You have the ability to direct message any coach on FieldLevel via an athlete's profile with no restrictions. This allows you to communicate with coaches regarding athletes before deciding whether to move forward with recruitment.
Furthermore, you can direct message athletes on FieldLevel — but it must be done from your My Recruits list. When you discover athletes you want to keep track of, you can add them to your My Recruits list.
When an athlete is added to My Recruits, it also sends a request to that athlete's coach to release that athlete's complete contact info. This keeps that particular coach in the loop during the recruiting process.
To learn more about adding athletes to My Recruits, click here: Adding Athletes To, and Maintaining, "My Recruits" List.