10 Tips on How to Get Recruited for College Cross Country & Track and Field

Every year I have kids on my team that ask about what it takes to get recruited at the college level.

What seems like a complicated process can really be boiled down into a few simple steps. I won't write anything about choosing a college, as that's a personal/family choice, rather I'll give some general tips for high school student-athletes that are hoping to run at the college level.

Here we go.

1. Sign up for the NCAA Clearinghouse & Learn the Eligibility Rules

   1. https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/2/8/student-athletes-future.aspx

   2. This link also has recruitment contact dates that college coaches have to follow

2. Get the best Grades / Test Scores you can

   1. There's like 12 people in the world that make a living off being a track star, so you're going to need to have a job after college

   2. Poor grades will narrow your list quickly

3. Run as fast as you can

   1. Track times matter.

      1. Times from your junior season matter a lot

      2. This means you need to be consistently training in the off-seasons (summer & winter) so that those seasons go as good as they can for you.

   2. Cross Country times can give coaches indication of your fitness, but Cross Country places matter more

      1. Place well at State Meets, Nike Regionals, etc.

4. Don't wait around for coaches to recruit you

   1. Unless everyone in the nation knows your name, you're going to need to put in work to get recruited

      1. Fill out Recruiting Questionnaires at the schools you're interested in

      2. Send a nice follow-up email to the coach letting them know of your interest.

         1. I think this is an important step as it show that you're genuinely interested in their school and not just filling out recruiting forms until one hits.

5. Research the performance level of the school, conference and division

   1. TFRRS.org

   2. Have flexible expectations

      1. There will be variability on scholarship numbers

      2. There will be variability on roster spots

      3. Just because you are fast enough to run on a team doesn't necessarily mean they have a spot for you

      4. Just because you run as fast as people already on the team doesn't necessarily mean they have money for you

6. Ask questions that are important to YOU

   1. YOU may have different reasons for competing than your parents, HS coach, etc.

   2. Ask the Coach

   3. Ask the Team

7. There is an array of opportunities.

   1. Olympians have come from every level and you'll race head-to-head with athletes from every level.

      1. NCAA D1

      2. NCAA D2

      3. NCAA D3

      4. NAIA

      5. Junior College

8. When the time comes, don't be afraid to tell a college coach that you're not interested.

   1. They hear it a lot

   2. Their time is limited, so don't make them waste it on recruiting you if you're not into it

9. ... when you choose a school, tell the other coaches that are actively recruiting you that you've made your decision.

   1. They'll be disappointed (maybe) for 8 seconds and then move on.

   
   

10. Watch the Coaching Distance Webinar on Recruiting by Isaac Wood

    1. https://www.coachingdistance.com/team-2/isaac-wood

Feel free to add more tips in the comment section.

jc