Having been in the college soccer recruiting game for 27 years, there are a lot of reasons a college soccer coach won’t respond to your emails. It is important to realize that very few coaches respond and tell a prospect they are not good enough or their roster is full. They don’t have time for that and they don’t want to break hearts or lead you on either. There will be a lot of silence in this process, but don’t take this personally.
College soccer is a business and coaches need the players they think will help them win. One advantage of working with me in the college soccer recruiting process is that I communicate directly with coaches on behalf of my clients and can find out if there’s any interest or not. On top of that, I can work on my clients’ behalf to find those coaches and programs that would be a good fit. College coaches trust my experience and knowledge of how a prospect might fit in.
So here are some reasons why a college coach might be “ghosting you”…
They want to keep you on their list so you might attend their camp …
If they don’t say no to you, even if you aren’t good enough or what they are looking for, they will rarely tell you that. Even if they don’t plan to recruit you, they want you to attend their camp. It is a money maker for them and helps pay their staff, both in terms of individual salaries or stipends as well as the number of coaches that they can afford to have on staff. If you are not having real communication with a coach, going to a camp could be a waste of time, energy and money. I spoke with a parent the other night who was completely frustrated with the system for their first child. They went to the same college camp across the country three times in the process as they thought they were actually being recruited by that coach. As it turns out they just wanted the camp income and were never seriously interested. The family found TSA Recruiting and we’re now helping them with their second child, and so far they’ve been very happy with the work we’ve done for them. (the family found me for the process for their 2nd child – and had a much easier time).
High Volume of Recruits …
College coaches often receive a large number of inquiries from potential recruits. Due to the sheer volume of messages they receive, they might not be able to respond to every individual inquiry. A lot of staffs, especially at the Division I level, have an assistant coach that is responsible for looking at all the emails that the head coach gets from prospects and filters them to determine if a prospect might be worth reaching out to. Some teams even have an assistant that responds to EVERY email, in hopes they keep the recruit interested enough to spend the money to attend camp, even if they have no real interest in recruiting them.
Limited Resources …
College coaches have limited time and resources to dedicate to recruiting. They may focus their efforts on prospects who show a strong interest in their program or who meet their specific recruiting needs. For example, if I knew a prospect had genuine interest in my school based on certain factors, they could move up my list fast and would get a response. These factors could be relatives nearby, parents are alumni, the major was a perfect fit for us, etc.
Incomplete Information …
If a recruit’s initial message lacks important information like academic achievements, athletic stats, or relevant background, coaches might find it challenging to assess the recruit’s potential fit for their team.
Mismatched Athlete Profile …
Coaches might not respond if a recruit’s athletic abilities, academic achievements, or character don’t align with what they’re looking for in their program. If you can’t get admitted or are a borderline admit, a coach probably won’t waste their time.
Timing …
If a coach is in the middle of a busy season, they might not have the time to respond promptly. Additionally, college recruiting timelines vary for each program and how each coach operates, so coaches might not respond immediately if they’re not actively recruiting for that period.
Lack of Interest …
Coaches may simply not be interested in recruiting a particular athlete for various reasons, such as the athlete not meeting their program’s needs positionally or not fitting their team’s playing style. Recruits need to be resilient and understand they may not be good enough to play at a particular program.
Communication Methods …
Coaches might prioritize certain communication methods over others. If a recruit reaches out through a less commonly used channel, their message might be missed. Don’t be shy. Email is preferred still, but texting and calling can really be game changers.
Unrealistic Expectations …
Sometimes, recruits might expect an immediate response or more attention than is realistic given their profile. Coaches need to allocate their time wisely to recruit the most promising athletes. Often the first response from a coach is a camp invite, don’t be fooled into thinking this is serious interest though.
Changes in Priorities …
Coaching staffs can change, and with that, recruiting priorities might shift based on the transfer portal, injuries, etc.
System Errors …
Technical glitches, spam filters, or email issues could prevent coaches from receiving or seeing messages from recruits.
If you’re a recruit who hasn’t received a response from coaches, it is a good idea to follow up with a polite and concise message reiterating your interest and providing any necessary information. I always recommend doing this several times at minimum. However, keep in mind that the recruiting process can be competitive and sometimes unpredictable, so managing expectations is important. It might also be helpful to seek advice from mentors and trusted experts in this arena. The response rate can be low, especially when prospects overshoot. I help prospects get more interest by not only reaching out to good fit programs on their behalf, but giving them a realistic expectation of the level they should be targeting and promoting them to good fit colleges.
If you are struggling with the process and aren’t getting much response from coaches, I’d love to help. Whether you are starting senior year and haven’t found a home yet or you are just starting the process.