Can you email the coach or fill out those college questionnaires for athletic recruit prospects if you are a sophomore and haven't taken the PSAT, SATs or ACTs yet? If a recruiting tournament is over the summer between 10th and 11th grade a student normally wouldn't have taken those yet but wouldn't they still want to contact a coach to tell them they were going to be at a particular tournament?

If you are preparing for a showcase event, your son/daughter should absolutely e-mail the college coaches of the programs in which he/she has an interest. If your child has not taken any of the standardized tests as yet (expected from sophomore year students), include academic details covering your class schedule (honors classes, early AP courses) along with your average and class rank (approximately). This will help partially determine the academic fit from the coach's perspective.

As we stated, getting onto the coach's radar, particularly if your son/daughter has a sincere interest in the college or university, is to your family's benefit. The earlier you start the communication efforts over e-mail, the better your long term visibility will be.

Remember though, coaches can't return emails other than the standard, hey we can't talk with you but...until your junior year. Many of the coaches we contacted emailed little thanks for your schedule we will be watching and some we got a form letter. It was the personal reponses that actually panned out to something later.

Thank you for your feedback, this is very helpful.

My daughter just called a d1 coach and the message said if you are a jr or sr he could not call you back.


Can a D1 coach call back a sophomore?

can they return emails to sophomores?

The details on contact rules are included in the NCAA Rules and Regulations thread here on the BOTN College Board, but we will answer your specific questions here in-line.

Coaches may call you or your family members once in March and then again starting on or after July 1 following your junior year in high school. After July 1, a college coach is limited to one telephone call per week to you or your family. Unlimited calls are permitted during the five days immediately preceding your official visit by the college you will be visiting; on the day of a coach's off-campus contact with you by that coach; during the National Letter of Intent signing date in your sport through the two days after the signing date.

You or your parents may call a coach at your own expense as often as you wish. Coaches also may accept collect calls from you on or after July 1 after completion of your junior year. Please note that if you call a coach prior to the July 1 date and leave a message, the coach is not permitted to return your call until July 1.

College coaches can acknowledge having received an e-mail but cannot proactively engage in a recruiting discussion. More often than not, a college coach will completely steer clear of interactions with sophomores. They will however make note of the data that you send to them; if it is game details at a recruiting showcase, while you might not receive acknowledgement, often times the coach will be reading and acting on the information.

Does anyone have any input on how some summer camps are like elite 300 or PPA? Looking for a camp for my HS rising jr son this summer to give him exposure to Div 3 to Div 1 coaches. Thanks.

BOTN Industries does not recognize the two camps mentioned. That said, a rising junior (current sophomore) could have been seen during the Fall or Winter period by a couple of coaches. Has anyone as yet expressed interest?

We think you are asking the question "backwards". Instead of seeking a random camp where some random coaches from a variety of NCAA divisions will be present, why not start with a specific college listing of ten institutions that interest your son? Three where the your son's academics exceed the school's college board rankings, four where there are matches, and three which are stretch schools with requirements slightly beyond your son's academic standing.

Using that list, you can draft a letter to each individual coach expressing an interest in potentially being seen/scouted. You can then target your camp research to summer events where these coaches might be.

One caution to you, poster : BOTN Industries reminds you that summer college camps can be very expensive and, to be honest, they are big business and fund raisers for the attending or hosting coaches. We always recommend to attend a college camp only after some previous contact with the associated coach (via a showcase) or after the coach has extended an indication of interest in your player/son. Only then do you really know that the investment is "targeted" at the right audience.

Soccer generally does not offer a "combine" environment where coaches and players can come together in "pick up" games to allow for random matches to take place. Perhaps, this is an opportunity for the expanding showcase market?

BOTN Industries does not recognize the two camps mentioned. That said, a rising junior (current sophomore) could have been seen during the Fall or Winter period by a couple of coaches. Has anyone as yet expressed interest?

We think you are asking the question "backwards". Instead of seeking a random camp where some random coaches from a variety of NCAA divisions will be present, why not start with a specific college listing of ten institutions that interest your son? Three where the your son's academics exceed the school's college board rankings, four where there are matches, and three which are stretch schools with requirements slightly beyond your son's academic standing.

Using that list, you can draft a letter to each individual coach expressing an interest in potentially being seen/scouted. You can then target your camp research to summer events where these coaches might be.

One caution to you, poster : BOTN Industries reminds you that summer college camps can be very expensive and, to be honest, they are big business and fund raisers for the attending or hosting coaches. We always recommend to attend a college camp only after some previous contact with the associated coach (via a showcase) or after the coach has extended an indication of interest in your player/son. Only then do you really know that the investment is "targeted" at the right audience.

Soccer generally does not offer a "combine" environment where coaches and players can come together in "pick up" games to allow for random matches to take place. Perhaps, this is an opportunity for the expanding showcase market?






How much of an impact does your current travel club and professional trainer have in getting your son a strong look if all the academics(90's) and talent are in place? I am not much for all the other ODP, camps etc...

Your travel club program will need to be attending showcase events at which your target college coaches will also be present. Therefore, the travel club (usually a premier club) will have a significant role in your player's placement.

One of the most often heard complaints from players on non-premier teams seeking to showcase is that said player cannot get into the big recruiting events - this is true.

High School teams are non-existant on the college recruitment front as the caliber of competition is seen as consistently too far below the speed, pace, and skill level needed for a collegiate evaluation.

Professional trainers typically have the least impact on placement when compared to either a head coach (campaigning a player) or the parents themselves in visiting the target schools. Trainers who are well connected into the collegiate ranks will present opportunities.

Academics and talent are both critical success factors, but you have to have your player in front of target college coaches in real game situations at a premier/showcase in order to secure a roster position.

ODP is not required to make any of this happen. Camps are only recommended by BOTN Industries when there is already demonstrated interest from the college coach in your player.