- CHOOSING THE WRONG CAMP
Choosing the wrong Summer Football Camp is a lot more common than you think. With thousands of camps to choose from it’s easy to focus on the wrong ones.
Football is a business.
Which is exactly why you should approach your camp decisions in that manner. If a camp costs your family money. It should be able to make your family money. It is imperative for athletes who are 1-2 years away from high school or junior college graduation, to attend camps specifically sponsored by college football programs. Camps where you can actually earn a college football scholarship.
Keep in mind. The college sponsored camps you attend should be schools that would realistically recruit you. If you are a 5’9” 180 pound Quarterback. Alabama is not going to recruit you as a Quarterback.
Be smart. Don’t waste your money or time.
2. FAILURE to RSVP
Most college sponsored football camps host hundreds of high school and junior college athletes each year. A program like Ohio State, which has multiple camp dates, will host well over 1,000 aspiring college football players during the course of their summer camp schedule.
How will you stand out?
RSVP.
It will immediately cast you in a different light and separate you from the competition, before you even get to camp. Once you have determined the summer camps you are going to attend. Make sure you contact the position coach for your current position and the Recruiting Coordinator, through email or social media.
3. THE FEAR of COMPETING
Many athletes have to be trained how to become a competition machine. It’s important for athletes to realize that everything is a competition during a 1- or 2-day summer camp.
You don’t have time to be shy!
Every drill and rep is an opportunity. If an athlete stands in the back of the line. The coach will not be able to truly evaluate you. Once you lace up your cleats and step between the white lines. It’s GO TIME.
Make sure you are one of the first for everything during camp. You should be first to demonstrate a drill. First to go up for one-on-one’s. First to introduce yourself to the coach.
This will show the coaches you are competitive and locked-in. College coaches will only consider recruiting the serious athletes from their camp.
4. THE UN-COACHABLE ATHLETE
Being coachable is about listening and asking the right questions. If you are genuinely paying attention to the coach’s requests during the camp and learning from the mistakes of others. You should be just fine.
Not being coachable is one of the single fastest ways for an athlete to eliminate themself from a college coach’s consideration. Make sure you’re coachable. It’s step one to showing that you can play at the next level and you care.
5. FAILURE to FOLLOW UP
The follow up is something that 99% of athletes never even consider. That’s why it’s such a HUGE opportunity for you!
College coaches work with so many athletes during summer camps, that they forget to add talented players from camp to their prospect database.
The follow up will ensure that won’t be you. It’s your chance to remind the coaching staff that you are a serious prospect and that you desire to be apart of their program.
Recruiting is a relationship game. Relationships need to be nurtured. Your follow up after camp will keep you relevant in the scholarship discussion!
Before You Go Pro is more than just a blog. We are also a Student-Athlete Development and Recruiting Company, and we work with Football Programs and Families across the Country. There’s no need to do Recruiting alone. Click picture below to see the services we offer!
