Email #1 on Recruiting Tips-B
How to Email College Coaches
By Nic Nelson, Head Softball Coach, Lake Land College
When you email a college coach, you need to understand the large volume of emails that college coaches get from players looking for a college softball home. Next to talent, personal responsibility is the number one trait coaches look for in a potential recruit. Timely and well-written emails can give hints about personal responsibility. Keep in mind a well-written original email can enhance your ability of getting recruited, so take the time and do it right. Here are some suggestions on how to email a college coach:
Use a good email address
So the first challenge is just getting the coach to open your email. For many coaches, the recruiting process starts with a player's email address. If a coach sees an email with a questionable name like Sexypitcher1, partygirl 2, or anything that might indicate a character flaw, your email may get deleted, thus ending the process. Make sure you have a good email address.
How to address the coach
Always start your email to a college coach with “Coach” and his or her last name (ex. Coach Nelson). This is a sign of respect. Don't Coach and their first name (ex. Coach Nic) even if you know them. Most players start their emails with just Coach. Coaches see this and think it is an email being sent out to several coaches. You need to make it as personal as possible.
Emails must come from the player:
I was a parent I know how hard this is. But realize we are recruiting the daughter not mom and dad. It is college they are eighteen years old and coaches do not like hearing from the parents.
Be Original
I was at a tournament a couple of weekends ago a few coaches were talking about emails they got and how they all started and sounded the same. You have to set your self apart from other players sending emails. Write your own email in your own words.
Learn about the school and coach you are emailing
Do your homework. Go online and check out the school as well as the softball program. Coaches don’t recruit Athlete/Students but Student/Athletes. Somewhere in your email be sure to mention something about their school that interested you beside softball, along with something about the school's softball program. Taking the time to go onto their web site and learn more about their school shows you have true interest in them, which coaches like. While on line, if you find that the school really doesn't interest you, don't waste yours or the coach's time with an email.
Subject line: The subject line should be simple for example “Regarding Lake Land College Softball”.
End with a question
Finish your email with a question. This is an old sales technique used to get the person or, in this case, the coach to continue the dialogue. If you definitely want to get a response, just ask them when their next camp is. You need to realize depending on the time of year or the age of the recruit, NCAA Dl coaches may have restrictions on when or if they can contact or return emails to a recruit. So be sure to give them your high school or travel coach's contact information, letting them know that they can contact them to pass on information if need be.
Resume and Video
Yes attach a softball resume if you have one. As for a skills video I usually tell players not send a video unless it is requested. (My next email will deal with videos.)
How to sign off
Don’t ever assume that the coaches know who you are. We get emails that end like this all the time “Thank you for your time, Sarah” Do you know how many Sarah’s we might know and work with. Here is the proper way you should sign off
Name, HS graduation year, position
Mailing address
City/State/Zip
Home phone, cell phone
Email address
Be timely with all return emails and requested information
One last item - always return emails or any communications from a college coach within 24 hours of their contact with you. Once again, this shows personal responsibility as well as interest in their school. Besides if you wait to long they may forget who you are. Here is the required response time by my players here at Lake Land College when I contact them.
Phone call: As soon as they get the message
Text: 45 minutes
Email: 12 hours
