ALLIE COLLINS

College coaches expect student-athletes to communicate with them directly — not their parents, coaches, or recruiters/recruiting websites.

Most of this communication will be done via email, so student-athletes must create their own personal email address if they have not already done so.

Here’s why:

• School Email:
  • Isn’t checked regularly
  • Emails can get buried
  • Access can be limited and/or depend on school calendar
    
• Parent/Guardian Email:
  • Difficult for athlete to check regularly, unless parent/guardian gives full access
  • Emails can get buried
  • Shows parent/guardian name, which increases coach confusion & makes coaches think they are emailing… even if the athlete signs their name
    
• Emails Sent Through Recruiting Platforms/Services:
  • Many coaches don’t like these, and set up their inboxes to filter them out
  • Emails sent through platforms have embedded content that inboxes often flag as SPAM
  • Messaging directly on the platform may go unseen, depending on the frequency of coach activity

Coaches want to open up their inbox and see an email from you directly — it’s easy and 100 times more personal, which is important. Student-athletes who have their own email look more professional, responsible, and organized. This easy step shows college coaches that you are taking ownership of your process, and that your interest in their program is serious.

Here are some quick tips about creating a personal email address for your college recruiting process:

1. Create one quick using Gmail
   • This is free and allows you to use the other Google services (like Sheets, which is helpful when building your college list!)
     
2. Make it professional
   • FirstNameLastName@gmail.com (recommended if available)
   • FirstNameLastNameGradYear@gmail.com
   • FirstNameLastName.GradYear@gmail.com
   • Work with what’s available, but these are great starting points. Prioritize ones that have your full first and last name.

Pro Tip: Once you create your email, set up a personalized signature! That way, every time you email college coaches, your predetermined information will show up automatically.

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