Over the past 25 years working in the sports medicine and sports performance industry, I’ve had the opportunity to help hundreds of kids get recruited to or walk on at various college programs. Throughout the process of selecting a program to play for there are some important questions to be asked along the way. Some are more important than others and questions will apply to each individual’s unique situation. Here are what I feel are some of the most important questions to ask during College Recruitment:
Does the school have the academic program you are interested in? Does this major mix well with athletics? Have you had similar athletes in the past? Are you looking to major in a science that requires quite a few evening labs that will conflict with your sport? If you have a field of study like this, make sure this has not been an issue in the past with a player in the program.
How are conflicts between academics and athletics handled? You want to get an idea of what happens when you have to miss school for road games, tournaments, etc.
Are there summer skill/strength programs you are expected to follow? Most schools have training programs they expect their players to follow during the summer. Make sure you understand what is expected of you during your summers. Will you play right away? If not, are you comfortable waiting?
How many players do you project you will recruit at my position for my graduation year? This is an incredibly important question to get a straight answer on. If it sounds like the coach might be dancing around the question, this should be a big red flag. It isn’t unusual for schools to over-recruit, which will be a big surprise to the recruits when they show up freshman year.
Can you describe your coaching style and approach towards player development? Not doing due diligence with this type of question is a major reason why so many athletes end up transferring after their freshman year. Whether it’s coach temperament, player development philosophies, or something else, it’s incredibly important to understand how the coach runs their program. Beyond the coach’s answer, seek out current and former players on social media to get their take.
What is the team’s Athletic Training staff like? What is their approach to treating athletes? Are they managing the rehabilitation of athletes or farming it out to a local physical therapy facility? Are they up to date on current manual therapy and treatment techniques or still just using ultrasound?
Are there team or athletic study halls? Is tutoring available? Depending on the division, some schools have tutoring available for athletes.
What is the team’s graduation rate? These questions, along with a few other quick tips will give you good information on which to base your decision. Speak with some of the alumni of the program and/ or the seniors. What do they have to say about the program and the coaching staff? You should also plan to attend a practice and/or game of any college program you are seriously considering. How well are they organized from warm up to the end of the game or practice? Certainly, there are many more questions that can be asked and again, they will be specific to each individual’s situation. I hope this list helps you in your decision making as you take the next step in your athletic career.
Stan Skolfield is the owner of Skolfield Sports Performance, a goal based, results driven sports performance training company. He has been training, developing, and rehabilitating athletes from 7 years up to the pros for over 2 decades.