I made two campus visits during my recruiting process.

I had no clue what I was doing.

I didn’t know the importance of campus visits. I had no idea how to prepare (or even that I needed to prepare).

I visited a D1 school first.

The baseball coaches weren’t recruiting me. They hadn’t contacted me.

(This should have been the first clue that I was wasting my time).

I didn’t arrange the visit in advance. I stayed with an older friend who attended the school and followed him around for a day.

I stopped by the baseball office, but no coaches were available to talk to me.

Next, I visited a D3 school (the school I ended up attending).

One of my high school coaches played at the school and recommended me to the head coach, who arranged the visit.

I attended the visit alone (no parents). I only remember two things:

• A campus tour

• Eating lunch with some current players

I don’t recall:

• Meeting with the head coach

• Meeting with a professor

• Asking ANY questions

I didn’t know any better, but here’s what I know now:

My approach to these visits was to “soak it all in.” I didn’t have a plan to determine if the schools/baseball programs were actually a good fit for me.

I see a lot of players/parents take a similar approach today.

You won’t get the information you need with such a reactive approach.

There’s a better way. You can learn from my mistakes.

You Are the Interviewee AND the Interviewer

Campus visits are a job interview.

You need to present yourself well so the head coach wants to “hire” you.

But you also need to “interview” the head coach (and others) to make sure the situation fits what YOU’RE looking for.

Most players/parents get this last part wrong. They don’t come into the visit with a questions ready and a general plan for determining fit.

If a college coach invites you to campus, he’s already impressed with you.

Obviously you don’t want to turn him off, but you also need to be on high alert for things that turn YOU off:

• An unorganized visit

• A messy office

• A poorly kept field

• A personality that rubs you the wrong way

• How the players interact with you

• Etc.

You need to interview the coach (and the college) JUST as much as he needs to interview you.

6 MUSTS to Prepare for a Campus Visit

Ask for an Agenda

Ask the coach to send an agenda a week before the visit. If he doesn’t get back to you or won’t send it to you, this is a red flag.

Here’s what a typical agenda looks like:

• Meet and Greet

• Campus Tour

• Athletic Facility Tour

• Meeting with Professor (in your area of academic interest)

• Meeting with Coaches

• Meeting with Admissions/Financial Aid

• Lunch

The order and timeline for these items will vary from school to school (plan for 4-5 hours).

Sometimes coaches will add:

• Meeting with Players (sometimes over lunch)

• Attend/Observe Practice/Game

• Meeting with Athletic Director

• Community Tour

If the agenda you receive doesn’t include something that’s important to you, ask for it to be added. This is YOUR visit. Don’t be shy about asking for what you want.

If the coach doesn’t or won’t honor your request, this is a red flag. (Note that sometimes coaches CAN’T honor your request based on circumstances outside their control).

Prepare Questions

Don’t be “that guy” who doesn’t have anything to say (or looks to his parents) when you’re asked, “Do you have any questions?”

Preparing questions in advance is CRITICAL. The coaching staff and others you meet with will be impressed if you ask good questions.

What questions should you ask?

Simple: Ask questions that are important to you.

If development is important to you, ask:

• What do your practices look like?

• Do you work with players individually?

• What does the strength and conditioning program look like?

• How many coaches are on staff?

• Do you have any data showing player improvements?

• Etc.

If a specific academic program is important, have questions ready for the professor:

• How is the program structured?

• What is the progression of classes?

• What internship opportunities are available?

• Who are the other professors in the department?

• How do you work with student-athletes when there are conflicts with games?

• Etc.

If playing time is important, ask:

• How many players at my position are on the current roster and what years are they?

• How many players at my position do you plan to bring in?

• What is the likelihood of earning playing time within the first couple years?

• How do you have me ranked/evaluated?

• Do you have a JV/developmental team?

• Etc.

(Note that few, if any coaches, will guarantee playing time. Playing time is earned).

If you get a chance to meet with current players (away from the coaching staff), have questions prepared for them:

• What’s it like playing for the coaching staff?

• Why did you choose the school/program?

• What do you like about the baseball program, and what could improve?

• What does a typical day look like?

• Does the team hang out outside of baseball activities?

• Etc.

Write down several questions for EACH important factor, and take notes when getting the answers.

A final question you should ALWAYS ask:

• What are the next steps in your recruiting process?

Don’t leave campus without knowing what comes next. Even if you think you know, make the coach tell you verbally.

Don’t skip this step! Spend time before the visit coming up with good questions. The answers will help you determine fit.

Dress for Success

You don’t need to wear a suit to your campus visit (that would be weird), but you shouldn’t look sloppy.

I suggest:

• Jeans or khakis (or nice shorts if the weather permits)

• A polo or t-shirt/sweatshirt from your high school

• Tennis shoes or casual dress shoes

Avoid the following:

• Sweatpants/athletic short/ripped jeans

• Cut-off t-shirts

• Flip-flops/Crocs

Attend to your personal hygiene before the visit as well.

Act Natural (and hopefully “natural” is positive)

Don’t act “fake” during your campus visit. Act natural.

If you’re naturally quiet, don’t force yourself to talk a lot (but one-word answers won’t cut it either).

If you’re naturally outgoing, let your personality shine through.

Coaches want to know what type of person they’re recruiting.

Coaches want players who:

• Have positive energy (this doesn’t necessarily mean a lot of talking)

• Answer questions thoughtfully (find a balance between one-word answers and rambling)

• Answer questions themselves (not constantly looking at his parents before answering questions)

• Have questions prepared to ask

• Are polite (to the coaches AND to their own parents)

It’s possible the coach won’t relate well to you and will decide to stop recruiting you after the visit. THIS IS OKAY. You won’t be the right fit for every program. It’s better to find this out during the visit than after you’re already in the program.

It’s also possible that the coach rubs you the wrong way and you decide to cross the school off your list. THIS IS OKAY. Every program won’t be a good fit.

Ultimately, only ONE school will be YOUR best fit. But you won’t know for sure unless you visit multiple schools throughout the process.

Say Thank You

Sending an email or hand-written note a few days after the visit to thank the coaching staff is a good idea.

Include some comments about what you liked. Here’s an example:

Coach Smith,

Thank you for hosting me on your campus on Monday.

I enjoyed the day and see XYZ University as a good fit.

I especially enjoyed meeting with the current players. They gave me insights about the program that make me excited about the possibility of joining your team.

I look forward to talking again soon.

Sincerely,

Kevin Jones

If you DON’T see the program as a good fit, give the coach a call and let him know a few days after the visit. This can be a difficult conversation, but the coach deserves your honesty. Even if he seems upset at first, he will respect you for calling. (DO NOT “GHOST” THE COACHING STAFF IF YOU’RE NOT INTERESTED).

Write Down Reflections

Reflecting on your visit afterwards is a CRITICAL part of the process.

Give yourself at least 24 hours, then set aside 30 minutes or more to write down your thoughts.

This will help you compare and contrast schools later.

Here’s a video I made about this topic a while back:

Involve your parents as well. Note their reflections as well.

Here are some questions to guide you:

• How did you connect with the coaching staff? Were there any red flags?

• How did you connect with the current players? Were there any red flags?

• What do you think about the facilities?

• What do you think about the academic program?

• Does the coaching style match what you’re looking for?

• Did it feel like “home?”

• What did you think about the dorms?

• What did you think about the cafeteria/food?

These are just a few examples of questions to reflect on. Come up with others that are important to you.

Follow these tips and you’ll get the most possible out of your campus visits. You’ll leave campus with a good feel for whether the school/program is a good fit.

That’s the main goal: FIND YOUR BEST FIT!

Thank you for reading!

Feel free to reply/comment with any questions and/or insights.

All the best!

- Matt

P.S. If you'd like to schedule a free consultation with me to discuss your specific recruiting process, reply to this email or sent me a text at 319-883-0242.