MY COLLEGE RECRUITING STORY (HOW TO GET RECRUITED) 

Just think of yourself as Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Both of you won your most recent track race, and both of you have some pretty epic hair. Can never go wrong with that mindset 😎

Honestly reaching out yourself is the best option because you really cant wait for coaches looking at thousands of athletes to contact you

My tips and process of being recruited: #1. Reach out to as many colleges as you can and be straightforward with emails and texts (tell them you are interested/important times and marks/grades and test scores/any additional info) #2. Unless you are running sub 15 or 4:20 D1 colleges aren’t just going to be reaching out. Be honest with the level you are at and what you can get to in the next year. I kept telling my family D1 or bust but I am glad to be going D2 now that I realized I am just not quite D1 material. #3 Broaden the colleges you are interested in but do your research into what type of school they are. I was able to contact D1 coaches but their schools were more liberal art focused or business focused and I am going into a stem field. Be open minded about the degree you want but choose a school that will help you succeed and be surrounded by lots of people that are going into the same field. #4 Similar to number 2 but ask extended family and friends and other people where they went to school and try reaching out to that coach. This is the case with me. My extended family told me to reach out to their former schools xc coach and that is now where I am going in the fall. #5 Look at people on Strava and Instagram. Reach out to these people and see what times they are running. This also gives you a chance to see sort of what the team is like before you go on a visit. If you are talking to coaches ask them what type of mileage freshmen do. You don’t want to have a huge jump in mileage. It could lead to injuries and lots of stress piled onto a whole new environment. Try to keep the mileage jump reasonable (you don’t want to be running 40 miles senior year to 80 freshman year). #6 In-State is not always the cheapest option. Do your research and try to get scholarships where you are going. Some schools will knock down out of state tuition or take it away. Some will offer you lots of money for being out of state. Also remember the number on google is not the actual cost. Actual cost is based on lots of things like tuition+housing(roughly 10-15k)+additional fees. #7 Have consistent contact with every coach you are talking to. Make sure they know you want to come to their school. You never know what will happen. Try to visit in the fall especially if you want to sign with your friends on national signing day. #8 Take your visit with a grain of salt. Hopefully on your visit you are able to bring your parents so they can also ask questions that won’t be on your mind. Schools are going to try and impress you with what they have to offer but talk to the team and ask them lots of questions to get a look into how everything actually functions. Yes the team might try to sell you on the school as well but they will be more real with you of how college actually works. Try to see the team dynamic. Hopefully the team culture is positive, but always be on the lookout for red flags. #9 Visit other schools. Don’t just settle on the school you first visit. Keep an open mind and be excited for every school you tour. This is supposed to be a fun and exciting process that you and your family are supposed to enjoy. Look into different housing options (colleges have plenty of options for housing like traditional dorms, 2 room suites, 4 room suites, fraternities and sororities and off campus living). Visit different classrooms and areas of the campus. Listen to your gut. If something isn’t sitting right with you try to identify what it is and if you can fix it. If you leave the visit still uneasy maybe this isn’t the school for you. #10 Grades and test scores. You should try and have good grades and scores. Not only will this get you into good colleges but will most likely lead to some sort of scholarship. Again try to choose a school that will give you a good degree. Not everyone will be professional runners and you will want a good degree for the future. Be honest with the level you are at. Just because you can go D1 doesn’t mean you are going to make the top 7. You may be forced to redshirt and not even race for a long time after your senior year. Go to a school that wants you and where you will make an impact

As someone who helps my current college coach with recruiting, I can say the most important thing you can do is reach out yourself or make a recruiting profile on one of the many recruiting websites. This is more for athletes who aren’t going to go D1. If you are looking for juco, D3, or NAIA make a profile or reach out yourself. If you have good grades if you can break even 20 minutes in the 5k for xc I know many coaches who would love to talk to you.

This video is the exact reason of why Spencer has the best running channel on RU-vid.

Thanks for sharing this Spencer! The athlete special 🤝 helping athletes get recruited 🤝 streamline athletes

Spence the background music is too loud brotha

Sounds amazing to hear how your college recruitment experience was. I was that last high school senior class that faced the pandemic at the end of its year, loosing the best of the events that were awaiting us. That includes the college recruitment experience (also because I was not being helped by parents as much). I was just getting into running, with decent times without any training, had good grades and I was looking for a good place from an academic standpoint too. I did not get to know well the things I had around me, neither I could get advantage of running for a recruitment. I now am in a place where there’s nothing nor anyone that feels like home, I just go, take my classes and leave, they don’t have middle or long distance runners in the team, the funds are very limited. The cost for tuition is through the roof and the quality offered in exchange is worrying. I tried joining the team but they made me audition for an event that they didn’t even care about nor got their interests in developing athletes. Then decided to not take me on the team and I realized because I asked, months later, they wouldn’t tell me and the same coach insisted that he would contact me. The only positive aspect of the place is “prestige”. It is easier here to get straight from the degree to the job field. I recommend every high school student, and athletes specially. To take this decision very carefully, make it your number one priority and push the boundaries in order to do a good research. The College you attend to is a decision that can positively or negatively affect you, make sure is a good place in most of its aspects so you can truly grow and become there the best version of yourself.

Hopefully, you can race in Seattle or maybe Spokane. Good luck and thanks for your college recap. 🙂

Let’s make it 2 BU wins in a row baby🔥🔥

You looked so strong in that last race

OK it's official, I'm making you my favorite American distance runner !! Yea I know, that wont even get you a cup of coffee at the 7-11, but it's the thought that counts. And a huge reason I'm making you my favorite is because you went through setbacks but DID NOT QUIT !!! The fact that you have not quit, says a lot about you as a person. I think it's very very very {did I say very ??} COOL that your Dad is your coach !!! Having your dad coach you makes your journey so much more COOL !!! GOD BLESS your Dad !!! Do NOT apologize or feel bad about 8:07 !!! You're so so close to the 7's !!! Once you get to the 7's, that's the smallest minute number ANYBODY can get to. There will never be anyone who will see 6 something in the 3000. My prediction is Jacob will run 7:17.in the next 5 years but then nobody else on the planet will be close to Jacob. But forget Jacob, he's going to be the best ever in history. But you definitely are an elite runner and you can be very proud of that. I'm pretty sure you can run 7:47 because I have a friend who ran 7:47 {3K} and his 1 mile was the same as yours. Hey that's an idea for you !!! Call it the Boeing 747 project !!! {play on words - make it your goal to hit 7:47 in the 3000 by 2024 !!! You can do it !!!

It’s summer after my sophomore year and my 800m pr is 2:39. I just began distance running this past March. I regret not joining xc or tf earlier but I’m extremely dedicated. Do you think I could get recruited with a sub 2 pr before graduating?

Thanks for sharing 😎👌

Where is the track in your first high school photo in this video? Looks familiar. Not sure, could just be a generic high school indoor track.

Hi Spencer!

What were your grades looking like, and how important were they towards getting recruited?

How do you recruit from other countries from europe? I am from Serbia.

I've been trying to be recruited for long as an international student athlete but to no success. Hope someday it'll be achieved

Almost at 66.6k 👀👀👀

For some reason i just think of Spencer as the real life Quentain Cassidy from Once a runner. Dont know if its the blond hair or the obsession in the mile race...

Was Keith in a hair band at UM?

Great video but please turn the background music down.

Nice

Ayee

Could’ve used this 8 months ago

Why do American still use mile times? 1500m run at Olympics!

LeTtTtTtTsSsSs GoOoOoOooOo

Nice Gmail

D2 gang

How r ya