Writing that dreaded first email to college coaches

You know you need to do it. But still, you sit there at your computer watching the cursor blink. Does the coach want to hear from me? Am I imposing on his time? What should I say? Will he respond? What happens if I don't get a response?

When I was a college coach, I loved getting emails from recruits.

It meant that they were interested in playing for my team. It meant that were willing to take a risk, willing to put themselves out on the line to make my team. I knew what they were going through - how difficult it is to know what to say, how demoralizing it is when you don't get a response. But here's what's working in your favor: all college coaches know this.

College coaches realize that you have to "put yourself out there" to contact them. You have to take a risk. Let's face it, coaches can be intimidating, it's hard to know what to say, and it takes some guts to ask them to recruit you. The cool thing is, that's exactly what coaches are looking for: go-getters. Coaches want players who get out on the field and do what it takes to get a result.

How you recruit is therefore a great analogy for how you'll perform in college. Athletes who do what it takes to get a result in recruiting are often the athletes who will succeed on a college team.