Getting Ready for College Recruiting

Leighton Rainer

Getting Ready for College Recruiting

 

  1. Deciding what type of college for you.
    • Division 1 – “the big division”
      1. Minimums = varies by school, preferably NCSA or above.  Some coaches will send their “walk-on times”.
      2. Mid-Majors (CAA, AAC, WAC) or BIG Five (SEC, ACC, BIG 10….
      3. Separate National champs for Men and Women
    • Division 2 – “the growing division”
      1. Minimums = sectional level or above
      2. State or private schools with widely different ranges in size
      3. Combined national champs that also includes the 1000 Free
    • Division 3 – “no athletic scholarships”
      1. Minimums = zone level swimmers, sectional and above will get extra look
      2. Smaller liberal arts, academic schools with limited athletic budget
      3. Combined national champs, cuts usually falling near D1 B standards
    • NAIA – “Division 2 Version 2” (4 Year Schools)
      1. Wide range of ability- great for the late bloomer with some SE cuts
      2. Looser academic requirements than NCAA- separate eligibility center
      3. Combined championships- cuts around the faster Sectional standard
    • NJCAA – “Training wheels”
      1. Also, a great step for late bloomers or swimmers with academic issues
      2. 2-year degree program allowing for easy transition into NCAA
      3. Combined championships- relatively easy time standards
    • Collegiate Club Swim Teams – “fun swimming”
      1. Great for any level of swimmer as well as any commitment level
      2. No recruiting needed, just contact the club coach
      3. Yearly championship in Atlanta

 

  1. Selecting a college (Usually April/May of Soph. year)
  • What do you want to study?
  1. General areas of study are easy to work around and find schools
  2. Very specific majors require a more focused eye and may limit spectrum
  • Combined or Separate or Gender-isolated program?
  1. Combined programs= one head coach and staff over men and women’s
  2. Separate programs= one head coach and staff over EACH gender
  3. Gender isolated= school only offers one gender (usually women)
  • Football or no football?
  1. Affects Title 9 as well as general athletic funding/facilities
  2. Can be indicative of community support of athletes
  • Commitment preference – year-round, Sept-May or seasonal?
  1. Year round- look at D1 or top 10 D2 programs
  2. Sept-May-Mid major D1(those without full funding) or D2/ top D3
  3. Seasonal- lower end D2, D3 or club swimming
  • Size of school preference? Under 4000, 4-10K, 10-20K, “super school”
  1. Under 4000 = D3, D2, NAIA, NJCAA (generally HS sized)
  2. 4-10K = D2, private D1, NJCAA or even some D3
  3. 10-20K = most state schools fall here
  4. 20K plus= Almost all power 5 schools (Alabama, Auburn, Georgia….)
  • Type of experience? Walk-on, recruited walk-on, partial, full
  1. Walk-on= zero contact with coach until admitted, then either tryout or JV team
  2. Recruited Walk-on (preferred)= Official/unofficial visit, guaranteed spot on the team, can have academic financial assistance
  3. Partial Scholarship= ranges from books to 75% or more- guaranteed spot, usually what kids can expect from the athletic side of things, expected to score at conference/NCAA
  4. Full Scholarship= VERY RARE. Must be the best kid in the history of the school. Usually expected to win/score high in multiple events at conference or NCAAS
  • Finances?
  1. Parents need to be VERY clear with how much they can spend/want to spend, with the college coaching staff and swimmers to meet expectations
  2. Scholarships are NOT a guarantee- positives and negatives
  3. Combining athletic & academic aid is not always an option
  • Location?
  1. Not to be used as a restricting agent, remember to be open-minded
  2. Depending on career path, may result in your future residence
  • Intangibles?
  1. What do you value in your relationship with the coach?
  2. What do you enjoy about your current team experience?
  3. What type of living environment do you prefer?
  • What next? Evaluate yourself
  1. Compile a chart of best times by Freshman/Sophomore/Junior year. Identify the top 5 collegiate events for yourself. Know the order of the events for most championship meets

Day 1: 2 Relays-varies by conference (1000 Free for D2)

Day 2: 500 Free, 200 IM, 50 Free, 200 Fr Relay/400 Med Relay

Day 3: 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Fr, 100 Bk, 100 Br, 200 M Relay/800 Fr Relay

Day 4: Mile, 200 Bk, 100 Fr, 200 Fly, 200 Br, 400 Fr Relay

  • Evaluate the school for where you think you fit best
  1. NCAA results
  2. Conference results – look for your times to be top 16 at the conference championship meet by your Junior/Senior year of high school.
  3. Top Times Lists from recent year for individual colleges- if not top 3-5 in 3 events, likely not a fit)
  4. Rosters- where are other swimmers from? Local/foreign/out-of-state
  5. Academics- does the school offer what you’re interested in?

 

  1. Narrowing the field (summer break Sophomore Year)
  • 20-25 schools to fill out questionnaires (available on athletic sites)
  1. 3-5 “safety” schools= usually local, where you could attend w/o swimming
  2. 5 big money schools= where you would be the “big fish” and draw a lot of attention from coaching staff
  3. 10-15 scholarship/recruited walk-on schools= you would be recruited, but may need to meet specific athletic/academic criteria for participation with the team
  4. 3-5 “dream” schools= schools where walk-on status would be hoped for. Communication with these schools would hopefully result in time requirements and/or invitation to a JV squat.

 

  1. Narrowing the field (Beginning of Junior Year)
  • Evaluate responses from top 25 schools
  1. Narrow to 8-10 schools to continue communication and pursue visits
  2. 1-2 schools should be local/nearby- ask for unofficial trips
  3. 3-6 schools should be school where you can contribute ASAP
  4. 1-3 schools should be schools that may be more of an “athletic” decision for future performance goals

 

  1. Basic Recruiting Rules
  • Contact: Division 1 coaches can contact athletes starting June 15th Sophomore year, Division 2 coaches can contact athletes starting June 15th of Sophomore year and Division 3 coaches can contract athletes starting anytime.

 

  • Division I Swimming and Diving NCAA recruiting rules

 Any time: Athletes can receive recruiting materials from college coaches, such as questionnaires, camp brochures, nonathletic institutional publications and NCAA educational materials published by the NCAA.

 June 15 after sophomore year: The NCAA recruiting rules show athletes can receive all forms of electronic correspondence at this time, including emails, instant messages, faxes, etc., as well as other recruiting materials.

 August 1 before junior year: Recruits can begin taking official visits to schools. Athletes can also begin arranging unofficial visits with a school’s athletic department and meet with the coach while on campus.

 August 1 before junior year: Coaches are allowed to start off-campus contact with recruits.

  • Official Visits
  1. When: September 1 of Junior year, except during a dead period.
  2. What: A visit becomes official if the school pays for anything other than a ticket to an on-campus event. If they buy you a hot dog it becomes an official visit. Due to budgetary cutbacks many schools don’t have the money to pay for the entire trip and may ask you to pay for your transportation to and from campus. The schools will usually pick up the tab for room and board while you are there. Your parents may come with you on an official visit and schools are allowed to pay for their room and board while they are there, but they are not allowed to pay for their transportation. This depends on a school’s recruiting budget.
  3. Limits: Recruits are allowed to take official visits to up to 5 different Division I schools from September 1 of your Junior year through your Senior year of High School, except during a dead period.
  4. Official visits to Division II schools are unlimited.
  5. Official visits to Division III schools are unlimited.
  6. Official visits to NAIA schools are unlimited.

Tip: don’t assume that a school will pay for everything on an official visit. You need to ask.

  • Unofficial Visits
  1. When: September 1 of your Junior year in High school, except during a dead period
  2. What: Unofficial visits are unlimited if you pay for everything on your trip. A school can provide tickets to an on-campus event while you are there. You are allowed to spend the night with the team, but you will have to pay the going rate for the dorm room or motel.
  3. Tip: let the coach know well in advance that you are coming to campus. You may visit a school prior to September 1 of your Junior year; however, you are not allowed contact with anyone employed by the athletic department, effective immediately. In other words, coaches are no longer allowed to meet with a recruit or their parents on an unofficial visit before your junior year.
  • Verbal Commitments:
  1. When: Anytime
  2. What: You can give your verbal commitment to attend a school at any time and the coach can give you a verbal commitment for a scholarship offer or a spot on the team at any time. Verbal commitments are not binding, but rarely coaches do not honor their scholarship offers. Usually, it’s the recruit who backs out.  If you give your word to a coach, you should honor. Written scholarship offers still cannot be made until August 1st of the senior year, which keeps in place the prior rule. Pay attention to admission deadlines, including for merit aid, as they vary from school to school.
  • Dead period:
  1. Coaches are not allowed to meet a recruit face to face during a recruiting dead period. This is 48 hours prior to and 48 hours after the first day of signing periods in November and April.

 

  1. Preparing for trips
  • NCAA Eligibility Center- make sure to have yourself enrolled and get transcripts and test scores sent there at the conclusion of your Junior Year.
  • Standardized Tests- to take trips, you must have standardized tests on file (PSAT, PLAN, ACT, SAT are all acceptable). You will need to have ACT or SAT for enrollment.
  • Communication with High Schools- make sure the school understands the recruiting process, communicate with teachers and administrators prior to trip for homework and tests.
  • Workouts- If you would like to practice while you are away on recruiting trips, ask the college coach what time the pool is available for you to swim in advance. The college coach CANNOT run a workout for you so be prepared to swim on your own.

 

  1. Talking to college coaches
  • Talking on the phone- make sure to write down any questions you want to ask (what is training schedule like, what is your coaching philosophy, what is the team’s goal for the season……) Also, have a notebook ready to write down certain things that will help you in making your decision.
  • Recruiting Trips- Before July 1st do a social media purge. Compromising photos, comments or tweets should be deleted. Coaches check and will find out what has been posted. DO NO POST PHOTOS FROM YOUR TRIP ONLINE UNLESS YOU WANT OTHER SCHOOLS TO WRITE YOU OFF. Behave as representatives of your family, team, and coaches on trips. If you don’t want your mom to know you did it, then don’t do it, because the college coaches WILL find out. Always follow up with personalized thank you email or phone call. Write down anything you liked about the school as soon as you get back.

 

 

Contacting Potential Schools Each Year

  1. Sophomore Year
    1. Initiate contact with potential college coaches via email
      1. Graduation Year
      2. Current GPA
      3. Potential majors / academic interests
      4. Best times from various events (focus on your top 5-7)
      5. Season goals
      6. Fill out a questionnaire available on most programs’ websites
      7. Race video (now would be a good time to set up a YouTube channel, register with CollegeSwimming.org, or similar sites to link in college recruitment emails / questionnaires)
      8. Stay in contact with college coaches – update them with best times, how your season is progressing, and remind them why you are interested in the school (academics first!)
  2. Junior Year
    1. Stay in contact with potential colleges via text, phone calls, and regular emails.  Things to continue updating:
      1. Graduation Year
      2. Current GPA, ACT and/or SAT scores, AP classes
      3. More specified academic majors / interests
      4. Best times in 5 events
      5. What are your strengths and weaknesses so far (drylands, sprints, weight training, etc)
      6. Season goals
      7. Updated race videos
      8. Stay in contact!
      9. Register with NCAA Eligibility Center – will likely need your parent’s assistance
  3. Senior Year
    1. Stay ahead of the game or things will get more difficult at this point.  It’s not too late, but easier if you start early!
      1. Current GPA, ACT and/or SAT scores, AP classes
      2. More specified academic majors / interests
      3. Best times in your best 3 events
      4. What are your strengths and weaknesses so far (drylands, sprints, weight training, etc.)?
      5. Season goals
      6. Updated race videos
      7. Stay in contact – Regularly email the college staff until you get a response