An oftentime overlooked aspect of the recruiting process is academics, and this is where former Castleton College men's hockey coach Bill Silengo shines. During his five years coaching at Castleton, Coach Silengo's athletes earned 83 total All-Academic accolades, with two of his players earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Here are his best tips for acing your recruiting process. 

What is the most important quality you look for in a recruit? 

The most important quality we look for is character. Everyone needs a certain skill set to play college sports, but once you get a recruiting board full of those people, we separate them with their character.

Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities, and Campus Visits

What is the best way for a recruit to get on your radar?

The best way for a recruit to get on our radar is either through email or filling out our recruiting questionnaire.

When should an athlete contact you, and what is the best way?

An athlete should contact us in their junior year of high school. This will put them on our radar and we can start to track the player, get them on campus, and build a relationship to see if it is a good fit.

Related: 5 Important Email Tips During the Recruitment Process

What are your expectations for incoming players in the classroom, in the weight room, and on the ice?

Our expectations for players is very high in the classroom and on the ice. We really push our guys to be great in the classroom and on the ice we hope they buy into the culture we are trying to build. Not every incoming player is going to make an immediate impact, but if they buy into the process and try to get better each day, they are meeting our expectation.

What are the do's and don'ts of being recruited?

I would say just being yourself is important for us. If a player pretends or is not honest to himself throughout the process, they usually are not a good fit for us.

What really jumps out to you when reviewing a recruit's highlight tape? 

We don't like watching recruits highlight tapes. We would rather go to a game and see the recruit live. Body language and attitude are big for us in making the final decision on a player.

Re5 Recruiting Tips for Men's Hockey Playerslated:

What are the main do's and don'ts for a recruit's highlight tape?

Full game film is better than highlight tapes.

When do you recommend recruits put together and share their highlight reels? Is it best to make their highlight reel during offseason, in the middle of season, or after each game?

The best time would be the beginning of the year. This way you are on our radar early and we can get out to see you play live.

What advice do you have for recruits who get turned down by their dream schools? What are their options if they don't gain the recruiting attention they desire?

The best advice I can give is don't quit. You are going to have adversity even if you go to your dream school and it is how you handle that adversity.

How big a factor is social media when recruiting players? What advice do you have for athletes regarding social media?

I would say be careful what you post because it says a lot about who you are.

Image Credit: Castleton College Athletics
Have an idea for a story or a question you need answered? Want to set up an interview with us? Email us at [email protected]

* Originally published on November 2, 2022, by 2aDays Staff