HOW TO PACKAGE YOUR ATHLETE FOR COLLEGE RECRUITERS

Malachi Blankenship now plays for the University of Tulsa

    There are many useful tools at your side, for presenting your athletes to college recruiters. In past years it was more difficult to get the attention of colleges. More often than not, it took a major financial investment just to make a substantive connection with a handful of targeted colleges. Thanks to the digital age and internet communications, You can easily package an athlete without the aide of paid services.

Local media

    Your local & state media doesn't try to ignore you. They really do want to cover every team, but their time and resources are very limited. The more groundwork you provide them, the better your coverage will be.  Media outlets pay attention to how many fans are in the stands. They know that big schools must be covered well, because advertisers what to reach the biggest audience.

Caleb Gastelum now plays for the University of Oklahoma

    Get a list of all statewide media who will report your scores. Then have a volunteer text or call in halftime and final scores promptly. This will draw the attention of a larger audience, including recruiters. Contact sportswriters with human interest stories about your team or players. You may get a feature story done, as a result.

    Local & state media can be a big help in building your homeschool sports program. But it will definitely help your top-performing athletes if you can get your athletes named to an all-state team. But you have to make a good case... and that requires reporting complete stats to media databases.

FILMS

   Most varsity teams keep game films in digital format. Those films should be duplicated for all juniors and seniors. The footage can easily be clipped into highlights and compiled on youtube. The advanced editing features will allow you to post captions onscreen and draw the eye to your featured athlete. Rather than mailing DVDs to every college, simply include the youtube link in an email, along with player stats and background info.

MaxPreps Player Profile:
Kendal Davis now plays for North Eastern Oklahoma

Stat Services

    Your team is probably already compiling scores and stats. Reporting those stats to MaxPreps and other media doesn't require a lot of time or expertise. Not only does the team benefit; Every player builds a personal stat record. Adding a player photo and a few other details (weight, height, etc.) will result in a concise journal that college coaches will rely on. Since the numbers come from actual game records, recruiters know that the numbers are reliable and comparable. You can also post news articles and upload player videos to MaxPreps, to create a complete package for every college to see.

    Another benefit of online records is that offers can come from unexpected sources. Some colleges have specific needs that your athletes will provide. You won't know what didn't happen because you failed to do your part.