College coaches and marketers of high school athletes take
different approaches to the recruiting process, much in the same way that the
questionnaires they ask athletes are all different. Here is a list of questions
and tips from one college coach, Iowa State's Lyle Smith, to prospective
student-athletes bound for his university, but they could be used by a player
bound for any college baseball program.
QUESTIONS
TO ASK RECRUITERS
·
Do you provide academic counseling? If so,
please explain your program.
·
Do you provide tutors?
·
Do you have required study sessions? During
off-season? During in-season?
·
What percentage of your players graduate from
your program?
·
What has been your team GPA in the past?
·
If I am offered a scholarship from your school,
what percentage of room, board, and tuition and fees will it cover?
·
A scholarship is guaranteed for one year. How is
it renewed?
·
What happens if I'm injured and cannot play the
rest of the year?
·
Do you have a redshirt program?
·
What positions are you recruiting me for?
·
How many players are currently in this position?
·
How many incoming players are you recruiting at
this position?
·
What is the average size of scholarships in your
program?
·
Do you take a spring trip? If so, where? How
many players will you take on your trip?
·
Are there any limitations in your conference
regarding roster limits for conference games?
·
What is your policy regarding freshman
participation?
·
What has been the success of your program over
the past several years?
·
What is your league policy regarding placement
of players in summer collegiate leagues?
·
How many of your former players have had the opportunity
to play professional baseball?
·
Do you travel by bus, van, or airplane?
·
How many coaches are in your program and what
are their previous experiences and responsibilities?
·
How many hours do you practice?
·
Do you have indoor as well as outdoor
facilities?
·
Does your college have a drug testing program?
·
What will it cost me to attend your college?
QUESTIONS
TO ASK YOURSELF
·
How far do I want to be from home?
·
Am I interested in a particular school? If not,
tell the school as soon as possible.
·
Do I feel comfortable with the coaches?
·
What type of reputation do the coaches and the
program have?
·
When do I want to decide on a college?
·
Have my parents had an opportunity to visit with
the coaches or view the college and its facilities?
·
Are my grades of the caliber to succeed at the
college?
·
Have I visited with my high school counselor
regarding college entrance requirements?
·
Have I taken the ACT or SAT test? If so, have I
forwarded the results to the college that I'm interested in?
·
Have I forwarded a copy of my high school
transcripts to all the colleges that I'm interested in?
HOW
TO RESPOND TO RECRUITERS
·
Always be courteous. Don't play hard to get or
make false pretensions of interest. Let the college know where you stand.
·
Respond to requests for information
(questionnaires, academic information, and your summer schedule) as soon as
possible.
·
If you are interested in a college, don't
hesitate to make the first move via a telephone call or a letter of
introduction.
·
Keep all appointments. If you have scheduled a
time to visit with a recruiter, don't neglect to reschedule a time if you can't
attend a meeting or visit.
·
Thank all coaches for their interest, even
though you have decided not to consider their college. Thank-you notes after
unpaid and paid visits leave recruiters and coaches with a positive image of
you as a player and, more importantly, as a person.
This
article was contributed by
Diamond Pros,
Inc.,
a New York-based baseball/softball training company. For more information on
private lessons, clinics, and camps for baseball and softball, call (718)
343-9347 or visit their website.
