How to Stay on a Coach’s Radar without Overdoing it
Dear Coach Bryant:
My son is a junior golfer and has been communicating with a few college coaches. But we’re not sure what he should do now. How often should he be sending updates without becoming annoying? What should he include, and how can he stay on a coach’s radar as recruiting progresses?
Hesitant in Hartford
Dear Hesitant:
Once a student-athlete is on a coach’s radar, staying there requires consistent communication and meaningful updates throughout the year.
The key word is meaningful. Your son doesn’t need to contact a coach every time he plays a tournament or shoots a good round. But he also shouldn’t talk with a coach on the phone in September and then disappear until February. With so many prospective student-athletes in the mix, regular updates help keep your son top of mind with coaches while showing them how he is developing as an athlete, a student, and a person.
Give Coaches Something Worth Reading
The best touchpoints provide coaches with new information. For a golfer, that might mean updated tournament results, a lower scoring average, a new ranking, qualification for a more competitive tournament, or new swing video. The point is for your son to share something that shows progression.
Academic updates matter too. A new SAT or ACT score, a strong semester in the classroom, or an academic honor can be worth sharing. So can accomplishments that say something about who your son is beyond golf—perhaps he was inducted into National Honor Society, elected to a leadership position, or recognized for something in his community.
Taken together, these updates help a coach see a much bigger picture. They aren’t just reminders that your son is interested. They show how he is progressing athletically and academically while also giving the coach small glimpses into his character.
Not every development in the recruiting process needs to be shared, either. I generally would not send coaches updates about visits to other colleges or conversations with other programs unless a coach specifically asks. The purpose of these touchpoints is to strengthen your son’s relationship with the coach while continuing to reinforce why they were interested in him in the first place—or giving them more reasons to take a closer look if their interest hasn’t progressed as quickly. Keep the communication focused on what he is doing, how he is progressing, and why the program is a good fit.
Find the Right Rhythm
Once your son understands what is worth sharing, the next question is how often he should be sharing it. Early in junior year, I generally recommend sending coaches a touchpoint every four to six weeks. As recruiting picks up later in junior year, that can increase to approximately every two to three weeks.
He doesn’t need to wait for his next scheduled touchpoint if something meaningful happens in between. If he has a great tournament result, lowers his scoring average, qualifies for a more competitive tournament, or receives an important academic update, he can reach out sooner. The same goes for something happening with the coach’s team. If they win a big tournament or have another noteworthy result, a quick text of congratulations can be sent at any time.
If a coach doesn’t respond, don’t assume it means a lack of interest. Coaches get busy, particularly when their own teams are in season, and responding to recruits may temporarily fall down the priority list. Your son should keep sending appropriate updates even if a coach doesn’t respond to every one. However, if two or three touchpoints go by without any response, that may be a sign that it’s time to focus on programs that are engaging more with him.
Use Multiple Methods—But Let Your Athlete Lead
If your son has spoken with a coach on the phone and saved their cell number, I recommend sending future updates by text. They can be brief and conversational, and texting makes it easier to maintain an ongoing relationship with busy coaches who aren’t sitting behind a computer checking emails all day. If they haven’t spoken on the phone yet, email is perfectly appropriate.
Not every interaction has to be a direct text or email, though. Social media can be another effective way to stay on a coach’s radar. I encourage student-athletes to follow the teams they’re interested in—and potentially the coaches as well—while also using their own social media accounts to post athletic updates and video clips. For a golfer, that might include tournament results, swing clips, or practice and competition highlights.
It can also be valuable to use the private, club, or high school coach who knows your son best and can speak credibly about both his athletic ability and his character. In golf, that might be his swing coach, teaching professional, or high school coach. I generally recommend asking coaches to call five to seven coaches of programs where an additional voice could make a difference in either getting or keeping him on their radar.
For example, if your son has made initial contact with a college coach but hasn’t received a response in a while, a call from someone who knows his game can sometimes help get him back on that coach’s recruiting board. It can also be useful if your son hasn’t been able to get a coach to take a look at him at all. In either situation, a well-timed call can provide an informed perspective on his athletic ability and character.
There is one person who shouldn’t be sending touchpoints to coaches: the parent. Coaches can usually tell when an email or text has been written by an adult, even when it comes from the student’s phone number or email address. Recruiting is a process where the coach and student-athlete are getting to know each other and determining whether they are a good fit for one another. They can’t really do that if a parent is managing the communication. You can help your son think through what he wants to say, but ultimately, the relationship with the coach needs to be his.
The Reality
Getting on a coach’s radar is only the beginning of the recruiting process. Staying there requires consistent communication that gives coaches a reason to keep moving the relationship forward. If they like what they continue to learn about a student-athlete athletically, academically, and personally along the way, that can lead to the next steps in the process—a visit and, ultimately, an offer.
Being intentional about what to share, when to reach out, and how to communicate with coaches keeps the recruiting process moving toward finding the right college and athletic fit.
