“If you do not know how to ask the right question, you discover nothing.” -W. Edwards Deming
As a recruit, you are ever-evolving. Everything you think you know about yourself will be tested during the recruiting process. For example, you may think that the division level you play at is your number 1 priority as a Junior. As a Senior, you may realize that the opportunity to play right away is much more important to you.
As a college coach, who and how you recruit is ever-evolving. You may be sitting in a gym and fall in love with a prospect and decide that is the one you must have. 30 minutes later, you may find a player two courts down who is an even better fit for you, and you quickly forget about the kid you were so enamored with just moments before.
Understanding the complexity of recruiting, it is important that Recruits have a list of questions prepared at all times for when a coach may call. These questions are essential to making the most of that first phone call, so you don’t waste your time or that coach’s time moving forward. You will and should talk to lots of college coaches throughout your recruitment journey before ever making a decision It is important that you learn to weed out the good fit from the not-so-good fit as efficiently as possible. Here are 5 questions I recommend starting with in the first conversation you have with every coach:
- What do you like about my ability?
- How do you see me fitting into your program? [How would you utilize my skill-set?]
- How many returnees will you have on your roster at my position my freshman year?
- How many recruits are you planning on signing in my recruiting class?
- What is your typical roster size each year?
I’d like to tell you that I was smart enough at 17 to ask these questions, but I wasn’t, and not having those answers bit me in the rear-end when I walked on to campus my freshmen year.
- I didn’t understand what my competition looked like.
- I didn’t understand my new coach’s plan for me as a freshman.
- I didn’t understand if they truly “needed” me or just “wanted” me.
I assumed (foolishly) that I was coming in to start and be their guy from Day 1. I wish I would have known that they were returning a Senior, Junior and Sophomore at my position, and they could all play at a high level. I wish I would have known they had a Junior Varsity program, and they liked their freshman to play a year (or more) of JV to prepare them for varsity in later years. All things I would have known if I had just asked the “right” questions.
In the end, my college career was a bit of a disaster because I was not even close to being prepared for the obstacles that I faced on Day 1 that I should have and could have been completely prepared for. Would I have still picked that school? Maybe. Maybe not, but I wish I would have been in control and in the know to make the decision that was best for me.
I hope this makes you re-think your process and re-focuses your energy to wanting to be prepared instead of just wanting to be wanted!
I will be posting blogs similar to this one in coming weeks. Feel free to shoot me an email with your feedback and questions or schedule a time to meet. Be smart. Be prepared. Ask good questions! Good luck!
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