Summer D3 Recruiting Blueprint
How to do recruiting “right” from now until August
Suggested Summer Blueprint
This is designed for a prospective D3 sports recruit entering their Junior or Senior Season.
If you are younger than that, you can still learn something - but we recommend you also reference this earlier newsletter. It has a section specifically for those in their first two years of High School.
Now, here’s our suggested blueprint for this Summer👇
What to do between now and August as a D3 Recruit.
June
Finish strong academically. If your school year has not yet ended, crush your finals and improve your GPA as much as possible. There are few things a prospective college recruit has more control over (and that matter more) than your academics. Good grades make you an easier admit to college, unlock more D3 financial aid, and show college coaches that you are disciplined.
Compile a list of potential workout partners in the area. When you are going to workout, text them to give yourself easy accountability and ensure your reps are high quality. This will lead to more rapid skill development and get your game ready for the speed and intensity of the college level.
Seek Meaningful exposure. If you have your list of D3 schools already, look up their elite camps (aka prospect camps) and consider getting on campus for a visit. D3 coaches do not have massive budgets so they love when you make time to get on campus and compete.
We asked one D3 coach for their insight:
He said he only suggests recruits go to a camp when they are “physically ready to compete.” This is typically the case from a recruit’s Junior year on.
When choosing camps, here is his advice:
Go to camps of schools you are interested in
Prioritize camps that teach technique & allow for competition
Have a home run school, dream school and a back up plan school
Explore a regional recruiting camp option. We spoke to a D3 basketball coach this week who suggested recruits go to a specific school’s elite camp first, and then seek out larger camps like an Ivy League school or All-Academic Basketball. The last two are more expensive options, but have a higher concentration of D3 coaches in attendance.
Yale MBB has two sessions in June (New Haven, CT)
Columbia & Brown MBB are mid-June
For more camps, check out our Recruiting Camps List
Find a Summer Job. To practice time management for college (and make some money!) we suggest finding a part-time job in your town. Having multiple commitments is the default for D3 athletes so you’ll come in prepared if you get one this Summer.
July
Get Stronger. When you are not at camps, mix in some workouts in the gym. Text your list of workout partners that you compiled in June and get stronger together. For time efficient workouts, commit to putting your phone away while you are at the gym - this applies for practice sessions too. Most recruits waste time during their sessions because they’re constantly checking in between reps. Elevate your game by putting your phone down.
Find some time to rest. You should NOT be training or working the entire Summer. Everyone needs time to recharge their batteries and give their body a break. Try to take at least a consecutive week off from your sport 1x during the Summer and do something fun with friends or family! This is a great way to help your body recover and prevent burnout in the long run.
Attend a Camp or Visit a College. Ideally you could do both in the same day if you attend a school’s elite camp. There is no substitute for meeting a coaching staff and seeing a campus firsthand. Before you go, make sure to the let the entire coaching staff know that you’ll be on campus so they can prepare for your visit and potentially help set up an overnight visit.
August
Begin to narrow your college list. Half of recruiting is figuring out what you don’t like. Reflect on the Summer and begin to remove schools from your list that you are no longer as fired up about. It is ok to add some that you learned about during the Summer, but try to keep the list around 10-12 schools, 15 max.
Cross train. As you gear up for the start of school and the return of high school sports, find time to cross train. We suggest swimming as it is very low impact cardio and is a great break for athletes who are constantly on their feet.
Thanks for Reading!
We hope you’re able to find the “right” camps for you this Summer!
As always, feel free to share our site with a prospective student-athlete, parent, or coach that wants to learn more about athletics and academics at the NCAA Division 3 level.
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