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You just got an email from a college program you are interested in. You are excited, and hope this will be the start of your journey to making a commitment. Before you get too far ahead of yourself, make sure you read the email closely. College coaches send out a number of different types of emails that mean different things and have different purposes. While the emails may sound similar, they can have very different intentions.
Emails are a safe way for college coaches to reach out to recruits without having to show their hand (level of interest). The emails can have a variety of meanings and purposes. The way the email is worded, how much personalized information is included in the email, and what type of response it asks from you will help you better understand the intentions of the program that sent it.
Below, we look at three different kinds of emails you might receive from a college coach, what it means about your recruitment, and how to follow up.
The Generic Camp Email- (Likely no personal interest)
Camp emails range from generic to personalized invites. If there is nothing in the email that identifies you beyond your name, expresses interest specific to your abilities or that comments about having seen you play, it is likely that this email is not expressing any personal interest in you as a player. Coaches have access to contact information and if you are within driving distance, you are a prime target for an invite to camp. In addition to having a non-personalized email, camp cost can be a good indication of interest. There are cheaper camps for recruiting and evaluation purposes, and there are more expensive camps for making money. If camp price seems a bit high, it’s a good indication that the invite has nothing to do with interest in you as a player.
While camps can provide opportunity to show a coaching staff what you can do, you will know by the way you are invited if the coaching staff already considers you a prospect for their program. If it is unclear whether the email has been personally sent to you, you can always respond to the coach and ask about where they have seen you play and ask them what their level of interest is in you as a player. This should clear up the confusion quickly. If you are interested in the school, even a generic camp invite is a direct line of communication to someone in the baseball office. Use it as a way to find out more about the school’s interest in you and get them the information they need to learn more about you as a player.
Below is an example of a generic camp invite:
Dear Eric,
We are excited to invite you to the 2019 Fall Baseball Prospect Camp!
On Sunday October 8, the Reynolds University Baseball program will be bringing together a group of elite high school players for our 2019 Fall Baseball Prospect Camp at Jones Stadium on the beautiful Reynolds University campus. The coaching staff here at RU hopes you will participate in this exciting event. This camp provides you with a great opportunity to showcase your skills in front of our entire coaching staff. The camp will cost $350 and includes a RU T-shirt.
For more information on the camp, including schedule and online registration, please visit the camp website: www.RUbaseballcamps.com/2019Fall
If you have any questions or want to reserve your spot today, please call or email anytime.
Hope to see you at Jones Stadium October 8.
Go Hawks!
Chris Gerrard
Volunteer Assistant Baseball Coach
Reynolds University
The Exploratory Prospective Recruit Email- (Entry level/some interest)
If a college coach has received a good report about you, seen video they like, or noticed something they like about you before having had a chance to see you play, they will often send an exploratory email to gauge your interest and collect information/insight about you as a player. Sometimes these emails are personalized and sometimes they are not. Exploratory prospect emails are best recognized by the type of information they provide and the call to action they seek from recruits. They will often ask you to fill out a recruit questionnaire, email back a schedule, or simply respond if you are interested in the program or have questions. Sometimes they may be looking for something specific—mutual interest—or maybe they use it as a basic test to see if you can follow directions, communicate clearly, or any other number of things they can tell from a questionnaire or basic interactions. What the coaches are trying to find out at the most basic level is if you are interested in their program and whether it is worth their time to follow up on you at a more advanced level.
If you get an email like the one below that shows some interest in you as a prospective recruit, make sure you follow up and try to create more personal engagement with the coach. These emails give you the opportunity to show interest and become a real recruit the program targets.
Eric,
Our coaching staff has recognized you as one of the top players in your grade and the state of Alaska. We wanted to send you some information on our school and program, and look forward to seeing you play soon. Are you familiar with RU baseball? You can find information on our program below:
RU offers D2 baseball at the highest level, in addition to small classroom sizes and a more personal educational experience. More information on our school and program are linked below. I have also included a link to our recruit questionnaire, which serves as our primary recruit database. If you are interested in having us come out to see you play, please fill out the recruit questionnaire.
Link: RU BASEBALL QUESTIONNAIRE
Link: RU SCHOOL AND PROGRAM INFO
Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing from you and telling you more about our school, program, and an RU education!
Go Hawks!
Billy James
Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Reynolds University Baseball
Personalized Recruit Email (Definitive interest):
If a school is interested in you as a player, they will make it clear in the way the email is written and the attention directed at you personally. The email will often describe where a coach saw you play, what they liked about your game, and provide more specific, personalized information. Notice the difference in personal information between our previous emails and the one that follows. This information tells you that the program sees you as a recruit, not just a potential prospect. Like the exploratory email, personalized recruit emails often have a call to action. It is also possible that after following up on an exploratory email, you start receiving more serious, personalized recruit emails.
The following is an example of an email that signals a high level of interest in you as a recruit. Make sure you take time to fill out questionnaires, answer all the questions asked, and plan a well thought out response. This is your chance to show coaches that you are not only a good ball player, but can pay attention to details and communicate effectively.
Eric,
I saw you play yesterday at the Super 10 tournament and really liked the way you played. I was impressed with your range at short and the way you took several extra bases with heads up play on the base paths. Since we are only 30 minutes from you, it would be great to set up a visit to campus where we could show you around and talk to you more about RU baseball. If you are interested in making a visit, let me know what dates work best for you and we will do what we can to make them work on our end as well.
Are you familiar with RU and our baseball program?
RU offers D2 baseball at the highest level, in addition to small classroom sizes and a more personal educational experience. More information on our school and program are linked below. I have also included a link to our recruit questionnaire, which serves as our primary recruit database. If you are interested in our program and having us continue to follow you, please fill out the recruit questionnaire.
Link: RU BASEBALL QUESTIONNAIRE
Link: RU SCHOOL AND PROGRAM INFO
Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to the possibility of having you visit campus and telling you more about our school, program, and an RU education!
Go Hawks!
Billy James
Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Reynolds University Baseball
You have now seen the three most common types of emails you might receive from a coach, what they mean, and how you can respond. Any email from a coach has opened the lines for communication and you can always write back with clarifying questions. The ball is now in your court!
