College Volleyball Recruiting Communciation

Dear Coach,

I have purchased your book and it has become a wonderful resource for us in this recruiting process.  My daughter is a tall, athletic junior MB that is currently playing with a good club team.  She has had many inquiries from colleges that have expressed interest and we have taken a few unofficial visits.

My question is about club play.  Our club has many girls playing MB.  I think she is the best blocker of them and the quickest, not the best hitter. She is definitely in the top 2.  The problem is the club team is comprised of one local high school team with a few others thrown in.  The girls that are “thrown in” hardly get any playing time in this crucial year.  

Unfortunately, one girl has quit due to the playing time and politics.  Another has moved to the 2’s team to get more playing time.  It feels as if we have thrown our season away because when the” local team” players play we don’t win.  We have fallen from the top bracket to third.  It feels as if the coach is developing his high school team.  I can’t blame him, but this is too much money for him to develop a team on my dime.

I think my daughter’s skill level and confidence has dropped dramatically due to the playing time and development time needed of players who are not at the skill level required of a 1’s team.  This is such a crucial year for recruiting and now it is too late to go to another team.

My daughter has been recruited by lower Division I teams and was offered three scholarships (two Division I and one Division II) already, just not to a school that she would like to attend.  

What do you suggest for my daughter to do to be seen by colleges?  What are your suggestions for this club year and next year club play?

BTW~ I hate the politics and this is not something a 16 year old should have to remotely think about in her junior year.  I just want her to be a kid and go to a good college that she will enjoy, make new friends and lifelong relationships and actually graduate from.  

If I knew she was not going to play, and have to deal with other parent's drama, I would have let her play on a better team 2’s team or the local team that is not so hot.  At least she would be competing, learning, not dealing with adult politics, and enjoying the age of 16.  

I don’t want to take her out of club, but I don’t want her self-esteem crushed either trying to deal with issues she has no control over.  I think 16 yrs. olds should be, well, 16!

Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you, 

VolleyMom

Thank you for the compliments on Inside College Volleyball, and I am glad to hear that it is a help of your family in the recruiting craziness!!  

As to your issues; this is a common concern/complaint with many parents when their PSA plays on a team which is dominated and coached by a high school.  And, you are correct, you should not have to pay to empower the development of his high school program.

The good news is that college volleyball coaches are focused on the individual as they view club volleyball.  We want talent; we evaluate individual skill sets and the team really does not matter.  

Because of this individual focus, you should be reaching out directly to collegiate coaches; you have to create your own winning/successful situation.  This is one area in which I know NCSA Athletic Recruiting could be a big help; their free site is amazing with searching out college programs and learning NCAA rules, while their premium service is the best in the business.

College coaches understand politics and the craziness of club volleyball.  We know when a player is getting short changed on playing time or being played out of position.  

Two suggestions:

1.  Re-evaluate the current recruiting status and assemble a new college program outreach effort to achieve the opportunities that your PSA would be interested.  Don't wait for the school she wants to attend to find her, work hard to put her into a position that this 'desired' school knows about her!  The best way to do this is via video; if you know she won't get a bunch of playing time, use video to get the interest of the college coaches and then they can evaluate her in warm-ups and hitting lines.

2.  Look at getting private lessons with a coach not affiliated with your club.  This is a way for her to get extra touches on the ball, target areas she wants to improve upon, and maybe re-capture some confidence!

Good luck and remember that you have lots of time left on the recruiting clock; be patient and work your way thru the process.

Coach