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):
- Address them to a specific coach. If you want to send to the entire staff, no problem.
- No BCC mass emails. (One generic email to different schools)
- Make sure you spell the coach’s name correct and make sure it’s addressed to the correct coach!
- Stay short but give all vital information.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
