Most athletes who want to play in the college league expect an immediate response from their coach after writing a well-written email to them, but unfortunately, the excitement is tempered by days and months of waiting. No response is hard and they start wondering if they will ever respond to your email or Twitter DM. Let us discuss, Do College Coaches Respond to Emails?
Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the coaches are not allowed to respond to you at least until September 1 of their junior year, and this is according to the NCAA rules. Which means they receive your messages but can’t reply to them. However, eventually, recruits can get to talk to the coaches, and they can talk to them from time to time.
Why Do They Not Respond?
Let’s explore some other reasons why they might not have responded.
- Maybe they want you to move on to the next university website to look for similar opportunities. While it is true you are passionate about being an athlete, it is also important that you expand your chances by looking elsewhere to see what other opportunities you have to increase your chances of being taken in. You can compare the requirements needed for you to qualify because qualification is not only based on skill but also on GPA.
- Maybe your email game sucks. Most of the time, college-going students have taken to copying and pasting emails, and once the coach notices this kind of red flag, he may not respond to you. However, to stand a higher chance, you need to personalize your email with specifics such as your grades, GPA, and just about anything that helps you cast a wider net.
- Maybe you have not updated your highlight video in a while. Your highlight video should show your best performances so that coaches can use it to assess and make decisions based on your performance, opponents, and delivery. The videos must be of high quality and updated at least every six months.
- Maybe the coaches think you are not good enough for their team. That is why highlight videos are very important in this case.
- You may have only sent one email or DM. Coaches do not reply to athletes based on one email unless you are very exceptional.
- They do not know who you are.
How Do You Get the Coaches to Respond?
- Say the coaches have not responded to you. Go back to your computer, and write a new email that best describes who you are. This means that you have to provide them with an informative CV of your sports exploits and academic excellence, plus references that can support your work.
- Elaborate with them about why you think you are a perfect match for their team. You can go as far as researching the playing style of their team and using that information to show how you can add to their style of play.
- Try to keep your coaches informed about the number of goals you score each season you play and the awards you have won. This helps you keep them close and interested.
- Show them more than you can tell them, and share videos of your highlights. They must be impressive enough to catch their eyes.
- Send follow-up emails and phone calls, this can help them get to notice you
How Do You Know They Are Interested?
- When they respond to you with an anticipated timeline, usually within two weeks, although it is not an automatic indication, it is something worth looking into.
- If the college coach you contacted ends up giving you his contact information, such as an email or cell phone number, it is a good sign to look out for.
- If your skill level is top-notch, they will reach out quickly, although this is often very unlikely for college students. They have to try hard.
Conclusion:
As an athlete, when you fail at one stage, you never give up. You dust yourself off and try again next time. As they say, it is the times you stood up when you fell that are counted not the times you fell and never stood up.
Common Questions
How Many Times Should I Email the Coach?
Email them in the first week, then follow up with a call immediately, and then within some days, send him a follow-up email, and if they have not responded yet, wait about a week and then send a final one. After that final email, focus on checking out other colleges around you.
Where Can I Create a Profile from?
There are several agencies and recruiting sites where you can build a profile as an athlete with specific highlights of your work. These sites help make the process of creating a profile much easier for you as an aspiring athlete.
