Sports Recruitment Coordinator

Job Overview

Job Description

OWA Recruitment Coordinator Job Description

To Serve. To Learn. To Lead with Purpose.

Position Summary
Oklahoma Wildcats Academy (OWA) seeks a dynamic, multi-sport Recruitment Coordinator to identify, evaluate, and attract talented student-athletes who align with our purpose-driven mission. This contract position will work across basketball, football, softball, baseball, and emerging sports programs, collaborating with head coaches to build championship-caliber teams while connecting young athletes to their greater purpose. The ideal candidate will embody our core principles of collaboration, humility, precision, patience, and empathy while bringing deep regional knowledge, digital savvy, and a passion for youth development to this pivotal role.

Key Responsibilities

### Strategic Recruitment Planning
- Develop and implement comprehensive recruitment strategies across multiple sports simultaneously, collaborating with each head coach to understand their specific needs
- Create efficient recruitment calendars that maximize coach visibility at key events, demonstrating precision in planning and resource allocation
- Establish data-driven recruitment metrics and tracking systems with the patience to build long-term pipelines
- Collaborate with Chief Operating Officer and the Voice Up team to implement DISC assessment profiles into the recruitment process, showing humility in adopting established assessment tools
- Build and maintain deep relationships with Oklahoma high school coaches, athletic directors, and administrators through empathetic listening and genuine relationship building
- Create Oklahoma-focused recruitment pipelines that leverage local connections and knowledge
- Develop specialized strategies for identifying talent in underrepresented or underrecruited areas of Oklahoma, showing empathy for athletes who might otherwise be overlooked
- Establish strong presence at Oklahoma state championship events across all sports
- Build relationships with high school coaches, athletic directors, and influencers throughout Oklahoma and surrounding states

### Regional Expertise
- Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of Oklahoma City metro area high schools, including public school districts (OKC Public Schools, Edmond, Moore, Mid-Del, Putnam City, Deer Creek, Mustang, Yukon) and private/independent schools, approaching each program with humility and respect
- Possess detailed understanding of Oklahoma high school athletic programs statewide, including rural communities and tribal areas with strong athletic traditions, showing empathy for the unique challenges these communities face
- Maintain working relationships with Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) and knowledge of its classifications, districts, and regulations
- Leverage existing connections to Oklahoma high school coaches, athletic directors, and influential youth sports leaders through collaborative networking
- Maintain active recruitment networks in Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and other states where OWA coaches have established connections
- Develop systematic approach for discovering talent in states bordering Oklahoma (Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado) with precision in evaluation methods
- Identify and attend key regional tournaments, combines, and showcases across multiple sports, particularly those featuring Oklahoma schools
- Create and maintain detailed database of Oklahoma and regional athletic talent with comprehensive scouting reports, focusing on identifying underrecruited talent within the state, demonstrating patience in building complete evaluations

### Digital & Media Strategy
- Navigate and maintain active presence on social media platforms frequented by student-athletes, demonstrating precision in content creation and timing
- Understand NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) trends and how they impact recruitment opportunities
- Collaborate with OWA's media team to create compelling digital content for recruitment purposes, showing humility by incorporating feedback and ideas from others
- Utilize OWA's Roku channel, YouTube presence, and other media assets to showcase the program to prospective student-athletes
- Stay current on digital platforms, websites, and apps popular with student-athletes for recruitment communications
- Approach digital communications with empathy, understanding the pressures and influences today's student-athletes face online
- Exercise patience in building digital relationships that lead to meaningful in-person connections

Tournament & Event Networking
- Represent OWA at key Oklahoma tournaments, camps, showcases, and athletic events with humility, putting the mission ahead of personal recognition
- Maintain comprehensive calendar of Oklahoma high school state tournaments, playoffs, and championship events across all sports, demonstrating precision in planning
- Prioritize attendance at Oklahoma showcase events such as the Tournament of Champions (basketball), Big All-City games, Oil Bowl, Faith 7 Bowl, and other all-star competitions
- Build relationships with Oklahoma tournament directors, event organizers, and influential coaches through collaborative networking and genuine connection
- Develop deep knowledge of Oklahoma's summer basketball leagues, football camps, and baseball/softball tournaments
- Coordinate OWA's presence at strategic Oklahoma events, maximizing visibility with local talent
- Organize OWA-hosted clinics and evaluation camps targeting Oklahoma student-athletes, approaching potential recruits with empathy for their career aspirations
- Develop protocol for evaluating talent efficiently at multi-team events
- Create post-event follow-up systems to maintain relationships with identified prospects, demonstrating patience in the relationship-building process
- Foster relationships with Oklahoma tribal athletic associations and events with cultural sensitivity and respect

### Candidate Evaluation & Development
- Work collaboratively with sport-specific coaches to define ideal athlete profiles for each program
- Implement DISC assessment and other evaluation tools in the recruitment process with precision and accuracy
- Assess not only athletic ability but character, academic potential, and purpose alignment, demonstrating empathy for the whole person
- Create detailed prospect profiles that help coaches understand how to best develop each athlete
- Assist in designing personalized recruitment approaches for top prospects
- Show patience during the evaluation process, recognizing that potential sometimes takes time to fully assess
- Approach all evaluations with humility, seeking input from coaches and acknowledging the limits of any single assessment
- Communicate evaluation results clearly and compassionately to both coaches and prospects

### Administrative Coordination
- Maintain detailed records on all prospect interactions, evaluations, and communications with precision and attention to detail
- Ensure compliance with all relevant athletic association rules and regulations, demonstrating humility by adhering to established guidelines
- Coordinate campus visits, showcases, and other recruitment events through collaborative planning with coaches and staff
- Collaborate with HR team on paperwork processing for incoming recruits
- Produce weekly recruitment progress reports for leadership team
- Manage recruitment budget with transparency and precision
- Exercise patience with administrative processes, understanding their importance to the organization's success
- Approach paperwork and documentation with the empathy needed to translate athlete stories and potential into compelling profiles

Qualifications

### Required Experience & Knowledge
- Proven experience in athletic recruitment, scouting, or talent evaluation
- Demonstrated knowledge of multiple sports including basketball, football, softball, and baseball
- Extensive knowledge of Oklahoma high school athletic programs, including familiarity with major Oklahoma City metro schools, their athletic traditions, coaching staffs, and notable alumni
- Ability to identify the competitive strength of various Oklahoma high school conferences/districts and the caliber of play across different OSSAA classifications
- Understanding of the unique characteristics of Oklahoma urban, suburban, and rural high school athletic programs
- Familiarity with Oklahoma's premier athletic events including state tournaments, showcases, and all-star games
- Understanding of social media platforms, digital communication tools, and NIL considerations
- Experience networking at tournaments, showcases, and athletic events
- Strong data management and organizational skills

### Preferred Skills & Attributes
- Previous coaching or playing experience at collegiate or high-level Oklahoma high school programs
- Established relationships with high school and youth coaches throughout Oklahoma, particularly in the OKC metro area
- Demonstrated history of identifying and successfully recruiting Oklahoma talent
- Familiarity with the Oklahoma basketball scene, including knowledge of the various competitive summer circuits (AAU, OYBL, etc.)
- Understanding of Oklahoma football landscape, including spring and summer camps, 7-on-7 competitions, and combines
- Knowledge of Oklahoma softball and baseball competitive structures and developmental pathways
- Experience with DISC assessments or similar personality/talent evaluation tools
- Digital content creation skills (video editing, graphic design, social media management)
- Database management experience
- Valid driver's license and willingness to travel frequently within Oklahoma and neighboring states
- Existing relationships with local media covering Oklahoma high school sports

## Alignment with Core Principles
The ideal candidate will demonstrate alignment with Voice Up and OWA's five core principles:

- **Collaboration**: Demonstrates ability to work seamlessly across different sports programs, fostering cooperative relationships with coaches, administrators, and community partners to create unified recruitment efforts.

- **Humility**: Approaches recruitment with a service mindset, prioritizing the program's mission and student-athletes' needs above personal recognition, while remaining open to feedback and continuous improvement.

- **Precision**: Exhibits meticulous attention to detail in evaluations, communications, and data management, ensuring accurate assessments of talent and fit while maintaining organized, comprehensive recruitment records.

- **Patience**: Understands that effective recruitment requires persistence and long-term relationship building, demonstrating the ability to nurture prospects through the decision-making process without rushing or pressuring.

- **Empathy**: Connects authentically with prospective student-athletes and their families, understanding their needs, concerns, and aspirations while representing OWA's values with genuine care.

## Working Conditions & Compensation
- Independent contractor position (1099) without benefits
- Flexible schedule to accommodate tournament and event attendance
- Significant local and regional travel required (60-70%)
- Evening and weekend work required during key recruitment periods
- Office space available at Oklahoma Wildcats Academy campus when needed
- Reports directly to Chief Operating Officer with dotted-line reporting to sport-specific head coaches
- Contract term: One-year initial contract with quarterly performance reviews
- Suggested compensation: $2,000-$3,000 monthly retainer based on experience and proven recruitment track record.
- Performance bonuses available based on successful recruitment of quality student-athletes (structure to be determined)
- Travel expenses reimbursed according to OWA contractor policies
- OWA-branded apparel provided for professional representation at events

## Application Process
Please submit the following to Art Fuller, Chief Operating Officer at :
- Resume highlighting relevant recruitment, athletic, and/or coaching experience
- Cover letter explaining your approach to multi-sport recruitment and how you embody our core principles of collaboration, humility, precision, patience, and empathy
- One-sentence statement of your personal purpose

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Oklahoma Wildcats Academy is committed to our mission: To Serve. To Learn. To Lead with Purpose. We value diversity of experience, background, and perspective in all our positions.

Our project is a first step in raising awareness about a national health epidemic. All proceeds are reinvested directly into proactive strategies for improving behavioral health among youth, teens, and young adults in collaboration with community partners.

We sponsor every day people of all ages struggling with behavioral health challenges that are committed to making a sincere change in their life towards their purpose. We match then with mentors for the long term.

Our youth, teens, and young adults are reporting the highest levels of loneliness on record according to the U.S. Surgeon General. Our work is going to help change that through simple actions that bring people together for the common good, focused on lifting people up, and creating stronger in person connections.

It's humbling to say that in 60 days the vision of Voice Up has mobilized college students spanning over 100 colleges and universities in the U.S. and internationally without social media.

How does something like that happen?

The foundation of our work started with a simple prayer on a rainy day while I was on my lunch break. I asked God to send the people my way that would help make this what it needs to be.

Our mission is to transform how families support a healthier way for a better life. Together we will accomplish this in many different ways.