If you are a high school athlete starting to enter the recruiting process, there are a few things that will separate you from the rest of potential recruits as you begin to sit down and interview with coaches. Notice I use the word interview and not meet, or speak. It would be beneficial to start thinking in these terms if you are going to be meeting with coaches. Here are some tips you can use right away to make these meetings a success.
1. Overdress. Will it make a difference to a coach if you show up in jeans and a polo shirt versus khakis, jacket, and tie? Maybe, but why risk it. If you show up dressed well, a coach will know that you are taking this opportunity seriously.
2. Eye Contact. As you sit across a desk from a potential college coach, make sure you maintain eye contact and be confident. They are making judgements about you even when you aren't speaking.
3. Ask Questions. Show up to each recruiting trip with 15 questions to ask the coach. You may not get to all of the questions but it gives you a good number to start with. Write them on a sheet of paper and take some notes as the coach answers your question. He will be blown away by this. Good question: Can you describe the style of play that I will encounter in your league? Bad Question: Are there a lot of hot girls on campus?
4. Figure out exactly where you stand. If this were an interview for a job you wanted, you would close the meeting by asking for the job. So ask for the job. Ask the coach where you fit in with his plans for your recruiting class.
5. Repeat this process on all of your recruiting trips. If you use the same 15 questions at each meeting, you now have 3-6 sheets of notes on your questions from each school that you can use for reference when you make your final decision.
