The recruiting process can be very overwhelming to the athletes and parents. Clear, open and honest communication is key to a successful process that helps your athletes achieve their goal of playing in college. Here are some ways to establish and maintain communication early on with your student athletes who are working toward the opportunity to play at the collegiate level.
At the beginning of the season host a group parent/athlete meeting for those interested in the opportunity to play at the next level. The meeting can be held in person or over a zoom call. Aim for the method that will get the best attendance, and consider offering two options: live and in-person. Either can be recorded for those that are not able to attend due to scheduling conflicts. You will never be able to have 100% attendance.
When planning the content for the meeting, the main priority is to figure out what you want to cover. There’s so much you can go over, but consider focusing on 3-4 topics in this first meeting to avoid overwhelming your families, or having the meeting run too long. This is an opportunity to make a positive first impression for your club and motivate your athletes about their recruiting process.
Some topics of importance:
- Club Player/Parent Contract: your club conduct statement should include recruiting and you can have the athletes provide their social media accounts.
- Expectations – This includes the Club, the Player and the Recruiting Coordinator
- The State of Recruiting – NCAA waiver, portal, school needs. Click to view recruiting resources.
- Social Media: club policy and recommendations
- Recruiting Platform: there are various options for your club and your athletes
- NCAA Rules/Eligibility Center: click to view resources
- Recruiting Coordinator – Describe the role and availability if your club has someone in this position. Some clubs rely
- Player Priorities in the process
There may be more topics to add to the list, but it’s important to be mindful of the attention and time you are given from the parents and players. In order to keep the first meeting to a reasonable time of an hour to an hour and a half, prioritize the topics of importance. It will also keep the meeting impactful. The longer the meeting the less they will remember.
Future meetings can be directed toward specific graduation classes and/or individually. The next meeting can be more specific to process as it pertains to where the athlete is or should be in the process.
This article was written by Glenna Bianchin, JVA Recruiting Education Committee member, and former Recruiting Coordinator for Carolina Union Volleyball Club, a JVA member in Charlotte, NC.
