannot watch players compete UNLESS that student athlete is actually on the college campus for a camp or college visit. HOWEVER, the interaction (on campus) can only take place 48 hours before or 48 hours after the college’s home game.

So, what does all that mean? First, it means that coaches need time to evaluate players so communication between prospects and coaches will slow down somewhat. Next, game day visits are great opportunities to communicate with coaches. Its a huge part of their design (that and marketing the college). Third, ever during the quiet period, prospective student athletes can and should maintain consistent communication college coaches.

Lastly, if your not sure that the email or text communication you’ve been sending coaches is good I’m glad to send you free communication templates guaranteed to get results. Simply, text “GAMEPLAN” to 480-605-4050 and I’ll send you the free templates.