FAQ - Are Recruiting Services Really Needed? A Look into College Track and Field Recruiting

Frequently Asked Questions –

Does my son or daughter really need a recruiting service to get recruited - probably not. Most likely, all they really need to do is run fast or jump high or throw really far. If they do not hit a particular mark then all they probably have to do is to initiate contact with enough college coaches to garner some interest. In fact, during the span of my 25 year coaching career at the NCAA I level, I was shocked by the price tag of such recruiting services when compared to the end result. Most recruiting services hire staff members with little expertise and actual experience in the sport they are representing. So, as a result the end product is typically little more than some generic finger-pointing in the right direction and a fancy online profile for college coaches to peruse, if so desired.

On the surface, the recruiting process seems simple enough. In fact, on the surface running or throwing or jumping seems simple enough, very simple. In fact, our species has been doing it for years. Seemingly all one needs to do is buy Jack Daniel’s Running Formula and voila - you are on the road to greatness. How hard is it, right? Do a little research and workout. Anyone can do it.

However, to run faster or faster longer or to jump or throw further or to vault higher, one would certainly benefit from a knowledgeable coach. Does my son or daughter really need a coach to run fast? No, not if they are naturally fast. But, they do need a knowledgeable coach to run faster. That is what we do. Are we needed – probably not? Many, many high school student-athletes are recruited annually without using a recruiting service – just as many, many 100m runners run fast without adequate preparation or training. However, if you want to run faster…if you want to get into a school one rung higher than you initially anticipated, if you want to get more scholarship money than you thought possible, and if you want to be exposed to programs and colleges that would be great fits for you based on real information gathered through the collection of data, years of coaching experience and knowledge of over a time thirty year period of time that is where we come in. We can help you maximize financial aid packaging. We can help you identify schools and programs not currently on your radar. We can provide program information with regard to attrition rates, injuries, program burn-out, coaching changes, facility limitations and such.

And, from a cost analysis is it worth it? Though the total cost can appear daunting at first the cost of a recruiting service pales in comparison to future educational costs. Most of you will be paying somewhere between $100,000 - $700,000 – recruiting service costs will range from 0.002 – 0.9% of that amount and will be almost certainly be absorbed by added financial aid or scholarship dollars.

Are we needed, no. Will we make your experience better, YES! Will you end up with more and better choices and more lucrative offers, YES!

For more information for parents regarding their role in the recruiting process see here - https://www.fasttrackrecruiting.com/inside-the-huddle/2018/5/29/three-things-track-and-field-athletes-should-understand-going-into-the-recruiting-process

For more information on what the prospective student-athlete should be doing see here - https://www.fasttrackrecruiting.com/inside-the-huddle/2018/6/10/three-things-track-and-field-recruits-should-understand-about-college-track-and-field-recruiting