If sports have been an important part of your life growing up (whether you only play for fun or you were once referred to as the next Lebron James on the basketball course), you might find yourself on the receiving end of sports scholarship offers as you prepare for college. College is just around the corner and whether you’ll just be starting as a freshman, you’ve been recruited during your second or third year, or you’re thinking of transferring schools, choosing the best fit for yourself in regard to your future sports team is just as important as making your college decision. Deciding if you’ve found your dream school and your dream team within the same place can be stressful. Even more stressful? Figuring out how you can decide this in the first place. 

Sometimes when you’re talking to multiple coaches a day about different scholarships and opportunities, it can be hard to stay focused on what you want and need from your future school and team. When you’re talking to different coaches about different scholarship opportunities, it can also be hard sometimes to remember to ask all the questions you need to. So if you find yourself in need of help discerning if a prospective college team is the right fit for you, we’ve got you covered! Keep reading for our top questions to ask a college coach before committing to the team and your future home away from home! 

Narrowing Down Your Options

So first thing’s first; before you get into the nitty gritty questions to ask a college coach before you commit to a school, you first need to do some of your own research on the schools you might be getting offers from. Sports scholarships are great, but only if it’s from a school that has your prospective major available or a school that holds similar values to your own. There’s no sense in considering an offer from an amazing team (no matter how tempting or good that offer may be) if the offer comes from a school that doesn’t even offer your major. So before you start really discussing things with coaches, do a little of your own research to first determine if you like the school. Because, after all, if you don’t like the school then what’s the point of even considering an offer from a coach in the first place? But if you find yourself liking the schools the offers are coming from, then set these schools aside so you know which offers to focus on and which ones to maybe push to the end of the list. 

Once you have a good idea of the schools you’re interested in, it’s time to focus on deciding which team is the right fit for you. There are plenty of questions to ask coaches during the recruiting process, so figuring out which ones you should ask first can be challenging. There are so many questions you can ask, but sticking to a baseline of the ones you think are most important can help narrow them down. You don’t have to ask all the questions in this article, but picking the ones you find most relevant to you and your interests can help you when making a college sports team recruitment decision. Questions for college coaches that you should ask before you commit can ultimately be broken down into four main categories: questions about the team and coaches, questions about what campus life looks like, questions regarding your prospective scholarship and/or benefits of your offer, and questions about what is expected of you in return. 

Questions To Ask About The Team 

Picking the right team that you know you’ll work well with is most of the challenge when considering possible college and sports offers for scholarships, etc. If you don’t get along with team members or you don’t think a specific team will be a good match, then considering a particular offer might be pointless. But how do you know if you’ll be a good fit for the team, and ultimately that they’ll be a good fit for you? Your team is what will ultimately motivate you to be your best self, so choosing the right one is essential to success! 

Here are a few questions to consider asking a college coach when you’re discussing recruitment: 

• What is the typical attitude of the team on and off the field?
• What does a typical practice environment look like?
• What is your coaching style?
• How do you handle negativity on the team?
• How would you describe the team’s attitude as a whole?
• What are the biggest weaknesses and strengths of the team as a whole?
• Do the coaches value studies and grades above all else? 
• Do freshmen typically get playing time?

Questions To Ask About Campus Life

Similar to asking questions about what life on the team will be like, asking questions regarding campus life as a whole can play an important role in your decision to accept or deny a sports scholarship offer or not. No matter how much independent research you might do on your own, nothing will be as accurate as hearing from someone first-hand what life is like on campus (aside from experiencing it yourself, of course). Besides, one of the most fun things about college is the college experience (showing your personal style with your dorm decor, going for late night snacks with friends, and having independence are just a few things you’ll experience!) 

Here are a few questions to keep in mind when asking a college coach about campus life: 

• What does a typical day look like on campus in regard to practice and games?
• Are there services to help with schooling to stay on top of grades?
• What does a typical rooming situation look like?
• What does the off-season schedule look like? 
• What happens if my grades slip?
• What is the required team GPA that I’ll need to keep to play?
• If my grades slip, how will that be handled in regard to playing time?
• How do the current athletes find the balance between sports and education?

Questions To Ask About Your Recruitment (Scholarship/Benefits)

Perhaps equally important as knowing what you’re signing up for in terms of the team you’ll be joining and what your life on campus might look like, understanding what exactly is being offered to you in regard to your recruitment and scholarship can be a huge deciding factor when you make your decision. Knowing what to ask and how to ask tough questions about what makes this offer so special can be tricky. In some cases if you’re talking to a college coach on the phone, asking these questions might be easier. But if you’re discussing your recruitment in person it can be a little intimidating.

Here are a few questions to ask about your recruitment details to help get you on the right track: 

• How much is the scholarship for?
• What is the typical cost after the scholarship is applied?
• For how many years does the offer apply?
• What happens if I am injured during my time on the team?
• Does the scholarship also apply to sports related medical injuries and appointments?
• Do scholarship amounts increase each year?
• What equipment costs are included in the scholarship?
• Will this scholarship prevent me from applying for any other financial aid?

Questions To Ask About What Is Expected Of You

Just like how it is important to know what the team and coaches are willing/going to do for you, it is important to know what will be expected of you to do for them. Knowing what is expected of you if or when you accept an offer is important to establish up front and at the beginning of your recruitment negotiations. Going in with a clear understanding of what is and is not expected of you will give you a clearer idea of how your next few years at school will be like and what you will need to do to obtain and keep your scholarship. 

Here are some questions you can ask to get an idea of what the coaches will expect of you in return for your scholarship: 

• How high of a GPA will I need to have to stay on the team and keep playing time?
• What happens if my GPA falls below the level that is required to play?
• Am I required to play a certain amount of years to keep my scholarship?
• What is the policy for missing practice or games?
• Am I expected to be at every away game even if I am not actively playing?
• What is the policy for extracurricular activities?
• What is the policy for joining recreational sports?
• For athletes over 21, are there any rules on drinking during the off season? 

Some Other Questions You Might Want To Consider Asking 

While most of the questions you should ask a college coach before committing to a school and team can be divided into the four categories above, there are a few questions that don’t quite fit a category but are important to ask nonetheless. These questions can range anywhere from questions explicitly about the team, to generic questions about the college you’re being recruited for. There are no dumb questions when it comes to asking about your future colleic and athletic career.

So here are a few extra questions you might consider asking a potential college coach recruiter: 

• Did you attend this college? How did you like it?
• In your opinion, what is the best thing about this school and team?
• Are the professors here understanding when it comes to missing class for games?
• What is the school’s typical athlete/student dropout ratio? Is it high?
• Where am I on the list of recruits? Is my position being highly recruited?
• What is your overall experience with this school?
• Can I schedule a tour?
• Can I talk to a current athlete on the team to hear their personal experience?

When All Else Fails, Just Go With Your Gut Instincts

In regard to both figuring out which questions you should ask a potential coach before you commit to a school and team for college as well as deciding if said potential school and team are right for you, just remember to trust your own judgment and to go with your gut instincts. Deciding on a college is stressful enough, and adding in the decision of whether or not the sports team you’re being recruited to is a good fit can make the situation all that much more stressful and daunting. But at the end of the day, it is your choice and your choice alone. Deciding if the team recruiting you is the right fit for you or not isn’t something you’ll base on how cool you think their campus sweatshirts look, but rather it’ll be based on how comfortable you feel with that team and at that school. Sometimes this might mean making a trip to tour the campus, or it might mean meeting with students who are athletes on the team you’re being recruited for. But if you don’t have access to these resources, sometimes asking the college coach questions before you commit to an offer is all you have to go on. So if you need help narrowing down the questions to ask to help make your decision, use this blog as a guide to help you with your future recruitment! 

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