2022 Webinar Series on High-Academic Recruiting (feat. Diamond College Advisory Team)

February 16, 2022

Throughout the spring, Headfirst and our partners and friends over at Diamond College Advisory Team (DCAT) are once again hosting a series of webinars on the high-academic recruiting process. As we record and post each part, we’ll update this blog post with the video.

Take a look through to watch Parts 1 through 3 and register to attend Part 4 live in April!

Part 1: Approaching the High-Academic Recruiting Process

In Part 1, we give an overview of what “high-academic recruiting” means, and why it’s different. We also discuss:

How to identify your target schools and build a college list
What’s unique about the high-academic recruiting process
What makes for effective coach communication at this time of year for different high school grad years

Below are the topics and their timestamps in the video – feel free to watch straight through, or skip to the part of your choice!

Overview, Agenda & Introductions: 0:00

Identifying Target Schools & Building a School List – School Qualities: 6:52

Building a School List – Baseball Assessment: 12:47

What’s Unique about the High-Academic Recruiting Process: 25:12

The Unique Timing & Timeline of High-Academic Recruiting: 28:35

Intro to Effective Coach Communication: 38:22

Live Q&A: 55:17

Part 2: Getting the Right Exposure in 2022

Part 2 outlines how student-athletes can get the right targeted, efficient exposure in the high-academic recruiting process. Topics include:

Different types of exposure (showcases, video, digital, tournaments) and their role in recruiting
Building a showcase/recruiting plan of attack
How to use video effectively at different stages of your recruiting process
How to specifically target high-academic programs to get the right exposure to YOUR targeted list of baseball programs

Below are the topics and their timestamps in the video.

Overview, Agenda & Introductions: 0:00

Different Types of Exposure: 4:14

Digital Exposure: 5:14

The Role of Travel Ball & Tournaments: 8:32

Individual Showcases: 20:39

School-Specific Prospect Camps: 25:43

Building a Targeted Exposure Plan: 27:37

Using Video Effectively: 40:20

Personalizing Video: 55:18

Targeted High-Academic Exposure: 56:27

Live Q&A: 1:05:05

Part 3: The “Dos & Don’ts” of Recruiting

How to avoid some common mistakes and pitfalls in the recruiting process, including the “dos & don’ts” of:

Communicating with college coaches
Getting the right recruiting exposure
Approaching and preparing for showcases and/or tournaments

Overview, Agenda & Introductions: 0:00

Coach Communication: 3:14

Getting the Right Recruiting Exposure: 24:27

Performance at Showcases & Tournaments: 34:10

Resources on Peak Performance: 35:45

Face-to-Face with Coaches at a Showcase: 36:43

General Recruiting Dos & Don’ts: 45:47

Building a School List & Finding School Fit: 46:07

Patience, Timing & Proactivity: 47:50

Live Q&A: 1:03:03

Part 4: College Visits, Campus Tours & Admissions Interviews

How to use college visits, campus tours and admissions interviews in the recruiting process, and how to approach them:

Official vs. unofficial visits – what’s the difference and what do they mean?
How to prepare for a college recruiting visit
Tips for success while you’re on a college recruiting visit
How to use campus tours (both live and virtual) to find the right school fit
How to prepare for and put your best foot forward at an admissions interview