Recruitment 101 by Jill Peters

Disclaimer: Coach Jill (me) recruited at a DI women’s program for two years. These tips are based on my experience at the collegiate level, but things may be different for men’s recruiting or DII/DIII recruiting. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me or any of the coaches for advice! We are dedicated to your success and future, and are always happy to have a meeting with you. 

Before you begin

• Identify what you want in a college:

  • Big, medium, or small school

  • DI, DII, or DIII

  • What is around the campus? Is it in a city, or is the city the college?

  • Does this school have my intended major?

  • What conference is the program in? How did they do at major regattas?

  • How did they place at their conference championship? Do I want to be a big fish in a small pond, or a small fish in a big pond?

• Have a recruiting profile set up (NCSA) with your erg scores and relevant race results, potentially a video of you rowing if possible. 

• Coaches can only contact you at the beginning of the summer, going into your junior year. They will not email you or respond at all until then. 

Initial Contact

• Identify what schools match your criteria and fit where you want to go. There’s nothing more awkward than talking to a coach and finding out on the call they don’t offer the major you are looking for. It’s a waste of your time and the coach's time. 

• Make a list or spreadsheet of what schools you’re interested in and keep tabs of when you email them or have calls with them. 

• Most colleges have a recruiting survey on their athletics website. If you fill out the survey, most coaches will get back to you within a week or two. If not, the coaches' emails are listed on the roster for the website, and you can email them directly.

Example introduction Email:

Hello Coach [Last Name],

My name is [Your Full Name], and I’m a [graduation year] student at [Your High School] in [City, State]. I’m reaching out to express my interest in the [College Name] rowing program and to learn more about potential opportunities to contribute as a student-athlete.

I’ve been rowing for [number of years/seasons] with [Club/School Team Name], where I’ve competed primarily in the [boat class or seat position, e.g., varsity 8+, 4x, etc.]. Some of my recent results include [list 1–2 key races, placements, or erg times, e.g., “7:25 2k and 1st place at the [Regatta Name] in the women’s varsity 4+”]. Academically, I’m interested in [intended major or field of study], and I currently maintain a [GPA or academic honor if you’d like to include it].

I’m very drawn to [College Name] because of [specific reason—team culture, academic program, coaching philosophy, etc.], and I would love the chance to discuss how I might fit within your team. 

Thank you for your time and consideration, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Best, 

[Your Full Name]

[High School Name / Rowing Club] 

[Phone Number] [Email Address] 

[Link to recruiting profile or erg video, if available]

First Phone Call

• When you schedule your call, do not reschedule it unless absolutely necessary. The coaches are just as busy as you are, and if you reschedule more than once, it’s starting you off on a bad note (I once had an athlete reschedule 4 times with me!)

• Put your calls into a calendar or alert system so you know when they are, and find a quiet place to take the call. 

• Be yourself, but not too informal. When coaches ask about how your day or week is going, this is a great opportunity to talk about what you’re working on in school or what’s going on at practice. Keep it polite but still personable. I’ve had phone calls where athletes give too much information (like talking about a fanfic they’re working on- not even kidding), so throw in some personal information to humanise you, but keep it professional. 

• TAKE NOTES! Phone calls are stressful, and you may not remember everything. Have a notepad or computer nearby to write down information the coach tells you.

• Have questions prepared, it’s awkward and shows you are not interested when a coach asks if you have any questions, and you say no. (see question options below)

• If you ask questions, make sure they are ones you really want the answer to. Some recruiting websites give example questions, and they aren’t very good, like “What’s your coaching philosophy?” A better question to ask is something like “What are some values that are core to your team?”

• If your parents are on the call, let the coach know. They won’t be offended if a parent is present, but it’s awkward when they ask a question and there are obvious murmurs on the other end. Just at the beginning of the call, after the pleasantries, say, “Also, coach, just letting you know my parent/guardian will be on the call with us”. 

• The calls don’t have to be super long; anywhere between 15-30 minutes is ideal. 

Questions to ask

• What does an average day look like for one of your athletes?

• What is your training schedule?

• What regattas do you go to?

• What academic support does your athletic program offer?

• What are your team goals for next season?

• How big is your roster?

• Where do you want the program to be by the time I’m a senior there?

• Are any of your athletes in my intended major? What is that like for them (could be an opportunity to have the coach put you in contact with the athletes)

• What are some values that are core to you and your team?

• Do you travel for any breaks? (good to know if you have to do training camps during spring break or winter break)

After Initial Contact

• Send a follow-up email within 24 hours of the first call. If you called after practice, send one either after the call ended or the next day. It doesn’t have to be super lengthy.

Example Follow-Up Email

Hi Coach (Insert last name)

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to talk with me yesterday. I enjoyed getting to know you and your program, and I’m interested in staying in touch. I’d love to hear more about your successes as the season progresses, and I will be sure to keep you updated on my training here in Pittsburgh. 

Best,

 [Your Full Name] 

[High School Name / Rowing Club] 

[Phone Number] [Email Address] 

[Link to recruiting profile or erg video, if available]

• After the initial email, send follow-up emails once or twice per season. These emails can be short updates like race results, new PRs, or goals you are working towards next season. Be sure to ask the coach what accomplishments their team has had this season and what they are working towards for the upcoming season.

  
  

• Some coaches will have a second or third phone call as the year progresses. This is just another opportunity to talk about what you’re doing and what their team is doing. If you feel stuck or don’t know what to say, a good conversation topic is maybe you’re working on fixing a certain part of your technique, and the progress towards that. Rowing coaches love to talk about rowing as much as an athlete does! Ask about their favorite regatta, favorite workout, etc. 

  
  

• Be responsive to coaches when they email! It shows you are interested in their program if you respond within 3 days. Any longer and it might indicate to them you are uninterested. 

Campus Visit/ Official and Unofficial Visit

• If you plan on touring a campus (not official and not set up by the team), it’s a good idea to reach out to the coach IN ADVANCE (not the week or day of!) to let them know you are coming to campus. This is a great way to show interest and potentially meet the staff and tour the facilities. 

• Sometime after the initial calls or emails, a coach can offer you an official visit. They usually send a list of weekends when they have other recruits coming. If you need to skip practice, please do so! If it’s a regatta weekend, try to find another weekend if possible. 

• Some colleges offer unofficial visits (mostly for juniors); this does not mean they aren’t interested in you. They most likely will have you come back for an official visit later if they like you.

• Parents can come on the visit if you wish, but it is not required, and it is up to you if you want them to come or not. 

• Official visit: 

  • Teams will pay for your meal, flights, and will most likely have you sleep in the dorm of an athlete on their team. The team cannot pay for any gear, merch, gifts, etc. 

  • Parent accommodations are TBD depending on the program, but most likely their flight, but not hotel. If you plan on having your parent come with you, ask the coach what their policy is on accommodations so your parent can plan. 

• Unofficial visit:

  • Athlete and parent pay for everything (travel, hotel, food, etc.)

  • Still get a tour of the facilities, observe practice, and talk with the coach/athletes

  
  

  Tips for visiting campus

  • Be present and polite. You are a guest of the team and the university, as well as a representative of TRRA. (We’ve had recruits fall asleep during practices- not good!)

  • Athletes and coaches talk; how you act and what you say is observed by everyone. If the athlete does not like your behavior or if you have inappropriate conversations, the coach will know. 

  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions! This is the few times you get to see the team's dynamic and talk with the athletes on the team. Ask them about what rowing in college is like, how the classes are, what campus life is like, etc. 

  • The one-on-one coach meeting during your visit is a great chance to talk about scholarship. If they brought you out to visit, odds are they like you.

    
    

• After the visit: send an email thanking the staff for having you!

General Tips

• START EARLY!!! Most colleges are out recruiting as soon as the portal opens (early summer, going into your junior year), and scholarship money can run out as soon as the fall of your senior year. 

• Don’t bring up scholarships on the first call!! I know you want to know what amount you can get, but the first few conversations are getting to know you and you getting to know the program. Scholarships are based on your personality and work ethic just as much as your 2K. A good tip is to wait until you are on your official visit. That is when a coach will give you an offer or outline their program's scholarship requirements. Some programs don’t offer money to incoming freshmen. Don’t be afraid to ask if scholarships are possible during sophomore year and how many of their sophomores received them the following year. 

• Do not have your parents email a coach or email a coach on your behalf. It’s super obvious when a parent sends an email, and sometimes they mess up and write their name in the signature line and not yours (has happened to me!) This is the beginning of a process where you are responsible for your future, not your parent. They can be involved in the discussion process, sit in on a call, and even come on your official visit, but they should not be the primary contact with a coach. 

• If you are no longer interested in a program, please tell the coach. I know it can be awkward to have that conversation, but it’s easier for everyone if you let them know you’re looking elsewhere. This can be a short email saying you appreciated the time they took in talking with you, but the program isn’t a good fit.