{"id":7521,"date":"2022-06-16T13:55:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-16T17:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=7521"},"modified":"2025-07-08T07:57:43","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T11:57:43","slug":"what-recruiters-are-looking-for-in-athletes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/what-recruiters-are-looking-for-in-athletes\/","title":{"rendered":"What Recruiters Are Looking For in Athletes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/what-recruiters-are-looking-for-in-athletes-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/what-recruiters-are-looking-for-in-athletes-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7523\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:600px;height:300px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/what-recruiters-are-looking-for-in-athletes-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/what-recruiters-are-looking-for-in-athletes-1-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Mental_Game_Skills_do_College_Recruiters_Look_For\"><\/span>What Mental Game Skills do College Recruiters Look For?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/what-recruiters-are-looking-for-in-athletes\/#What_Mental_Game_Skills_do_College_Recruiters_Look_For\" >What Mental Game Skills do College Recruiters Look For?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/what-recruiters-are-looking-for-in-athletes\/#_Not_only_do_recruiters_and_college_coaches_evaluate_the_young_athletes_They_watch_the_parents\" >&nbsp;Not only do recruiters and college coaches evaluate the young athletes. They watch the parents.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/what-recruiters-are-looking-for-in-athletes\/#Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\" >Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/what-recruiters-are-looking-for-in-athletes\/#Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\" >Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Recruiters<\/strong> and coaches look for a number of mental game traits when they\u2019re evaluating athletes, says David Kmiecik, senior <strong>recruiting<\/strong> manager for Next College Student Athlete (NCSA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First of all, they look for athletes\u2019 ability to recover from failure. \u201cYou\u2019re going to fail, miss shots and lose, how do you recover from that?\u201d he said during an interview with our Ultimate Sports Parent podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also seek athletes who are good team mates, those who will be <strong>supportive of their team<\/strong>. And they want athletes who are coachable. That means the athletes listen well, are willing to improve and understand where they fit in with the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt the college level, a lot of students may be at your athlete\u2019s level or better. Student athletes are used to being the best,\u201d said Kniecik. \u201cThey need to figure out how they can find their niche on a team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">College coaches and <strong>recruiters<\/strong> look at how athletes interact with other players, coaches and officials. This is especially important if the young athlete is used to being the best on the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"_Not_only_do_recruiters_and_college_coaches_evaluate_the_young_athletes_They_watch_the_parents\"><\/span>&nbsp;Not only do <strong>recruiters<\/strong> and college coaches evaluate the young athletes. They watch the parents.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cParents\u2019 behavior is a big factor these days,\u201d he said. Students, not parents, should be leading and taking the initiative to contact <strong>recruiters<\/strong> and coaches. And if parents cause trouble in the stands, that works against the athletes. Coaches don\u2019t want to deal with parents who will be headaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOne person stopped <strong>recruiting<\/strong> an athlete because the parents and kid were yelling at each other after the game about the game,\u201d he warned. \u201cCoaches have their antennas up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Recruiters<\/strong> and colleges use a&nbsp; number of tools to evaluate athletes. They look at profiles posted on websites like NCSA. They go to games, camps and tournaments, he said. They talk to coaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe whole process is different than what&nbsp; people think it is; athletes often think that they\u2019ll be discovered. The athletes have to put themselves out there,\u201d said Kniecik.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Young athletes need to post profiles and videos on sports websites and email coaches. The NCSA website helps young athletes with this process by providing contacts and other services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To evaluate a young athlete\u2019s mental game, coaches and <strong>recruiters<\/strong> will often look at athletes\u2019 body language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf you\u2019re taken out of the game do you sulk? Do you listen to coaches in the huddles? All the intangibles are important,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Help your young athletes prepare well for their future in sports!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related-articles-on-hockey-mental-game\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\"><\/span>Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/yes-college-recruiters-evaluate-players-mental-game\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/the-ultimate-sports-parent.libsyn.com\/yes-college-recruiters-evaluate-players-mental-game\"><strong>Yes, College Recruiters Evaluate Players\u2019 Mental Game<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-sports-kids-mental-game-affects-college-recruitment\/\"><strong>How Sports Kids\u2019 Mental Game Affects College Recruitment<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/college-sports-and-eligibility-for-young-athletes\/\"><strong>College Sports and Eligibility for Young Athletes<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a> <\/strong>on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\"><\/span><strong>Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/mental-training-for-young-athletes.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6868\" style=\"width:138px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re certain that, as a parent,&nbsp;you want to help your child develop confidence and discipline in sports and life.&nbsp;And as a sports parent, you\u2019d love for your children to reach their potential in sports.&nbsp;But encouraging your child to <strong>strive for greatness without pressuring them<\/strong> can be a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can get expert mental coaching with us from anywhere. Meet with us via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or phone call. With today\u2019s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Call Us Today to Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Session.<\/strong><br><strong>Find Out How Your Athlete Can Benefit From One-on-One Mental Coaching!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Mental Game Skills do College Recruiters Look For? Recruiters and coaches look for a number of mental game traits when they\u2019re evaluating athletes, says David Kmiecik, senior recruiting manager for Next College Student Athlete (NCSA). First of all, they look for athletes\u2019 ability to recover from failure. \u201cYou\u2019re going &#8230; <a title=\"What Recruiters Are Looking For in Athletes\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/what-recruiters-are-looking-for-in-athletes\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about What Recruiters Are Looking For in Athletes\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7524,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[292,6],"tags":[655,117],"class_list":["post-7521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-parents-success-tips","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-athletic-recruitment","tag-youth-sports-psychology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7521"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7521\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}