How to email college volleyball coaches, with a template

Send a short, personal email with your graduation year, position, height, a video link and one real reason you want that school. The athlete writes it, not the parent. You can send it at any age; Division I and II coaches can answer personally from June 15 after sophomore year.

The subject line

Coaches sort their inbox by subject. Put the facts they filter on first, and keep it short enough to read on a phone, around 50 to 75 characters:

Grad year, position, height, city and state, then what's inside.

What goes in the email

• Who you are: name, graduation year, position, school, club if you have one.
• Why this school: one specific sentence. Coaches can tell a mass email in a second.
• The numbers: height, standing reach, approach touch, GPA. Only numbers you can back up.
• Video: a link, not an attachment. A short skills video and one full match.
• Where to see you play: the next tournaments or school matches.
• A reference: a coach who will answer the phone.

A template to adapt

Change every bracket. Change the wording too, so it sounds like your athlete.

Who to send it to

The recruiting coordinator or an assistant coach, with the head coach copied. Their addresses are on the staff page of the school's athletics website. Fill in the recruiting questionnaire on the same site while you're there.

When to follow up

• No reply after about two weeks: send a short follow-up with something new, such as updated film or a tournament schedule.
• Every month or two: a brief update. New video, new results, a new test score.
• Before June 15 of sophomore year: silence from Division I and II coaches is the rule, not a rejection. Keep sending updates. See the recruiting timeline.

Common mistakes

• A parent writing it. Coaches want to hear from the player they would be coaching.
• The same email to 100 schools. Twenty real ones do more.
• The wrong coach's or school's name. It happens constantly. Proofread.
• A video that takes a minute to get going. Best touches first. Here is what coaches look for in a recruiting video.
• Emailing schools at the wrong level. Check which division fits before you build the list.

When a coach replies

Answer the same day. On a first call, expect questions about grades, what your athlete wants to study, and who else she is talking to. Have two or three questions ready about the program. Then keep the conversation going: coaches recruit the athletes who stay in touch.