Technology and the way sports are played have changed a lot over the past few years and so has the college recruiting process. From recruiting camps to social media, aspiring college athletes have several ways to get the attention of recruiters.

Many high school athletes may already be performing at the college level and reaching college-level marks, yet still have no scholarship offers, haven’t visited campuses, or haven’t even talked to a college coach. This raises an important question: How do athletes get the attention of college coaches?

While talent and hard work are important, getting recruited often takes more than just performing well. Athletes also have to find ways to put themselves in front of the right people.

Here are a few of the main ways high school athletes can get noticed by college recruiters.

Recruiting camps

One of the more basic and straightforward methods of recruitment is attending a college recruiting camp. Athletes can often register for these camps online through a college’s athletic website. Camp dates and times vary depending on the school, the sport, and the season.

Recruiting camps give athletes an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of college coaches while also giving coaches a chance to discover hidden talent and evaluate potential recruits.

According to a 2020 Times Union article, then-Sacred Heart University football head coach Mark Nofri estimated that 70% to 80% of the recruits the Pioneers typically signed had been seen by someone on his staff at a camp.

While the statistic is several years old and specific to one football program, it shows how valuable recruiting camps can be for athletes trying to get noticed. Rather than relying only on game footage or statistics, athletes have the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities in person.

Social media

A newer method of gaining recognition from college coaches is through social media. Platforms like Instagram can play a key role in showcasing an athlete’s performances, achievements, and progress. Social media can also give athletes a way to connect directly with college coaches who might not otherwise know about them.

Lindsey Kownick, a hurdler on the University of Tampa track and field team, shared her experience using social media during the recruiting process in an interview with 2aDays. “One way I got noticed was by making an Instagram with my highlights — each race, my times, place, and location,” Kownick said.

Her experience shows how social media can be an effective recruiting tool, especially for athletes who want to reach coaches beyond their local area.

Kownick went on to compete at the NCAA Division II level. Division II is one of the three divisions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which oversees college athletics across the country.

For high school athletes, regularly posting highlights, personal records, competition results, and other achievements can help build an online presence that college coaches can easily access.

Emails

Another way athletes can gain recognition from colleges is by emailing coaches directly.

Most college athletic websites provide team rosters, coaching staff information, and contact details, including email addresses. This gives prospective athletes an opportunity to reach out to coaches at schools they are interested in attending. However, getting a response isn’t always easy.

According to a September 2026 analysis by the recruiting platform NextCommit, approximately 46% of recruiting emails sent through its platform were recorded as opened between April 2025 and September 2026. That figure reflects activity tracked by NextCommit, rather than all college recruiting emails, and an opened email doesn’t necessarily mean a coach will respond.

Still, reaching out directly can be an important part of the recruiting process. Softball player Emily Klingaman shared her experience contacting college coaches in a 2015 article published by FloSoftball, describing how she eventually committed to Auburn University.

“My recruiting process started at the beginning of eighth grade, when I began emailing 60-70 D1 coaches before and after every tournament or showcase that we played,” Klingaman wrote. She also sent coaches her batting statistics and highlight videos after tournaments. Eventually, coaches began showing up to watch her play.

Her experience demonstrates how persistence and communication can help athletes create recruiting opportunities. For athletes looking to take this approach, emails can include an introduction, athletic achievements, academic information, competition results, and links to highlight videos.

Although not every coach will respond, reaching out gives athletes a chance to introduce themselves rather than waiting to be discovered.

What do the numbers say?

While recruiting camps, social media, and emails can all help athletes get noticed, some methods may be more common than others.

According to a June 2026 report published by D1 Scholarship, the recruiting organization analyzed information from 8,446 families across multiple sports to better understand how athletes generate recruiting interest.

The report used information from surveys, client forms, recruiting activity, and other internal data sources. When families were asked how they primarily generated recruiting interest, the results were:

• 39.8% through emails
• 21.6% through showcases or camps
• 14.9% through social media
• 13.3% had not received recruiting interest yet
• 5.9% through recruiting services
• 4.5% through connections between coaches

These numbers suggest that directly emailing college coaches was the most commonly reported way of generating recruiting interest among the families studied, followed by attending camps and showcases.

However, the results don’t necessarily represent every high school athlete or college recruiting program. Recruiting experiences can vary depending on the sport, the college, and the individual athlete.

The report also found that families using multiple recruiting methods reported more interest than those relying on just one approach. That suggests athletes may benefit from combining emails, social media, camps, and other opportunities rather than depending on a single method.

Taking the next step

There are several ways high school athletes can get recruited, and while these methods are different from one another, none of them is necessarily easy. Athletes still need to demonstrate the skills, dedication, and performance necessary to compete at the college level. But having the talent alone may not always be enough if college coaches never get the opportunity to see it.

Whether it’s attending a recruiting camp, posting highlights on social media, or sending emails directly to coaches, athletes can take steps to increase their chances of being noticed. There isn’t an easy way into college athletics, and athletes have to continue pushing themselves if they want a chance to compete at the next level.

For high school athletes hoping to continue their sports careers in college, understanding the recruiting process can be an important first step toward making that goal a reality.