Recruiting Process

A Brief Overview of the Recruiting Process

By - David Gilardi

Recruiting for many collegiate programs is a fulltime job. Some collegiate programs have a full time staff dedicated to finding the best recruits. However many successful athletic programs do not have the budget or staff to identify recruits.

The Detroit Free Press outlines the college football recruiting calendar of events. During February and March, schools host Junior Days. These events allow potential recruits and their families to visit campuses and get to know the staff, as well as the school’s academic and athletic programs. In March and April, schools will not only have spring practice, but host prospects on unofficial visits. Coaches often encourage recruits to come and watch a practice to see their particular position coach in action. These sessions are a great opportunity for recruits to not only develop more rapport with the coaching staff, but see the players in action, too.

In May, the evaluation period begins. Over a six-week period, coaches are allowed to visit a recruit’s high school and make one phone call to him. Coaches can’t have conversations with recruits at high schools, but they can say hello and make it apparent that they are there for a good reason. One of the best ways for a recruit to judge a school’s interest is whether they send the coach to the high school during May.

Once the summer hits, it’s camp time. Michigan State has several camp sessions in June and July. It is at these camps that coaches get to work with recruits one-on-one.

After the camps come the regular season. Coaches aren’t only allowed to call home and stop into school, but they can also set up unofficial visits for recruits to visit campus and watch games. The final stage is securing official visits for the most sought-after players and their families.

In order to best prepare yourself for the recruiting process, start now. Don't worry if you are not being actively sought after by collegiate programs. This doesn't mean you don't have the talent to play at the collegiate level. The fact is many collegiate programs just don't have the manpower to evaluate the thousands of high school programs. Basically, they don't know you exist. The best thing a student athlete can do is to take control of the situation and do something about it. Athletic Scholarship Help assist student athletes and will help them prepare a game plan to help them get noticed. Schedule a consultation today with one of our team members.