How To Prepare For Meetings With College Coaches
To prepare yourself for life after high school, especially if you are an athlete, you must be prepared to dedicate yourself more to the sports you love. If you plan to pursue it on a professional level, you also have to take into consideration the necessary steps to be a top player. If you strive to be counted among the small percentile who get recruited to a professional team, then you’ll need to play for a college team.
The question is, do you know what you should know?
For the most part, the essential step for entering college is always to have your papers ready–your transcripts, SAT scores, and college application. Once you have those, and once you pass any entrace exams they may have, you will need to converse with the staff who will facilitate your entry into the school. Hence, this article is going to talk about what you should expect during a phone interview with a college coach.
What is your academic standing?
This is probably one of the most dreaded questions asked by any coach because some athletes are not excelling in academics; however, it should be taken into consideration that all people can be good at something else other than academics. This is your chance to prove to the coach that your SAT scores are not enough to define you as a player. Be mindful, though, since you do have to be careful of your academic standing if you want to remain in a college team since this is highly prioritized at most colleges and coaches would rather not have the headache of making sure their players are eligible to play. Prove to the coach that if you were not initially excelling at academics, you have to make a promise that you would in college because as talented as you are in sports, they can revoke your membership and ruin your opportunity for a scholarship and professional career in the sport.
In which areas do you excel and struggle the most as a player?
This is your time to flex! Be confident about your strengths, but do not exaggerate your abilities too much. You should give examples to support your strengths. A good example is if you played libero, for instance, and you can carry teams by always having their backs. You can support this statement by stating you won the best libero awards. You can even tell them that although you received such awards, you intend to be better at the position you play and whatnot. College coaches expect to have confident, respectful players who will represent their college/university sportsmanship-like behavior and camaraderie, especially in team sports. Additionally, they also do not believe that a player has no weakness, so be open about your weaknesses and explain how and why you think they are your weaknesses. If college coaches know how authentic or how true you are at expressing and wanting to be better, they will acknowledge you and help you improve.
Why should we get you?
This is another translation for, “What sets you apart from others?”
The answer to this question is varied for different athletes, but by providing a reliable answer, you can set yourself apart from other competitors applying for the same role. Before answering, think long and hard, consider all the possible qualities, including academic excellence, leadership, and work ethic. Explain how you can contribute to their collegiate program, both in-game and doing daily activities. Before talking to the coach, it is also essential to know about their program because you can use that as your ticket to get the coach’s favor. Show them that you have a genuine interest in helping them reach their goals.
What other colleges contacted you for recruitment?
This question can make or break your recruitment. For any college sports team recruitment, you always have to say that they are your only choice. If you feel this is dishonest, simply say that you are just starting your application processes for college recruitment. What you don’t want to do is set your career back by sounding unenthusiastic about their program, or by seeming ambiguous or even shady about your intentions. You can also be honest by telling them you are not being recruited, or by revealing the other schools that may be recruiting you, yet highlighting the aspects that you find most appealing of their school. Essentially, this question can be answered in many ways, so you should think it through and craft your answer in the most positive way possible.
What kind of scholarship are you searching for?
This is a question that roughly translates to, “What is your financial status?” You have to answer honestly about your financial status, family background, and even your family’s monthly income. If you want a scholarship, that is. But, even if you are not looking for a scholarship, a percentage cut to your tuition will benefit you. You will also be given a priority in academics and consideration due to you being a player (for some colleges), so at any event/status you have, it is much wiser just to grab this opportunity.
What relationship do you have with your current instructor, coach, and team?
Your relationship with your current team, especially your coach, can indicate whether or not you are a potential candidate for any college program. College coaches will verify the information you relay to them with your current coach to confirm if the information is valid since a solid/endorsement or recommendation is vital for your collegiate application, especially for college scholarships. In answering this question, be honest about it because lying can backfire on you.
What do you look for in a college and college sports team?
Many things should be considered when answering this question. This can range from your expectations to practice times, to even the security of allowing you as part of their main line-up. This is also indicated if the school offers the program or major you want to be in. Make sure to decide early, even before the phone call, to answer this question because you have to consider education, location, culture, and so much more so you can give your most honest answer for this one. This is not the time for you to sugarcoat or attempt to please college coaches; this is the time for you to be honest, because you will be staying there for three years or more.
Who helped you decide?
This is another versatile question. This can entail who helped you decide to pick that college, or even majors program. This is another important question you have to answer earnestly because this can give you brownie points as well as to the person who recommended that college, if applicable. Additionally, if a coach asks you this question, then they genuinely show interest and see you as a potential recruit for their team. Take this chance to get their approval.
What hobbies do you have, or what else interests you other than sports?
As a college student, coaches want their players to have a life outside the sports they play. College coaches understand that any potential college athlete needs to spend hours working on their game but, at the same time, should also focus on studies. If you aim to have a professional career after college, college coaches will encourage you to strive for it, while at the same time have a social life so you do not get burnt out in the long run.
Do you have any questions for the coach?
This is your moment to clarify any confusion you may have. This is when you should maximize your time to interact with the college coach. You can use a list of questions for this, and some include:
- What other information do you need from me?
- How many players am I competing against for the position?
- What do I need to do to get accepted for evaluation?
- How many spots are available by the time I graduate high school?
- When is a good time to visit your campus?
As much as possible, make your questions suitable for the scenario and list them by priority.
Prioritize your top five to seven questions and ask as many as the conversation will allow.
Reference:
Top 10 Questions College Coaches Ask Recruits
More blogs about mindset and sports.
How should an athlete prepare for a call?
A potential recruit should prepare by first creating s quiet place to receive the call without interruptions. The athlete should also be ready to answer questions regarding athletic performance, academic standing, and necessary test scores. Additionally, athletes must be prepared to tell a little bit about themselves and their families. College coaches will want to know who you are and what kind of environment you come. Athletes should not feel the need to divulge uncomfortable details but instead just keeping the tone positive.