Here is something most families do not realize: before a college coach picks up the phone to offer a scholarship, they search the athlete's name online.

What they find in those first few minutes shapes their perception of your athlete before a single conversation happens. A strong digital presence reinforces the offer. A problematic one can kill it.

This is not speculation. Coaches across every division have confirmed it. Your athlete's social media is part of their recruiting profile whether they treat it that way or not.

Here is how to audit it — and fix what needs fixing.

Open an incognito browser window and search your athlete's full name. Add their sport and high school to the search. Look at the first two pages of results.

What comes up? Is it their athletic profile, highlight film, or school bio? Or is it a Twitter account with questionable content, a Facebook post from three years ago, or nothing at all?

The goal is for the first page of results to tell a clear, positive story: this is a serious athlete who is focused on their sport and their future.

Go through every platform your athlete uses and evaluate it through a coach's eyes.

Instagram

• Profile photo: Is it a clear, athletic photo? Or a party photo?
• Bio: Does it mention their sport, graduation year, and position?
• Recent posts: Do they reflect an athlete who is focused and coachable?
• Stories and highlights: Are there any that a coach would find concerning?

X (formerly Twitter)

• Tone: Is the content positive and professional?
• Retweets and replies: Would a coach be comfortable seeing them?
• Pinned post: Is there one? Should there be?

TikTok

• This platform gets coaches' attention more than families realize. Review every video your athlete has posted or been tagged in.

Snapchat and BeReal

• These platforms are harder for coaches to find, but screenshots travel. Remind your athlete that anything they post can end up anywhere.

YouTube

• Is your athlete's highlight film easy to find? Is it the first result when you search their name plus their sport?

As you audit each platform, sort content into three categories:

Keep: Posts that show your athlete competing, training, celebrating teammates, or engaging positively with their community. Academic achievements, awards, and team moments all belong here.

Delete: Anything that could be interpreted negatively by a coach. This includes posts about partying, complaints about coaches or teammates, controversial political or social content, and anything that suggests poor judgment or character.

Improve: Posts that are neutral but missed opportunities. A profile photo that does not show your athlete at their best. A bio that says nothing about their sport. An account that has not been updated in months.

Once you have cleaned up what needs to go, build something worth finding.

Pin a recruiting post on X and Instagram. This should include your athlete's name, sport, position, graduation year, GPA, and a link to their recruiting profile or highlight film. Make it easy for a coach who finds the account to get the information they need in 30 seconds.

Post consistently about your sport. Game highlights, practice clips, team moments, and training content all signal to coaches that this athlete is serious. Aim for at least two to three posts per week during the season.

Engage with programs you are targeting. Follow the official accounts of schools on your list. Like and comment thoughtfully on their content. This is not about being seen — it is about demonstrating genuine interest.

Tag your school and sport in your bio. Make it easy for coaches to confirm they have found the right athlete.

Social media is not a one-time fix. It is an ongoing responsibility. The standard your athlete should hold themselves to is simple: would I be comfortable if my top-choice coach saw this post right now?

If the answer is yes, post it. If the answer is no, do not.

This is not about being inauthentic. It is about understanding that your athlete is building a professional reputation, and that reputation starts now — not when they sign a letter of intent.

When coaches search an athlete online, they are not looking for perfection. They are looking for character signals. They want to see:

• An athlete who takes their sport seriously
• A person who treats teammates and opponents with respect
• Someone who represents their family and school well
• A recruit who will not become a problem in the locker room or on social media once they arrive on campus

A clean, well-maintained social media presence communicates all of those things without your athlete saying a word.

CARF members get access to a complete recruiting profile system that includes guidance on building a digital presence that gets coaches' attention. Learn more about CARF membership.