🚦Recruiting Doesn’t Start When You Think It Does

📰 COLLEGIATE ELITES WEEKLY

Issue 029 — December 30, 2025

Let’s talk about the most common recruiting mistake we see.
It’s not lack of talent.
It’s not size.
It’s not even exposure.
It’s waiting.

Waiting for film.
Waiting for playing time.
Waiting to feel “ready.”
Waiting for a coach to notice.

Here’s the problem: waiting doesn’t fix any of those gaps.

In recruiting, clarity doesn’t come before action. It comes from it.

🎓 THE MYTH: RECRUITING STARTS SENIOR YEAR

If recruiting worked the way most families think it does, it would look something like this:

You have a strong junior season.
Coaches magically appear.
Offers roll in.
Decisions get made.

That version exists for about 2–3% of athletes.

For everyone else, recruiting starts much earlier and much quieter. (Or at least it should…)

It starts every time you step on the field, court, or track.

• How you train

• How you compete

• How you respond when things don’t go your way

• How you improve year over year
  

College coaches aren’t just evaluating who you are today.

They’re projecting who you’ll be in two or three years.

That’s why the real question isn’t “am I recruitable yet?”

It’s “am I doing everything I need to be doing to become recruitable?”

🚫 WHY COACHES AVOID “MAYBES”

Here’s something most athletes don’t hear enough:

College coaches are risk managers.

Their jobs depend on wins, development, and retention. They don’t get rewarded for guessing correctly once. They get rewarded for stacking reliable decisions and finding athletes that can be developed.

That’s why recruiting isn’t about being flawless. It’s about giving coaches something to evaluate.

Coaches want to know:

1. How consistent are you?

2. What’s your ceiling?

3. Do you have the mindset to take you there?

Ironically, the athletes who stall the longest are often the ones who notice their own gaps:

• “I don’t have enough film yet.”

• “I’m not starting.”

• “I need one more season.”

Those gaps feel like stop signs. To coaches, they’re just data points.

Not disqualifiers, feedback.

If you don’t have everything yet, that’s normal.

What matters is whether you’re doing something about it.

How are you checking the box?

Record game film.
Find out what you need to become a starter.
Execute.
Do the little things off the court to make you ready now.

✍️ THE MOVE MOST ATHLETES DON’T MAKE (BUT SHOULD)

Here’s what surprises families the most:

You don’t need to be “done” to reach out. You need to be visible and intentional.

A simple introduction does more than most people realize:

“Hey Coach ___, I wanted to introduce myself.

I’m very interested in your program.

I’ll be competing at ___ this weekend and would love to connect.”

That’s not a pitch. It’s a signal.

It tells a coach:

• You’re paying attention

• You’re proactive

• You’re serious enough to raise your hand

Recruiting doesn’t reward perfection. It rewards initiative backed by performance.

💰 WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS (FOR MOST ATHLETES)

Forget highlight reels going viral or overnight breakthroughs.

Here’s what consistently works:

• Start earlier than feels necessary

• Reach out before you feel ready

• Show up where it counts

• Communicate consistently

• Keep improving

Then repeat.

It’s not flashy. It’s not fast. But it’s how recruiting actually happens.

The athletes who succeed aren’t just the most hyped.

They’re also the ones who take ownership.

🎯 FINAL THOUGHT

Recruiting isn’t something that happens to you.
It’s something you participate in.

If college athletics is a goal, the responsibility is yours.

That’s not pressure. That’s power.

And the first move is almost always the hardest and the most important.

✅ TAKE ACTION

📍 In Seattle?

Come train with us in person at the Collegiate Elites weight room.
Get hands-on coaching, structured training, and the same environment our college athletes trust to stay sharp. 👉

🌐 Not local?
Train with a former college athlete — online or in your area. 👉