Arm Yourself with the Tools College Coaches Want

Game Performance Doesn’t Tell a Coach Everything

Every college coach wants athleticism, right?  Naturally, but what else do they REALLY want to see from prospects they evaluate in person?  We have the answers:

• High energy, strong effort and focus during pre-game drills.   High school athletes are bent toward approaching pre-game drills nonchalantly.  College coaches notice this and don’t like it.  Want to gain an edge on the prospects you’re competing with for a scholarship or roster spot offer?  Increase your pre-game intensity.  College coaches will notice and appreciate the effort. 
• Great posture.  Wha?  Yes, posture.  Slouching athletes look lazy, so straighten up when you walk.  Put your shoulders back.  When you offer a slack profile, you hurt yourself in a coach’s eyes.  Any and every advantage helps, so take note of how you carry yourself, even in pre-game warm-ups. 
• Attention to detail in your appearance.  Want to make a coach LOSE interest, look sloppy.  Coaches try to envision you in their team’s gear and if you can’t present yourself in a positive light as a high school player, who’s to say you will do better when you get in college away from the influence of your parents and friends.  Remember, when you get to college, you will be representing not only your team, coaches and student body, but every person who has ever attended that college.  Do yourself a favor, get ready now. 
• Listening intently to the coach.  Coaches love to talk.  Moreover, they love to find high school prospects that listen well.  Any pre-game conversation, timeout or other interaction with your coach gives you the opportunity to demonstrate that you aren’t going rogue and that you are focused on executing whatever it is the coach is instructing you to do.  Whether you think that you’ve heard it a thousand times before, listen. 
• Encourage teammates.  Being the focus of those around you from the crowd to the  other team is a heady thing.  A mature athlete will ignore that and home in on their own teammates who are the ones who really need to get a pat on the back or words of encouragement from you.  College coaches love to see really good athletes exhibiting leadership prior to games, matches and meets.  And, even more, they love seeing teammates responding to a top player’s motivational leadership. 
• Respect of officials.  Many a college coach’s job status has suffered irreparable damage by a player that has gone off on an official and turned the momentum of a contest.  When they observe this behavior in high school athletes, you may as well show them the exit yourself because they aren’t coming back for a repeat performance.  As hard as it may be at times, always, always respect game officials.  It’s something a truly mature athlete does every outing.