Do you look the coach in the eye when speaking with him or her? You should.

Do you treat your parents and family with respect and patience? You should.

Do you get along well with current teammates? You should.

Are you as positive and sociable during a slump as when things are going well? You should be.

Do you answer the question, "How did you do" with a team or individual related answer. You should answer the team first.

Did you relate well and get along with the team members when you visited the campus? Coaches place a big emphasis on the opinions of you from the current athletes. Even in an individual based sport such as track, team unity and cohesion come first and you have to fit in.

Coaches are not always after the athlete with amazing credentials and all-state honors. They are looking for upside (potential), motivation and desire. Some coaches feel that the unknown athlete has a greater motivation to excel and prove him/herself at the next level as opposed to one that has achieved glory at the HS level.

Remember in order for a program to recruit you they have to know about you. Contact prospective schools as early as your sophomore year.