College Recruiting: How to Email Coaches
Recently, I got to help out a high school senior with the recruiting process, and I remembered how much I enjoy writing about it! As a business-minded individual, the recruiting process felt like Shark Tank, where I was an entrepreneur pitching a product. Except I was also the product! With recruiting, you are selling yourself. One of the most traditional ways to promote a small business is email marketing, and it’s no exception in the college recruiting Tank.
I dug around in the archives to find the very first email I sent to Stanford! I had just finished my sophomore track season.. I’m pretty sure I never heard back from the coaches, haha! There was a staff change soon after I sent the email, and the new coaches (my current coaches) never received it. It was almost a year later when I heard from Stanford, but it wasn’t in response to my email. Coach Cooper had seen me race at an indoor meet at Texas A&M and got in touch a while later! I suppose it’s a lesson in God’s timing.
Even though a coach may or may not have ever read this email, I thought it would still be helpful to give an example. I also included an explanation behind the different parts of the email as well as a checklist of things to include in an email. Note: The bolded words and numbers inside parentheses are not included.
(0) Dear Coach ___ and Coach ___,
Intro: (1) My name is Camille Peisner, Class of 2021 from Valor Christian HS in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. (2) I currently have a 4.2 Weighted GPA and will be taking the ACT or SAT in the first semester of 2019. (3) I have been a part of two consecutive State Championship teams in 2018 and 2019. (4) This season as a sophomore, I was state runner-up in the 400 with a time of 54.31 and placed 3rd in the 200 with a time of 24.08. (5) I was a part of a state-record-setting 4x400 relay team with a time of 3:41.89.
Body: (6) Stanford has always been one of my top college choices because of its excellence in both academics and athletics. (7) In the Pac 12 championships, my 200 PR as a sophomore would be top 11, while my 400 PR would be top 10. (8) I aim to improve upon these times in my upcoming junior season and potentially be able to score for Stanford in the conference meet.
Conclusion: (9) Thank you for clicking here to access my profile and videos. (10) I would love to know more about your school and how I could be a recruitable track athlete in your program. (11) I look forward to setting up a time to talk soon.
(12) Sincerely,
Camille Peisner
Class of 2021
Valor Christian HS
*phone number*
Breaking down the sample email:
0 | Formal greeting with head coach listed first followed by event coach |
1 | Introduce yourself including name, grade, high school, and hometown |
2 | GPA/test score |
3 | Accomplishments in track, beginning with team focus |
4 | PRs (most important thing to include) |
5 | Relays if applicable or beneficial (show you're a team player) |
6 | Express interest in the school with a "because" |
7 | Place yourself in the coach's shoes, demonstrate that you can score points for the team if applicable |
8 | Show ambition and desire to improve |
9 | Link to your profile (Milesplit, recruiting profile, etc) |
10 | Restate interest in school that reflects responsibility onto the coach |
11 | Assumptive close to talk again soon |
12 | Repeat information from introduction with contact information included |
Email Content Checklist:
Introduction
Name
Graduating class
High school
Hometown
GPA/test scores
PR with context
Body
Connect back to school and express interest
Conference meet
Plans to PR and how
Conclusion
Link to profile
Leave it open ended
Assumptive close
Sign Off
Name
Class
School
Contact Information
This is not an exhaustive checklist, and there is no harm in deviating from it. I just hope to simplify recruiting emails and break it down into manageable bits! Thanks for reading!
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