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"What's the secret to getting recruited?"
Players always ask this, hoping coaches will reveal some hidden pathway to their dream school.
They want to hear about the perfect email template, the best event to attend, or the magic questions to ask.
But here's the truth: There are no secrets.
The Boring Reality
The most successful recruits aren't doing anything revolutionary.
They're doing basic things with impressive consistency:
- They practice with purpose
- They work on their weaknesses often
- They maintain their fitness year-round
- They study film and strive to learn the game
- They email consistently
But that's not what most players want to hear.
Sahil Bloom captured this concept with awesome clarity in his new book, The 5 Types of Wealth:
Once you embrace the boring basics, everything gets easier.
You stop wasting energy looking for shortcuts.
You stop second-guessing your approach.
You stop jumping from strategy to strategy.
Instead, you focus on showing up every day and doing what works.
Why This Truth Hurts
Here's why this reality makes people uncomfortable:
When success requires secret knowledge, you can tell yourself: "I just haven't found the right information yet."
When it requires special connections, you can say: "I just need to meet the right people."
But when success comes from consistency with basic, boring actions?
That's harder to rationalize away.
Making It Work
When I first read Bloom's analogy above, I immediately thought of how I describe this in the coaching world:
"Doing a little a lot beats doing a lot a little."
I tell the players I coach this all the time.
It's easier to build a habit of getting 5-10 extra minutes of extra reps after practice each day, than to persuade yourself to go out and do an hour extra on a day off.
Start thinking of what little habits you could develop to be consistently reliable in both your recruiting process and your athletic progress:
- Penalty corner skills after practice
- Making and posting a 30-second highlight reel once a month
- Watching a half of a college game a week (and taking notes)
- Reading a chapter of a leadership or team culture book before bed
The possibilities are endless!
Reality Check
There is no secret path to playing college field hockey.
There's just showing up every day, doing the basic things well, and proving you can be counted on.
The path isn't hidden.
It's just boring enough that most won't stick with it.
Get really good at boring.
Better at boring than your competition.
Because boring, done consistently, becomes extraordinary.
Want my complete framework for standing out in the recruiting process? The Field Hockey Recruiting Playbook includes specific strategies for making every day count.
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