The best thing to do after a big showcase tournament is to go home and wait for college coaches to contact you. Wrong.

Actually, really wrong. Too many players think that once they've been to a showcase, their work is done. They think that they'll be contacted if coaches saw them play and liked what they saw. This is a recipe for failure.

When it comes to learning how to get recruited for a tournament like the Pepsi Showdown, for example, there are three key components:

1. Telling the coach you're going to be there


2. Playing in the tournament


3. Finding out if the coach saw you play

Not following through with the third step is like buying ice cream, bringing it home, and then letting it melt on the counter. What a waste!

So here's what you should do when you get home from the Pepsi Showdown. Email each of the coaches on your list and ask them if they were able to see you play. Include a quick synopsis of how you played and how your team did in case they didn't see you. It should take no more than an hour. There are three possible outcomes:

1. The coach saw you play and loves you


2. The coach didn't see you play, but appreciates the update


3. The coach saw you play and feels like it's not a great fit

Oh, the last one. It can sting a little bit. But actually, it's a good thing, because it allows you to focus your recruiting on the colleges responded positively.