College Recruiting Tip: Tooting Your Own Horn

Is promoting yourself to college coaches tooting your own horn? In my opinion the answer is no. It’s not bragging if you can back it up.

This is Jared Montz and you are reading the November 2011 free College Recruiting e-Newsletter by http://www.CollegeRecruitingWebsite.com. This article will also appear on STACK.com. I regularly write college recruiting articles for STACK.com.

One of our clients asked me this “tooting your horn question” once. He felt like trying to get recruited was like tooting his own horn to coaches.

Recruiting is like finding a job, if no one knows you are looking, you can’t hired.

Trying to get recruited may make you feel like you are tooting your own horn or bragging about your abilities but you are not. Trying to get recruited is like what adults have to do when they are looking for a new job. They write resumes, create websites, email and call employers and try to convince those employers why they would be a valuable asset to that employer’s company.

An adult finding a job is like a talented high school athlete trying to get recruited to play college sports. It’s not bragging if you can back it up. You don’t want to be cocky of course but you need to build a relationship with college coaches and convince them on and off the field why you have what it takes to play for them.

In a NextLevelBallplayer.com article writer David Franco asked Arizona State Coach Ken Knutson, “What advice would you give a high school player looking to play at ASU?” Coach Knutson said, “Send letters and emails. That’s how coaches find out about stuff.”

Next time you think you don’t want to write emails to college coaches because you feel like you are bragging or being cocky think about what Coach Knutson says.

Being proactive and reaching out to coaches to let them know the type of player and person you are is not tooting your own horn… it’s how you get recruited!

Now go get recruited!

This month’s motivational quote is by Kyle Chandler. He says, “Opportunity does not knock, it presents itself when you beat down the door.”

Have a great November and remember if you Believe in it® and back that up with hard work, anything in life is possible!