eliteathletesrecruiting

2 Weeks in December

Posted on December 5, 2019 by eliteathletesrecruiting

http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/resources/recruiting-calendars

The high school football season for the most part is over. Except for a limited few states the final whistle has blown, gear returned, and final stats recorded. When it seem like its all finished, football recruiting, however, is just getting started. Especially in these first two weeks in December the contact period resumes. But, only for two weeks.

During the December contact period it is permissible for authorized athletic department staff member to have in person, off campus contacts with prospective student athletes.

So, athletes, what can can you do to improve your recruiting situation during these two weeks?

Get your highlight reel looking tight. By now you should have a full season highlight reel as well as a midseason highlight reel up on your Hudl page.
Broaden your reach with coaches you want to contact. Use more than one medium to contact coaches. Don’t just rely on twitter to blast out your Hudl link. Rely on email and text. And, if you’re brave enough, go old school by making a phone call.
Stay focused! Lots of recruiting happens at this time of year. Keep in mind that the contact period is only open for 2 weeks, then its back to the quiet period until January. So be patient with the process.

Let me know how recruiting is going for you. Have questions about the recruiting process? Comment below or contact me on twitter or instagram (@michaelwoosley). I’m glad to help.

The key to writing great recruiting emails

Posted on November 21, 2019 by eliteathletesrecruiting

What is the key to writing a recruiting email that catches the attention of a college coach? How do other athletes do it? And what information should be included in an email to a college coach?

First, I think we can all agree that email is the most effective way to get a lot of recruiting information in front of a college coach. Sure other methods like social media are great for sending small bits of information, but the email allows the athlete to share recruiting information that is key for the recruiting process.

So the information that goes into a recruiting email needs to be information that separates you from other athletes competing for the coaches attention. That information needs to help you stand out , not blend in.

Recently, I published an ebook for athletes to help them learn how to write great recruiting emails. This book contains complete templates formatted for specific recruiting situations. It also contains real examples of effective email formats used successfully by high school athletes who used the templates to help earn a spot on college rosters.

Get your copy and get the confidence you need to write great recruiting emails.

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

Posted on November 14, 2019November 14, 2019 by eliteathletesrecruiting

*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.

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….
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)
Then give them some specifics about you
- for example graduation year, sport, position, height, weight, academic interest
- I attended the (camp/combine) on (date)
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”
Now, request information about the athletic and academic programs be sent to your home
- Ex. “I would like to know more about….
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
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

Posted on October 24, 2019 by eliteathletesrecruiting

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

Posted on October 3, 2019 by eliteathletesrecruiting

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

Posted on September 26, 2019 by eliteathletesrecruiting

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

Three tips to why:

You may be contacting the wrong coaches so be realistic in your search for best athletic and academic fit
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.
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

Posted on September 12, 2019September 12, 2019 by eliteathletesrecruiting

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

Posted on September 5, 2019 by eliteathletesrecruiting

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

Posted on August 29, 2019September 1, 2022 by eliteathletesrecruiting

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

Posted on August 22, 2019 by eliteathletesrecruiting

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.

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.