How to get colleges coaches to email me back

You're a dime a dozen.

What are your times? Maybe you're misjudging something here.

Also, the coaches are probably swamped with similar e-mails. If you're planning on walking on, you could always reach out after you're accepted.

Ummm...ever heard of powerpoint?

I've run 1:53, sub 9:30, 4:19.

I think having connections with the coach will help me get into the school. I've heard that from a lot of people. Like you're recruited but they can't offer you any money, but you're basically guaranteed a spot on the team.

What would I need a powerpoint for?

Run faster.

So you want to run in college, eh? You're having trouble getting a coach's attention? Follow these steps to success. Tried and true.

Step 1: Email the coaches back from your other email account. Tell them you're a reporter with the local news paper and you've heard about the XC team's latest hazing antics. Tell him someone's come forward and told you about the streaking runs the upper classmen are making freshman do, butt-chugging rituals, weird after-practice shower games, etc. Tell him you'd just like to ask him a few questions, and you'd hate for the New York Times or some bigger newspaper to run wild with this story before you can spearhead the "rumors."

Step 2: This will no doubt get the coach's attention. He'll be denying like crazy and be kissing your ass. Hell, he probably won't know any better and will think "are my guys doing these things?!?" After some more back and forth with him, subtly mention your "nephew," [insert your name here], who has run some pretty decent times. Make it known that he's interested in the school, and you wouldn't publish any kind of incriminating story about a school your "nephew" ran for.

Step 3: Expect a call from the coach by day's end. Here's your chance to milk him. Tell him you're not sure if the school is right for you... you'd need some sort of partial scholarship because X state U down the road is offering X deal. Don't get greedy or anything, though. Don't ask for a single room and a full-ride or anything. Just tenderly milk him - just a glass of milk, not a full bucket.

Step 4: By this point, your heart should fill full of pride and honor. Take pride in your accomplishment. Whereas before you wanted to merely walk on, you've now truly earned your spot on the team. Run couragously through your collegiate career, live long, and prosper.

Trust me, I know this works. I would've never gotten attention from multiple distinguished D1 coaches if I hadden gotten a little 'creative' myself... Good luck!

You're a very good runner, and these coaches like know who you are by now. It would certainly help to know someone who could help, but if they're really interested, they'll be bugging the crap out of you.

+1 This will work

One, coaches could care less about your times unless you are the top recruits which they are bugging now.

Two, push the reasons why you want to go to that university and why you would love to join their program and how you can help.

Three, if an e-mail doesn't work, use this thing called a telephone and call the coach. They get bombarded by e-mails from runners hat want to run for them and they will take their time responding or deleting because they are focused on their primary recruits. And calling makes the coach think you are more serious than sending one e-mail and expecting a call.

Show your interest in whatever way you can and I promise they will look for you.

If not, just do your summer training and walk on like you were going to anyway. You would already be at the school, easier for the coach to see you run than take it from an e-mail.

I know when one of my runners was looking at a school, it was the Assistant Coaches who were often more reachable. Try looking into Assistants/Grad coaches, they may have more time/be more willing to talk.

You could also wait until after Conference/Nationals, say December to start bugging the hell out of them, as many coaches are focused on those right now.

1:53 , sub 9:30 and 4:19 are fine times. You might not get money at the very elite D1 schools , but you should get money at quite a few. Plus you still got indoor and outdoor track left to improve on them. Good luck to you.

Coaches are very busy. They probably read your email, thought "ok not bad", and moved on with their day.

Did you ask very specific, easy-to-answer questions? If not, they probably didn't want to put the effort into coming up with a response.

I'd email back to say you're following up and ask them specifically something like:

"If I were to come to your school, would I be able to walk on to the team? Is there a tryout process?"

A lot of coaches really aren't able to take on many walkons, so you might just not get a lot of responses. Good luck.

Try getting in touch with their

Assistants

Graduate assistants

Volunteer assistants

Make your case with them--head person probably too busy or (fill in blank)

Good luck

d-uno wrote:

Coaches are very lazy. They probably read your email, thought "ok not bad", and immediately moved on to Facebook or letsrun.com to occupy their mind.

A lot of coaches are really too lazy to take on many walkons, so you might just not get a lot of responses. Good luck.

fixed that for you.

Right now coaches are focused on XC. I have an athlete who asked me the same thing and my response was run faster. Which he did. He is going on a visit to one school but another basically said when the season is over we will talk. It depends on the coach. College coached dont look at every little meet they look at the big invits and championships. Got to run well there to get noticed. Fill out the questionaire on the athletic site to.

If you are expressing that you just want to walk-on then you are not high priority to the coach. He/She has no reason to get back right away with you because you are coming to them for nothing. Email an assistant/grad assistant with your times, goals, academic accomplishments, and that you are interested in their program. With those times, more than likely you can get a little money at a D1 school. Also, those times are perfect for some of the top D2 colleges if you want a chance to actually run/help a team win a conference/regional/national championship rather than just be a part of a D1 program.

You have decent "walk-on" times for most D1 programs. If you have any D2 programs in mind, contact them...but they too may be slow to respond.

Any D3 school would love to have you and would fall all over themselves recruiting you - going through that with my son now...and there are some top-notch D3 coaches that I'd put up against any D1 coach...and some D3 schools with academics that put all to shame.

Remember, you're going to college so that you can become gainfully employed when you graduate...and running is probably not going to pay your mortgage.

Most colleges have online recruiting forms available on their cross country and track websites.

Most of them ask similar information - name, address, phone, email.

Most also will ask about your academics - gpa and SAT or ACT scores. At least at some of the more selective colleges, which it sounds like you might be interested if you are looking for admissions help, it is waste of time to contact someone with no chance of entrance. So make sure you fill out the forms and give the coach this info.

Finally , they will ask for your best times in your events, and any awards you've won - state titles, all state, all district, whatever.

I would suggest filling the form out first, and then follow up with the coach with an email after your cross country season is over, and optimally also after the college's season is over. Mention that you have filled out the recruiting form and give a recap of your times.

Most websites will also list who is in charge of recruiting - like others have mentioned, it is often an assistant coach, not the head coach.

Your times are good, especially the 1:53 800. A lot of guys like you will be able to hit a 1:51 in your final track season, which would make you a valuable commodity, especially if you are able and willing to also contribute to the distance team.