Hi CPFH athlete!   The following is a small sample of all the information on the web about college recruiting.  It can seem overwhelming at times so we hope that this helps you to get started on your recruiting journey but also hope that you explore more information as you have questions.  Crystal Doyle is our recruiting assistant so feel free to contact her as you need help at [email protected].   If you plan on making a profile/resume and would like it added to our "recruits" pages, email Sherri your resume and/or link along with a profile picture.  If you have specific questions about what schools may be a good fit for you and your skill level, you will want to reach out to Coach Belinda.  Good luck and go CPFH!

Below you will find information on:
-My daughter wants to play in college, now what?
-Attending college camps and clinics
-Recruiting Websites
-How to email a college coach
-How to write a player profile
-Highlight video
-The NCAA
-The Recruiting Tournament

What's the first thing I should do if I think I might want to play in college?

1. Set up your own email address. Google is a great option as it will also give you access to GoogleSites that can be the home of your recruiting profile/resume.  The email should be in the player's name (Ex.  [email protected]) . You want your emails to be easily recognizable by coaches.  

2. Research possible avenues to begin your recruiting profile/resume.  If you have a google email, check out google sites.  We like this format because it is easy to update and coaches can see it in real time (you don't have to send a new email each time you update it).

DO I NEED A RECRUITING PAGE?

You may have heard of them... 
CaptionU.com 
         NCSA.com 
         Recruitspot.com
to name a few. 

Do I have to pay for it? The short answer is no. You do not need a recruiting page through one of the big recruiting sites. Here are a  few things to consider:
- most sites have a FREE option to have a basic page. Take advantage of this and make sure you keep your contact information current. AN EXCEPTION IS RECRUITSPOT.com which is totally free so be sure to set up your profile here. Some tournaments will use this site to give coaches in attendance your profile information so it's a must if you are planning on going to any of these tournaments.

**See important note about emails below - these sites make their money by having you subscribe to a "next level" of recruiting service. They may want to talk to you to see if your player is "qualified" to move to the next level. They may also claim to give you feedback on what coaches may look at your profile.  Feedback from some conversations with a few DI coaches is that we DO NOT need these sites. A simple resume (see info on Resume tips) is sufficient. AND emails sent from your own email address instead of from a recruiting site is easier for you to keep track of. Coach's emails are easily obtained from websites so you do not need to invest in these sites to get a coach's email.  Is it ever a good idea to invest in a site? Yes, if you haven't had much contact or interest from coaches after September 1st of your junior year (see info on recruiting timetable), you may want to consider a limited subscription to a site.

***IMPORTANT*** Make sure your email address is consistent between your USAFH membership, any recruiting profile site and your coaches emails. Some tournaments will use RecruitSpot.com to share your information with coaches but it's all connected through your email. Your email consistency will help coaches to contact you when they need to.

Should I go to a college camp/clinic?   

The answer lies in this question: why do you want to go to a camp or clinic?

1) To improve your skill or 2) to be noticed by the coaches as a potential recruit?

If you can answer that question, it will help you decide where you can receive the best experience. If you want to improve your skill, consider those camps/clinics at a school that you think is cool and would be a lofty goal to attend. Take advantage of their coaches and their knowledge. The smaller the registration group, the more personal the interaction with coaches. Some will state they are only taking 50 players for a particular clinic. These are great for the younger (middle school) players and gives a player of this age level an opportunity to see what a college camp feels like in the event they want to hit the recruiting trail when they are older. If you are looking to be evaluated as a potential recruit, try to be honest about your skill and choose schools that may be in line with your experience and skill set. 

A rule of thumb is: If you are a varsity player as a 9th/10th grade player, consider attending Division I and Division II clinics. Keep in mind that Division I has several levels depending on the size of the school. It's pretty easy to spend some time on Google to see where a school falls in their conference and the type of competition they face. If your first year of varsity play is as a junior, you may want to consider visiting Division II and III schools. Unfortunately, many athletes look down on Division III sports because of the lack of scholarships but D III schools have many other ways to help make their school affordable for an athlete that is a good fit for their program.

(**NOTE - obviously, these are just generalizations - if in doubt of your level of play, ask Coach Belinda, your high school or club coach.) Be sure to send an email to the college coach a few days before you go to let them know a little about yourself and that you would like them to evaluate you.

Emails for most coaches can be found on the school athletic directory page.

** ID or PROSPECT camps are for players that college coaches would like to IDentify as a potential recruit at their school. These are generally for juniors but also for strong freshmen and sophomores at their respective skill/experience level. These camps tend to have smaller groups for better evaluation by the coaches but can be more costly.

Be sure to send an email to the coach about a week before you go to let them know a little about yourself and that you would like them to evaluate you. Emails for most coaches can be found on the school athletic directory page.  Coaches may not talk to a player on an individual basis during a camp until Sept. 1 of their junior year.

Check out the College Clinics Tab on the CPFH website for a listing of upcoming college camps.. 

NCAA New Recruitment Rules effective May 1, 2019 (applies to DI and DII Schools)

Correspondence (emails) or Private Messages:  Nothing prior to Junior year of high school. Contact is allowed only after June 15 of Sophomore year (rising Junior). Do not expect to receive any responses from coaches. However, you may still receive marketing invites to their camps (along with everyone else who has expressed interest in that school team).

Incoming Phone Calls (Athlete to Coach): Coaches will not accept your call prior to Junior year of high school. Contact is allowed only after June 15 of Sophomore year (rising Juniors). Do not expect a response or return call if you leave a message.

Outgoing Phone Calls (Coach to Athlete): Coaches cannot call you prior to your Junior year of high school. Contact is allowed only after June 15 of Sophomore year (rising Juniors).

Off Campus Contact: Not until August 1 before Junior year of high school.

Unofficial Visits: You can no longer visit the campus and introduce yourself to, or meet with, the coach until August 1 before Junior year of high school.

Official Visits: An official visit cannot be offered to you until June 15 of your Sophomore year and your visit must wait until August 1 before Junior year of high school.

Verbal Offer (Commitment): This is “Not Legislated”. However, an offer or commitment should not take place until, or after, June 15 of Sophomore year (rising Junior).

 IMPORTANT: NEW NCAA RECRUITING RULES EFFECTIVE May 1, 2019:

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NOW?

-Keep those grades up!  Even the best player can't be recruited if their grades aren't where they need to be.   Continue to improve and tweak those player profiles and highlight videos and continue to reach out to a wide net of schools that you would consider attending.  Continue to attend clinics to improve your skills and to have the coaches evaluate you so that when Sept. 1 of your junior year arrives, coaches already have you on their radar.

-Use your club resources! Coach Belinda, and other coaches to communicate on your behalf with prospective schools.  Do not be afraid to call a college coach and/or email them multiple times.  Remember, they can NOT respond before your junior year so don't interpret a non-response as non-interest.  The more you get your name and information in front of them, the more likely they are to remember you. 

-Refer to our website for helpful tips about the process!   If you need help with suggestions on profiles or videos, feel free to reach outl.    This is a personal process and no two paths will be the same.  It's hard not to feel pressure sometimes because of what someone else may/may not be doing.  But in the end, this is about finding the best fit for your student at a school that will prepare her for the rest of her life - that just happens to be where she'll play field hockey too.  More Info on the new rules:https://www.ncsasports.org/ncaa-eligibility-center/recruiting-rules

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My daughter thinks she might want to play field hockey in college OR you think she may want to play in college and want to keep her options open. Now what?

First here’s some NCAA background: All of NCAA coaching has parameters limiting when and where coaches can contact players. Division I and II coaches MUST WAIT until June 15th of a player’s junior year to initiate contact and to communicate in person.  Prior to this, coaches are allowed to send emails regarding camps and to talk to a player on the phone only if the player initiates the call.   You can find lots of information at www.NCAA.org

To hit home the odds of playing collegiate field hockey keep in mind that for the 2016-2017 year, there were over 60,000 high school FH players. Of that, just over 6,000 moved on to the college level. That’s just under 10% of US high school players that make it to the next level. Additionally, college coaches recruit ANOTHER 10% from outside of the U.S. Only 2% of US players play at the Division I level and even then, their average financial benefit is approx. $17,000/yr. SOURCE: http://www.scholarshipstats.com/fieldhockey.html

A collegiate player must LOVE her sport and be a strong student. It can be a full-time job on top of full-time academics so it is a delicate dance a parent/coach must play to nurture a player who may not even know what she wants to do when she grows up.