As an aspiring college athlete, once you begin your junior year of high school, everything begins happening. Academic rigor increases, and what you do on the track is under a more powerful microscope. To maximize the next two years of high school and achieve your goal of running for a college team, here are a few things you can do to stand out to coaches.
Prioritize Academic Excellence
First, you want to be strong academically. Having a good GPA, good relationships with teachers, and a hard work ethic in the classroom will benefit you in the recruiting process. Coaches want to know these details because they are a huge tell about your personality, and from there, a coach can determine if you are a good fit for the team. If you are struggling academically, take time to fix this as best you can. Take time off your sport and train alone or with a private coach. By succeeding and placing academics first, you show coaches how you prioritize and respond when the going gets tough.
Reach Out to Coaches
Second, you want to reach out to every coach at schools you are interested in. Send an email asking questions about the program. For example, ask what the training plan, the team atmosphere, and even the cafeteria are like. Showing interest in this way makes a coach more likely to respond. Make sure to drop your best PRs and phone number in the email as well. Another great way to reach coaches is by attending open house days. Many colleges have these, and they are a great way to meet the coach face-to-face and ask more questions. Asking questions and displaying genuine interest are the keys when reaching out to college coaches.
Train Hard but Smart
Third, train hard, but don’t overdo it. Focus on doing tough workouts and cutting down times (or adding height/distance for field events). Some coaches are not keen on giving rigorous workouts, so consider doing some research and developing your own (reasonably difficult) workouts, or look into an alternate private coach if this is your situation. If you are hurt in your junior or senior year, do as much lifting or aerobic work as you can to maintain fitness. Sharpen up on form and technique, and strengthen your hips (this is the biggest issue runners face transitioning to college).
Keep Performance Consistent
Lastly, do not put excessive pressure on yourself to hit absurd standards at meets. If your trajectory over four years shows continued improvement, with a few big leaps and some marginal ones, coaches will likely take an interest in you. So keep everything the same on race day. Go out, have a good day at the track, and keep working hard.
Conclusion: Keys to Successful Recruiting
Ultimately, the most important things to do to have a good round of recruiting for track and field are to maintain good academic standing, contact coaches and ask lots of questions, and keep training hard and performing well at the track. If you want to take a big leap, consider hiring a private coach on Athletes Untapped!
For more information and resources, visit Athletes Untapped.
