Module 02 · The Collegiate Tryout Blueprint

Recruiting or Tryouts.
Know which game you're in.

These are two completely different processes — polar opposites, honestly. Treating them the same is one of the biggest mistakes girls make before they ever step on the floor.

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Savannah's Intro Video Goes Here

The Long Game

Recruiting

What it isCoaches actively scout and evaluate you before you ever formally apply — often over months or years, through camps, clinics, film they've been sent, or word of mouth from other coaches and choreographers. By the time you audition, they may already have a strong sense of who you are.

TimelineCan begin as early as sophomore or junior year of high school. Some coaches start tracking dancers years before a single spot opens up, which means the girls who show up early have a real head start on the girls who don't.

How you're seenClinics like Tribe 99 and Sharpen Up, social media, reputation built over time, and sometimes direct outreach from a coach or assistant coach who's been watching your program or your studio.

How to prepBuild relationships early — with coaches, current team members, and other dancers in the recruiting circuit. Stay visible in the right spaces. Keep your accounts clean now, not later, because coaches may be watching long before you think they are.

ExamplesLSU, Ohio State, Texas Tech — programs known for actively recruiting well before their official audition period.

The One Shot

Auditions

What it isYou apply and audition on a set day. No offers or commitments are made ahead of time based on who you are or where you're from — but that doesn't mean the process is a total blank slate walking in.

TimelineTypically one audition window — audition week or weekend, usually senior year. Everything gets decided in that single, condensed stretch of time.

How you're seenOne audition — technique, interview, sometimes a paper test. Most audition-only teams still hold clinics beforehand to build connections and give you a feel for their style, even without offering spots ahead of time.

How to prepFocus everything on that single day — technique, interview, presentation, all condensed into one high-stakes performance. There's no long runway here, so every detail matters.

ExamplesArizona Pomline, Colorado State, Texas Christian University — programs that run a formal audition process without a separate recruiting track.

The Part Most Girls Miss

A lot of schools do both.

Some programs recruit in the fall and hold a formal audition later in spring. CU Boulder and Arizona State both work this way — they recruit in the fall, get to know girls over months, build relationships and get a feel for who might be a fit, and then still hold a full audition in April that everyone has to go through. Even if you're one of the one or two girls they've actively recruited, you still have to walk in and audition. Being recruited is not the same as making the team, a lot of the time — it just means you're already a familiar face in the room.

And here's the part that trips people up most: no two hybrid programs run it the same way. One school might pick two recruits and audition everyone else cold. Another might recruit half the team and only audition the remaining spots. The weight given to recruiting versus the audition itself can shift dramatically from program to program, and sometimes year to year depending on who's graduating and what the coach is looking for that season.

This is exactly why you can never assume. Research your specific program. Find the actual dates for both recruiting and auditions. Find out how many spots typically go to recruits versus open auditions. Talk to current vets on the team directly if you can — one school's "hybrid" can look completely different from another's, and the only way to really know is to ask someone living it right now.

Which one am I facing?

Answer honestly. Then go verify every answer yourself — never assume based on this alone.

The school hosts or attends recruiting clinics/camps — Tribe 99, Sharpen Up, or their own.

You've seen the coach or current team members interact with recruits online before audition season.

Their site lists a separate formal audition date, even after any recruiting activity.

Current team members mention going through a recruiting process when they talk about how they joined, not just an audition.

The program has reached out to you, your coach, or your studio directly at any point.

You've attended, or plan to attend, a clinic or camp associated with this specific school.

The team's roster changes noticeably year to year with dancers who weren't previously connected to the program.

Audition-focusedRecruiting-heavy

Check the boxes above to see where you stand.

The Takeaway

Recruiting and auditions are not the same game — but a lot of schools do both, and treating any program as purely one or the other is one of the biggest mistakes girls make. Some teams recruit for months, sometimes years, before ever holding a formal audition. Most audition-only teams still run clinics to build relationships and give you a feel for their style, even without offering spots ahead of time. And even the girls a coach has actively recruited still have to walk in and audition — being recruited buys you familiarity, not a guaranteed spot.

The one thing that's true everywhere, at every level of this sport, is that you cannot assume. Research your specific program from the ground up. Find the real dates for both recruiting and any formal audition. Find out how many spots typically go to recruits versus how many are decided in the room. Talk to current vets on the team directly whenever you can — one school's process can look nothing like another's, and the girls actually living it right now are the only ones who can tell you the truth of what it's really like.

Know The Events

Tribe 99 & Sharpen Up

The two names you'll hear over and over in this world. Here's what they actually are.

Tribe 99 — The Dance Combine

A premier national recruiting event that connects high school dancers directly with collegiate dance team coaches. It bridges the gap between aspiring college dancers and top university programs, giving coaches a real chance to scout talent in person.

Data-driven scoring — you receive a full performance score and ranking across multiple categories, measuring your readiness for college programs.
Formats — a flagship national event held annually in Dallas, Texas, plus smaller regional combines across the country.
Scholarships — participants have the opportunity to earn scholarship funds and recognition within their recruitment class.

2027 National Combine May 14–16, 2027 · Dallas, TX · Registration opens Nov 4, 2026

Regional Combines Winter/Spring (roughly Feb–March) in cities like Nashville, Phoenix, and Miami — smaller local events that also earn you priority registration for the national combine.

Sharpen Up! Dance Team Training

A training and consulting company built to elevate technique, build team culture, and connect dancers with college recruitment opportunities through boutique-style events.

Sharpen Up Summit — recruiting and training events connecting high school and college-aged dancers with collegiate programs and industry agencies.
Fast Track Combos — pre-made 30–45 second routine combinations designed specifically for college dance team auditions and recruitment videos.
The Band Lab Intensive — a one-day training program building strength, alignment, and body control.

CDL Launchpad Regional Series (Fall 2026) One-day intensive training + recruiting days, $100 per event or $250 for the full series — ASU: Sept 27, 2026 · NAU: Oct 25, 2026 · U of A: Nov 15, 2026

READY Regional Event (Spring 2027) A new preparatory event — first stop confirmed in Arvada, CO, with dates coming soon.

Dates and locations shift year to year — always confirm current info directly with Tribe 99 or Sharpen Up before planning around anything listed here.

Getting In The Room

Where do I start?

You don't need a big move on day one. You need these three things, done consistently.

Follow every team's socials — for real

Not a follow-and-forget. Actually watch what your target programs post. You'll start picking up on their style, their culture, who the coaches are, and when clinics or combines usually happen — often before it's ever formally announced.

Turn on post notifications

Clinic and combine registration can fill up fast, and announcements don't always get boosted to the top of your feed. Turning on notifications for your top programs means you see it the second it drops, not two weeks later when spots are gone.

You don't have to hit every clinic in the country. But get in front of coaches at least once before your actual audition. It gets your face and your name out there early — and coaches remember a lot more than you'd think.

Reaching out to a coach

A short, respectful introduction before a clinic goes a long way. Keep it genuine — this is a template to build from, not to copy exactly.

Hi Coach [Last Name], my name is [Your Name] and I'm a dancer from [City/State]. I'm really looking forward to [clinic/combine name] on [date] — I've been following the program for a while and I love [something specific and genuine — their style, a routine you saw, something about their culture].

I had a quick question if you don't mind — [ask something real and specific, like what they look for most in a clinic setting, or how dancers can best prepare]. Thank you so much for your time, I can't wait to meet you and the team!

— [Your Name]

A Non-Negotiable

This reach-out should always come from you. Never your parents.

I need to say this clearly, because I've seen it wreck opportunities for so many genuinely deserving girls: parents should never reach out to coaches, and should have no involvement on the coaches' side of this process. Not a DM, not an email, not a call — even with the best intentions.