When I was a freshman in high school, I (unknowingly) began the recruiting process. I had never really thought far enough ahead to even consider playing volleyball in college, but before we knew it I was getting contacted by schools...
This time of year, the sports media attention is focused on March Madness and NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championships. A couple of months ago, it was the Bowl Season. NCAA Division I athletics have become synonymous with collegiate sports; so many student-athletes and families are raised upon DI sports and understandably feel DI is the best choice for being a collegiate athlete. Let's shine a light on why Division II, III and NAIA are also excellent options for junior volleyball athletes.
Over the past year, I have been leading 'Recruiting Sessions' for parents whose athletes attended various college showcases. As I was planning these sessions, my goal was to simplify the process and give parents 'real tools' to pass on to their athletes. Below is an outline that I use to begin each session, I like to call it 'Recruiting 101'.
Recently, the AVCA published an article in its blog regarding proposed legislation that could directly affect how PSA’s are recruited. With over 85% of collegiate volleyball athletes being recruited at the club level, the proposed legislation is a call to...
Now that I have your attention, let me clarify this seemingly crazy statement. Junior high and high school volleyball players who participate in club volleyball can be training almost year round. The transition from school volleyball immediately to club volleyball...
There is no pulling a commitment out of a hat...there is no amount of abra cadabras that will get you an offer from the college of your dreams. No concoction of # of calls + # of emails + # of times you hit...
As illustrated by a recent espnW article, early recruiting in women's sports is not limited to volleyball. For a variety of reasons, the recruiting cycle now begins as early as Junior High, and this trend will most likely continue until rules and regulations are adjusted for NCAA Division I volleyball programs, which is where the majority of early recruiting is noted. Many collegiate volleyball coaches are offering and receiving scholarship commitments from players who have yet to spend one day in high school.
Let's examine three myths that aim to detour the athletes from achieving maximum success in the recruiting process. The goal here is to uncover a few 'facts' that spur on not only athletes but also Club Directors and Recruiting Coordinators to heed the 'call to action'. Action that leads to results.
In 2015, there were 432,000 high school girls participating in high school volleyball. If every NCAA/NAIA school was fully funded, there'd be less than 6,000 athletic scholarships available. We all know that a large portion of our parents/players are hopeful to obtain one of those, but the demand exceeds the supply. As club directors, we serve as some of the first mentors for families that are new to youth sports. No one wants to be the bearer of bad news and tell families that the odds are stacked against getting an athletic scholarship. However, it's important to set realistic expectations for your families.
Recently, I felt compelled to pen a letter to our athletes that are struggling to find perspective as they traverse the recruiting journey. It was meant to be a ‘call to persevere’ and a ‘call to be set free’ from...