In short, athletes who use NextPick get better offers from better schools, allowing them to reach their full potential effortlessly. We do this by matching you with a dedicated recruiting agent who is an expert in this field (former college coach and/or ATP/WTA player). On top of their personal network, NextPick recruiting agents leverage our network of over 600 college coaches who actively use our platform to recruit, combining tech with human expertise for superior results.
Here are how other recruiting approaches compare:
1. Cold Emailing Tools/"Do-It-Yourself" Platforms (i.e. NCSA): These platforms are widely known but also the least effective. College coaches don't actively use these services - instead, these platforms heavily rely on cold emailing systems combined with often outdated contact databases. College coaches get bombarded with emails from irrelevant prospects (think 100+ per day), leading them to ignore messages from unknowns. The entry cost is usually low, but aggressive sales tactics often push parents to upgrade to premium features, costing thousands per year. Parents and athletes typically waste a lot of time and money without seeing meaningful recruiting results.
2. Large Agencies: Large agencies usually have a high placement rate but often prioritize placing athletes quickly, regardless of fit, to handle their high overhead. This approach can lead to mismatches and dissatisfaction. Experienced agents often part ways with these agencies to work independently, leaving less experienced agents behind.
3. Showcases/ID Camps/Exposure Camps: These events are marketed as opportunities to play in front of college coaches, but the reality often falls short. They're expensive—typically $200-1,500 for registration alone, plus travel and lodging costs that can easily exceed $1,000 per event. Many showcases are primarily money-making ventures where coaches are sometimes paid to attend or give lessons rather than actively recruit. With over 1,000 college tennis programs nationwide, playing in front of just 5-10 coaches presents extremely low odds that programs matching your academic and athletic profile will even be present. While some showcases are more useful than others, most end up being costly investments with minimal to inexistent recruiting returns. Your money is better spent on a recruiting agent who can connect you directly with the right programs at the right time—eliminating the need to attend these expensive events altogether.
4. Freelance Experts/Micro Agencies: This is where the best recruiting agents are found. These passionate experts, usually former college coaches, have strong knowledge, extensive networks, and significant experience placing athletes. They typically take on only a few clients a year, often through word of mouth, and provide the highest quality service and the most value. However, finding these experts on your own can be challenging and often a roll of the dice. It's risky because there's no way to verify their track record, quality, or effectiveness before you sign their contract - with no accountability structure in place if things don't work out. You're essentially making a significant financial investment based on little more than their personal claims of success.
NextPick eliminates this risk by making the top 5% of these expert agents accessible to everyone. We've already done the vetting for you. Our recruiting agents are carefully selected based on proven success records and professional experience. Beyond their personal networks, you benefit from NextPick's extensive network of hundreds of college coaches actively using our platform. We also provide something independent agents can't: oversight and accountability. We regularly check in with both parents and recruiting agents to ensure the recruiting process is progressing as planned, giving you peace of mind throughout your college recruitment journey.