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AMERICAN FOOTBALL MONTHLY THE #1 RESOURCE FOR FOOTBALL COACHES
Article CategoriesAFM Magazine
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Letter From the PublisherThe Heavy Effect of Recruiting ...by: Travis Davis © More from this issue 
What is black and gold, weighs in at a hefty 5lbs and is getting the attention of some of the top recruits in the country? The University of Missouri’s 2004 Media and Recruiting Guide. Careful. This thing is big. It’s big in size and it’s bigger in potential on the national recruiting scene and it is currently landing on the kitchen table of some of the nation’s top recruits with a resounding ‘thud’ – opening their eyes to Mizzou Football. What’s the Mizzou secret in differentiating its media guide from most everyone else? Its simplicity may surprise you. It’s designed for the teenage athlete – not necessarily the local beat writer, alumni or booster. It’s secret lies in what’s at the heart of most high school kids’ interests – cool stuff – like football helmets, portable DVD players, cleats, shoulder pads, face masks, chin straps, uniforms, sweat bands, gloves, Dri-fit apparel, t-shirts, sweats, jackets, hats, clothes, shorts, travel bags, commemorative footballs, shoes and, yes, even socks. Knowing one of most recruits’ favorite parts of the on-campus visit is seeing all the gear they will receive if they choose to play at the University of Missouri, Recruiting Coordinator David Yost, with assistance from the team’s SID, Chad Moller, added a 26 page, in-house catalog showcasing all the equipment and gear available to Mizzou players. The idea seems to be working. “It’s been very popular with recruits since we’ve been putting that in the book,” said Moller. “When the coaches go in the homes and show the kids the book and they go through it, Coach Yost said they spend a lot time looking at all the gear.” In addition to adding their own catalog of equipment and gear, the Mizzou Media and Recruiting Guide also did something that is unique in world of college media and recruiting guides - less text and bigger photos. In the biography section, each player gets a two-page spread complete with a head-to-toe photo in full uniform and detailed, quick facts about their stats, career and personal interests – designed like a magazine spread. I truly doubt that any recruit will choose to sign a letter of intent with the University of Missouri based on what gear and equipment they have available to players or the use of big photos, but this unique and creative concept will undoubtedly attract recruits to the media guide, hold their attention and give the coaching staff an opportunity to begin a relationship. And in an era where a 17-year-old recruit could possibly receive over a hundred media and recruiting guides attracting his attention, it could result in a big difference on signing day. Need an example? In responding to a recruiting survey, one nationally touted offensive lineman responded, “I don’t know much about the Tigers. I have never been there, but I got their media guide and I liked what I saw.” This just might be all the interest Coach Yost and the staff at the University of Missouri needs to make an impact in February, 2005. The Missouri Media and Recruiting Guide was designed and built for one thing - to attract the attention of recruits. At over 610 pages and the weight of a small dumbbell, this media and recruiting guide is doing just that. But the lesson learned isn’t that it takes a major budget and large staff to produce recruiting materials that attract the attention of recruits - understanding your recruits and developing creative and unique recruiting materials will always differentiate your program from others and, most importantly, attract the attention of recruits. This month’s issue of AFM includes a number of articles on recruiting and how it may effect your specific program. As always, if there is ever anything that we can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact us at 561-355-5068. Thank you.
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Respectfully,
