15 College Coach “Turn Offs” to Avoid
May 19th, 2010 - by Adam Diorio
College coaches are evaluating prospects during every single interaction.
Whether the coach is watching film, talking to an athlete on campus or
watching them deal with a loss after a high school game, each observation
is a chance to make assumptions about the prospect. It is important
for every recruit to understand what sort of things might leave a negative
impression with a college coach.
After surveying and interviewing former and current college coaches,
we came up with a list of the most common “turn offs” that ALL recruits
should be aware of!
In no particular order:
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- Student athletes asking about scholarships on the first email or visit
they have with the coach
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- Student athletes being rude to their parents
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- Student-athletes acting like they are “too good” or above that particular
school
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- Student athletes coming to a visit unprepared. For example,
having no prior knowledge of the school or team.
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- Student-athletes being quiet on the phone with only one word answers
to their questions. Coaches understand that prospects can be nervous,
but make sure you do not seem disinterested!
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- Student-athletes not being honest about their interest level in that
school
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- Student-athletes who call or email to frequently
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- Student-athletes acting inappropriately on a recruiting visit.
For example, partying too much.
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- Parents being too involved
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- Student-athletes who misrepresent their academic and athletic information
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- Student-athletes not responding in a reasonable amount of time
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- Student-athletes not providing the necessary info. For example
transcripts and video
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- Student-athletes who do not personalize their correspondence with
college coaches. For example, writing an email or a letter with “Dear
Coach” instead of using the actual last name.
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- Student-athletes arranging a campus or home visit and not showing
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- Unrealistic opinion and promotion of the student-athlete by parents,
high school coaches, or the athletes themselves.
Do any of those sound familiar? If so, you are not alone. Many
athletes and families make mistakes throughout the recruiting process.
The list above certainly is not all encompassing and there are many other
pitfalls a recruit can succumb to. In most cases, the mistake might
not immediately result in a prospect’s name being crossed off the list,
but it certainly will not help…and given the importance of this process,
why risk it?
Think about it like this. A college coach is looking at two prospects.
Both have almost identical academics and athletics. One prospect
comes to a recruiting trip and parties too much and misses curfew while
the other gets to bed on time and has a productive visit. Which prospect
do you think will be higher on that coach’s recruiting list?
Read more: College Athletic Recruiting | NCAA Recruiting http://www.ncsasports.org/blog/2010/05/19/15-college-coach-turn-offs-to-avoid/#ixzz0oTGCCUL0