For the first time in the 2010-11 school year, the NCAA Contact Period for football is now open—meaning college coaches may have in-person contact with you or your parents, either on and off their campuses. Coaches are permitted to visit your high school, as well as watch you play.
The contact period is open until Jan. 29, 2011.
What does this mean for you? For starters, if your team is making a deep run in the state playoffs, what better time for a coach to evaluate your skills? Think about it: you’re on a big stage facing top-tier talent late in the season, and, for some teams, playing in unfavorable weather conditions. Long story short, this is prime recruiting time.
If your football season has come to an end, fear not. As we’ve detailed in the past, college coaches are crazy for multiple-sport athletes. So if you’re kicking off a basketball, wrestling or hockey season, don’t be surprised if you see a coach taking in a game from the stands.
A few important points to keep in mind for the contact period:

• Coaches are allowed six in-person, off-campus contacts with a prospective recruit, with no more than one per week.

• A dead period (meaning no in-person contact is allowed between coaches and student-athletes and/or parents) will be in effect Dec. 20, 2010 through Jan. 3, 2011, unless the student-athlete has been admitted for mid-year enrollment.

• Another dead period goes into effect from Jan. 10 to Jan. 13 (except for mid-year enrollees).

(Note to junior college recruits:  Junior college rules and dates differ from high school recruiting. Refer to the NCAA Division I football recruiting calendar to learn more.)
Now all you have to do is draw the coach to your game, regardless of what sport you’re currently playing. As always, STACK has the info you need to maximize recruiting opportunities. Check out the link below to learn about the most effective ways of contacting a coach so he’ll know when and where you’re competing next.
Best Ways To Contact College Coaches
Photo:  blog.pennlive.com