Taking Recruiting to the Next Level

The recruiting process can be tricky to navigate for many students and families. There are a small number of recruits who are so accomplished in rowing, with standout erg scores and racing credentials, that most of the programs they contact will be eager to make an offer—assuming they can gain admission to the university. For the majority of student-athletes, however, the process is far more nuanced.

Consider a typical high-school junior beginning the search for the best university fit. It’s common for an athlete to communicate initially with 15 to 20 different coaching staffs. Some of those conversations go very well; others may not gain much traction. Over time, that broad list is narrowed usually to five schools about which the athlete is genuinely excited—and, just as important, where there may be mutual interest.

At that point, a critical question arises: How do you know whether you can take the recruiting process to the next level?

Here’s a real-life example from my work. We’ll call the athlete Mary. Mary receives an official visit invitation from one school. She visits campus, enjoys the experience, and the coaches express strong interest in having her as part of their 2027 recruiting class. They provide an aggressive timeline and begin discussing a potential commitment with Mary and her parents.

The challenge: While Mary likes the school, it’s her third or fourth choice. She’s in frequent communication with her fifth-choice program and has had meaningful conversations with her top two schools, but those relationships do not seem as far along. How does Mary move the process forward with the programs she prefers?

Here’s an important insider tip: Coaches don’t always know where they stand on your list. They’re communicating with many more recruits than they’ll bring into their program. As a result, clear and direct communication from the athlete can be extremely helpful—and often very effective.

In Mary’s situation, a strong next step would be to schedule a phone call or, ideally, a video call with the coaches at her top two schools. During that conversation, she can be transparent, letting them know they are currently her top choices and that she has received a strong offer from another program lower on her list.

Then she can ask two important questions:

1. Can I schedule an official visit?

2. What do you coaches need to see from me to consider me seriously for the next recruiting class?

Being direct in your communication is almost always a smart approach. You may not always receive the answer you were hoping for but you will gain clarity. That clarity allows you to make informed decisions and move forward with programs that are as excited about you as you are about them.

Robbie Tenenbaum coached at the NCAA level for over 30 years and with the U.S. Junior National Team for eight. He now helps rowers and families navigate the university recruiting process.

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