What to Do if You Are Starting the Recruiting Process Late

What should you do if you are starting the recruiting process late? If there is a will to play, there is a way to find a college to further your sports and academic careers. Starting late means you are a senior and have not done any work in locating, connecting with or researching colleges.

If this is you, it’s not too late to begin. You just have to get to work immediately.

Here are some tips to help:

Keep Working at It

This is the most important tip. Keep your eyes open and remain diligent. You have to commit to the work and block out all interference and doubt from other people. Some may tell you it’s too late. Some may tell you to stop trying. Don’t listen.

Be resilient.

You have to be willing to put in the work at an accelerated pace. There are always college coaches who are looking for late signees. Either they lost someone due to: a transfer situation, an injury or some other reason. They may not even know they are looking for you yet.

Be encouraged to know you can still find your next college experience.

Open All Doors

Be open to new ideas about where to attend college. You may have had your mind made up on location, level of play, or size of college. Open your mind to all the possibilities. If you have a limited mind, you will limit your choices.

This does not mean that you have to sacrifice all that is important to you. Just keep an open mind to the possibility that your next college may not be one you had previously thought about.

Communicate 

You never know which connection will be the most important connection you make with regards to your recruiting process. Continue to tell your story to friends, family, coaches and colleges.

Word spreads fast nowadays.

Be willing to initiate communication with college coaches to let them know you are available. This may mean calling college coaches on your own or emailing new ones. Coaches are constantly receiving new information about recruits. Don’t be afraid to get your name in the mix. Call them. If your initial communication with college coaches is not getting a response, keep trying.

You can also involve your high school and travel coaches to help you in this effort. They can call coaches with you, and on your behalf, to find out interest levels. Don’t be afraid to ask for whatever you need.

Organize Your Resources 

Do you have athletic and academic information ready? Is your story ready to tell?

Do you have the game footage if you are a sport that requires video? Do you have official times and distances if your sport requires those statistics? Do you have your academics in order with transcripts, test scores and eligibility requirements?

Get all of your resources in one place so you can share them easily. If any of your resources are missing or lacking proper information, take care of it quickly.  You have to be ready to provide these things instantly when a college connection is made.

Get Help From Your People 

Get with the people who can help you locate and research colleges and universities. Sit down with your high school coaches, travel coaches, parents or anyone else who you think might be able to help you.

You may need to ask someone to take you on a quick drive to see a campus. You may need your coaches to follow up on an email you sent or a question that comes up about a particular program. These folks should be ready to help you.

When everyone comes together in your arsenal, and you are willing to work hard without giving up, you’ll find the right place for you.

If you have not begun the recruiting  process yet, then begin right now. Don’t allow a short time frame to hold you back.