College Coaches and Scouting
Hello there! My name is Ryan Wiley and I'm the Athletic Liaison here at Cornell College. I'm a 2019 Cornell College alumnus, United States Coast Guard Veteran, and admissions counselor for athletics. If you have a student-athlete looking at Cornell College, I am happy to work with you. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out! In the meantime, I thought I'd answer a few frequently asked questions.
What does athletic recruitment look like? What should students expect?
Typically, a coach will be the first to reach out to the recruit if they are interested in recruiting them. They find these students either through a tournament or a national database. If the potential recruit lives in an area that the coach doesn't frequent, the recruit should reach out to the coach. Recruits can reach out via email, however the best way is to fill out our recruitment form here. This ensures they will get into the coaches' database and the coach may reach out to them. High School coaches can also reach out via email. From there, a recruit will hopefully hear back from a coach soon, which usually starts with a text message, then a phone call.
The next step is an on-campus visit with the recruit and their family. Getting accepted at Cornell is a must to play and then a commitment is usually asked before the end of the calendar year of their senior year (ex. December '23 for incoming Fall '24.) Our coaches like to fill out their rosters as early as they can so that they know what to start planning for the following year.
What do coaches expect when they travel?
Generally speaking, most coaches travel to observe. They don't expect anything from the recruit other than trying their best. Many coaches go to tournaments where they observe and get the contact information of recruits they are interested in. So if they are able to compete in a tournament, either with their high school or club team, make sure they are playing to their strengths and showing their best. This also includes being a good teammate or filling their role, no matter how small it is.
How can a student request a coach to travel?
Our coaches generally don't travel on request as they are busy preparing for their seasons and they have their own travel to fulfill. If they do want to have one of our coaches come and see them in person, make sure they are in contact with them first. Fill out the recruitment form and then a coach will be in contact with them and work with the recruit on possibly seeing them play in person.
How do coaches pick where to travel?
Each coach has somewhere they want to visit, usually a tournament or state championship. Depending on the year or who they need for their team, they may go to different areas/tournaments to find them. Coaches also use national databases to recruit and may have the opportunity to visit based on where they are going.
Is anything needed from a high school counselor?
Yes! During the application process, your student may be reaching out to you for things like unofficial transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc. These are of high priority to them as they need to be accepted for admission in order to play here at Cornell College. Some students may need additional help due to a concern over their GPA. At the end of their senior year, working with your students to make sure they are sending their official transcripts, dual enrollment transcripts, and any other necessary documents to their future school is very important also. As their high school counselor, you play an important role in helping these recruits fulfill their dreams of continuing their sport after high school and your work is greatly appreciated.
Do students have to visit our campus to get recruited?
They do not need to visit campus to be recruited, however, it is highly recommended. We have recruit days for our student-athletes and sometimes offer financial help to get to campus if needed. Touring campus, and meeting with their admissions counselor and coaches in person is a great way to see if the student feels at home. For student-athletes in Division III, they are students first, athletes second. Finding the right academic fit is just as important as the sport, if not more important.