How to get college coaches to notice you
With lots of student-athletes jostling to get recruited by coaches, you need more than basketball talent to be noticed by college basketball coaches. A lot of student basketball players dream of playing in a college basketball team at some point as they progress in their careers and are unsure of how to go about it. It doesn’t matter if you’re wondering ‘how to get noticed for basketball in a small town’ or wanting to stand out in Los Angeles – you need to follow very similar steps.
How to standout at a basketball showcase
Talent isn’t the only thing you need to stand out in the college basketball recruitment process. You have to actively market yourself, learn as much as possible about the recruitment process, research the college that would be the right fit for you, and position yourself to be noticed by the coaches. This article will reveal some of the best ways to get noticed by college basketball coaches. But first, let’s learn about how the recruitment process for college basketball works.
How does the college basketball recruitment process work?
College basketball recruiting involves work on the side of the students and that of the coaches too. As a student, you have to research and build a list of colleges you are targeting. You will also create an online profile, shoot a highlight film and get in touch with prospective college coaches. The coaches also have some work to do as well, and this includes the following:
- Identifying potential recruits: coaches target student-athletes and may send questionnaires to high schools to get prospects that may be interested in a program.
- Evaluating and ranking prospects: once prospects have been identified, the coaches work on further evaluating them and narrowing down the list. Coaches do this by checking out: highlight films, tournaments, and camp performance as well as the overall interest of the student in the college.
- Visiting and making an offer: after the list of prospects have been identified, the coach can then extend verbal offers to the students.
How to get noticed by college basketball coaches
College basketball recruitment is never a linear process. In many cases, a high school student is speaking to multiple coaches at the same time. The same goes for coaches as well. They are talking to several players simultaneously, so there is a need to market yourself appropriately to stand out. Here are some of the best ways to get noticed by college basketball coaches.
How to get college coaches’ attention:
Talent:
Coaches are always on the lookout for talented players. Do your best to compete at the highest level possible: coaches want to see your competitive ability. To showcase this, you need to show how well you can perform against high ranking teams and athletes.
Being a talented and outstanding player will definitely be an advantage. What do you bring to the table? Coaches consider both a player’s athleticism and non-athletic skills.
Leadership:
Recruiters want to see the leadership qualities of a player. This includes how well you communicate with your teammates. How you respond to your coach, your control, and leadership of the team, amongst other qualities.
Work ethic:
Hardworking players are more likely to stand out and get picked. Coaches lookout for how hard you work on the court and may also check your off-season training and workout routines. They want to see your attitude and confirm whether you are putting in the necessary work and responding to feedback to get results.
Academic performance:
To be able to play at the college level, your academic performance is quite vital. The NCAA sets the academic eligibility requirements of amateur players; you need to understand these requirements and keep up with them throughout your high school. Coaches want to see your academic record and test results. But much more, they want to see how well you can manage your academics and playing basketball. You need to be able to study on the road, stay motivated and have a good relationship with your teachers.
Knowledge and interest:
Build a list of potential colleges you intend to send an application to and do your research. Look for details like the current college player rosters to see if they have any seniors graduating and therefore spaces on the team. Check the athletic stats and find out about the background of the coaching team. Seek out other relevant details that will help you confidently discuss the school and any opportunity that arises, as well as making choices and decisions if you receive an offer.
Preparation:
Consider a highlight video and an online profile. An outstanding highlight video will help put your case forward and a positive online profile provides a readily accessible source of information about you. Make sure your behaviour is reputable online and any information is authentic.
Conclusion
A combination of a good online profile, outstanding highlight video, great athletic and academic performance, as well as positive personal qualities will help you get a foot in the door with a college recruiter. Now you know how to get noticed by college basketball coaches, get prepared, be proactive and start getting in touch with those coaches.
