Why Do Ncaa Baseball Recruiting Rules Exist
NCAA-member schools established recruiting rules to level the playing field for colleges who might not have the resources of some of the bigger and more popular schools. These rules spell out who is allowed to be involved in the recruiting process, when recruiting may occur and the conditions under which recruiting can be conducted, according to the NCAA website. These rules seek, as much as possible, to control intrusions into the lives of student-athletes.
Ncaa Division 3 Baseball Recruiting Rules
In comparison to Division 1 and Division 2 schools, Division 3 schools have the most relaxed NCAA baseball recruiting rules.
- Student-athletes can get recruiting materials at any time.
- College coaches are allowed to make unlimited calls to student-athletes.
- College coaches may start off-campus communications after an athletes sophomore year.
- Unofficial visits are not limited. Athletes and their parents can make as many as they want.
- After Jan. 1 of junior year: Athletes can begin taking official visits.
How To Contact College Coaches
Before you start writing emails and dialing phone numbers, you need to get all your ducks in a row. When communicating with college coaches, make sure to include a link to your NCSA profile so they can easily view everything they need for their initial evaluation. Key information to provide includes:
- Highlight or skills video update your video every six months if possible.
- Athletic stats verified, third-party stats from a combine or other event are preferred.
- Academic info GPA and ACT/SAT scores if applicable.
- Contact info You, parents, club/high school coach, personal trainers, etc.
- Competition schedule Upcoming games, tournaments, camps, showcases, etc.
- Why you are interested in their program Coaches are looking for recruits who are excited to compete for them.
Ready to reach out? Start with an introductory email. An email is a great way to make first contact and send over your key information. Resist the urge to copy and paste or send emails with generic subject lines. To catch the eye of a college coach, your subject line should include your grad year, position, state and relevant stats. Example: 2020 Linebacker from IL, 62 220lbs, 4.6 40yd dash. At the end of the email, tell the coach about your plans for following up.
Remember if you call and the coach picks up, they are free to talk. If you call and the coach doesnt answer, they cant call back. Leave a message and send an email to let them know when you plan on calling again.
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What To Say To A Coach When You Want To Be Recruited
The recruit should mention any personal connections they have to the program and what attracted them to the school or program. Explain why the recruit is a good fit for his program. Coaches want to know how a recruit can contribute to the teams growth and success. Answer the coachs questions fully and clearly.
Ncaa Division 2 Womens Track And Field Recruiting Rules
NCAA Division 2 recruiting rules are slightly more lenient, mostly around visits:
- Any time: Coaches can send recruits general materials, including questionnaires, camp brochures, NCAA materials and non-athletic information about the school. Student-athletes can take unofficial visits and arent restricted in the number of unofficial visits they take.
- : College coaches can call, text, email, direct message and conduct off-campus contact with an athlete and/or their family. Student-athletes can also begin taking official visits at this time. Theyre allowed one visit per college, with unlimited total visits to Division 2 schools.
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Things To Keep In Mind
Let Your Child Do The Talking: Anytime where a parent talks to a college coach before an athlete does, it is an immediate assumption that the athlete is not ready for the process yet. It also gives the sign that the athlete is not interested in the program. Coaches want to see initiative from the athlete.
Stay Out Of It: Parents that are too present in the recruiting process are immediately red-flagged by college coaches. You should be a factor in the recruiting process but wouldnt want to put your childs collegiate career in jeopardy.
Be Patient: As a parent you may be eager to speak to the coach about a multitude of things. You must wait until the time is right to talk to the coach about any questions or concerns you may have. Coaches will make time to make sure the parent’s needs are attended to.
Respect The Athlete: You should only talk with coaches if your child is also present. The only reason why you should talk to coaches without your child present is if the coach requests it.
You Are Not Restricted: Remember, the NCAA does not restrict you or your childs ability to reach out to college coaches. So you can begin contacting college coaches as soon as your child is ready.
What To Bring On An Official Visit
A lot of recruits ask us what to wear on an official visit, and our best piece of advice is to err on the side of overdressing, rather than underdressing. You want to look neat and clean throughout your entire trip. For men, bring a collared shirt with nice jeans or khakis. For women, a skirt, dress, nice slacks or jeans are acceptable. Avoid wearing sweatshirts, sweatpants, hats, flip flops and ripped jeans. Bring athletic clothes and shoes in case you get invited to work out with the team.
As mentioned before, its a great idea to come with some questions for the coach. When the moment comes to ask your questions, its easy to freeze up and forget them all. Having them written down will ensure you get the answers you need, plus it will show the coach that you are organized and responsible. Make sure you do your homework and read up on the school, too.
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When Should Parents Avoid Talking To College Coaches
Introducing yourself to a coach, whether in person or via phone, email or DM is a great way for the student-athlete to make a great first impression. However, parents should not be doing the legwork for their athletes, especially at the beginning of the recruiting process. So, is it bad for a parent to call a college coach? During a Positive Coaching Alliance panel, Stanfords head mens golf coach Conrad Ray said that the worst thing for in our world is if we get a phone call and its the mom or dad of a high school freshman or sophomore telling me how good their kid is.Some other situations parents should avoid include:
- Answering the phone for your athlete when a coach calls
Parents should avoid calling college coaches and speaking on behalf of their athlete. There are other opportunities for parents to communicate with coaches. At the end of the day, college coaches arent recruiting parentstheyre recruiting student-athletes. They want to get to know their potential recruits and build a relationship with them first. The more involved parents are, the more it detracts from the athlete connecting with a coach, and ultimately, hinders their chances of getting recruited. A surefire way to get noticed, and remain on a coachs radar? Allow the athlete to take the lead, from sending that first email, picking up the phone or approaching a coach at a recruiting event.
The Intent Of The Ncaa Contact Rules
Here is the exact wording the NCAA uses to describe their recruiting rules:
NCAA member schools have adopted rules to create an equitable recruiting environment that promotes student-athlete well-being. The rules define who may be involved in the recruiting process, when recruiting may occur and the conditions under which recruiting may be conducted. Recruiting rules seek, as much as possible, to control intrusions into the lives of student-athletes.
The key to the above statement, is to prevent intrusions into the lives of student-athletes. The NCAA recruiting rules are written to prohibit when a college coach can contact an athlete but not when they communicate with them. The NCAA considers a college coach calling you a potential intrusion into your life but if you initiate the contact, it is not an intrusion.
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Got Talent Get A Plan Get Recruited
College Coaches are still not coming to your high school games.
I first published this article about five years ago. It has been shared tens of thousands of times and generated a lot of spirited discussion from coaches and parents about if and why college coaches arent coming to high school games. Over this time, I have interviewed and spoken with a lot of college coaches. While there are exceptions, the fact is
Can Parents Contact College Coaches
Coaches are recruiting the student-athlete not the parent. All recruiting emails, phone calls, texts and DMs should all come from the athlete. Coaches want to get to know you and see if you are responsible enough to manage your own recruiting process. However, parents play a key supporting role. As long as the student-athlete is the point of contact, parents are free to give you questions for the coach to answer. During an official or unofficial visit, parents should ask questions about classes, dorm rooms, housing, meals, work out programs, study halls and tutors. And once their athlete has received an offer, parents can start asking financial aid questions.
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Why Arent College Coaches Coming To High School Games
1. When watching a high school game, the college coach has to wade through many talent levels and ages. There are only two teams playing.
As a college coach, I went to a couple of days of the state playoffs every year. That was it, no regular season games.
I only went to the two largest classifications in the state. The smaller schools were a waste of time. The best players from small schools would be on a club team and I could see them in that venue. Often, I was the only college coach who attended playoffs, even of the biggest and best schools.
2. High school coaches are notoriously hard to contact. They are teachers who coach on the side. When dealing with clubs, coaches are easily accessible and are in the business of helping players get into a college program. It is hard for college coaches to obtain rosters from high school coaches, and even harder to get them to hand over contact information.
I was a glutton for wasting time. I would spend hours trying to contact the high school coaches beforehand. Over the years, I got to know many of the high school coaches, but high school coaching turnover is high. I would find them on high school websites and contact an administrator who would give me contact information or promise to pass my name along.
When Can College Coaches Talk To Parents
If you are a parent of a high school athlete who is getting recruited, you may be wondering when you can talk to college coaches. While you do not want your child to go through this process without any help, you also want to be able to step in when you need to. So, when can college coaches talk to parents?
Just like for high school athletes, the NCAA prohibits college coaches from contacting parents until either June 15 of a child’s sophomore year or September 1st of their child’s junior year depending on their sport. The NCAA does not however limit parents or high school athletes in their ability to reach out to college coaches.
As a parent of a prospective collegiate athlete, you should be aware that coaches analyze you just as much as they do your child. While most parents are heavily involved with the decision-making process, it is important to be aware of when and how you should be involved..
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How Do You Know If A College Coach Is Interested In You
You can tell if a college coach is interested in you as a recruit if theyre actively communicating with you through letters, emails, phone calls, texts or social media. If a college coach reaches out to you after receiving your emails, then they are interested in learning more about you or recruiting you.
Why The Ncaa Limits Coaches’ Ability To Communicate With Recruits
You might be frustrated by the fact that the NCAA limits coaches communication with high school athletes for a large portion of high school, but they have solid reasons for doing so. The NCAA prioritizes the athlete’s well-being in the rules and regulations they create. Before we review why they limit coach communication let’s cover who makes up the NCAA and the organization’s goals.
Who is the NCAA: The NCAA is a member organization. Representatives of stakeholders from all facets of college athletics meet in committees that suggest and approve the governing rules. These rules range from recruiting and compliance to academic standards and rules of competition.
NCAA Representatives:
- University Presidents
- Other Stakeholders
The Goal of the NCAA: The NCAA has the difficult job of balancing the “amateurism and commercial activities” of college sports. In all that they do, they try to maximize the benefit to the student-athlete. On their own website, they frame their purpose as, “prioritizing academics, well-being and fairness so college athletes can succeed on the field, in the classroom and for life.”
In summary, the NCAA is a membership organization made up of representatives from all facets of college athletics. Their goal is to promote fairness and academics for the student athlete. They limit coaching contact to protect high school athletes from being bombarded with communication too early in high school.
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Why Would A Coach Not Respond
As a high school athlete, it might be difficult to understand why a college coach wouldn’t respond to your email. Long story short, there are many reasons and most of them have nothing to do with you. We’ll cover a few reasons why a coach might not respond to your email.
They Aren’t Allowed: Not to belabor the points we’ve already made, but if you are before the dates above, a coach isn’t responding because they aren’t allowed to.
Busy Schedules: College coaches are busy people. They have many responsibilities that they have to manage. It’s not uncommon for coaches to make appearances at multiple meetings a day just to shake hands as a spokesman for their college or university. Some coaches teach classes in addition to their coaching responsibilities. Whatever it may be, coaches are juggling a lot.
Lots of Email: Coaches are university/college employees and college email accounts receive a lot of email. Once you set foot on campus, you’ll see just how much email you get that you wished you didn’t. Your email could have been buried in their inbox below all this “junk” mail. Also, since it’s no secret that email is one of the best strategies for connecting with a coach, high school athletes email coaches all the time. It might be that you aren’t getting through to the coach because you aren’t sending quality emails that set you apart from the emails they receive from other high school athletes.
When Can College Baseball Coaches Contact Recruits
One of the most frequent questions we get is, When can college baseball coaches talk to me? The answer is that it depends on the division level. Division 1 coaches cannot contact athletes before September 1 of their junior year. Phone calls, texts and emails from Division 2 coaches can begin June 15 after the athletes sophomore year. There are no restrictions regarding phone calls from coaches at the Division 3, NAIA and NJCAA levels, but typically they wait until an athletes junior year.;Learn more about AAU baseball and college baseball recruiting.
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Why Does The Ncaa Limit When College Coach Can Contact Parents
The goal of the NCAA is to protect the amateur status of the student athlete. To do so for high school athletes, they place regulations on many things including when coaches can contact athletes and their parents.
Prevent Recruiting From Starting Too Early: Each year, recruiting seems to be getting earlier and earlier. Its common for elite programs to even have lists of middle schoolers that they are targeting and plan to offer a scholarship to if their skills continue to progress. By the NCAA restricting when coaches can reach out to student athletes and their parents they ensure recruiting doesnt start too early.
Protect The High School Experience: The NCAA wants to preserve the high school experience for both athletes and their parents. If the NCAA didnt place contact restrictions on coaches, some athletes and their parents would begin receiving emails and phone calls from coaches as early as middle school. Contact rules are meant to allow parents and their athletes to have a high school experience free from the pressures of recruiting.
Allow For Academic Development: Beyond the high school experience, the contact rules placed on college coaches allow for high school athletes to complete many of the academic requirements before the recruiting process even begins. As a parent, imagine making sure your athletes prioritizes academics all while college coaches are telling them they will be a star athlete. Luckily, these NCAA rules are here to help you out.
Ncaa Division I Recruiting Calendars
Freshman & Sophomore Year
- Recruiting materials: You may receive brochures for camps, questionnaires, NCAA materials and non-athletics recruiting publications.
- Telephone calls and texts: A college coach cannot accept a call, call/text you or return a voicemail or text prior to June 15 following your sophomore year of high school.
- Off-campus contact: None allowed.
- Official visit: None allowed.
- Unofficial visit: You may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits but cannot speak with a Division I coach or athletics department staff member, take an athletics specific tour or receive complimentary admissions to home athletic contests during these visits until August 1 before your junior year.
Senior Year
- Electronic correspondence : All forms of electronic correspondence are permissible. Correspondence must be private until you provide a written commitment to the NCAA school.
- Recruiting materials: Allowed.
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