|
|
|
|
Written by: Adam Zukowski & Connor Bizal It is that time of year where players should start to reach out to junior and college coaches for future seasons! Coaches do NOT want to receive a novel, so we created this email template that players can send to them. We released a video about the template on our Instagram and Twitter, and here is our full breakdown: Like we said, coaches only want to be sent relevant information and do not want to spend too much time having to read your email -- they receive too many of them to do that. So, try not to go longer than the template we provided. Obviously, you need to personalize and customize the template so it is tailored to you, but, again, keep it short and simple. Another quick tip: CC the assistant coach(es) or general manager in the email as well, sometimes teams delegate these responsibilities to certain positions. Sending these messages may seem unnecessary if you have an advisor, but it helps more than you think. The job of the advisor is to advance their player to the next desired level, which usually results in advisors having to do this for many players/clients. When a coach is approached by an advisor regarding a certain player, it is never 100% clear whether the advisor genuinely thinks the player would be a good fit for the coach's team, or if they are simply trying to do what they say they do (promote and advance) and collect a check. When a message comes directly from a player, the coach knows with certainty that the player is interested and genuinely wants to play for their team. Be an advocate for yourself -- it shows confidence and drive! If you do get a response back from a coach/team, BE DILIGENT ABOUT RESPONDING. A very quick way to get your name crossed off of a list and burn bridges is by being a poor communicator (i.e. not replying in a timely manner or at all). If you want to play for a team, then show them by respecting the conversation and giving them timely responses. If you look at the template, you will see that we said to include your academics in the message. We cannot stress enough how important this is! For example, if you want to play at an Ivy League school, they need to know if you can even get into the school in the first place. Coaches do not want to put effort into the recruiting process just to find out at the end that you cannot get into the school. No matter what academic level you are at, include this important information. Do not be afraid to send this template to a school or a team that others may deem as "unrealistic". When we were in high school, we sent emails to colleges we viewed as shots in the dark, and it opened up doors we never expected to even be cracked open. You never know what roles/positions teams are trying to fill, so you never know if you are exactly what a team is looking for! On any good high school or junior team, it is not only the top players that advance to the next level -- there is opportunity for anyone. The worst thing that can happen in this scenario is the team just, simply, does not reply back. In this case, do not take it personally. Like we said in the last section, you never know what a team is looking for and there are many factors behind closed doors that go into these types of decisions. Stay persistent and use it as motivation to force these teams to bring you in. Sending these emails is a good way to get your foot in the door with a team and get eyes on you throughout your season. However, these emails alone will not earn you a spot on the team, your play will. Back up these emails with your performance on the ice, and watch everything come together. Please feel free to copy this exact template and use it! Go take the initiative and be an advocate for yourself...you will thank yourself later. -Biz & Zuk
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |