The Myth That's Holding You Back
"My high school or travel coach will handle my recruiting."
If you've thought this or heard it from a parent or teammate, you're not alone. It sounds reasonable, even logical. After all, coaches have connections, experience, and credibility with college programs. But here's the hard truth: this belief is one of the biggest misconceptions in the recruiting process, and it could cost you opportunities.
The Reality Check Every Athlete Needs
Your coach can be an incredible resource, mentor, and advocate throughout your recruiting journey. They can write recommendations, make phone calls on your behalf, and provide guidance when you need it most. But here's what they cannot be: your personal recruiter.
Think about it from their perspective. Your coach has a full team to manage, practices to plan, games to win, and a season to navigate. On top of that, they have dozens of players looking for support, not just you. Even the most dedicated coaches simply don't have the bandwidth to personally manage every athlete's recruiting process.
The athletes who succeed in getting recruited understand a fundamental truth: recruiting success comes down to ownership. Unless your athlete is a top-tier, nationally ranked prospect with college coaches already knocking down the door, waiting for the phone to ring won't work. College coaches recruit athletes they've heard from, not athletes they've only heard about.
What Successful Recruits Do Differently
The athletes who land roster spots and scholarship offers don't sit back and hope someone else handles their future. They take control of their process with intention and consistency:
- They communicate directly. Successful recruits send their own emails to college coaches, craft personalized messages, and share their highlight videos. They don't wait for someone else to make the introduction.
- They follow up relentlessly. After initial contact, they send regular updates about their schedules, achievements, stats, and game film. They stay on coaches' radars by being proactive, not passive.
- They make evaluation easy. They organize their information in a way that makes it simple for college coaches to assess them. Clear highlight reels, updated stats, tournament schedules, academic information — it's all readily available because they've taken the time to prepare it.
Here's what most people don't realize: college coaches respect recruits who show initiative. When an athlete reaches out directly, follows up consistently, and demonstrates genuine interest, it signals maturity, self-motivation, and readiness for the next level. Those are exactly the qualities coaches want on their roster.
The Bottom Line
Your high school or travel coach can absolutely help you in the recruiting process. They can vouch for your character, speak to your work ethic, and provide context that strengthens your case. But they cannot, and should not, own your recruiting journey.
If your athlete wants to see real progress, they need to take the lead. The sooner they embrace this responsibility, the sooner college coaches will start taking notice.
The recruiting process isn't something that happens to you — it's something you make happen for yourself. Take control, stay consistent, and remember: the athletes who get recruited are the ones who refuse to wait around for someone else to do the work.
Ready to take ownership of your recruiting process? Schedule Your Strategy Call with Alex
