Dear Prep Dig, Can I Communicate With a College Coach If I’m From the Class of 2022 (or 2023)?
Dear Prep Dig,
I am in the Class of 2022 and I am really confused about whether or not I can talk with college coaches. I know the rules have changed the past year, but just wanted some clarification. Can I send an email to a college coach? Do I have to wait until June 15 to talk to them when my Sophomore year is done? I want to get started with the process, but not really sure what I can and can’t do? Help!
Sincerely,
Class of 2022 Aspiring College Athlete
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You’re right it is kind of confusing. I’d like to look at it as it’s just new and different.
Here are a few quick answers to your questions. Yes, you can email a college coach. No, you don’t have to wait until June 15 to start reaching out (you just won’t get a response back from a college coach in regards to you being recruited by them).
Here are some things that you can do to get rolling on your recruiting process. However, you have to understand that the rule is that a college coach cannot talk to you about recruiting you as a potential student-athlete to their program until June 15 after your Sophomore year.
I know that communication is usually a two-way street, but in this case, it will be a little bit one-sided because of the rules that Division 1 and Division 2 college coaches have to follow.
Yes, you can send a college coach an email. Division 1 coaches will be spending time on the 16s courts and some of the 15s courts. They need to do their homework as well and not just start recruiting on June 15 for Sophomores to come to their program. In the email, you can include recent video highlights and updates about your club schedule. That would be really helpful especially for athletes who are in multi-sports. If you are going to be gone for a basketball game the Friday night of a tournament, that would be great to mention to a college coach if they were planning on coming to watch you play. Again, a coach may respond with camp information, but they cannot talk about the recruiting process until June 15 after your Sophomore year.
When can you talk to a coach during the club season? A college ID camp or a camp on their campus. This is a great way to get to know the coach, their style, and getting on campus is also a great way to see what the feel is, along with the vibe of the program. At Triple Crown in Kansas City there will be college coaches putting on clinics and at the end of February, VC United will be putting a college coach ID camp prior to the Showcase in the Wisconsin Dells where different college coaches will be on each court. Coaches can work with you, talk with you, but the only thing they cannot talk about due to NCAA rules is recruiting you to come to their program.
Good luck with the recruiting process. The recruiting process can be stressful, but more so an exciting time. The chance to play in front of coaches with your teammates is a time to enjoy (same goes for parents too). Be proactive in the process and know there are others who are rooting for you along the way!