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Club Directors Panel: How to Email a College Coach, Written by a College Coach

A previous Club Directors Panel focused on how clubs are preparing their families for the accelerated recruiting process.

Ryan Danehy, co-director of Go Blue and current assistant at Michigan, shared valuable insights from both sides of the process and then provided a great template for emailing college coaches.

There is also a great gem nestled in their regarding your highlight video. See if you can spot it.

EMAILS

As a player or parent of a sophomore or younger, while you can email a Division I coach, they cannot reply unless generic about their camps and/or questionnaires.  You cannot receive any other “process pertinent” information.

Emails are great to start to show an “interest” in a particular institution but will never really spark major interest as almost 100% of Division I schools will still need to see you play live despite the camps you’ve been invited to our your high school lacrosse stats (if any). Telling me you’re good is a waste of everyone’s time.

Helpful rules to sending out emails (regardless of age):

  1. Address them to a specific coach. If you want to send to the entire staff, no problem.
  2. No BCC mass emails. (One generic email to different schools)
  3. Make sure you spell the coach’s name correct and make sure it’s addressed to the correct coach!
  4. Stay short but give all vital information.
  5. Emails that include highlight links will get read and entertained well before emails of kids we do not know and don’t give us a link.
  6. Frequent communication is good. But don’t over do it. Emails at the beginning, middle and end of semesters are great because you can add in more details.
  7. Lead with the important stuff. Just like a highlight film, the beginning of your email should lead with the most important and pertinent information.

Example

1st paragraph should include:

  • Name and that you’re reaching out to express your interest in X College/University (you don’t need to flatter anyone here and give details why – that’s what makes it too long)
  • Graduation year
  • High School (include coach’s contact information – cell and email)
  • Club (include coach’s contact information – cell and email)
  • Position (often left out – amazing)
  • Size (height/weight – it’s nice to know when a guy is 6’3, 130lbs – helps us compare size)

2nd paragraph should include:
A highlight link and text letting us know where the clips are from (example: this is from last summer and the fall of 2012 or this is from last July or this is a highlight film from my first 5 games this spring etc.)

3rd paragraph should include:
Upcoming schedule for fall or summer, whichever is applicable at the time, for all events, and who you’ll play with (individual/club team or HS team etc).

4th paragraph should include:
Any applicable stats, awards, all star games that they may have played in.

A good rule of thumb: if we have to scroll, or the email can’t be skimmed in less than 10 seconds (that’s why listing is so important), then it’s too long.

Also, a cool thing that some players do is acknowledging the NCAA rules. Example, I know you can’t email me back but I look forward to keeping in touch.

As a player, you can reach out via phone to college coaches, but if they don’t know who you are, there’s not a whole lot you can say to them.

Catch up on previous Club Directors Panels:
Tournament Selection
Early Recruiting & Coaching Staff Alignment
What makes a club lacrosse program successful?
Club versus High School 
Managing Expectations
Hope for Late Bloomers?
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Want to talk recruiting, club teams, tournaments or camps? Leave a comment in the comments section or tweet me at @4onetwolax or @AmRevolutionLax.