College coaches get hundreds of e-mails each week. Players, parents and coaches all feel the need to contact the college coach to get their attention. Hoping to convince them to come see them play and eventually offer them a scholarship.
The first e-mail you send is your first opportunity to make an impression. I promise you are making an impression. Now what kind of an impression that is, well…
Here is a short list of some of the most shocking mistakes made when sending e-mails to college coaches:
1. The wrong coach’s name
2. The wrong school name or mascot name
3. No personalization in the greeting, i.e. Dear Coach:
4. Nothing that indicates a legitimate interest in the school
5. Stating that you want to study a major that the school doesn’t offer
6. Asking about a scholarship in the introductory e-mail
7. Having an e-mail that is written by the parent. (Teenagers don’t speak that way)
8. Poor grammar, punctuation, spelling or never ending sentences
9. Using text speak, abbreviations (lol)
10. Missing information (Travel team, high school, coaches names and contact information)
11. Poor grades and/or the failure to discuss your academic standing
12. Talking about your financial situation in the initial e-mail
Okay, it wasn’t a short list. Of course, there are many more things that certain coaches are put off by. Take your time and write an e-mail that portrays who you really are. Be careful with the cut and paste, Be honest!
Read it before you hit send! If it sounds shaky to you, imagine how it is going to sound to that college coach?
About the Author: Tory Acheson brings a wealth of knowledge to the Fastpitch Prep staff. He has coached at all levels of the game, including the last 25 years at the college level at the University of Wisconsin – Parkside, Tennessee Tech and Kennesaw State. He began his coaching career at the high school level spending 9 years Whitnall High School in Greenfield, Wis. and is now working as a professional softball instructor.
