Recruiting College Coaches Getting Started: Most of us think of college coaches recruiting players.  Players play their best and hope to be recruited by college coaches.  They consider offers and choose what seems to offer the best route to college.  It's like buying a new car by making a sign "New Car Wanted" and choosing from among the salesman who show up. Choose Your Colleges:  Choose colleges the way you'd buy a car:. List what you want, what features are must haves, what are nice to haves.  Limit it by what you can afford, what gets you where you want to go.  Consider various sources of paying for it.  Then shop around. Visit dealers. Talk to salesman. Get information.  See who will give the best service after the sale.   Your education as a bridge to the rest of your life is worth a lot more preparation than buying a car.   Do Your Homework: Recruiting your coaches starts with homework.  Know everything you can about the college and what about it makes you want to go there.  Learn all you can about the lacrosse program and the coaching staff.  Will they have openings at your position?  What is the coach like?  What is the coaching style?  How is the team doing.  The better you do this homework the better your coach recruiting will be.  Know that your athletic skills, academic record, and standardized test scores put you in a good position to be accepted.   Everything Counts: A coach is going to spend 4 years with you.  He wants you to be a top player, but when coaches talk about players what they really ask each other is "what's he like?"  Your attitude, personality, coachability, behavior are going to make a huge difference in whether you get recruited or not.   Let me repeat this:  It's at least as important for you to be coachable,  polite, a team player as it is to be the best player on the team.  Every interaction you have with anyone from the college is going to tell them what you're like.  Everything from your manners on the phone, spelling on your questionnaire, respect shown the coach when you meet to how you tour the campus will tell the coach who you are.  For this reason coaches prefer to talk to players instead of parents.   They're spending 4 years with you, not your parents.     Your Recruiting Campaign:  1. Make a resume of your sales points -honors activities, scores, sports. You'll be talking about them and sending them so be complete and accurate. For each college make a list of reasons why you want to go to their school.   2. Complete the Prospective Student Questionnaire- Almost all schools have an online form which you use to alert them to your interest.      3. Visit the school.  You can make "informal visits" any time so long as you pay the costs.  Make sure that the feel of the campus and its atmosphere are for you.  If possible, attend an athletic event and watch the coach and team.  This is a time to observe.  It's not time to meet the coach yet.    4. Prepare a letter to the coach expressing your interest in  attending his college. Specify your reasons why his college meets your goals.  Briefly state your academic, athletic and test numbers.  Give him your team and event schedule for the next season and end with a request for an informal visit to his school.   5. Wait until you are sure that he has received your letter and then call him on the telephone.  While NCAA rules limit when coaches can call you, there are no limitations on when you can call a coach.   Check out our next mailing for tips on this important step.    6. Stay in touch.  Let the coach know of your continuing interest, team, camp, tournament schedule.   There are no rules as to how often, or about what, but be sensitive to the fine line between being active and being a pest.  The key is to put your successes before him:  SAT, athletic honors, new scheduled events, academic performance.  When NCAA rules allow do a visit and meet the coach.  Your best foot forward will always be your best footwork.   7. Share your performance - Send professional, video showing you in high quality competition.  Participate in recruiting showcases, tournaments, and other events.     8. Keep your options open.  You only get one chance to make  this major decision in your life.  Don't narrow your options too early.  Be prepared for coaches to ask you to apply early decision and be sure that you have done ALL your college recruiting before you're recruited.   10. Choose wisely.  Don't be pressured by your own enthusiasm or that of others into a decision.  Write down the pros and cons.  Compare the costs after all aid is applied.  Consider the security of your financial aid package.  Add in the factor of your feelings about the college, and the coach. Then, when you're absolutely sure, make a decision.