S3 | E3 - The Next Level
The Next Level
From the moment I started coaching youth athletes - I knew that someday I wanted to be a part of the athlete’s journey into the NCAA. The NCAA is currently going through a state of flux that has the future of the sport in jeopardy, many of us are still confused, moderately hopeful, and looking for answers in clarity about what the future of collegiate running will look like. Athletes who fall in love with the sport have a turning point in their training and racing career - they decide to “Turn Pro” in the sense of Stephen Pressfield. His idea of Turning Pro means that you think, act, and respond as a professional would. You stop taking the point of view of an amateur who steps back, resists the tough moments, dodges ownership, and shifts blame and shortcomings onto anything but themselves. Talking with Sarah, I found that she is not only a great coach but truly someone who has “been there” and made it up through the ranks from High School Runner, to D1 Runner, and then doubled down to become an All-American with PRs of 4:44 and 2:05 to her name. She was a volunteer assistant at Michigan State before becoming the Assistant XC and Track Coach at UNC-Charlotte. As the Assistant Women’s Coach at Cincinnati, she has helped athletes and relay teams break 7 UC records and set an AAC Record in the Indoor DMR.
What makes a great recruit?
Communicating the whole picture of your races, seasons, and past experiences. For many athletes, a phone call with a college coach can feel terrifying - simply because you have to look at the sport of running as a business venture and not just a fun thing you do after school. When you are going through the process, athletes develop a stiffness that creates additional pressure around performances and races. Now they must perform or they won’t have good news to send back to the coach.
This episode with Coach Anderson revealed one clear theme - Be you, own your value. Yes, of course, you want to look good for the coach when you send an update but the reality is that you need to give that coach a chance to see you at your best AND at your worst. They will buy the whole package when they recruit you. I think everyone would be upset if they bought a new car only to learn it comes with a family of feral cats in the trunk - it’s certainly a surprise that could have been mentioned during the purchase!
- Be timely in your replies and communication
- Be a self-starter and don’t be afraid to ask for updates. They didn’t forget about you - they have more going on than just recruiting!
- Be thorough and honest. If you had a bad race own it and share how you will improve.
- Know where you would fit on the team and what you can bring to the table
What turns coaches away from a recruit?
Mom, Dad - we love you. I promise, we really do! You just don’t have a place when it comes to phone calls, recruiting, and e-mails. Suppose your athlete is headed off to college. In that case, they will treated like young adults and given the responsibility to fill out forms, arrange travel, keep a schedule, remember dates, and follow up on assignments, and reports, and manage the details of their running career. When you step in, you handicap them from owning the whole process and ultimately stepping into their own power as an athlete. We want to make sure that they get every penny of their worth, get a great education, run fast, and stay healthy but when you take over on phone calls, write e-mails for your athlete, and send in forms - we can see it. We can see that your son or daughter isn’t ready to manage themselves at the D1 level. It can be hard to step back and let them miss a deadline, or ask for an extension, or miss a call for a coach. Let them own the process and have the power.
-Missing calls with a prospective coach
-Blowing off e-mails or not returning texts
-Letting your parents write your intro e-mails
-Letting your parents speak for you on calls
-Bringing your parents into the recruitment call zoom or in-person meeting
Your parents are a part of your life but in college, you begin life on your own, on your terms. Learning to create distance and know your worth is a HUGE part of what is needed to perform at the next level.
This Weeks Download
A One-Pager of questions and Ttpics to guide your phone calls, e-mails, and inquiries to college coaches and programs.
