How to Start
On the first day of high school, you become a prospective student-athlete. You are probably not thinking about college at this point, but you should begin to learn more about the baseball recruiting process. Many athletes and their families make the mistake of believing they do not need to do anything until their junior year or at least until they are strong enough to promote themselves to college coaches. This is a clear sign of not knowing how the process works and how to get coaches to understand who you are before you become the athlete you will be. The basic principle of recruiting will hold. College coaches seek athletes who will project to play at the college level, meet academic requirements, and improve their respective programs. If you wait, it may be too late when you think you are ready. Here is where we can help dramatically improve your chances of getting recruited. We give you the support and knowledge you will need to make good choices and relieve the stress of the unknown factors that most families do not understand. It would help if you learned how to connect with college coaches to help maximize your exposure and opportunities and put your baseball profile in the hands of the people who count: college baseball coaches.
Starting the Recruiting Process
Below are general guidelines for getting the recruiting process started.
1. Get Evaluated by a Third Party and Develop a Recruiting Roadmap
Most student-athletes wait too long before starting the process and have too high expectations. An evaluation done by a third party gives you unbiased feedback on your ability and at what level of college baseball program you should be focusing on.
2. Build a Recruiting Profile and Begin Marketing Yourself
A recruiting profile is the easiest way to make your academic and athletic information available to any college coach in the country. Be sure to put accurate information and update it regularly to keep the coaches informed on your progress.
3. Make a Skills Video Showing your Talents
Your skills video is one of the most essential pieces of your marketing process. College coaches cannot possibly see all the potential recruits available. Time, staff, and budgets limit them to choosing which games, events, and showcases they will attend each year. The most simple and cost-effective way to get exposure to these coaches is through social media, email, and video marketing.
4. Create a list of 50+ Schools and an Introductory Email
You need to cast a wide net and take the time to send each of them a personal email along with your video and recruiting profile. College coaches have numerous regulations set by the NCAA that they must follow throughout the recruiting process. They are allowed to receive emails from prospective student-athletes at any time. Therefore, if you are not taking advantage of the internet and allowing coaches to view your profile/video from anywhere in the country, you are missing out on the easiest way to get exposure to all the schools.
5. Get Exposure to College Coaches
The days of playing for your school team and being found are over. Coaches can see players at all sorts of venues. Do some research and find out where your top school choices will be, and then go to those events. Be careful of overspending too early or attending events that will not favor you.
6. Begin Communicating with Coaches and Following up on any Leads
Okay, now the simple reality of how this works. You send your Profile to a coach. The coach reviews your resume and watches your video. This starts a line of communication between the two of you. Somewhere along the way, the coach can see you perform in person and decide if you are a recruitable student-athlete for their institution.
Have Questions?
Call/Text: Prospect On-Deck Sports today at (813) 337-9179 or EMAIL US.
