Social Media Collegiate Athletic Recruiting: Perception Versus Reality

This qualitative case study looks at how social media is used in the social media process by both current high school athletes and college coaches to determine if athletes are properly presenting themselves to create recruiting opportunities. The study was built on a foundation of impression management theory and the usage of social media as a frontstage. Utilizing a semi-structured format, six high school athletes and six college coaches were interviewed, and thirteen themes were identified through thematic analysis. Comparing the six coach themes and seven athlete themes, the study divulges that high school athletes prioritize displaying athletic ability accomplishments, while college coaches emphasize that displays of character and personality are important factors in their search. These findings guide high school athletes who had little to no academic research to base their recruiting social media behavior on, and they provide literature to fill the gap in research regarding social media usage in athletic recruiting.