Recruiting Services

Post by Lynox Byaus

Are Recruiting Services a Scam?

Not exactly but let’s talk about it.

We wouldn’t call recruiting services “fraudulent” or a “scam.” Those are strong words that suggest deliberate dishonesty or malicious intent. Many of these companies are legit in the sense that they offer services like:

• Reaching out to college programs on your behalf
  
  

• Creating highlight videos and athletic resumes
  
  

• Offering scouting, coaching, or promotional help
  
  

• Following up with college coaches
  
  

But here's the truth: they’re not magic.
Some recruiting services can be misleading in how well-connected they claim to be or in the results they promise. While they do reach out to schools for you, what they’re doing is something you can do yourself—often with better results and for free.

What a Lot Athletes Don’t Realize:

College coaches, especially at the NCAA and NAIA level, prefer to hear directly from athletes, not third-party companies. Many coaches don’t even open emails from recruiting services because they trust their own process, which includes scouting players, reviewing film directly, and leveraging their own networks and databases.

That said, some smaller programs—particularly at the NAIA, NCAA Division II & III, or USCAA level—may use recruiting services to fill roster spots due to limited staff or recruiting reach. But again, these are the exact programs where your personal outreach stands out more and often carries more weight.

The Better (and Cheaper) Way

You can do everything a recruiting service does and do it better, with a bit of effort, organization, and the right tools:

1. Use official sites like NCAA.org or NAIA.org
   Or use our Recruitable platform to search schools easily by sport, division, location, etc.
   
   

2. Find contact info for coaches (usually listed on the school’s athletic site).
   
   

3. Reach out directly. Email is the best first step. Be professional. Check for grammar mistakes. Include:
   
   

   • Why you’re interested in their program
     
     

   • A link to your Hudl, Twitter, Instagram, or wherever your film lives
     
     

   • Your stats, GPA, position, and key highlights
     
     

   • Gratitude and a clear ask (e.g., “I’d love to know if your program is still recruiting for my position.”)
     
     

4. Follow up. Don’t expect one email to do the trick. Coaches are busy, stay persistent and respectful.
   
   

Recruiting services aren’t always scams but they aren’t necessary either.
You can Own the Recruiting Process yourself. And we're here to help you do exactly that.