Letter of Recommendation From A Coach

Question

I was recently asked to write a letter of recommendation for a young women that I coach for a sport. I am aware that she is a good student, however my only interaction with her is through coaching. She is an Olympian and I have coached her since she was a child. I have never written a letter of recommendation. Several of the colleges she is applying to have an online portal where the "letter" is to be written. How might I transform my knowledge of her as an athlete to be of interest to ( -U.S.) colleges ?

Update/Edit: She was excepted into a US service academy and stepped away from the Olympic Games. With respect to the Olympic Games and the training therein all she said was "it was trivial and easy, like seriously really." Indeed it is curious this "trivial introspection" despite years in which she felt she was constantly failing to preform. I now believe similarly to academicians, world class athletes see problems and problem solving differently than does the ordinary person. In particular, upon retrospection world class athletes tend to see problems as trivial and straightforward at either first glance or upon delivery of solution.

Answer 1

The skills required to become an Olympian are (with the exception of athleticism and a talent for a particular sport, which I’d imagine are the least exceptional part of the package) obviously transferable to the setting of college education. A letter from you attesting to your firsthand knowledge of the young woman’s skills would be, as others said, extremely valuable and useful to the colleges she is applying to.

My suggestion is that you simply describe your experience of working with her, and what good qualities you are convinced she has based on that experience. Focus on things that would help a college predict that she would do well as a student and enrich the educational environment for her peers. For example, you mentioned she is hardworking and “laser focused”. Those are obviously awesome qualities. Anything else along those lines would be similarly useful. Does she have good leadership qualities? Is she an inspiring person to be around? Etc.

Also, given that you seem to have a lot of experience with the world of international competitive sports, it could help if you manage to describe a bit of that world and put across just how hard it is for a young person to get into the Olympics in your trainee’s particular sport or event. Of course, it’s common knowledge that this is an insanely impressive and difficult thing to achieve, but more concrete details from you are sure to drive home the message that this person has exceptional abilities and would be a coup for any college to admit.

Answer 2

A letter of reference from a coach, especially at the elite level, can be extremely valuable for an application. For example, you may be able to speak to:

• the athlete's leadership and interpersonal skills, such as the ability to build connections with peers and teammates
• their initiative, discipline, and focus in accomplishing a goal
• how they might act as a role model to their peers
• other soft skills such as time management, communication, and integrity

Of course the details will depend on your experience with the athlete. Obviously this person has been successful if they reached the Olympic level so it might be worthwhile to reflect on what qualities of theirs allowed them to succeed, and how those might translate to other areas of life (i.e. school). Personally, I have had a coach write a reference letter for me when I was applying to post-secondary institutions and the admissions committee commented that it made a strong impact.

Answer 3

Being an Olympian athlete (as a high school student) would be a huge positive to a US university (or service academy like USNA). This is independent of a particular school participating in that sport (which of course would make him/her a target of the coach, bringing in a whole other level of interaction with the university).

By any measure, the undergraduate admissions office will understand the level of time commitment, time management skills, and capability to establish and work toward long term goals that it takes to be an Olympian.

So, yes, write a letter, talk about the person's work ethic, performance, integrity, teamwork, all that you see that has enabled them to become one of the best in the world.