The Value of an Athlete Profile: How to Get College Coaches’ Attention

The value of an athlete profile 

Even the biggest college sports programs don’t have the budget or resources to send in-person scouts to see every single possible recruit. Online athlete profiles give coaches a way to start the evaluation process without leaving their desks, and give them all the background they need about a potential recruit. 

For a student-athlete, it’s a no-brainer: Building an NCSA profile gets your information to a network of 30,000 college coaches from around the country. Once you’re in the database, all the details that matter about your recruitment are available to the programs interested in players like you. Coaches use targeted searches to find and contact the types of student-athletes they’re looking for, so you may find yourself on the radar of a great fit that you hadn’t even considered. 

If you’re applying for a job in a competitive field, you start with a strong resume. For the hundreds of thousands of student-athletes vying for scholarships and spots on college rosters, an athlete profile is the recruitment resume. It gives you a platform to showcase what makes you special as a student-athlete on and off the field, so coaches see what you can bring to their program. 

Examples of what to include in your student-athlete profile

Beyond all your basic biological information – your name, your position, your school, your grad year – the first thing a coach is looking for in an athlete profile is video. Seeing is believing, and a high-quality video showing you at your best will go further than anything else in your profile toward getting you recruited. 

But coaches may be searching for specifics, so it’s important to complete every field and include all your relevant information. That means including your measurements, stats, grades, test scores, desired major, and contact information. Sometimes coaches seek recruits with high GPAs or test scores due to admissions or financial-aid considerations, other times they look for athletes with specific attributes they believe can help their programs. 

How to make your athlete profile stand out

Building an athlete profile is an important first step toward getting recruited, but the best way to get your profile noticed by coaches is to keep it active. 

That means updating your My Progress tab regularly with your latest accolades and goals, showing schools your dedication and keeping yourself focused on your recruitment. 

It also means making sure your highlights video is fresh and accurate – if you’re making big strides in your sport or you’ve grown a bit since your last video, it’s a good time for an update. Having recent, high-quality footage on your profile shows your commitment and gives coaches the clearest picture of what you have to offer. 

A strong, clear personal statement can show coaches your character. Don’t focus too much on what you can do on the field – video highlights will take care of that. Share the things about you that make you a great teammate and person, someone a coach should want on their team. Explain what you’re hoping for in your college sports experience, and how focused you are on achieving it. 

• Frequent updates, especially video - if you’re making great strides, growing quickly, good to update, generally 2-3 videos a year

• Verified combine measurements

• More about you, your intended major, and a compelling personal statement that shows your commitment to your sport 

There’s no faster way to put yourself on a coach’s radar than building an online athlete profile with NCSA. Your free profile will reach a network of over 30,000 college coaches, and if you’re proactive, you can make your profile stand out. Create a free profile now and start getting recruited today! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an online athlete profile to get recruited for college sports?

Pretty much. Maybe if you’re an elite football prospect bound for a Power 5 school, coaches will find ways to contact you without them, but even then it’s a useful tool for curating all your stats, measurements and accolades and giving coaches a one-stop shop for your information. And for most college sports recruits, contact with coaches starts online. 

What does it cost to create an NCSA profile?

Absolutely nothing. Though NCSA does offer tiered payment plans for student-athletes seeking more comprehensive recruiting services, creating an NCSA profile is free. 

How can I get recruited online if I don’t have video?

It’s going to be next to impossible. Stats and measurements in a profile only go so far, even if they’re verified by a combine. Seeing is believing, and coaches don’t have time to follow leads on prospects who are only numbers on a profile to them. Ask your coaches and teammates for game footage or get your hands on a camera. And if you need help editing, NCSA has you covered.