Recruitment

Navigating the Recruiting Process: From First Contact to Final Decision

Once you’ve made initial contact and established interest from college coaches, the recruiting process becomes an ongoing conversation. This stage includes consistent communication, campus visits, prereads, and eventually, offers. Understanding how each part works helps you stay organized and make informed decisions.

Staying in Touch with Coaches

Ongoing communication is key. Once a coach shows interest, it’s important to keep them updated on your progress. Share time drops, academic improvements, new honors, and upcoming meet schedules. Coaches want to see growth and consistency. Be responsive and professional in all communications—check your email frequently and reply in a timely manner. It’s also completely appropriate to ask questions about training groups, team culture, academic support, and the overall student-athlete experience.

As recruiting progresses, some coaches will begin scheduling calls or Zoom meetings, especially after the NCAA contact date (June 15 after your sophomore year for D1). These conversations can help you better understand their expectations and allow the coach to learn more about your goals and personality.

Official and Unofficial Visits

Visits are a critical part of narrowing down your choices. Unofficial visits can happen at any time and are paid for by the athlete’s family. These visits let you tour the campus, attend a meet, or even meet with coaches and players, depending on the school’s rules.

Official visits, which schools pay for, are typically offered to serious recruits. You’re allowed up to five official visits to NCAA D1 schools and unlimited visits to D2 or D3 programs. These visits often include an overnight stay, meals with the team, and meetings with admissions and academic staff. They give you a firsthand feel for team chemistry, coaching style, and campus life. It’s a major part of deciding whether a program is the right fit.

Prereads and Academic Reviews

At many academically selective schools, especially in D3, coaches may offer to submit your academic profile to admissions for a preread. This is an early academic evaluation—often after your junior year—where admissions gives feedback about your likelihood of acceptance if you were to apply with your current grades and scores.

The preread is not an official acceptance, but it’s a valuable tool for both you and the coach. If the preread is positive, the coach can recruit you more confidently, knowing admissions is likely to approve your application.

Understanding Offers and Commitments

When a coach wants to bring you onto the team, they may extend a verbal offer. This is a non-binding agreement that outlines your potential roster spot and, if applicable, scholarship support. Verbal offers can include full or partial athletic scholarships at D1 and D2 schools. At D3 schools, the offer may include a spot on the team and potential academic or need-based financial aid, since athletic scholarships aren’t allowed.

It’s important to ask for clarity when you receive an offer. Questions to consider include:

Is the offer for a roster spot, scholarship, or both?

Is the scholarship renewable each year?

How many other athletes are being recruited for your events?

Once you’ve made your decision, you’ll eventually sign a National Letter of Intent (NLI) at D1 or D2 schools or complete a commitment form for D3. This is the final step that formalizes your place on the team.