College Recruiting is like Dating
Recruiting has always been a stressful time for every student-athlete who wants to play at the collegiate level. While many factors play a part in this stress, one of the most glaring reasons is that nothing up to that point in a high schooler’s life compares to college recruiting. Job searches have been the popular comparison in the last decade, but most high school students don’t have a strong enough grasp of the workforce to truly resonate with this comparison. It connects well with parents, coaches, and consultants, but falls short with the demographic that needs it the most. Therefore, we propose a new kind of comparison to give student-athletes a better understanding of the recruiting process. Recruiting is just like dating.
Just like in love, you’re going to have different opinions on different schools. Some schools will be flashy and attractive because of their facilities, location, or prestige. Others will grow on you over time as you realize what kind of connection you have with a coach, city, or major. Regardless, you’re going to spend time building a list of potential schools based on numerous factors that are important to you. Those factors change from person to person, and no two college lists are the same. It is important to search for schools that fit you for the right reasons, rather than the appearance of the connection. Many adults can attest that looks fade, but a good fit is forever.
Lastly, we can’t forget that relationships are two ways streets. Just like you build out your list of favorite schools, schools also build out lists of their favorite recruits. These lists, like yours, do not follow a set structure or universal ranking system. Rather, they are built on the interests and values of the coaches of that college. Where some people prefer partners with red or brown hair, others may prefer blonde. Where some coaches may prefer pitchers that throw over 90 MPH, others may prefer pitchers with extremely high accuracy and movement on each pitch. In both scenarios, no person or player is better or worse than the other – they’re simply different.
All in all, it’s important to remember that the school with the best curb appeal isn’t ALWAYS the best fit for you. Schools frequently have different priorities in their recruiting cycle year over year so if you’re not being recruited by a school you’re interested in, it does not mean you’re a bad player. It could simply mean that coach has no space for your position. Finding a school is like finding a partner, and both of those tasks take time, effort, and usually a bit of luck to finally come together.
