Recruitment is an extremely important process for athletes who aspire to play a college sport. Recruiting is the process of getting noticed by college coaches, so they can fill their rosters with student athletes. The process is a lot longer and a lot more stressful than people think it is. Getting recruited can be similar for a wide variety of sports, but will also differ depending on what sport an athlete plays. There are many factors that go into getting recruited, such as how college coaches notice athletes, where they watch the athletes play, and how athletes communicate with them.
While the process can be tough, to be going through the recruiting process at all is a blessing in itself. Only around 7% of all high school athletes will ever play sports in college, and only 2% will play Division One sports. This means to be in the recruiting process at all puts a player at the top of most high school athletes.
For baseball, the process can be long and tiring. The first step is to get noticed by a coach at a college. This can happen through a showcase, through social media, or by inviting the coach to come watch a game. Once an athlete is on the coaches radar and they have seen them play, they will reach out to the athlete either in person after a game, or through text or email. Once they have done this, they may want to see the athlete play another time. If a coach likes what they see, they will want the athlete to visit their school’s campus.
The rules differ depending on if the school is Division One or Division Three. For a D3 school to make an offer, an athlete has to be on campus. But for D1, schools can offer recruits a spot on the team over the phone or off campus at a game. Before schools make an offer, they will ask for the recruits’ transcript to make sure they can get into the school before offering. Once they have done this, the rest is up to the recruit, whether they want to take the offer or tell the school no.
For swimming, the process is similar to baseball, according to senior Veronika Owen, who is committed to swim at William & Mary. Just like in baseball and in other sports, the first step is to get noticed by a coach. Athletes can do this by emailing the coach, or calling them and talking to them about why they are interested in the school and the program. Once the athlete has done this, the coach will come out to a meet to watch them swim. For swimming, the college coaches focus more on club meets, rather than high school meets. This process is also long and stressful and is tough to manage.
The process is also long for football players, but can be a little easier than other sports, says senior Colin Rutland. This is due to the fact that schools typically have more scholarships available to football players, since there are more roster spots the team has to fill. Football recruitment is primarily focused on high school, compared to swim and baseball, where it is more focused on travel and club. Football mostly utilizes social media to get attention from the coaches or reach out to schools they are interested in.
The recruiting process can be similar between aspiring college athletes, but also differ wildly. Depending on the sport they play, athletes can determine how difficult it is to get recruited. Different sports also get a different amount of money to give out for scholarships, which depends on the school. The better the school is at the sport, the more money the school offers to athletes. Being in the recruiting process is a blessing all on its own, so if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in the process, seize this amazing opportunity!
