Text Messaging with College Coaches

Text messaging is very common nowadays and many people prefer it even over phone calls. Although text messaging does not initiate a relationship very well, it can be a very convenient way to maintain one. College coaches text message often and in today’s recruiting world coaches can essentially message recruits as much as they want once athletes are of age. I will walk you through what you need to know so that text messaging will accelerate your recruiting and get you the offers you deserve.

Getting started with texting

In order to begin texting a college coach you will need their cell phone number. Most college coaches have an office phone listed online but cell phone numbers are not often given out. You will likely have to initiate a relationship with a coach via other means, and the relationship can grow into a texting one when the coach is more comfortable with you.

The biggest issue to be aware of with texting is that you are always still in a job interview. your texts should be professional so that a coach never views you as immature or unfit for their program. In fact, it is much easier to send a wrong text message than it is to do with an email. Proofread your texts as much as possible to ensure that when you do message coaches that it moves your relationship forwards.

The NCAA rules for texting with college coaches

The NCAA categorizes text messaging as “digital communication”. The current rules are rather simple. When a recruit has completed their sophomore year of high school, they are eligible for unlimited text messaging with coaches. The dates vary for certain sports, but they will either open up texting for you on June 15 or September 1 after sophomore year is completed.

Best practices for texting with college coaches

Text messaging is a personal form of communication so you should not expect to communicate with coaches this way until you are on their target list, and talked at least once or twice in other forms. If the coach does not say it is ok to text message, after you have built a relationship it is ok to politely ask if they would be alright with you sending a message.

Keep in mind the following tips as you text:

• Always address the coach by name. “Coach (insert name here)”

• Use a text message signature so that the coach knows it is you. Perhaps signing your first and last name and your graduation class.

• Don’t text message coaches at night. Coaches are adults with personal lives and it can be intrusive to message at those times, and not to mention unprofessional.

• Text with purpose. Although you are building a relationship it is one with respect for authority. Messages should have some recruiting focus where you update the coach on your progress academically and athletically.

Reasons to text a coach

Your text messages exist to build a relationship, but one that is centered around your recruiting and their program. Look for good opportunities to do this when anything relevant to the program or your career happens.

• Message about interesting information you find that interests you about the college

• Message the coach to congratulate them on the team’s success

• Message to update the coach on your training and competition success

• Message to thank the coach for their time when they call, visit, or otherwise evaluate you.

Always look to have a respectful ending to your text messages. Perhaps you may not need to do so after every individual text, but if you are done with any back and forth texting exchange conclude with any of the following.

• Best regards to you and your family

• Looking forward to our next conversation

• Thank you again for your time

Proofreading your text messages with college coaches

Always check for the following before you send a text message. Making a mistake on this list can be incredibly costly.

• Check your grammar as spelling for any errors. Autocorrect can also change the meaning of what you say accidentally.

• Never use profanity or obscene language of any kind.

• Don’t send multiple messages if a coach has already not responded to 2 or 3.

Remember always that text messaging is done to build a relationship. Though your conversations may be similar, I do not recommend copying and pasting for text messages with coaches. Try to have organic dialogue through your messages to build a healthy relationship with the coach recruiting you.

Coach Rob’s Note: Don’t go under-recruited! I put in the hard work for you to know exactly which colleges already want to recruit you, which ones will view you as a top recruit, and how to get their attention. Book a meeting with me, Coach Rob, and see how easy it can be to get the offers you deserve!

Coach Rob is a recruiting expert and the Founder of SCA Recruiting. He is also the author of the book Winning the Ship: How to Win the College Athlete Recruitment Game. Available now on Amazon.