Don't begin your communication with a coach with a phone call. Unlike a letter, a call leaves no physical record. Remember, self-recruiting is about doing the coach's work for him. Start him off with a written outline of who you are.

Don't make him write out the transcript of a phone conversation -- he probably won't anyway. In fact, he's likely to ask you to send him a cover letter and resume. Learn more about contacting college coaches.

There are a lot of myths out there about phone calls from college coaches. Here are a few of the gnarliest ones:

1. College athlete recruiting recruiting phone calls are only for college coaches to make


2. One call from a coach means you're guaranteed a spot on the college team


3. No calls from any coaches means nobody wants you


4. Calling a coach is something to be nervous about

Every high school athlete knows the feeling. You're playing in a big game and there are college coaches in the stands. Every time you do something good, they seem to be looking the other way. Every time you mess up, they are fixated on exactly what you're doing.

The question is, how do you get them to pay attention to you long enough to really see what you're capable of doing? The answer is that you have to be different. Our new Resources page for all paid accounts has lots of ideas on how to stand out. The bottom line is that you have to do something to stand out from the mass of other college-bound athletes around you.

Now, don't take this the wrong way. The point isn't that you have to do something miraculous while coaches are watching you. Instead, you should focus on "playing your game" -- doing things methodically and the way you normally do them. The time to be different is when you're emailing with college coaches.

Think about it. College coaches are constantly being inundated with communications from prospects. There are only so many emails that they can read that say, "Dear Coach, I really want to play for your team. Really, really, really badly. Sincerely, Mercutio." Yawn. The key is to do and say things that are different. Be honest, but different from the obvious lines that everyone else is taking.

An example might be to say in an email that "My family just got back from Yellowstone. Old Faithful is the best! And I just created a 'Save the Yellowstone Wolves' group on Facebook." Granted, it's a goofy example, but it's something different, something that college coaches haven't read 239 times already today. You might also do something really out of the ordinary, like create a collage of pictures of yourself and the college team and quotes from your friends and coaches saying why you'd be a good fit.

Brainstorming stuff like this is fun. Sit down with a piece of paper and just start writing the goofiest ideas that come to mind. Don't do them all, but do some. They will help you stand out from the crowd. Why is this important? Because college coaches will remember you when they are out at your next game. They'll remember the funny card you sent them or the camel riding picture from when your class went to the zoo. And they'll be more inclined to keep watching you to see what you're really capable of doing as an athlete. After all, you've already demonstrated that you know your way around the very process of athletic recruitment.

And distinguishing yourself is especially key if you're seeking college sports scholarships, whether it be baseball scholarships, softball scholarships, or whatever else.

Take a deep breath and dial with confidence. Remember, you're doing the coach's job for him. Be assertive when you call; make it a conversation, a two-way exchange of information. Nothing is worse for both parties than an awkward silence that deteriorates into a cross-examination by the coach. Remember that this is supposed to be a conversation, not an interrogation.

Before you call, consult your CaptainU Recruiting Log to refresh your memory about the team—what conference they play in, how many seniors are on the team, what their record is this season, who they play next, the roster positions they need to fill, etc.

Make a list of discussion topics, pleasantries and substance alike, so the conversation doesn't stall. Cross 'em off as you go. Be frank with the coach. Ask general questions about the program and what you need to do at this point to distinguish yourself from his pack of prospective players. And remember: you don't have to be scared of contacting college coaches.

Regular communication with college coaches will strengthen your cause and help you develop your relationships with coaches.

Through letters, phone calls, and e-mails, you can demonstrate to a coach that you are committed to becoming a member of his volleyball, soccer, or basketball team.

This will give the coach a reason to seek you out specifically at a camp, tournament, or regular season game. Regular communication will put you in a position where college coaches are eager to evaluate your ability.

Learn more about contacting college coaches.

What should I do in contacting college coaches, how do I approach them. Letter, e-mail? - Sean S.

Good question, Sean. The best thing to do is a blend of emails and phone calls. A snail mail sports resume and cover letter can't hurt, but it's just as good to do it over the computer. In the sample emails that we give CaptainU Online Guidance users, we always emphasize the importance of specific details. In other words, how do you stand out from the crowd? When you communicate with college coaches, give them a cool, unforgettable nugget of information about you as a high school athlete to remember you by. An example? My team went skiing in the Andes last week. Notice that it doesn't always have to be about your sport (unless you're a college-bound skier.)

I'm sitting in my 12th grade math teacher's office eying the phone. My nervous fingers dial the number. The line rings once, maybe twice. A baritone voice picks up, a voice that I recognize from U.S. national team broadcasts.

"This is Ty Keough," says the head soccer coach at Washington University.

I realize I don't know what to say and stammer out a few blundering statements about how much I want to play for his team. The whole time I'm thinking, Wow, I sound like I'm 5 years old. Three minutes in, I decide I've already taken enough of his time and end the call. Hmmm, I think, I didn't do very well with that.

Seven years later I sit on my porch in Chicago with a stack of a dozen folders, calling players I am recruiting for the University of Chicago, where I am the assistant men's coach.

I reach a player - one of our top recruits - and have an awkward 2-3 minute "conversation." I revert to my more or less standard list of questions:

How are things going? Pretty well.

Any big games lately? A few.

What tournaments are you going to in the spring? President's Day, Dallas Cup, and Nomads.

How are you feeling about UChicago? I like it.

Do you have any questions about the school or our team? Not really.

This pattern of questions and monosyllabic answers repeats itself time and again. I get through my stack of folders within an hour.

If you're wondering how to get recruited, though, know that phone calls play an important role. Despite these rather painful examples, phone calls remain an essential part of recruiting. While coaches do a lot of calling, players don't have to wait around for the phone to ring. Instead, pick up the phone, shake the nervousness out of your fingers and make the call. But then what?

The good news is that college coaches thoroughly enjoy engaging conversations with recruits. If you convey your love of the game and general enthusiasm for joining their team, you can dramatically advance your cause.

To have a successful call, do a little prep work in advance. That way, whether you're dialing or answering, you won't be caught off guard. Every few weeks, take a few minutes to jot down a list of talking points including the following:

1. The Champions League, MLS and U.S. national team games you've seen recently and a couple of observations about those games.
2. The games you've played in lately and what went well (or not so well) in those games.
3. Any technical or tactical questions you have.
4. Things you'd like to know about the college or team that can't easily be found on the Web.
5. Tidbits about your life outside soccer that you'd like to share - what great movies you've seen lately, academic accomplishments, etc.

Have this list of talking points in front of you when you're on the phone. It'll help make the conversation lively and interesting.

Enthusiasm, anecdotes, and a little repartee go a long way. Remember, this shouldn't be a cross-examination, so bounce some questions back at the college coach. Asking questions is a great technique to get the coach talking and to initiate a dynamic conversation rather than having a mundane, robotic information exchange.

It takes a little practice to be ready for these calls, so do some role-playing with your parents, club and high school coaches, and teammates.

Switch roles and put yourself in a college coach's shoes. This way, the next time you find yourself on the phone with a college coach and he asks how things are going, you'll be ready to have a real conversation. Learn what help a college recruiting service can offer you.

I got a call from the coach at ________ University and I kind of froze up on the phone. I didn't really know what to say and I feel like the conversation didn't go well at all. What should I do? - Aubrey

Before you start to analyze how the call went, give yourself a pat on the back for getting this far. Getting a call from a college coach is a real accomplishment.

Done. Now let's have some constructive criticism. In all likelihood it wasn't as bad as you thought. Even if it was, you probably didn't hurt your chances. The coach has probably had hundreds of phone calls like this. It's also more than likely that he has gone on to coach players with whom he's had conversations like this.

If you want to patch things up, give him a call in a couple of weeks and have a list of things you want to talk about to keep the conversation with the college coach flowing. These don't all have to be about recruiting, the team, or your latest accomplishments. You can literally talk about the weather, recent games that you've seen on tv, your favorite flavor of ice cream. It's all good.

That's how you can smooth over the call you just had. But how can you avoid this situation in the future? The answer is to be prepared. Have a list of talking points and questions by the phone. That way you'll be ready next time it rings.

Learn more about college sports recruitment and how college recruiting services can help you.

Contacting college coaches is a critical component of successful recruiting. If you want to get recruited, you have to put yourself in front of coaches. We interviewed 40 top college coaches and here's what they said about what captures their attention and how they choose which players to send a response:

1. Use email - Contacting colleges coaches by email is really the only way to go. Coaches spend most of the day at the computer. Sending physical mail just makes it that much harder for them to respond. They have to manually enter all your information before they respond to you. If you contact college coaches by email, they can just hit respond and write you back.


2. Be specific - Your email should contain specific details about the college you're contacting. Let's face it, college coaches get lots of recruiting email. And a lot of it, quite frankly, is spam. Your email should show that you've researched the school and that you didn't just send the same letter to a zillion coaches.


3. Include a player profile - Your email should arrive with a recruiting profile that includes pictures, video, statistics, and all your academic info. The more filled out your profile, the more likely you are to get a response.

by Avi - 1 response from a college coach for every 10 emails sent?! No contact for weeks after a big tournament?! Phone calls and snail mail that go unreturned?! Are college coaches the most inconsiderate people around? What's going on here? On the Radio Show this week, we talk about why college coaches are often so unresponsive. Click below to listen:

If a coach calls you, be an active participant on the phone. Don't just sit there and receive a lecture. Think on your feet, ask questions, and make observations.

At the end of the call, thank the coach for taking the time to call you. Let him know that you will be in touch in the near future.

If you self-recruit well, as a senior you will start receiving phone calls from your candidate coaches. Your work will have begun to put you in the college recruiting spotlight. This does not mean, however, that you should stop calling the coaches.

You should definitely reciprocate from time to time. It's a great way to raise your standing. In other words, if a coach has been calling you, a call from you will leave him feeling very positive about your recruitment.

Each coach has his own phone calling philosophy. Some call recruits weekly, others monthly.

Once you've sent a coach your cover letter and resume, and have replied to all requests for supplemental information, it's time to buckle down and get on the horn.

Phone calls from college coaches have an exaggerated reputation, as if once you've been called you're assured a spot on the team. Many high school players also mistakenly believe that if they don't receive a phone call the situation is hopeless.

There are countless reasons why a coach may not call you—many of which do not reflect your ability to play for his team. This is what makes self-recruiting so important. Doing things like making phone calls will strengthen your cause.

Don't just wait for calls to come to you. If you do sit and wait, the calls may never come.

Once you've gotten through to your college coaches you have to maintain regular contact with them. Until you've joined a team you cannot stop corresponding with the coach.

If you have the right academic and athletic credentials there is nothing more important to recruiting than regular communication. It sends a clear signal that you're serious about this. It also gives a coach the opportunity to really get to know you.

The best ways to develop your relationships with college coaches are phone calls, e-mails, and letters.

The quality of your early contact with a coach sets the standard for your recruiting experience with that college.

To be effective, the tone of your cover letter and follow-up information must demonstrate enthusiasm and determination. Without being in his ear 24/7, show the coach that you are committed to making this happen. If you slack off, it will be perceived as disinterest. So stay with it.

The phone rings and it's a number you don't recognize. "Hello?"

"Hi Pat, this is Coach Sartuna at College of XYZ. How are you doing today?"

"Fine." Your heart is suddenly pounding.

"What's going on these days?

"Not much."

"Are you playing a lot."

"Yeah, as much as I can."

"How are you feeling about College of XYZ these days?"

"I like it."

"Okay...well, do you have any questions about it, the team, me, anything???"

"No."

"Okay, well let me know if you do. I wanted to let you know that we're real interested in having you come here. Let's be in touch soon, okay? Talk to you later."

If reading this conversation was anywhere near as painful as writing it, then you now know what it's like for college coaches to call athletes. More often than not, when a coach calls, the conversation turns into something that you would more typically see in a courtroom: "Yes, your honor. No, your honor."

Let's face it, when a coach calls you, it can be overwhelming. You're on the spot! Ack! How do you know if you're saying the right things? Here's the simple fact: don't worry about it. Just have a normal conversation; coaches are people too. They love it when athletes are actively involved in conversations on the phone.

Show your interest and enthusiasm for their school. The best way to do this is to ask questions. This gets college coaches talking and improves the flow of the conversation. In fact, it's not a bad idea to write a list of questions out and just have it sitting by the phone in case you get a call.

Phone calls are an important part of building relationships with college coaches, which is something that we emphasize on CaptainU. Coaches aren't necessarily going to call you, but if they do, you should be ready. Practice with your parents, which can be an amusing exercise. Most importantly, be ready to have a normal conversation. Talk about the weather, something that you've been following in the news, your favorite sports team, a movie you just saw, or a new song you just downloaded. Your conversation doesn't have to be about recruiting. But it has to be about something, or else it's just a wasted opportunity.