I received an email to visit a school by a coach. Does this mean I am being recruited?

Wth recruitment season in full swing athletes will be receiving emails from coaches inviting them to come to campus to visit. Does this mean you are being actively recruited by this coach or school?

The answer is not as easy as a simple yes or no. What I mean by this is you have to take a close look at how you were contacted and what exactly the coach said to you.

Example....Athletes will email coaches to introduce themsleves, talk about their stats, teams they play on and academics etc. Most coaches will respond saying thank you for your interest in our prorgam and school. We would love to get you on campus...and so on. This reply is a standard email they send to all athletes who email them. In speaking with a DI ice hockey coach earlier this summer he said, "Our policy is we reply to every email". By doing so the athlete doesnt feel like they are being ignored, the coaches also will genuinely want to thank the athlete for taking the time to write. Coaches cannot be at all places at all times recruiting, so it is always good learn about new players. However, this is not a recruitment letter and should not be taken as one.

On the other side are the coaches who are actively recruiting an athlete. First and foremost, if a coach is recruiting you they will either call or email you directly ( if you are old enough by NCAA regulations). In this email there will be more specific statements about you, your background and how they possibly see you fitting into their program. They will even speak about coming to visit a specific game or invite you to spend time with their team. You will know right away if a coach is interested in you as an athlete.

No matter which type of correspondence you receive it is always important to respond to the coach. Keep the line of communication open and honest. If you receive a more general response it does not mean a coach is not interested. Countless athletes have started their college careers in exactly this manner.