Want to get recruited and play college baseball? Wondering what kind of paperwork you might need? What other things do you need to make it easier for coaches and recruiters to make decisions about you? Coaches are looking for players who are organized and prepared on and off the field. Being able to communicate clearly and efficiently is critical to forming relationships with coaches and showing them that you are a responsible and detail-oriented recruit. In fact, being ready to answer requests from coaches can go a long way in making you a legitimate recruit. To help you stay ahead of the game, we’ve organized a list of things that you will likely need or want to share with coaches at various stages of the recruiting process. Having this stuff ready before you reaching out to and hearing from college coaches will help you be prepared to take advantage of those opportunities when they come.
Your current schedule. Keep an electronic copy of your upcoming game schedule so you can email it out to interested coaches when they request it.
An email address that is easy to remember. Create a simple email address that you can use for all your recruiting correspondence. Something with your name and grad year is a great help and easy for coaches to remember. For Example: [email protected].
Copies of your Test Scores (ACT and/or SAT). Coaches will ask for these to make sure you are in good academic standing and meet entry requirements for their schools. Most often they will ask for an unofficial copy of your test scores. Keep hard copies and electronic files of your test scores handy so you can mail, fax, or email them to a coach at a moment’s notice.
Transcripts. Just like your test scores, coaches will ask for transcripts to make sure you are in good academic standing and meet entry requirements for their schools. Most likely, they will first ask for an unofficial copy of your transcripts. Keep hard copies and electronic files of your transcripts handy so you can mail, fax, or email them over to a coach if he asks for them. Update them whenever you get new grades so they stay current.
A video of your baseball skills. Having a skills video has become all but necessary for recruits and requests for videos are common. Video can be a big help, especially for schools that are far away or have trouble getting out to see you play. Player get recruited all the time off of video. Videos don’t need to be fancy or long, they just need to offer coaches a glimpse of your skills and baseball movements. Sending a bad video can hurt your chances, so make sure you check our suggestions on making a short video here.
Baseball References. You’ll want to have contact information for your coaches and any other personal baseball references (scouts, opposing coaches, etc.) ready to text, email, or give to coaches. Having credible baseball references who know you and college baseball well and can vouch for your talents can make a big difference. You’ll want to make sure you ask people if it is okay to use them as a reference before giving their contact information out.
Your Parent/Guardian’s Tax Forms from the past few years. These will be necessary when filling out your FAFSA financial aid forms. Check out our post on why these forms are so important. The post includes tips and a list of official links that will help you get these forms done right and on time.
Documentation of disabilities. If you have a documented learning disability, it will be important to have that information available if it is requested by the school admissions office. This is not something you should try to hide from coaches. College athletic departments often have additional academic services for student-athletes, and you will want to find out how each program deals with accommodations and what services they provide their student athletes.
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