How has Covid Impacted the Recruiting Process?



COVID-19 has impacted virtually every aspect of life. The effect is especially pronounced in the sports community, though, where teams have moved to playing in empty stadiums and wondering what the future looks like. 

If you're a student athlete or coach, you understand this more acutely than most people. 

COVID-19 has left coaches and athletes wondering what the future of college athletic recruiting looks like. While there’s plenty of change left to come, here’s a breakdown of how COVID-19 has impacted sports recruiting so far: 

The Current State of College Recruiting

Here’s how college recruiting has looked so far during COVID-19:

  • NCAA Division 1: In-person recruiting is on hold until April 15.
  • NCAA Division 2: On September 1, the standard recruiting calendar resumed for Division 2. 
  • NCAA Division 3 and NAIA: Individual programs are adapting to Coronavirus restrictions in their various states. Check with your local programs for more details. 

 

As you can see, the NCAA and various club sports organizations and high school sports have made announcements that impact both current college recruits and athletes and future athletes. 

In the wake of these changes and the ongoing uncertainty, it’s especially critical for student-athletes to take charge of their online presence and get proactive about recruiting. Starting conversations with coaches and staying up-to-date on industry information is essential. 

A Move Toward Online Recruiting

In the wake of COVID-19, the recruiting industry has shifted toward online recruiting. If you were already using a college recruiting app like Level Up Sports, this is excellent news for you. 

During this dead period, in-person recruiting is suspended, and coaches cannot meet face-to-face with a recruit off-campus. Additionally, the NCAA has encouraged colleges to stop all unofficial and official visits, although they can still contact students via email, phone, text, and social media.

Impacts on Scholarships

In these strange times, college coaches are more likely to extend different types of help to recruits, including scholarship offers. These offers may help coaches retain roster flexibility. Gray shirt and red shirt scholarship offers are most common. 

3 Tips to Navigate Recruiting During COVID-19

For student-athletes in the process of recruitment, missing out on a sports season is stressful and disappointing. Don’t worry, though: while high school sports are essential to the recruiting process, there are other creative, proactive ways to keep the ball rolling on your recruiting journey.

Remember this: you can continue nurturing relationships with coaches, even right now. In fact, coaches are paying more attention to how student-athletes adapt to COVID-19 obstacles and are more likely to recruit athletes who adapt well. 

With that in mind, here are three tips for managing the recruiting process during these strange times:

1. Build out your online presence

Coaches and Universities have moved toward online recruiting, which is great news for motivated students. While online recruiting may be unfamiliar to some students, building a profile on an online recruiting app, like Level Up Sports (LUS) serves a few important purposes:

  • It allows players to highlight their key metrics, academic achievements, and video clips.
  • Online recruitment platforms let players connect directly with other players, as well as coaches and professionals.
  • LUS and other online recruiting apps enhance visibility for student-athletes

Remember: coaches and Universities have suspended all in-person until at least April 15. Make the most of this period and build your online recruiting profile now.

2. Shoot and share skills videos 

The recruiting landscape has changed, and coaches have different expectations for highlight videos today than they used to. 

Today, coaches are happy to review skills videos shot on a personal phone in an athlete’s yard. If you’re going to shoot a skills video, make sure to incorporate these elements:

  • The technical aspects of your sport, including jumping, running, and direction changes
  • Footage of practices, old games, and significant events like tournaments  
  • Small group training and individual drills
  • Evidence of repetition and consistency 

3. Maintain a line of communication

It can be challenging to figure out how to maintain recruiting momentum during the suspension of in-person recruiting. 

Fortunately, our best tip is also a simple one: keep in touch. Now that most recruiting efforts are digital, it’s essential to maintain a consistent, open communication line with coaches. 

We recommend athletes keep in touch by sending regular emails, updates, videos, and highlight reels. 

LUS is Here to Help

Navigating recruiting during this strange time can feel challenging. Fortunately, our team is here to help. Use LUS to take control of your recruiting journey and get the exposure you need, COVID, or no COVID. 

Ready to learn more? Join for free now.