Last edition we explained the third step that every athlete must take in order to play college football - create a highlight / skills tape.   This edition we will explain the fourth step - College Coach Contacts.

One important reality that student athletes and families must face during the recruiting process is that receiving a few letters from college coaches does not constitute serious recruitment. While finding a few letters in the mailbox and email inbox might indicate a good start to the process, it certainly does not mean a scholarship is inevitable.

After a student athlete has put together an athletic resume website and highlight or skills tape, the next step involves connecting that information with an expansive college coaching community...

In order to fully grasp the importance of having the appropriate number of contacts with college coaches, it is helpful to analyze how the coaches themselves begin their recruiting process:

Once a college coach has developed a massive list of potential student athletes who might be a good fit for their program, it comes time to contact the student athletes. Even though college coaches are always restricted by their recruiting budgets as I have discussed in the past, they usually begin their process by contacting thousands of student athletes. Of course that number will vary depending on the sport and amount of money a coach has available, but either way it is almost always surprisingly high.

For example, a DI college football coach who has 20 scholarships available for next years team mightbegin the process of filling those spots by sending out 8,000 letters! Why on earth would the coach contact that many prospects if the coach only has room for a small percentage on their roster? The answer is simple: The more options that coach has, the better opportunity he will have to find the right fit.

Student athletes and families need to play the same game.

When beginning a marketing campaign to the college coaching community, depending on the sport, the student athlete should target a minimum of 100 (preferably 200) schools. Keep in mind that many college coaching staffs have numerous coaches and I would recommend sending the student athlete's information to as many as possible. This will involve a lot of work researching each school's athletic website and gathering as much contact information as possible. Given the number of coaches on each staff, this might require sending the athletic resume and highlight or skills tape to hundreds of individuals. If you would like to learn how NCSA might be able to streamline this process through our relationships and technology,click here.

NCSA has learned that families typically receive a 10% return on marketing campaigns to college coaches. This means that if a student athlete reaches out to 100 colleges, assuming they qualify athletically and academically for those schools, they should realistically expect to wind up with about 10 legitimate college contacts. There are certain ways to improve those percentages and here are a few tips:

Be open to start the process

Families need to realize how many opportunities actually exist at the collegiate level and be open. For example, there are over 1,600 colleges and universities that offer male student athletes the chance to play basketball! If a student athlete is 100 percent committed to playing college athletics, they might have to expand their search to involve as many of those schools as possible...at least initially.

Just as a college coach casts a wide net to begin their process, student athletes and families should do the same. Limiting a search severely at the start of the marketing campaign will diminish the odds of the student athlete playing at the next level. Start the process with an open mind and begin to narrow down the search after they have ample college contacts to choose from.

Be relentless

If a student athlete truly wants to play at the next level then they should be relentless in contacting college coaches. If a student athlete calls a college coach and does not receive an answer right away, try again! College coaches recruit student athletes by employing an unparalleled persistence of sending letters, calling, emailing, and visiting potential student athletes. Student athletes should display the same fervor as they pursue college coaches.

Find an effective distribution mechanism

Once a student athlete has compiled their athletic and academic resume and highlight or skills tape, they face the task of actually sending the information out. The choice of distribution mechanism is critical in increasing the likelihood of the college coach actually receiving the information. The improvements in technology have made email and the internet the easiest and most efficient ways to distribute information in the recruiting process. That does not mean that college coaches are opposed to receiving information via traditional mail channels, so do not neglect that avenue. The most important factor to consider when contemplating the mechanism to utilize is who the prospect information is actually coming from.

College coaches receive information from a lot of student athletes and families. Due to this volume, they simply do not have enough time to review all the information and video they receive. However, if the information is coming from a source that the college coaches know and trust, they are far more likely to evaluate the recruiting package. Whether that source is the high school coach or a credible third party, that familiarity will greatly increase the chances that the information is opened - which is the purpose of sending it!

In order to implement a successful marketing campaign, student athletes and families have to be willing to commit the necessary resources of time, effort, and money. Whether attempting to distribute the information on their own or with the help of a third party, student athletes must have a large number of college coach contacts. Once a student athlete has successfully marketed their information to the coaching community, the knowledge of how to appropriately address each situation that will arise during the next part the process will be critical in determining which recruits are seriously pursued and those who are marked off the coach's recruiting list. Next week we will discuss the last step in the recruiting process: Guidance.

To find out how you can utilize trusted sources to get you information in front of college coaches, click here.