by Lindsey Vanden Berg, Associate Head Coach - UW Milwaukee

With June 15th approaching, and communication opening up for the 2022 class, I thought it might be helpful for potential student-athletes to get a list of potential questions to ask college coaches. This generation of young people is much more accustomed to texting, not calling. The anticipation of a phone call with a potential future college coach can be a bit overwhelming. The best thing to do is to be prepared.

It can be tough to come up with questions on the spot, since for most, the recruiting process is new and different than anything ever experienced before. You may not know what to ask a coach, so here you go. Here is a list of questions to get you started. They aren’t in any particular order, and make sure you don’t just go down the list and ask them all on one phone call. Pick out a few that pertain to you and your process and save some for the next call (you want there to be a next call, right?).

1. Are you recruiting my position?
2. Do you have a timeline for recruiting my position?
3. What are you looking for in a player for my position?
4. Where do I fit on your list of recruits?
5. What are my opportunities for playing time?
6. What are your expectations of your players in the summer?
7. What are the housing requirements for student-athletes?
      a. Do players live together?
8. Can you describe your practice environment?
9. What type of coach are you in matches and in practice?
10. What is the culture like on and off the court?
11. What is a typical day like for a student-athlete? Practice day? Game day?
12. How do the players balance classes, studying, travel, practice, social life, etc.?
13. What is the travel like for your conference?
14. What student-athlete support services does your university offer?
15. What is your spring season like? Practice and competitions?
16. What is the game day atmosphere like?

My hope is that this will help you navigate the recruiting process and make an informed decision. Don’t stress about it, but do your homework and be your own advocate. If you have no questions, it may seem that you aren’t interested in learning about that program.
With more research on the school and program, and communication with the staff, you will feel more confident when it is time to make your decision.

Best of luck!