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College Search
You know you need an athletic resume for college recruiting, but staring at a blank Google Doc is brutal. What do coaches actually want to see? How do you organize everything you have done into something that looks legit, not cringe?
If you are searching for athletic resume examples, you are really looking for clarity. You want to see what a strong sports resume looks like, line by line, so you can model it for your own sport, position, and level.
This guide keeps it simple. You will see concrete wording you can copy, section-by-section templates, and sport-specific examples for athletes in sports like soccer, football, baseball and softball, track and field, and volleyball. We will talk about what to include, what to skip, and how to make your resume easy for coaches to skim in seconds.
Along the way, you will see how an AI recruiting assistant like Pathley can help you keep your information organized, up to date, and tailored to the right schools instead of just hoping a random template works for you.
What should my athletic resume include for my sport and graduation year?
Most coaches first meet you on a screen, not in person. Your email, your athletic resume, and your highlight video are their first impression of you. A clear, complete resume will not magically earn you a scholarship, but it does something just as important. It tells a coach, in seconds, that you are organized, serious, and worth a deeper look.
College staffs get hundreds of messages from recruits. When your resume is confusing, missing key information, or looks thrown together, they often will not take the time to dig for answers. When your resume is clean and structured, a coach can scan it in under thirty seconds and quickly answer questions like: Are your academics a fit? Where do you play? What level might you fit at? Should they watch your video right now or flag you for later?
Organizations like the NCAA and NAIA constantly remind recruits that academics and eligibility are just as important as athletic talent. You can see that emphasis in resources like the NCAA recruiting FAQs and the NAIA recruiting information. Your athletic resume is the perfect place to show coaches that you understand this and that you are recruitable on both sides.
Forget fancy graphics or overdesigned templates. Coaches care about information and clarity. They want to see, at a glance, who you are, how you perform, and whether you could realistically fit their program.
In a few seconds, coaches want to see:
• Who you are, where you are from, and when you graduate.
• Your academic picture, including GPA, test scores if you have them, and intended major if you know it.
• Your position or event, height, weight, and key measurables that actually matter for your sport.
• Your most recent and best stats, results, or times, with clear context about your level of competition.
• Your current and past teams or clubs, plus contact info for a coach who can vouch for you.
• A working link to your highlight or skills video, not just "search me on YouTube".
That is why random, one-size-fits-all templates rarely help. They either bury the important information or leave out details that actually sell you as a recruit.
What stats should I highlight on my athletic resume for my position?
If you want a bigger-picture playbook for how your resume fits into the full recruiting strategy, you can read Pathley's complete athletic resume strategy guide later. For now, we will lock in the details with specific athletic resume examples you can adapt today.
There is no single "right" layout, but almost every good recruiting resume includes the same core pieces. Before we get into detailed athletic resume examples, make sure you are planning to cover these sections.
Core sections to include:
• Contact information and basic bio.
• Academic snapshot.
• Athletic profile and measurables.
• Key stats, results, or times.
• Honors, awards, and leadership roles.
• Teams, clubs, and coaches' contact information.
• Upcoming season or tournament schedule.
• Links to highlight or skills video and, if appropriate, a clean athletic social media account.
Think of your resume as a one-page version of what you would talk through on a call with a coach. It should answer their first questions and make them want to learn more, not make them chase you for basic details.
Now we will walk through simple athletic resume examples for each major section. You can copy this language directly, then customize the details for your sport, level, and goals.
This section should sit at the top and be brutally clear. Use your full name and the same contact info you use when emailing coaches.
Sample contact section:
Name: Jordan Smith
Graduation year: 2026
High school: Lincoln High School (Portland, OR)
Club team: Portland United SC 06G ECNL
Position: Center Back
Height / weight: 5'8" / 145 lbs
Email: jordansmith26@example.com
Cell: (555) 123-4567
Avoid including multiple emails, your parents' work numbers, or anything extra that creates confusion. If parents want to be copied, that can live in the email to the coach, not on the resume.
Coaches need to know if you can clear admissions and eligibility. Make this section impossible to miss, and keep it honest. If your GPA is still trending up, you can include both current and projected numbers and note the difference.
Sample academic section:
GPA: 3.7 unweighted / 4.1 weighted
Class rank: Top 15% (42 of 280)
Test scores: SAT 1300 (650 Math, 650 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing)
Core courses: On track to meet NCAA Division I requirements
Intended major: Mechanical Engineering
If you are younger and do not have test scores yet, that is fine. Focus on GPA, coursework, and any advanced classes. You can update this section as you go, something Pathley's AI tools make easy to track over time.
This is where you quickly show coaches what position or event you play and the physical tools you bring. The key is to list measurables that matter for your sport rather than dumping every number you have.
Sample profile section (football linebacker):
Position: Inside Linebacker
Height / weight: 6'1" / 210 lbs
40-yard dash: 4.76 (laser, March 2024)
Pro shuttle: 4.34 (Combine, February 2024)
Bench press: 275 lbs, Squat: 405 lbs
Dominant hand: Right
Sample profile section (women's distance runner):
Events: 1600m, 3200m, 5K XC
Height / weight: 5'5" / 115 lbs
Mile time: 5:12 (April 2024)
3200m time: 11:08 (League Finals 2024)
5K XC: 18:23 (State Championship 2023)
These athletic resume examples show how you should anchor your profile around the most relevant measurables for your position or event.
Stats mean nothing if coaches cannot tell what level they came from. Always include the level of play, season, and context where possible. Prioritize your most recent season, plus any truly standout years.
Sample stats section (soccer forward):
2023 High School Varsity (Junior) - 22 games
• 18 goals, 9 assists
• First Team All-Conference, Team MVP
2023 Club ECNL U17
• 12 goals, 6 assists in 18 league matches
• Team qualified for ECNL Nationals, Round of 16
Sample stats section (baseball pitcher):
2024 High School Varsity (Senior) - Regular Season
• 52.1 IP, 1.73 ERA, 68 K, 14 BB
• Opponent batting average: .187
• 2 complete games, 1 no-hitter
Notice that these athletic resume examples are short but specific. No long paragraphs, just clear lines that tell a coach how productive you are and against what level of competition.
This is where you show that you bring more than just stats. Keep it focused on meaningful awards and roles rather than every participation certificate since sixth grade.
Sample honors section:
• Team captain, Lincoln High Girls Soccer, 2023 and 2024
• First Team All-State, 2023
• Academic All-Conference, 2022 and 2023
• National Honor Society member
• Volunteer youth coach, Lincoln Youth Soccer (U10 girls)
Coaches recruit people, not just numbers. Leadership and character can tilt a borderline decision in your favor.
Make it easy for college coaches to contact someone who knows you well and to see when they could watch you play live or on stream.
Sample teams and schedule section:
Current high school: Lincoln High School Varsity, Head Coach: Maria Lopez, mlopez@lincolnhs.edu, (555) 234-9876
Club: Portland United SC 06G ECNL, Coach: Devon Chang, devon.chang@portlandunited.org, (555) 789-1234
Upcoming events:
• Surf Cup, San Diego, July 26-28 (Jersey #8)
• ECNL Northwest Showcase, Seattle, August 10-11 (Jersey #8)
• Fall high school schedule available upon request
Listing a short, current schedule gives coaches an immediate way to plan an in-person or live-stream evaluation.
The best athletic resume examples are customized for your sport and position. Here are a few short samples to show how wording can change, even when the structure stays similar.
Position and style:
Position: Center Midfielder (Box-to-Box)
Foot: Right dominant, comfortable left
Playing style: High work rate, strong in 1v1 defending, looks to break lines with passes
Key stats:
2023 Club ECNL U17 - 20 matches
• 5 goals, 11 assists
• 88 percent pass completion in league play (team tracked)
Position and measurables:
Position: Wide Receiver
Height / weight: 6'0" / 185 lbs
40-yard dash: 4.59 (hand-timed, school testing, March 2024)
Vertical: 33 inches
Key stats:
2023 Varsity - 11 games
• 48 receptions, 782 yards, 9 TD
• Second Team All-Region
Position and tools:
Primary position: Shortstop
Secondary position: Second Base
Bats / throws: R / R
60-yard dash: 6.89 (Perfect Game showcase, June 2024)
Infield velocity: 86 mph
Key stats:
2024 Varsity - 28 games
• .356 AVG, .442 OBP, .515 SLG
• 6 HR, 12 2B, 14 SB
Events and PRs:
Events: 100m, 200m, 4x100 relay
100m PR: 11.03 (wind legal, State Prelims 2024)
200m PR: 22.45 (wind legal, Regionals 2024)
Key results:
• 2024 State Championship qualifier in 100m and 200m
• 2023 Regional Champion in 100m
Position and measurables:
Position: Outside Hitter
Height: 5'11"
Approach touch: 9'8"
Block touch: 9'4"
Key stats:
2023 High School Varsity - 25 matches
• 3.2 kills per set, .245 hitting percentage
• 2.4 digs per set, 0.5 aces per set
All of these sport-specific athletic resume examples follow the same rule. Lead with the measurables and stats that matter most to your position, then back them up with context about level and competition.
How should I organize my athletic resume and highlight video links for college coaches?
Content matters most, but formatting helps coaches process that content quickly. Think simple, not fancy. Your goal is to be easy to read on a laptop or phone, not to win a graphic design award.
Keep it clean and skimmable:
• Aim for one page for most high school athletes. Two pages is fine if you truly have a lot of relevant information, but do not stretch it just to look impressive.
• Use clear section headers like "Academics", "Athletic Profile", and "Stats" so coaches can jump to what they care about.
• Stick to one readable font and consistent sizing. Bold your section headings and maybe your name, but skip colors, borders, and multiple fonts.
• Save and send as a PDF when possible, with a file name like "JordanSmith_2026_SoccerResume.pdf" so coaches can easily find it later.
Align your resume with your emails:
When you email coaches, your subject line and message should match what is on your resume. If your subject line says "2026 LHP 84 mph from Texas" but your resume lists 80 mph from two years ago, that inconsistency can hurt your credibility.
Keep it updated, not perfect:
Your athletic resume will change every season. New stats, new awards, updated test scores. An AI assistant like Pathley can help you track these updates in one place so you are not constantly rebuilding from scratch.
Seeing good athletic resume examples is helpful, but knowing what to avoid is just as important. A few common mistakes cost athletes attention they could easily earn.
Mistake: Writing long paragraphs about yourself.
Coaches do not have time to read big blocks of text about how passionate you are. Let your actions, stats, and video show that. Keep sentences short and focused on facts.
Mistake: Hiding or skipping academics.
If your GPA is not where you want it yet, you might feel tempted to leave it off. That usually backfires. Coaches assume the worst when academics are missing. Be honest, show your trend, and keep working to improve.
Mistake: Listing every team you have ever played on.
Stick to recent and relevant experience. Your current high school, most important club teams, and any major showcases or camps are usually enough.
Mistake: Overhyping or stretching the truth.
Coaches will eventually verify your measurables, stats, and awards. If you say you run a 4.4 when you are really a 4.8, that gap destroys trust. Accurate, slightly modest numbers build more credibility than inflated ones.
Mistake: Ignoring design completely.
You do not need a designer, but you do need structure. Use spacing, bolded headings, and clear lines to make your resume easy on the eyes.
You do not need a recruiting service that charges thousands of dollars to build a basic PDF. What you do need is a clear structure, honest information, and a way to adapt your resume as you grow, change levels, and learn more about where you fit.
That is exactly what Pathley is built for. Instead of guessing, you can chat with an AI recruiting assistant that understands your sport, grad year, and goals. It can help you decide what to include, how to describe your strengths, and when to update your information as your season progresses.
As you explore colleges, you can keep your resume, school list, and recruiting tasks in one place. That way, when you email a new coach, you are not scrambling to remember your latest stats or your coach's phone number.
Can you help me turn my current information into a polished athletic resume for college recruiting?
You do not need a perfect document to start reaching out to coaches. You need a clear, honest, and complete one. The athletic resume examples in this guide give you a model. Now your job is to plug in your information, keep it updated, and use it consistently when you email programs.
Remember what matters most. Coaches want to quickly see who you are, how you perform, whether your academics fit, and where they can watch you play. If your resume answers those questions in under thirty seconds, you are in a great spot.
If you want help turning these templates into your own customized resume and overall recruiting game plan, you can create your free Pathley profile in a few minutes. You will get AI-powered tools to organize your athletic information, discover schools that fit, and take the right recruiting steps at the right time.
Your future coach will never see how much time you spent formatting your resume. They will see whether you cared enough to present yourself clearly and professionally. Use these athletic resume examples as your blueprint, then let Pathley guide you through everything that comes next.
