Just Sending Emails? Why This is Actually Hurting Your Recruiting Process

"Just send emails" is probably the advice most often given on the various volleyball mom and dad Facebook groups. It's not necessarily what I would call bad advice, but it doesn't mean that it's really helpful advice either. Yes, you should send emails, but that's where the advice typically ends.

What Most Families Do

Most families will run directly to the nearest recruiting email platform and begin mass producing emails to hundreds of schools to start their process.

Why It Feels Like It Should Work

We are told to 'just send emails' and so we do. Often 100s of emails. If feels like it should work because we are covering as many schools and options as possible. Certainly ONE of these schools will be interested, right?

The Hidden Problem

We send them off to 100s of schools with no regard for fit, need or overall interest level from my athlete. The emails are general, never mention the school by name or anything else that is happening with that individual program. Because the email is so general, the coaching staff never learns anything of substance about the athlete and so other athletes that are showing specific interest move on up the recruiting board past the athlete that is sending out emails 'just to send emails'. These mass email systems also usually remove the athlete entirely from the process. Usually mom or dad do most of the sending of the mass emails. This too creates a divide in the communication and when athletes get on the phone with a coach, finally, there is a serious lack of foundation in the communication between the staff and the athlete. This usually creates a level of disinterest that is communicated from the athlete and then we are back to the beginning again.

The Better Approach

While the better approach does take longer, many athletes tend to get more responses and generate more interest in themselves when they send emails that are unique to each school. Athletes that write their own emails and communicate with coaches themselves, usually are able to articulate individual interest in a specific school AND tell college coaches about themselves on a personal level. Remember, college coaches are typically recruiting the person as much if not MORE than the athlete.

Takeaway

While it might seem to save time and energy, copying every single email the same way and sending it off to each college coach, this tactic communicates little to no interest on behalf of the athlete. While sending updates through mass emails occasionally is fine, these college coaches need athletes to be more specific when they reach out if they are going to believe that the athlete is interested in their program.

If you're looking for more help and tips when it comes to writing or sending emails, join the Online Recruiting Program here at PRI and take advantage of our step-by-step course. Get suggestions on how to write your emails as well as access to several different email templates to help give you ideas throughout the club and high school seasons.

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