Are D3 Recruiting Camps Worth It?
How to decide if you should attend a camp or not
Today, we’re answering one of the most common questions we get from recruits: How do I know if it will be worth it for me to attend a particular Recruiting Camp.
Do you have a positive or negative camp experience? If so, we’d love to hear more about it via email or in the comments below.
Not a subscriber yet? Sign up for free today!
Are D3 Recruiting Camps Worth It?
If you want to play a college sport, chances are you’re familiar with recruiting camps.
They go by many names, including:
“Elite Prospect Camp”
“Recruiting Showcase”
“Exposure Event”
“ID Camp”
And they are often where recruits go to get “exposure” or direct scouting by college coaches that can translate to college offers. But, here’s the truth:
Not all college sports recruiting camps are created equal.
We did our best to create a list of trustworthy college sports recruiting camps when we compiled over 360+ in this year’s Recruiting Camps List, but even then some recruits and their families still have doubts.
And the main question parents and recruits always ask is: Are D3 recruiting camps worth the money?
Here’s what recruits need to know:
Yes, if…
A college sports recruiting camp is worth it if the camp is run by a school you’re genuinely interested in, and you want the coaching staff from that school to see your play. If this is the case, then the camp is basically a live audition against all of the other student-athletes they’re recruiting. But to increase your odds of coming out of the camp with an offer, you should make sure you’re in contact with the coaching staff ahead of the camp.
If you are not already in contact with the coach, then you should look for a few indicators to determine if a college recruiting camp is worth it for you. One example is stats on the number of recruits that attend an Elite Camp and then actually end up going to the school.
You can think of this as a camp’s “recruit conversion rate” and it can often be found on a team’s website or something you can ask a D3 head coach directly.
Here’s a real example from the SUNY Cortland Elite Camp run by Head Coach Mo Kearney. This would give us a lot of confidence that attending the camp is a great idea if you’re looking to get offered by Coach Kearney and his staff.
Maybe, if…
If your focus is skill development then you should make sure that the level of play is going to push you to be better.
If it is an “exposure” camp with multiple D3 schools in attendance then we always suggest that recruits check the staff list.
This is the best way to determine how good of a value it will be. In some ways you are betting on yourself and if you can play your way into an offer from a school who might not have you on its radar now - but could down the road.
But, a word of caution: Large exposure events should not be the majority of your camps.
Why? Most of these larger recruiting exposure events will not actually prioritize your development. A lot of them, for good reason, are focused on getting you in game like situations so the coaches watching can evaluate you. But, you still need events that will help you get better as a player and teach you new things.
And remember, for any event make sure to reach out to college coaches ahead of time to “recruit yourself”. Rolling the dice without talking to coaches ahead of time is a strategy that only works for a small portion of recruits. Because their time is limited, most college coaches go into a recruiting event with a short list of players they’re already interested in and are there to watch.
No, if…
Well there are a lot of reasons to skip a camp. Here are a few:
You don’t want to attend the school
The coaching staff already told you they are not recruiting you
It is going to be out of your family’s budget and has unclear value
Remember, paying $300+ to “get exposure” doesn’t help if the coaches you want to watch you aren’t watching.
Pro tip: Before signing up, email the coach. Then, ask directly if attending camp would help your recruit in the process. Their answer will tell you everything.
Bottom Line
D3 recruiting camps can be a smart move — but only if they connect your athlete to the right coaches at the right schools.
Remember to check out our Annual Recruiting Camps List if you’re looking for reliable camps to attend this year!
Thanks for Reading!
We hope you enjoyed today’s newsletter! As always, feel free to share it with a prospective student-athlete, parent, or coach that may find this information helpful.