During the college recruiting process, you dedicate a significant amount of time to competing and building a strong highlight video. That makes complete sense, as those elements initially catch the eye of US college coaches. However, in practice, we notice that many athletes underestimate one crucial element: social media. Virtually every coach, once genuinely interested, wants to know the person behind the athlete. Consequently, most coaches will sooner or later check your Instagram, TikTok, or X (formerly Twitter) accounts. This does not mean you need to become an influencer or post every week. However, it is wise to consider what impression a coach gets when they open your profile.
Social media won’t win you a scholarship, but it can cost you one
We notice that almost every US coach eventually reviews an athlete’s social media accounts. They evaluate the overall online impression: Will this athlete fit into our team culture? Do they project maturity? Are there any posts that raise concerns?
If a coach repeatedly sees posts depicting nightlife, alcohol consumption, online arguments, or negative comments about coaches, teammates, or officials, it will directly impact how they evaluate you.
A college coach invests substantial time, effort, and financial resources into an international student-athlete. If what they see online causes them to question your attitude or behavior, that alone can be reason enough to halt the recruiting process—often even before personal contact has taken place.
Pay attention to tagged content: Even if you post carefully, friends might tag you in photos or videos that are less appropriate. Regularly check your tagged photos on Instagram and adjust your privacy settings so you must manually approve tagged posts before they appear on your profile.
Make sure a coach doesn’t have to search
When a coach lands on your Instagram or TikTok profile, you want to make their evaluation as effortless as possible. College coaches do not have time to search across multiple websites for your highlight video, athletic stats, or academic details.
Therefore, make sure to place a single link in your social media bio that leads to a page containing all your essential information organized in one place.
A complete recruiting profile includes details such as:
- Your athletic background;
- Your academic stats (such as GPA, test scores, and graduation year);
- Your highlight video;
- Your contact information.
This allows a coach to get a comprehensive overview of you as a student-athlete in just a few minutes, without having to hunt for scattered information. (View examples of our player profiles).
Use social media to demonstrate your interest
Social media is not just a platform where coaches evaluate you; it is also a fantastic tool to stand out and maintain low-threshold communication with university programs that appeal to you.
If you are interested in a specific program, follow their official team accounts and coaching staff.
- Engage with team posts: Show involvement by occasionally leaving positive comments on team achievements.
- Send a short, personal DM: Have a few target universities in mind where you would love to study and compete? As soon as athletic association rules (NCAA/NAIA) permit direct coach responses, you can send a brief, polite message via Instagram or X. Introduce yourself briefly, explain your interest, and include a direct link to your player profile.
- Inform your recruiting team: If a coach likes your post, sends a message, or starts following you, inform the team at Made Scholarships right away so we can guide your next steps strategically.
Wondering what impression your profile leaves on US coaches?
During an initial consultation, we are happy to review your profile with you and provide honest feedback on how to present yourself as strongly as possible during the recruiting process.