Imagine you’re on your first call with a college coach.

After introducing himself and telling you about his school and program, he asks:

What are you looking for in a college?

You aren’t prepared for the question. You answer:

Ummm…I guess I’m just looking for a place that feels like home.

Next, the coach asks:

What are your strengths and weaknesses as a player?

Again, you’re not prepared for the question. You stammer through an answer about your strengths but can’t come up with any weaknesses.

This is how most players answer questions from college coaches.

They don’t know what coaches will likely ask, so they don’t prepare answers in advance.

I’m NOT saying you should prepare answers based on what you think coaches will want to hear.

I AM saying you should prepare sincere answers so you sound confident and give coaches an accurate representation of who you are and what you’re looking for in a college.

To prepare answers in advance, however, you need to know what coaches will likely want to know.

Here’s a list of common questions college coaches ask prospects and advice for how to answer them.

Ten Questions College Coaches Will Ask You

Tell me more about yourself.

Coaches like asking this question because it’s open ended and requires more than a yes or no answer.

When listening to your answer, he’s evaluating more than what you say. He’s also evaluating:

• How you speak

• Your confidence

• Your eye contact

• How articulate you are

• The length of your answer

Here are some tips for talking about yourself:

• Avoid talking too little OR too much. If you were writing your answer, 1-2 sentences isn’t enough and a full page is too much. Aim for 2-3 paragraphs.

• Give an overview of your baseball career.

• Talk about your academic interest areas and what career paths you may want to take after your baseball career.

• Talk about what factors are most important for you as you’re searching for your best college fit.

If this is the first question a coach asks, providing information that answers other questions he may ask will impress him.

What are you looking for in a college?

To prepare to answer this question, spend time determining the most important factors you will consider when picking a college.

At College Athlete Advantage, we call this a “values list.”

Here’s a process to follow:

1. Brainstorm as many important factors as possible (i.e., academics, playing time, development, etc.).

2. Define each factor based on what you want. For example, for academics, write down what you’re looking for academically).

3. Rank order the factors.

After completing this exercise, you’re ready to answer this question:

Elaborate on your top 3-5 factors using the definitions you created.

Follow this process and coaches will be impressed with the depth of your answer to this question.

What do you know about our college?

This is a question coaches ask to get a feel for how much research you’ve done on the college.

If you don’t have a good answer prepared, coaches may question your interest level.

To prepare to answer this question, research the college’s website and write down five or more things you like about the college and/or baseball program. For example:

• The athletic facilities

• The average class size

• The size of the campus

• The success of the baseball program

• The academic program you’re interested in

If you know someone who attends the college and/or is already part of the baseball program, ask them what they like about the college and their experience.

By doing this research ahead of time, you’ll have plenty of content to use to answer the question.

What are your strengths and weaknesses as a player?

Most players have no trouble talking about their strengths, but shy away from admitting weaknesses for fear of turning the coach off.

Avoid stating weaknesses that seem positive (i.e., “I work too hard,” or “I’m too much of a perfectionist”). Answers like these will come across as disingenuous.

Instead, before you talk to a coach, list legitimate strengths and weaknesses. For example:

• I run really well. My 60 time is below 7.00. (Strength)

• I don’t strike out often and have a good eye at the plate. (Strength)

• I’m a good leader. I was voted team captain by my teammates. (Strength)

• I need to get bigger and stronger. (Weakness)

• I need to hit for more power. (Weakness)

• I sometimes struggle managing my time between school and baseball. I could use some help with that. (Weakness)

Prepare 2-3 strengths and 2-3 weaknesses to answer the question.

What do you like to do outside of baseball?

This can be a trap question.

If you list a bunch of things you like to do outside of baseball, some coaches may think that you have too many interests and aren’t dedicated to baseball.

But it’s important to be honest.

If you enjoy a variety of activities off the field and want to continue making time for those activities in college, certain programs may not fit you well.

It’s important to figure this out before committing to a program.

What does your training look like?

If a coach asks this question, give him a general overview of what a typical week and day looks like for you. For example:

I do arm care, mobility exercises, and defensive fundamental drills every day. I hit 5-6 times per week year-round and throw 5-6 times per week except during the off-season when I take a couple months off to rest my arm. I lift 3-4 times per week year-round.

During a typical day, I wake up at 6 a.m. and lift or do a speed workout. After school I throw, hit, and do defensive drills. I complete my mobility routine before bed each night.

This will give the coach an idea about how difficult the transition to college baseball may be for you. If your routine is similar to the example above, the coach will know that adapting to a college baseball routine will be easy.

How do you like to be coached?

Your answer to this question gives a coach an idea about how his coaching style may fit with your personality.

Again, it’s important to be honest.

Let the coach know if you need a “kick in the ass” from time to time or a prefer a gentler approach.

Tell the coach how you best receive feedback and how to best coach you when you make mistakes.

What motivates you?

If a coach asks this question, he wants to know your “why.”

He wants to know why you love the game and what motivates you to put in hours of boring, tedious work to get better.

Here are some possible answers:

• I want to be an All-American

• I want to make my parents proud

• I want to play professional baseball

• I want to win a national championship

There’s no right or wrong answer, but don’t make something up. Be genuine.

What do you want to study?

It’s okay if you don’t know what you want to study, but you should have some possibilities in mind.

Here are some questions that will lead you in the right direction:

• What are your strengths?

• What types of careers might you enjoy?

• What type of work setting suits you best?

• What are your favorite classes in high school? Why?

• What type of lifestyle do you want to have after college?

If you’re not sure what you want to study, be ready to give the coach 2-3 possibilities if he asks this question.

What is your dream career (other than MLB)?

Coaches sometimes ask this question as a follow-up to the previous question about what you want to study.

It’s okay if you don’t have a solid answer to this question, but having an answer prepared in case he asks it is a good idea.

If you prepare answers to these questions in advance, you’ll be well prepared for any interaction with a college coach.

Additionally, answering these questions will help you determine your preferences as you’re working through the recruiting process.

Thank you for reading!

Matt