Simple Recruitment Tips
The recruitment process is a winding road with lots of potholes and unexpected turns that most players and families are not prepared for. Personally, I spend a fair amount of time educating parents and players on the process and I found it appropriate to share some simple tips that may help some student-athletes along their personal journey. Before I get into that, it is important to recognize that every individual’s recruitment process and experience is different. There are countless factors that make it different, so please keep that in mind.
1) Be proactive in your recruitment
College coaches scout and talk to so many different players throughout the year. The recruitment process is a great time to use your best communication skills for a couple of reasons. It shows the colleges that you have some level of interest (they don’t want to waste their time on uninterested prospects) and you also get the opportunity to start and build relationships with the staff. Ask questions, talk about your concerns and really do your homework on the school, coaches, current players and other players they are recruiting. Being proactive will help more players make sound decisions and have a little better idea of what they are possibly getting into.
2) It is not about getting as many offers as possible
There is a misinterpretation of what college recruitment is all about. Gaining offers is great on one hand, but you can only sign one letter of intent (LOI). Be thorough in your homework on everything about the school when you do receive an offer. Do not treat it as “thanks, I’ll let you know when I feel like it and I am going to try to get more.” Of course it is natural to want a lot of offers, but it is all about the right fit in the end. Do your research, be proactive and see if the offer you do have is the right fit. If it is then great! If not, maybe it is going to have to be the “fit”, because it is the only offer you have by the end of it all. Everyone’s situation can be a little different. Either way, one offer can be just as good as 10 offers.
3) Do not compare yourself to others, too much…
Social media has glorified college recruitment to new levels in recent years. “I am thankful to receive my 13th offer” type of posts. I am not saying there is necessarily anything wrong with that, but the basketball world is all interconnected on social media and players naturally compare themselves to others. Maybe even more so, parents compare their kids to others. My word of advice is to focus on your own recruitment process. Do not get caught up in the the player who you feel your kid is better than, but seems to be more heavily recruited. College coaches recruit the kids they do for a reason and that is all situational once again. Stay focused on your personal development and your own recruitment process. There is a lot of scholarship money out there, go earn some.
4) Scholarship offers can have contingencies
Believe it or not, some scholarship offers have an expiration date on them. The college may or may not tell you a specific date when they offer, but eventually most schools want an answer. For example, a school offers player A. They are also recruiting player B, but they are waiting to see if player A commits first before offering player B. If a school waits too long, they could miss out on player B to another school and then still be told no by player A. Another “contingency” scenario is the scholarship can basically go to the first player that takes the offer. In some cases, a school may offer 3-4 players at a single position, but only have one scholarship available for that specific position. Whoever commits first, obviously gets the scholarship. This is another reason to be proactive and do your research. An offer can be gone as quickly as it came.
5) Bigger is not always better
A lot of players wait and hope for the power conference offer. A saying I love to use is “go where they love you!” If a big school has seen you play or knows of you and does not offer you until very late, it is more than likely that you were low on their wish list of recruits. A school that really wants you will be regular in their communication, get to know you and your family and make it clear that you are a priority. The best way for a school to show they are interested in you is to give you an offer. So, if low and mid majors actively recruit you for multiple years, really give them a hard look before being hypnotized by the big name. Also, keep in mind that hundreds of girls transfer every year and the majority of them transfer “down” a level in some form. In 2018-2019, over 450 transfers have been reported so far and right around 1/4 of them are Division 1 players transferring to D2, NAIA, Juco and Canadian colleges. 49 D1 power conference players transferred to non-power conference schools, while just 15 non-power conference players transferred up to a power conference school. It is very difficult to earn playing time and some of the very best players in the world cannot get on the court consistently at high major schools. Low and mid-major schools may offer a better chance at playing time and a starting role. That being said, I have seen multiple cases where former high major recruits struggle getting on the floor at a mid-major as a freshman. Overall, it is competitive at every level and free school is a blessing no matter where it is at!
*Transfer stats provided via Raoul’s women’s basketball blog https://wbbblog.com/author/wbbblog98/