End Zone Athletics

The Life of a Walk-on by Casey Sherfey, CSCS

I was never recruited. I was asked to try-out for the UW swim team in the summer after my senior year when my college plans were still up in the air. I had been accepted to two schools – the only two I applied to – and had contacted the coaching staff at both with my meets, my times, and a rough resume that outlined my academic and athletic achievement and my community involvement. 

When UW announced they were having open try-outs, I made the trip to Seattle to meet the coaches and the team.  They treated me just like any other recruit.  Even though I would not be contributing much my first year or so on the team, they related to me like they would any other potential teammate.  

 I never got that scholarship offer talk from the coaches.  They knew I would do it for free, no matter what happened.  But, once on the team, I was allowed the same perks as the scholarship athletes.  When I made the travel team, I got to fly and stay on the team’s budget.  I got the same uniform as the other team.  I got to attend “training table”, the school’s athlete dining. 

To my teammates, I was another friend who played the same sport, and although there was a bit of contempt on my part when the others would talk about when scholarship checks came in, I sweat, and laughed, and cried along with all them.  I felt like I was no different.  Maybe the jealousy came from my feelings that I was worth just as much as some of the others who were getting paid.  I did eventually work my way from being a non-scoring swimmer to an event winner in dual meets and a placer at Pac-10’s.   I earned the travel trips that I was selected to go on by swimming faster than the other girls in my events, although if it was too close to call, often the one with the scholarship was allowed to go over me.  I worked just as hard if not harder than the best of them.  I had to.  I felt like I had to continually prove that they needed me on the team. 

Being an athlete means there is not much time for a job.  Lets do the math:  School takes up 15-20 class hours each week.  You are expected to study at least that much on top of that.  We’re up to 30-40 hours.  And then training is another 20-30 hours each week (50-70 hours total).  Add in meets, traveling time, meals, and the all important sleep and there is no time (except maybe Sundays) to work.  So, how is school paid for?  That is for each family to decide.  I worked summers doing anything I could in my free time.  I also tried to graduate on time so that no more money than necessary was spent.  How to walk on or How to get invited to try outSo, you are not getting recruited like you want to be.  Or are you just not getting looked at by the right school?  Here’s some tips on what coaches look for, how to contact them, and how to get the invite.

Email usually works best. 

But leave several numbers/addresses where a coach can contact you.  That way, coaches can respond on their own time and in their own method.  Most coaches are extremely busy and reaching them by phone is either impossible or an unwanted interruption in their busy schedule.  That said, if a coach doesn’t answer you back within a short amount of time….

BE PERSISTENT….

….but not annoyingly so.  This will result in 2 things:  you will get an answer one way or another, and it will show them that you really want to be on that team. 

Send them a letter of introduction and an athletic resume. 

Treat it like it is a job you are applying for.  Outline your experience at the highest levels of competition, any awards, and other related information.

Set up a meeting or an informal campus visit.

Most of these are well within NCAA regulations, but read the rules just to be sure.  Meet with the coach and any current players, tour the campus and the athletic facilities, shadow a student if you know one who attends the school.  Experience student’s daily life in any way you can.  Again, treat the meeting with the coach as if you are interviewing for a position on the team, but don’t be afraid to ask questions. 

Make yourself valuable to the team in areas other than athletics.

Teams are rewarded for things like having high cumulative GPA’s and hours of community service, so if you can demonstrate to coaches that you can bring the team’s GPA up, or know how to get involved in the community, you will be looked upon more favorably. 

Demonstrate your work ethic.

Every coach has a soft spot for an athlete that works their butt off.  Here’s how to show it to someone who can’t watch you train:  show coaches that you have improved in several ways.  Show that you have worked hard to get faster times, develop certain skills, or have gotten stronger.   

Show that you still have potential and will work to achieve it.

Along the same lines as the previous tip, coaches like to see that a potential team member still has room to grow.  Athletes who have hit a plateau make a coach wonder if the athlete is too stubborn realize that he needs to change to get better, or if there is anything they can do to get over it.  

Send a list of upcoming competitions that they can watch you at

If the school is too far away or the coach won’t come see you, send web links to results pages.

Send a tape.

Most coaches would rather watch a whole game or part of a game/match/meet/race rather than a highlight reel since many athletes can be good in isolated moments, but to string good moments together shows real talent. 

STAY IN SHAPE!!

This may seem like a no-brainer, but many players who have already committed to a school let themselves slack-off because they know they are already “in” somewhere.  Wouldn’t it feel good to post a faster time over the summer than a recruited athlete or beat a scholarship athlete on an opposing team?  And if you do get an invite to try out or walk on, coming into tryouts or pre-season training camp sharp and in shape will make you look that much better.