Athletic Recruiting: Make It Personal

Success in collegiate athletics requires a coach to utilize great marketing skills when recruiting potential student-athletes.  The coach must promote the athletic program as well as the university and the community.

 

As a former golfer at Tarleton State University, I was impressed that the team was consistently at the top of the NCAA national rankings each year.  However, the most important recruiting element that kept me from walking away and committing to another collegiate golf program was the way the coach marketed the university, golf program, and the community.   The coach emphasized the school traditions, the small class size, and the small-town feel of the community.  He also focused on the team chemistry and the family-like atmosphere; I didn’t feel like I was just another recruit --- I felt like I was special.

 

To be set apart from other collegiate golf programs it is significant to focus on what the university and your program specifically offers for the recruit. As a coach it is important the way you market your program, university, and community in order to recruit the best players for a successful program.