by Avi - I believe my exact words in the last newsletter were, "So what should you expect [on September 1st]? A flood of emails from college coaches? Not necessarily."

Okay, so I guess that's technically right. Just because it was September 1st -- the day college coaches were finally allowed by the NCAA to email juniors -- didn't mean that you would necessarily get an email.

That said, we were astounded by the incredible number of responses you did get from college coaches on September 1st. Way to go!

If you got a response, pat yourself on the back. It means that you're off to a great start, though there's still a lot that must be done. If, on the other hand, you didn't hear from a coach, don't worry. There's still plenty you can do.

How to take the next step

If you heard back from a college coach, the first thing to do is to send him a quick thank you email. This shouldn't be more than a few sentences. Just thank him for contacting you and tell him that you're really excited to move forward with his school.

There's a decent chance that the email you got was a form letter. Don't fret; it's nothing personal. It just means that you have to do more to get a personal response. Even if it was a form letter, you should send an enthusiastic response. A small fraction of athletes who get an email actually respond to it. By replying to the coach's email, you'll start to distinguish yourself from the rest of the athletes on his list.

No response? No worries

If you didn't hear from a coach on September 1st, don't worry. Take a deep breath and forget about it. You can still make a college team.

What you need to do is email the coach again. Tell him specifically why you think his school and his team are such a good fit. You may not get an immediate response, but if you show some persistence, you'll start to get some very positive responses from coaches.