There will always be those players who start writing coaches while still in their freshman and sophomore years. If this is your style, go for it.

To learn how to get recruited, though, you have to maintain regular contact with coaches for the duration of your time in high school. If as a sophomore you write a coach and then proceed to fall off the face of the earth until your senior year, you haven't done yourself any good.

If you do start self-recruiting as a sophomore, in addition to maintaining regular contact with your candidate coaches, you should send an updated resume after your junior fall season.

The bottom line for would-be early starters: Begin self-recruiting only when you're prepared to invest yourself consistently. You must correspond with your candidate coaches regularly—not just sporadically, when the spirit moves you.

The self-recruiting timeline varies from person to person and depends on a number of factors including:

1. Timeframe - The point in your high school career when you begin self-recruiting. If you?re a sophomore beginning the process, self-recruiting will occur over a longer time frame than that of a senior who's just beginning.


2. Qualifications - The athlete's appearance on paper. If you have national team experience, a coach will probably make a swift effort to see you play.


3. Accessibility - How close you live or play to a given school. The closer you are, the easier it is for a coach to see you play.


4. Marketing How effectively you market yourself will determine your success in the recruiting process.