Packaging and Branding Student-Athletes

As the parent of a high school junior driven to play intercollegiate athletics, I am learning a great deal about the student-athlete college recruiting process; even though I work in higher education and used to be a college coach. I would say social media has as well as COVID-19 have, without a doubt, shifted or meaningfully modified the recruitment process. To say it is a crazy process would be an understatement that is not for the faint of heart. Here are some lessons I have learned to date.

First, as I say to my daughter, it is a marathon not a sprint. The recruitment process can last well over a year, so having a broad perspective, i.e. taking the long game approach, is critical. Student-athletes should work with their parent/guardian on qualities that are important to them in a college/university independent of college athletics and develop a series of questions to ask coaches during the recruitment process. These should be questions one cannot find on the college’s website but relate to the student and student-athlete experience. Below are some examples:

- What excites you most about your program?

- How many student-athletes in my class are you looking to recruit?

- What are you looking for in a student-athlete?

- What are my opportunities to play and contribute as a freshman, sophomore?

- What is your recruitment timeline?

- (For Division One institutions) What financial commitments can you make to me (not

an initial question)?

Next. trust the process…sort of. As I referenced above, the recruitment process is a marathon not a sprint. Trying to force the timeline of the process is a recipe for disappointment or frustration. In most cases, the student-athlete is at the mercy of the timeline of college coaches. At least until an academic transcript or financial profile information is reviewed. Even then, colleges have a timeline they expect student-athletes by which to make a decision. Leaning in too hard or trying to force the timeline is not advisable. There is a subtle difference between forcing the timeline and influencing the timeline. The latter can be done in a nuanced manner. Communicating to a coach that other colleges are being considered can give the coach an incentive to move. Continuing to visit and communicate with an assortment of colleges and being public about it via social media, shows a coach the student-athlete is casting a wide net.

From my perspective, there is nothing more important than the college visit – either formally or informally; in general, or athletically driven. As much research as can be done via the web or by reading about different colleges, until a student-athlete is on a campus and engages with other students and gets a sense of the atmosphere, whether the college is a good match or not is difficult to determine. I recently visited two colleges with my daughter, which, on paper, were very similar. After visiting each, the vibe on campus and the type of student-athlete at each college was subtly, but meaningfully, different. The only way my daughter and I were able to recognize this was by visiting each college.

I think one of the most important lessons I learned from the student-athlete recruitment process is the individual marketing or packaging that needs to be executed. Social media and COVID-19 shaped this phenomenon. When colleges could not hold recruiting camps and were prevented from recruiting off campus, they pivoted and began relying on video to assess a student-athlete. Student-athletes were forced to create online profiles of themselves to be seen and assessed. Hence the advent of the process by which a student-athlete creates a personal marketing campaign to package and promote themselves. Academic interests, academic profile, speed, height, game or highlight video, academic and athletic awards or accomplishments, extracurricular involvements, and commitments. I recommend student-athletes create a resume that includes all the information above that, in essence, packages them as student-athletes. I also recommend student-athletes create an online profile of themselves that includes all the above information in an online platform that colleges can view. From there, student-athletes should begin actively reaching out to college coaches via email and tagging coaches in social media; that includes video highlights or pictures of their activities.

Again, keeping in perspective the long game is important. The process is a journey. It is stressful and can be exhilarating and disappointing all at the same time. Parents/guardians should be encouraging, supportive, but also realistic. A student-athlete that sets goals too high is setting himself/herself up for disappointment. The time invested in the recruitment process is meaningful but critical to a desired outcome. To me, I have received no greater joy than working to put my student-athlete in a position where she can achieve her hopes and dreams. To me, this is what parenting is all about.