How COVID-19 Has Forced Athletes to Be Recruited Differently
Among the usual parts of the recruiting that didn't take place in 2020 included combines, camps, and showcases, where athletes will travel to one location, whether nationally or regionally, to show coaches and scouts what they have to offer. This is beneficial for both parties—the athletes can perform in front
of personnel from many different colleges while the coaches and scouts can see what recruits have to offer in-person without having to crisscross the country to discover talent.
As of June 1, 2021, all collegiate sports returned to their normal recruiting calendars, but the uncertainty of the Delta variant of COVID-19 means that the situation remains fluid. So what should athletes and coaches know in case they return to a virtual world? Let's take a look at three of the ways athletes were recruited differently in 2020 and how those lessons can be best taken advantage of in an uncertain future.
Train, Train, Train
If restrictions of any type force games to be canceled, it's up to the athlete to stay on top of their individual game. The ones who continued training—whether it be on their own or with a personal coach—were the ones who didn't lose a step in 2020, whereas some athletes took the shutdown period literally and let their training suffer.
Improve a Digital Presence
Even in the years prior to the pandemic, athletes having a digital showcase was becoming commonplace. But with no way for coaches to be able to evaluate talent at games, the ones who could be creative and continue to post videos and information about themselves were the ones who succeeded. It’s been estimated that there was a double-digit increase in college coach activity on recruiting sites in 2020.
Maintain Communication
Since athlete's actions on the playing field couldn't speak for them, high schoolers had to learn how to market themselves better. The key part of this is not only maintaining a social media presence for recruiting purposes, but also becoming expert communicators. Maintaining communication with coaches and recruiters, along with sending introductory emails to new target schools, became more important than ever in an effort for an athlete to stand out.
The key overarching lesson to learn, whether it's a young athlete, a coach, or anyone else during the pandemic, is to be able to adapt to change. Even if there won't be a global change as drastic as the COVID-19 pandemic for years or decades to come, everyone's life is spent overcoming change, and the
pandemic is proof that those who were proactive instead of reactive were the ones who succeeded the most.
of personnel from many different colleges while the coaches and scouts can see what recruits have to offer in-person without having to crisscross the country to discover talent.
As of June 1, 2021, all collegiate sports returned to their normal recruiting calendars, but the uncertainty of the Delta variant of COVID-19 means that the situation remains fluid. So what should athletes and coaches know in case they return to a virtual world? Let's take a look at three of the ways athletes were recruited differently in 2020 and how those lessons can be best taken advantage of in an uncertain future.
Train, Train, Train
If restrictions of any type force games to be canceled, it's up to the athlete to stay on top of their individual game. The ones who continued training—whether it be on their own or with a personal coach—were the ones who didn't lose a step in 2020, whereas some athletes took the shutdown period literally and let their training suffer.
Improve a Digital Presence
Even in the years prior to the pandemic, athletes having a digital showcase was becoming commonplace. But with no way for coaches to be able to evaluate talent at games, the ones who could be creative and continue to post videos and information about themselves were the ones who succeeded. It’s been estimated that there was a double-digit increase in college coach activity on recruiting sites in 2020.
Maintain Communication
Since athlete's actions on the playing field couldn't speak for them, high schoolers had to learn how to market themselves better. The key part of this is not only maintaining a social media presence for recruiting purposes, but also becoming expert communicators. Maintaining communication with coaches and recruiters, along with sending introductory emails to new target schools, became more important than ever in an effort for an athlete to stand out.
The key overarching lesson to learn, whether it's a young athlete, a coach, or anyone else during the pandemic, is to be able to adapt to change. Even if there won't be a global change as drastic as the COVID-19 pandemic for years or decades to come, everyone's life is spent overcoming change, and the
pandemic is proof that those who were proactive instead of reactive were the ones who succeeded the most.
