I had a great conversation this past week with one of the best college coaches around. She shared some important wisdom that I want to pass on to you.
Most importantly, she said that players should think about what recruiting is like from a college coach's perspective. If you empathize with what a college coach is going through, you can be much more effective.
I'm going to write three articles summarizing this conversation to help you understand what coaches have to deal with when it comes to recruiting. I hope you'll take this new perspective and turn it into actions. This week, I'm going to focus on her comments about profiles.
Profiles, she said, "Are where it all starts. This is what tells me if you're a legitimate recruit for us." Incomplete profiles get trashed. If you don't care enough to fill out your profile, it's a pretty strong indication that you're not that serious about playing in college. You have to be willing to do the most basic leg work if you want to make a college team.
The 5 Things Your Profile Needs to Be Useful
1. GPA is the first thing she looks at - Most coaches have cozy relationships with the admissions office, but if you're not up the school's academic standards, it's not worth your time to contact them. Your GPA absolutely must be on your profile. Help the coach see right away that you're someone who is academically qualified.
2. Club and high school team information is key - There are a lot of teams out there called "Storm," "Elite," and the "Walruses." If that's all you put on your profile, a coach isn't going to have any idea who this team is, let alone how good you are. You need to provide as much information as possible. Who are your coaches? What tournaments do you play in? How do you do at them? These questions have to be answered, otherwise the college coach will be left in the dark.
3. A good video is a huge step forward - "I know that I won't get to see the vast majority of the kids who contact me," this coach told me. If a college coach can easily watch your video and see that you're legit in five minutes, you're going to go on a short list of players she's going to actively try to see play in person.
4. List your events - Imagine this: a coach likes your profile and wants to see you play, but has no idea that you're playing in the same tournament she's attending this weekend. The opportunity is missed and she doesn't get to see you. It happens all the time. For this reason, you have to keep an updated list on your profile of the events you're attending.
5. Pictures matter - Pictures help create an emotional connection. When the coach I was talking to sees a profile with no pictures, the player remains anonymous. By contrast, a profile with a headshot and some great action shots help distinguish you from the 1,500 other players she hears from each year.



