The College Volleyball Coach

Athlete Parent Article

2012-02-17T10:08:00.000-08:00

This confirms everything you've said!!!

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/more-family-fun/201202/what-makes-nightmare-sports-parent

S.L.

The Setter

2012-02-16T06:53:00.000-08:00

Hi Coach,

I apologize if this has already been answered, but your last post got me thinking. What's the difference between "running an offense" and just "setting an offense?" As a setter myself, I know about things like establishing the middle early, setting the hot hitter, and looking for matchups, but I still feel like I'm missing something! Can you help me out?

Thanks for your time,

Well you already mentioned a few things which non-setters never consider when they believe they can/will be setters.

Setting is a position which only gets better with age. I knew more as a senior setter, than I ever did as a freshman setter, and I knew more my last year setting professionally, then I did as a senior. It just takes time to know how to run an offense, when to ride the hot hitter, when to waste a set, when to chew on the team and when to give hugs, how to hold your composure when you just want to blow up.

Too many times I see club setters who are just sprinklers - They just rotate through all their hitters, like the sprinkler watering the lawn. I shake my head when I see setters making simple bone head choices - Setting the weakest hitter at a critical time, running the same play too many times when it is not working, not targeting the weakest blocker, etc.

A setter always needs to be intellectual - Too many VolleyFolks get fooled or fall in love with the fiery setter, the setter who shows big emotion. These are flashy, but not the elite setters. I remember a few NCAA Finals ago, Coach Rose at Penn State pulled out his All-American Senior Setter in the Championship match because she was not making good choices and was too emotional. A setter is always thinking and thinking 2 or 3 steps ahead. It is tougher in Rally Score than in Side out scoring - I was also a setter, and I would have hated to play in all rally score games because there is less time to manage a game as a setter.

Always be analytical of each game - Don't fall into the easy out; "we won, so no need to analyze" or "we lost because the passing/hitting was bad" - Think about who you set and when you set them, think about what your goal was during each rally or side out, think about how you would like to improve your offensive system. During the start of the match you should be looking through the net to see who is a weakness on the block; tall blockers (make them move), small blockers (make them jump).

Just a few thoughts for you to ponder.

Coach

6 on 6 with South Carolina Head Coach Scott Swanson

2012-02-15T07:38:00.000-08:00

Scott Swanson is the Head Volleyball Coach at the University of South Carolina, and a coach I have really enjoyed knowing for the last several years. Both of us cut our head coaching teeth back in the day when he was at UTEP and I was at Tulsa.

He went on to Minnesota as an Assistant coach and was a key factor in their great runs deep into the NCAA Championship. I expect Coach Swanson to quickly build USC into a force in the SEC.

6 on 6 with South Carolina Head Coach Scott Swanson:

What drew you into the profession of college volleyball coaching?

My competitive nature and love for the sport of volleyball

If you could change one thing about the sport of college volleyball, what would that be?

I would slow down the recruiting process so that recruits could take all five of their official visits and then choose a school.

Who is the most famous person you have met and where was it?

Karch Kiraly, he hung out with us at the University of Minnesota for a few hours before doing the color for our match.

Where is your favorite vacation spot?

San Diego

What is the least enjoyable part of your job?

Constant recruiting travel!

Sideout scoring or Rally scoring?

Sideout scoring, I am a bit old school!

Physical Training for pre-High School age players

2012-02-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

Hey Coach,

It`s been a few months since I first e-mailed you about making club playing decisions for our daughter. We decided to play our daughter up a year in 15`s for this club season. It`s been mostly good so far however our daughter is having to adjust to not being the big fish on the court.

My question that I have now is in regards to appropriate volleyball work load for a 14 year old girl. There are team practices 2-3 times a week plus recommended (voluntary) strength and conditioning another 1-2 times per week. Also, individual skill training available another one time per week. A lot of this training I feel is a bit much but I see other girls her age doing it so part of me feels that my daughter will be left behind if we don`t do it all. I want to prepare my daughter for high school varsity next fall but I also want to manage her time to where she is not in the gym 6 days a week. Also, please specifically advise me on what types of physical strength and conditioning training you feel is appropriate for a 14 year old girl and how often?

As always, thanks for your insight.

That can be a big Volleyball adjustment; training with and playing against athletes one year older! I think the two biggest physical jumps for a Volleyball player are Freshman to Sophomore year in High school and Freshman to Sophomore year in College.

None.

Sprints.

When they Volleyball practice.

Those are my specific answers for appropriate lifting, conditioning and when for 14 year old players.

Because of Football, we are a Lift Happy athletic society. Everyone thinks we have got to start lifting early and often, and then if we are not lifting we should be doing some type of cardio/speed system that the US Navy Seals use.

I make this argument because of all the countries that I have had the pleasure of experiencing Volleyball (Brazil, Puerto Rico (well, kinda its own country), Switzerland, Serbia, Romania, Japan, etc), then don't lift young, and sometimes not at all. I used to have Brazilian players come into my College Volleyball program who could not even lift the bar in bench press, but they were light years ahead of my DI American players in ability, ball control, understanding of the game, passion, etc.

Also, I am see more cases of young players having shin splints, stress fractures, aching backs, etc. than I can ever remember and I absolutely believe this is because young bodies are being pushed too hard too soon.

At her age, the best thing she can do is focus upon skill development; the physical improvements will come just as her body naturally matures. What you don't want to create is a stud 15 year old, and a chronically kinda hurt 17 year old, because this will result in a non-college playing 18 year old.

If she is having good practices 2 to 3 times a week (and I mean a solid practice, at a good tempo, with plenty of touches on the ball), then I would not do anything more more. If the practice sessions are 1 good and 2 marginal, then maybe consider an additional skill training segment.

But, no lifting/conditioning, as she should be getting this in the practice sessions. What you don't want is your pre-PSA (not yet a 9th grader) in the gym 5 days a week, and then competition on the weekend. This is the perfect recipe for later club and high school Volleyball burnout.

Take the Brazilian path to her Volleyball development - Be in the gym a few days a week, getting quality touches and having a balanced life.

Random Volleyball Thoughts

2012-02-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

1. As Coach Sealy was recently on our 6 on 6, how many volleyball teams are now trying to run a much faster offense after watching UCLA win the 2011 National Championships and his post game interview "speed kills"? For Those of You About to Speed, remember to have a matching setter. The setter is the key component of this equation.

2. I pity the referees because they have so much influence upon rally score volleyball and one 'no call' can bring down the wrath of the volleyball gods, or at least the 'wronged' coach. Then, just to make sure they are in a no win situation, the PTB (powers that be) remove the majority of the decisions, which only magnifies those few times they have to make a call.

3. Please follow me on Twitter - I want thousands of followers just so when I have nothing witty to come back with in an argument, I can reference my Twitter numbers; come on VolleyFolks, they don't come much more entertaining than me!!! And, you can get the heads up on some good things going on with the site and my travels.

4. A bit surreal not standing at the end of the club volleyball courts this recruiting season, after being planted there the last 15 plus years. I miss being among the energy of volleyball because it is a great sport, but I don't miss what recruiting has become.

5. Storage Wars was my go to television show last season to come down after a match. Back to back to back episodes, 1/2 hour in length, easy format to understand and you never knew if something cool was hidden in that storage unit!

6. Instant feedback on the importance of Volleyball within an Athletics Department - Watch a basketball game to see if the Volleyball court is painted on the floor.

7. The new multi year scholarship awards are a mirage; NCAA schools can write in language on the NLI and scholarship papers which lets the athletic department terminate the scholarship early.

8. I still don't understand the mandate/rationale/push/philosophy that College Volleyball has to be in a constant state of change. Small pruning of the tree has now become massive changes landscape. We continue to change, we continue to be second tier, while the Flagship sports stay the same and promote their greatness - We promote our changes. If you act big time, people will believe you are big time. If you are constantly making big changes, this demonstrates lack of confidence.

9. Philosophically speaking, we won't see major improvements in the standing of Women's Volleyball until the Senior Women's Administrator and Associate Athletic Director positions within NCAA Athletic departments are filled by former Volleyball players.

10. VolleyPSA's, fight as hard as possible not to pick your collegiate future because of the coach. Not that the coach is not a good teacher, a good person, and a great leader of the program, but there are so many factors which will greatly affect your collegiate experience which are completely outside of the coach's control. Picking a school/team for the right reasons, will allow you to process a college coaching change without devastating your collegiate experience.

Current DI Walk On Question

2012-02-09T07:53:00.000-08:00

My freshman college daughter just completed her first season as a D1 walk-on and she is staying at the college even if she didn't play volleyball. She is actively training with the team this winter and the Head Coach resigns. Her walk-on offer was extended by that head coach.

When the new head coach is hired:

1. What is the best way for a walk-on player to approach the new coach to ask to stay with the team? Or do new coaches typically seek out the walk-ons for such a discussion? Is it likely that new coaches out-right dismiss walk-on? Or does a new coach sit back and watch as though it were a 'try-out'?

2. What key points should she be sure to make during her discussion that would be most appealing to a new coach?

3. Assuming she has a stellar spring season performance and the new coach is in place to see it, how should a walk-on approach a scholarship opportunity discussion - or does she just sit back and assume if the coach doesn't initiate the offer, she just isn't scholarship worthy? (there are 2 unfilled and based on your prior insights, it would seem the coach would move on to consider new recruits.)

4. We are thinking her 'performance will speak for itself' and the new coach with either keep her as a walk-on practice player, or offer her a scholarship, or tell her he doesn't want her on the team.

Basically, we (she) is in a new college volleyball situation with no experience as to the best way to approach a new coach. She does NOT want to be viewed as an entitled player and would like to show the coach that she, too, wants to do what is best for the team.

I know it's many questions! Thanks again in advance for sharing your knowledge and experience on this subject.

Sincerely,

VolleyParent

Glad to answer as many questions as you have; these are crazy times in the world of college volleyball and I am happy to help my VolleyFamilies!

In looking through your questions, I think the biggest thing to keep in mind, is that your SA is a member of the team. She is actively involved, obviously demonstrated her value to the program her first season, and needs to act the part, which is a NCAA Division I Athlete.

If anything, the new coach will be more receptive to those SA's which happen to be walk-ons because they are 'free'. In today's college athletic environment, women sport's coaches have pressure to increase roster sizes to offset the male sports participation numbers, which places even more value upon the walk-on player.

Let me move directly into your answers:

1. I would not bother approaching the coach, but rather wait for the coach to approach her. She needs to act like she belongs. Most new coaches will take the winter/spring season to evaluate the talent which is on the team, as a function of how the recruiting efforts should be directed for the next 1 to 3 years. If anything, I would be more worried as a scholarship player, than a walk on player. Again, walk ons are free, so a quality walk on is a win-win situation for a new coach.

2. If the new coach schedules individual meetings, which some will do, then she should express her desire to remain on the team, how she can contribute to the programs (skills, attitude, academics) and how she will work very hard in the gym.

3. It is a long shot that the new coach will provide her with one of the available scholarships; possible but a LONG shot. New coaches want the scholarship openings to bring in players they feel best fit what they believe should be done to improve the play. First things first; demonstrate the value to the program, secure the roster spot, then shoot for a scholarship by her Junior year. Walk ons are viewed as a freebie, so the new coach will look to bring in scholarship athletes, since your SA is already on the team.

4. Agreed - Her ability/effort/attitude will determine her opportunities with the team; roster spot, playing time and possible scholarship support.

In closing, the best thing your SA can do is play to the best of her abilities, work hard and have a good attitude (as the old saying goes; act like you've been there before!). As simple as this sounds, this is the best avenue for her to illustrate her value to the team.

Coach

College Volleyball Transfer Statistics

2012-02-08T07:19:00.000-08:00

One of the GREAT resources for all VolleyFamilies is richkern.com. Back in the day, when I was your favorite anonymous NCAA Division I Head Volleyball coach, I referred to Rich as the Volleyball Encyclopedia. The amount of information which he has on his site is amazing.

Rich has put together a statistical analysis of College Volleyball Transfer situations and the results are sobering.

Percentage of Coaching Changes
Years	DI	DII	DIII
1	20	25	30
2	35	45	50
3	50	60	65
4	60	70	75
5	70	75	80
6	75	80	85

This can be interpreted as 20 percent of the DI head coaches will change jobs in the first year. 35 percent will change jobs after 2 years. In other words, if you sign up two years in advance of starting college, there is a 70% chance of ending with a different coach than you were recruited by. Obviously some schools change coaches more frequently than others so this is just the average. I don’t have stats on the assistant coaches but they change much more frequently.

This is why the standard advice is to make sure you would be happy with your college, even if the coach who recruited you were not there.

These stats illustrate the importance of selecting your school based upon everything else but the coach. In today's economic climate and the disconnect which NCAA DI athletic departments have shown with all things not football, it has created a situation in which there are even more collegiate coaching changes. More and more coaches are just walking away from college jobs because they are burnt out and tired of dealing with so much idiocracy.

Once again, Thank You to richkern.com for providing these important statistics, which illustrates how important it is to view the entire collegiate package, not just the coach, when choosing a PSA's future!

6 on 6 with Nebraska Head Coach John Cook

2012-02-07T07:30:00.000-08:00

You cannot have a College Volleyball conversation about elite level programs without including Nebraska. Each season, they remain one of the odds on favorites to advance to the Final Four.

With a major facility renovation, the transition to the Big 10, and Coach Cook's intensity, Nebraska Volleyball will be a dominant program for years to come.

6 on 6 with John Cook, Nebraska Volleyball Head Coach.

1. What drew you into the profession of college volleyball coaching? A full time teaching job at a high school

2. If you could change one thing about the sport of college volleyball, what would that be?

Go to international rules

3. Who is the most famous person you have met and where was it?

President Bush in his office at the white house

4. Where is your favorite vacation spot?

Jackson hole, wyoming

5. What is the least enjoyable part of your job?

When the season is over

6. Sideout scoring or Rally scoring?

I never thought I would say this but rally scoring….

Webinar Reminder and Getting Recruited on a Bad Club Team

2012-02-06T07:14:00.000-08:00

REMINDER - No Senior Left Behind live webinar, Monday, Feb 6th at 7 p. pacific/9 p. central. This webinar focuses on empowering Seniors to find that collegiate spot!

Very simple to join in, 1) Click url link below,

URL Link : http://connectpro96398706.adobeconnect.com/msonnichsen/

2) Click 'Guest', (please check to make sure you are using the latest Adobe Flash software, as VolleyFolks had issues joining our last webinar via the Firefox browser. Explorer, Google Chrome and Safari are connecting well)

3) Type your Name,

4) Click 'Enter Room'

You will then be taken to a screen which will have slide show on the big box, a chat room on the lower right box and a webcam screen upper right (which I will turn on at 9 p.m) Please remember to enable and turn up your volume!

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HELLO COACH,

My daughter is a junior and beginning her second year in club volleyball. I have learned there are a lot of politics in this club as far as who makes what team. My daughter was put on a team with a mix of ok players and some bad players.

She is wanting to play in college and sent out info and a skills tape. She got a couple responses and at the first tournament one of the coaches was there watching. The problem is her team is bad and she is getting very frustrated. They came in last place. Does she have any chance of college coaches watching her on this team? She is a great hitter, we are looking at Division ll schools. She is still working on passing with lessons. If you are on a lower level team does that hurt your chances?

I am so frustrated with this club and there are not that many clubs in our city in Florida. What advice can you give us? The club also does not do much to help with recruiting. S.

When College Volleyball coaches recruit, we seldom consider how the team does. Our primary concern is the skill sets, attitude and effort of the PSA. We will stay aware of how a team finishes, but this is more to stay in the loop for information reasons; we would enjoy having her team win the tournament but our focus is individual not team.

Many coaches will tell the white lie of how a team finishes, factors into their evaluations, but I can promise you that if a player passes nails and hits .350, we will overlook the team not doing well. I constantly remind VolleyParents not to freak out if their PSA's club team bombs a tourney, or has a down season or does not qualify for Nationals. College coaches are evaluating players, not teams.

By your geography, you are limited in your choices. If you were in Dallas, or Chicago, or Los Angeles then you would have some alternatives, but you will need to make the most of the hand which you have been dealt.

Being on a lower finishing team, just means that you will need to put in more effort into recruiting outreach and maybe look at a recruiting service (or consider Inside College Volleyball). The lower finish/ranking means you may not be playing in the prime round of a tourney, or being in the sweet spot of the physical set up of the facility; these instances can limit the 'drive by' discoveries by collegiate coaches.

This is no different than if you were from a small town which only had a regional club team or being a good player off the bench on a great team. Each PSA's situation will have some type of challenge and the key is to control what you can control. Very few PSA's have the Golden Ticket handed to them by Pegasus; and with the changes in the culture of College Volleyball and recruiting, I would take a moment or two before accepting!

Keep your VolleyPSA focused on improving skill sets, working hard and staying positive. That way, when the college coaches do see her play (either by your email invitation, your recruiting service or just wandering around a large club event), they will see her at her best. Again, college coaches are first and foremost concerned with individual ability because it is only the individual they are recruiting, not the team.

NCAA Recruiting and Academics Update

2012-02-05T08:02:00.000-08:00

NCAA ARTICLES-Courtesy of NCSA Athletic Recruiting

NCAA Rule updates which can/will affect VolleyFamilies, no matter the division you may be exploring.

Text messaging adopted in Division III:

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2012/january/text+messaging+adopted+in+division+iii

“Effective immediately, text messaging will be regulated according to the same standard as telephone, email and fax correspondence in the recruiting process.”

“What won’t be deregulated also is newsworthy. The proposal adopted (No. 8, sponsored by the Division III Management Council) does not include social media. A proposal that would have allowed social media to be included in the deregulations (Proposal No. 7) was withdrawn on the Convention floor.”

DI Board reaffirms expense allowance, multi-year scholarships:

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2012/january/di+board+reaffirms+expense+allowance%2C+multi-year+scholarships

“The Division I Board of Directors reaffirmed Saturday its support for a $2,000 miscellaneous expense allowance, but directed the Student-Athlete Well-Being working group to come back to the presidents in April with recommendations for implementation.”

Opinions vary on academic reporting in DIII:

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2012/january/opinions+vary+on+academic+reporting+in+diii

“Hundreds of Division III representatives talked about what to do with an academic reporting pilot that so far has validated what previously had been assumed – that student-athletes graduate at rates

comparable with or better than students in general.”

Division III discusses potential benefit of recruiting calendar:

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2012/january/division+iii+discusses+potential++benefit+of+recruiting+calendar

“The panelists, along with others in the audience, wondered if the lack of a recruiting calendar was a bane to coaches working at the Division III level. Many believe their coaches become “burned out” since their work/life balance can become extreme.”

DII begins academic review:

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2012/january/dii+begins+academic+review

“Over the next two years, the Academic Requirements Committee will lead a comprehensive assessment of initial-eligibility, two-year transfer and progress-toward-degree requirements. The review is timely because of the availability of Academic Performance Census, which provides sufficient data on the academic performance of Division II student-athletes. The review also will ensure that academic requirements align with the Division II philosophy and prepare student-athletes to attain a college degree.”

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URL Link : http://connectpro96398706.adobeconnect.com/msonnichsen/

3) Type your Name,

4) Click 'Enter Room'

Webinar Q - Webinar Reminder - College VB Commitment

2012-02-03T07:54:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, I hosted a College Transfer webinar, and needed to follow up to a question from a participant - The Question was if a non-released SA could still practice with the new school, even though she could not play or receive a scholarship. I have gone through the NCAA Transfer guides, and there is no mention of not being able to practice while satisfying the Year in Residence required during a non-released transfer situation. The only limitations were not receiving a scholarship, not playing and not receiving travel money (i.e. to travel to away matches).

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REMINDER - No Senior Left Behind live webinar, Monday, Feb 6th at 7 p. pacific/9 p. central. This webinar focuses on empowering Seniors to find that collegiate spot!

Very simple to join in, 1) Click url link below,

URL Link : http://connectpro96398706.adobeconnect.com/msonnichsen/

3) Type your Name,

4) Click 'Enter Room'

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Coach if schools cannot communicate with PSA's until july of their jr year how are some of them being able to draw verbal commitments from recruits before that? S.B.

Because they cheat!!! Kidding....kinda.

Before a PSA's Junior year (before emails are allowed), the college coach will tell the club coach to have the PSA email or call them. Then, the college coach will 'mistakenly' email the sophomore PSA. Or will, 'accidentally' call a sophomore PSA back who left a message.

When PSA's are Juniors (and now more often, as Sophomores), the college coach makes it very clear to the club coach that if a certain PSA has an interest in their school they need to call them, or they do it via email to arrange a call (and the old, 'oops, I was just returning a call' routine).

With both of these situations (athletes calling the college coach), the coaches are then cleared to recruit at will over the phone and also to make arrangements for an unofficial visit. Unofficial visits are now the vehicle to recruit in person and this is where the offer of a scholarship occurs, and the VolleyFamily can just call the coach back at any time to commit.

The clubs are the vehicle now to put the families in touch with the college coaches via the phone, and then via unofficial visits.

Coach

And because two is better than one!

Is there an optimal age or an age limit for a psa to register at the ncaa clearinghouse? Thanks again. Love the blog. Kinda prefer the older format better though. SB

Which format did you prefer? Originally, it was left side info boxes, and text big on right. Then I revamped to info boxes left and right with text in middle, but I thought that was too busy. My third try is info boxes right, with text left but not as big as original.

NCAA Eligibility Center (E.C.) is now the term du jour for the certification of PSA's by the NCAA. There is two parts to the EC - Academic eligibility and amateurism certification. All NCAA athletes must be certified as Eligible before than can begin NCAA practice and if on a scholarship, have that scholarship applied. You hear about instances where athletes in the Fall (most common) are held out of practice because they are taking care of some issues with the EC; these athletes have to pay their own way during the time of which their issues are being resolved.

I feel it is best to register in the Fall of your Junior year. At this point, the PSA would just pay the fee (I think $75.00), put in all their basic information, along with submitting a current transcript. As ACT/SAT tests are taken, these scores should be reported to the EC, along with completing the 20 question Amateurism Questionnaire. Before an athlete can be certified as academically eligible, they must submit Final High School Transcripts which demonstrate the PSA has completed the mandated number of Core Courses, and has the corresponding ACT/SAT test scores (in DI, Academic Eligibility is determined by the relationship between Test Scores and GPA. In DII, there is a base of 820 SAT, and a 2.5 gpa for Eligibility).

The latest an athlete could register with the EC and hope to become certified in time, would be approximately 60 days before the start of fall practice or the fall academic year (if not playing a fall sport). This is because the EC get slammed with applications, and football takes priority in the process. So, this would mean early June at the latest.

Coach

6 on 6 with Penn State Head Coach Russ Rose

2012-02-01T07:18:00.000-08:00

On a previous post, I wrote that Russ Rose and Penn State have done more to develop Women's Volleyball's popularity and growth than any other group and I absolutely believe what I wrote.

4 NCAA Championships in a row? 109 match win streak? Providing an example of achievement and class for an entire generation of youth Volleyball players to emulate, especially those young players who can better identify with Penn State than a west coach school.

6 on 6 with Penn State's Head Volleyball Coach Russ Rose

1. What drew you into the profession of college volleyball coaching?

I went to college to become a physical education teacher and basketball coach and attended a school named George Williams College that had a professor/coach named Jim Coleman. Jim was a former National team coach and was one of the leaders in volleyball and coach education and I fell into the sport. I never looked back and feel blessed to have had the time with Jim and Terry Liskevych and Jerry Angle who were there at that time.

2. If you could change one thing about the sport of college volleyball, what would that be?

I feel the club model that we have in the sport has made it tough for young athletes who don’t have the resources the opportunity to participate.

3. Who is the most famous person you have met and where was it?

Met Ali in an airport, Bob Knight at PS, Karch Kiraly- tough to determine who is really famous

4. Where is your favorite vacation spot?

Any golf course where cigars are welcome and the sun is shining-I’m easy. Italy is also very appealing

5. What is the least enjoyable part of your job?

Recruiting and the importance of it and seeing what some people will do or say to get a player. Trying not to follow their lead is the challenge.

6. Sideout scoring or Rally scoring?

Sideout and every now and then I’ll have our team practice that way-it doesn’t transfer very well but it reminds me of the game that I really embraced.

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Just wanted to take a moment and thank all the VolleyFamilies which joined last night's live webinar on College Volleyball Transfers. Had some great questions and helps some folks manage the emotional craziness of collegiate transfer possibilities.

REMINDER - No Senior Left Behind live webinar, Monday, Feb 6th at 7 p. pacific/9 p. central. This webinar focuses on empowering Seniors to find that collegiate spot!

Very simple to join in, 1) Click url link below,

URL Link : http://connectpro96398706.adobeconnect.com/msonnichsen/

3) Type your Name,

4) Click 'Enter Room'

College Volleyball Commitment - Now What?

2012-01-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

Before we get to a very good question about what happens after Committing to a college, I wanted to update all my VolleyFolk that I will be conducting a College Transfer Webinar on Wednesday at 9 central (please make sure your web browser is running the most current version of Adobe Flash!!!). With the end of the collegiate season and the start of the recruiting season, I get many emails from families which are now facing the Collegiate Transfer process. On Wednesday morning, I will provide the link and log in information for the College Transfer Live Webinar - Many thanks to NCSA for their support of this great information exchange.

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Coach,

First, thanks for helping Volleyfamlies with your advice and insight. It has been an aid in our journey.

GLAD TO HELP AND I APPRECIATE THE 'THANKS'.

My DD is a high school junior and has verbally committed to her dream school, a D1 in a major conference.

FANTASTIC AND COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

Now what?

RELAX AND ENJOY THE NEXT TWO YEAR'S OF CLUB VOLLEYBALL.

We think our DD is doing all the right things,

* registered at Eledgibility Center

GOOD, MAKE SURE SHE ALSO COMPLETES THE AMATEURISM QUESTIONNAIRE, ALONG WITH CHECKING IT OFTEN, BECAUSE THE NCAA EC LIKES TO DROP LAST MINUTE 'TO DO'S' IN THERE..

* taking ACTs/SATs - GOOD.

* taking 17s season seriously -

MORE THAN SERIOUSLY, USE IT TO IMPROVE SKILL SETS.

* emailing coaches bi-weekly - MORE THAN ENOUGH.

But what else should she be doing?

ENJOY BEING A JUNIOR IS HIGH SCHOO AND 17 YEARS OLD. COLLEGE WILL COME SOON ENOUGH; THE BEST THING SHE CAN DO FOR COLLEGE IS KEEP HER GRADES UP AND KEEP IMPROVING HER VOLLEYBALL SKILLS.

Also, what should we expect from the school now that she has verbally committed?

DEPENDS ON THE SCHOOL. THE COACHES SHOULD KNOW WHEN APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE SENT IN (ADMISSION AND HOUSING) AND THEY SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON HER NCAA EC PROGRESS.

* Will the coaches watch club matches more or less frequently? More or less intently?

LESS BECAUSE SHE HAS ALREADY COMMITTED AND LESS INTENTLY. WHAT THEY WILL DO IS A 'DRIVE BY' TO MAKE SURE SHE SEES THEM WATCHING HER, AND ALSO TO MAKE SURE SHE IS PROGRESSING AND STAYING IN SHAPE. BASICALLY, THEY DROP IN TO 'PSA SIT'.

* Will college coach tell club coach what to work on?

DEPENDS ON HER POSITION; USUALLY NOTHING DRASTIC BUT MAYBE A SPECIFIC SKILL WHICH CAN BE TIGHTENED UP, IN ADDITION TO JUST GETTING GENERALLY BETTER.

* What will the college coaches be looking for?

TO MAKE SURE SHE STAYS IN SHAPE (PSA'S GAINING WEIGHT, AND LOSING FITNESS IS A NIGHTMARE FOR COLLEGE COACHES BECAUSE THIS RESULTS IN FATIGUE INJURIES BEFORE THE PSA EVER ARRIVES TO CAMPUS.

* Should DD attend the Big State U summer camp? SHE WILL BE EXPECTED TO.

All of this then leads me to ask when/why a college program would pull out their side of the verbal?

MOST COMMON REASONS SEEM TO BE CHANGE IN HEAD COACHES (#1), PLAYER SERIOUSLY GETS OUT OF SHAPE (FAT), DOES NOT GET ANY BETTER (USUALLY THIS IS A RESULT OF A WAY EARLY SOPHOMORE COMMITMENT, AND PSA FLATTENS OUT), ACADEMICS (AGAIN, EARLY COMMITS STILL HAVE MANY CLASSES TO TAKE, ALONG WITH TESTS.

* What happens if DD get seriously hurt, like an ACL?

DEPENDS ON COACH AND ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT; ATHLETIC DEPARTMENTS ARE NOW ASKING FOR HEALTH HISTORIES ON PSA'S BEFORE SENDING NLI'S BECAUSE ONCE THE PLAYER SIGNS, THE SCHOOL IS CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO THEM. COACHES - IF A PLAYER BLOWS HER KNEE THEN THE COACH HAS A DECISION; IN THE PAST, COACHES JUST REDSHIRTED THE PSA AUTOMATICALLY THE FRESHMAN YEAR TO EXTEND REHAB TIME. BUT NOW, MORE COACHES ARE PULLING VERBAL OFFERS AND MOVING ON TO OTHER ATHLETES.

* What happens if DD does not progress sufficiently?

AGAIN, IN THE PAST, THE COACH JUST PLANNED ON THAT PLAYER CONTRIBUTING LATER IN HER COLLEGIATE CAREER OR JUST BEING A PRACTICE PLAYER. BUT NOW, MORE AND MORE COACHES DON'T WANT TO PUT IN THE EFFORT TO DEVELOP A SLOW PROGRESSING PLAYER, BUT WOULD RATHER JUST GO RECRUIT ANOTHER PLAYER WHO IS BETTER.

Maybe you can prepare a guide for the verbally committed PSA just like your wonder recruiting guides.

GOOD IDEA. I WOULD HOPE THAT THE COLLEGE PROGRAMS WOULD BE EDUCATING THE PLAYERS, BUT THINGS HAVE CHANGED WITHIN THE LAST FEW YEARS.

Thanks in advance for the advice. NO PROBLEM!

Curious VolleyDad

Webinar - Update

2012-01-30T18:40:00.000-08:00

Just found out that there were some issues joining the No Senior Left Behind Live Webinar for many families. It is my understanding that the Guest button was not showing up on the Firefox browsers.

We will work hard to get this figured out for our next two webinars - February 1st, 9 p.m. central is College Transfers. February 6th, we will present the No Senior Left Behind webinar again.

Coach

Live Webinar Reminder - No Senior Left Behind

2012-01-30T06:26:00.000-08:00

JANUARY 30TH - 7 p.m. west coast/10 p.m. east coast/9 p.m. central.

Instructions:

URL Link : http://connectpro96398706.adobeconnect.com/msonnichsen/

Click "Guest" and Type in your Name.

Space is limited to 100 participants.

I will also present this No Senior Left Behind live webinar on February 6th (and if need be on February 13). I want to get information out to families before the big President's Day Volleyball tournaments, as many of these are important in the recruiting efforts of Senior PSA's.

Please mark your calendars for Monday, January 30th - Also, those of you which are frequent message board visitors, please spread the word, as I know this information will be helpful to those 2012 PSA's
still working hard for that College Volleyball spot!

================================================

Wanted to take a moment to welcome Delta Force Volleyball Club as our first Volleyball Recruiting Webinar - Thanks to NCSA, I can now provide a Live Webinar for individual Volleyball Clubs wanting to get current information on this crazy thing called college volleyball recruiting. Oh, and it is free!

If your club organization would be interested in scheduling a Live Webinar, just contact me at collegevolleyballcoach@gmail.com. It is as simple as a free ball - We set a time and date for your team to log into the Live Webinar, via a dedicated internet link, and each player can join in from their own computer (home, office, library, school, etc).

Pass - Set - Spike

2012-01-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

1. A College Coach's Newest paranoia - The Poison Pill. That one Student-Athlete who looks innocent enough, but is so toxic that she can kill a season and a career. You know, the player who is talented and says the right things to the coach, but behind their backs is talking trash, ripping team mates and complaining about everything; this SA turns the players who are mentally weak or indifferent into negative entities. Too many good coaches, of good programs have talked about the Poison Pill, and it is a phenomenon which is insidious.

2. Bad new trend for NCAA Women's Volleyball - Athletic Directors are mandating that Volleyball teams carry a much larger roster, as to offset the number of walk ons in football. This creates more work for the limited coaching staffs of volleyball, a hit to the budget (the budgets are not increased to offset the larger roster with regards to equipment and pre-season meals), and easily creates a negative team chemistry situation because no player wants to be considered just a number. This was an issue at my last school, and I know a number of coaches who are also dealing with this demand.

3. Two Requests, my VolleyFolk - 1) Please keep sending me your Volleyball action and team chemistry photos from this club season; a picture speaks a thousand words and I want to get more good photos for all to share! 2) VolleyFamilies, please pass along the information about my Volleyball Road Camps to your respective high school coaches. It is a challenge getting in contact with the various high schools, as I believe the number of high school coaches who read this site is limited. I understand this is a bit self serving, but I also know that the Road Camp is a great way to get high quality summer touches in your gym. I appreciate your help!

Live Webinar - Volleyball Recruiting Education

2012-01-25T07:12:00.000-08:00

VolleyFamilies - I am jumping into the world of high technology. Even though I am still trying to figure out my iPhone, it is time to hold my first Live Webinar courtesy of NCSA Athletic Recruiting.

I will present a Volleyball Recruiting Education live webinar titled - No Senior Left Behind. This webinar will focus on helping those 2012 players still searching for their future school.

JANUARY 30TH - 7 p.m. west coast/10 p.m. east coast/9 p.m. central.

Instructions:

URL Link : http://connectpro96398706.adobeconnect.com/msonnichsen/

Click "Guest" and Type in your Name.

Space is limited to 100 participants.

I will also present this No Senior Left Behind live webinar on February 6th (and if need be on February 13). I want to get information out to families before the big President's Day Volleyball tournaments, as many of these are important in the recruiting efforts of Senior PSA's.

Please mark your calendars for Monday, January 30th - Also, those of you which are frequent message board visitors, please spread the word, as I know this information will be helpful to those 2012 PSA's still working hard for that College Volleyball spot!

6 on 6 with UCLA Head Coach, Mike Sealy

2012-01-24T08:15:00.000-08:00

It is a pleasure to feature UCLA Head Coach Mike Sealy, winning coach of the 2011 National Championship on collegevolleyballcoach.com!

6 on 6 with UCLA's Mike Sealy:

1. What drew you into the profession of college volleyball coaching?

it was either that or have to grow up....

2. If you could change one thing about the sport of college volleyball, what would that be?

the recruiting timeline and how serious it gets at the junior level so quickly

3. Who is the most famous person you have met and where was it?

barack obama. when he was a senator he was in hawaii with family. i was taking my puppy for a walk at waimea bay and his daughters ran over to pet her. he and michelle followed.

4. Where is your favorite vacation spot?

anywhere beachy where surfing is possible

5. What is the least enjoyable part of your job?

i prefer to call it "biggest challenge"...bringing the game home with me and not being able to turn it off.

6. Sideout scoring or Rally scoring?

sideout if my team is better than the opponent, rally if we are not as good.

Questions from a VolleyDad

2012-01-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

First off, thanks for a GREAT resource you have here. I’ve sent your link out to many friends. Really terrific.

Okay coach, I’ll try and keep the questions succinct. And, I want to give you as much useful background as possible. Here goes: My High School Junior daughter is a tad over 6ft barefoot (never sure how everyone measures? In shoes or not??) and plays for a good club team and was a high school starter at one of the more highly regarded high school programs in SoCal. Her passing (especially serve receive) and digging is so strong the coach plays her through the back row. Which I attribute to her working hard and playing LOTS of beach volleyball. According to all her coaches her setting is exceptional (wish I had her learn the spot starting at 12) with soft strong hands. She’s a decent jumper and a good blocker. Plays OPP/ MB mainly and will set in practices and scrimmages some times. So far so good right? Well she’s battled a weird coordination thing with her hitting. She can hit, has smart shots but has a hard time getting power on the ball. Her arms are unusually long and slightly hyper-extended which I think makes it tough. And she hits from a nice high reach. She’s been working on it and it seems it’s finally starting to come together in just the last 4 weeks but still needs to come along as we enter the 17s club season. Up to now, she (mom and I too) has been very realistic. And open minded. She’s had several D3, D2 and a couple lower level D1 coaches express above average interest. And she is very open minded to East coast etc. Oh and she’s a 4.2 AP/Honors student so grades are super and just took the SAT cold and got a 2100. And she’s super smart on the court too. So my I have several questions:

ANSWERS IN CAPS (AND THANKS FOR THE COMPLIMENTS ON THE SITE):

1. Her passing is really outstanding but it seems that so much emphasis is placed on hitting when a player is 6ft that it doesn’t matter. I’ve seen girls from our area offered D1 full rides and they are great hitters but can’t pass. What’s the real deal on this?

COLLEGE COACHES ARE FOCUSED ON HITTING BY TALL PLAYERS BECAUSE THEY CAN ALWAYS BRING IN A COUPLE OF PLAYERS TO PASS AND DEFEND. WITH THE LIBERO AND 12 SUBS IN COLLEGE, AT LEAST THREE HITTERS NEVER HAVE TO PLAY BACK ROW. NOT BEING ABLE TO PASS, IS NOW MORE THE NORM THAN THE
EXCEPTION WITH VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS.

2. Her setting ability is so very strong. Is it too late to get good at that spot as a HS Junior?

SETTING IS A TOUGH POSITION TO LEARN LATE. MANY KIDS CAN SET, BUT NOT MANY ARE A SETTER. THE BODY POSITIONING OVER THE COURSE OF A MATCH AND CONSISTENT GOOD DECISIONS ARE THE SUBTLE PARTS OF THE POSITION WHICH CAN BE LOST ON NON-SETTERS. THAT IS NOT TO SAY SHE CAN'T SWITCH, BUT IT IS ONE OF THOSE CAN'T GO HALFWAY IN SWITCHES - IF SHE IS GOING TO SET, THEN SHE NEEDS TO FOCUS ONLY UPON SETTING.

3. If her hitting comes together, she will be pretty desirable further up the D1 food chain than she is now. She’s got strong interest from good academic D3s and D2s and a couple Ivy’s. If her hitting catches up with her other skills, she will have a whole new landscape of possibilities but, it may be too late?

NOT TOO LATE - LOTS OF TIME LEFT ON THE RECRUITING CLOCK, AND DOUBLY SO IF SHE IS THE RARE SOCAL KID WHICH WILL PLAY OUTSIDE OF THE WEST COAST. SHE IS PROBABLY JUST ONE OF THOSE TALL, TALENTED HITTERS WHOS POWER COMES TO FRUITION LATER IN HER HS YEARS. SOME PLAYERS JUST GET
THE 'BANG' IN THEIR ATTACK APPROACHING THEIR SENIOR YEAR FOR SOME REASON; EVERYONE DEVELOPS AT THEIR OWN SPEED. HER 17 YEAR OF CLUB IS JUST STARTING, YOU WILL SEE LOTS OF RECRUITING LOVE THIS YEAR AND EVEN THEN, THERE IS STILL THE 18'S YEAR WHICH IS STILL VERY DOABLE. LOTS OF SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN UP AFTER EACH SEASON BECAUSE OF VARIOUS REASONS.

4. Because her all around skills are so good she does very well in competitive beach/sand tournaments. Maybe we should pursue this route to scholarship dollars?

SAND VOLLEYBALL IS STILL A SPORT TRYING TO DEFINE ITSELF. NOT TOO MANY SCHOOLS OFFER THIS SPORT, AND OF THOSE WHICH DO, THEY DO NOT OFFER MANY SCHOLARSHIPS. BY AND LARGE, THERE ARE PLAYING OPPORTUNITIES ON THE SAND, BUT MANY TIMES THE PLAYERS ARE ALSO ON THE INDOOR TEAM OR THE PROGRAM IS FUNDED JUST TO THE LEVEL NEEDED TO
SATISFY NCAA RULES THUS ASSIST EQUITY. HONESTLY, THERE ARE MANY COLLEGE COACHES UPSET WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SAND VOLLEYBALL BECAUSE OF HOW SLIPSHOT IT HAS ALL BEEN HANDLED, AND THE INCREASE IN THE WORK LOAD. AGAIN, NOT TO SAY THIS COULD NOT BE A POSSIBLITY, BUT JUST THE COMBINATION OF LIMITED SCHOOLS AND TONS OF 5'10" PASSING OH'S WHO GREW UP ON THE BEACH MAKES IT A TOUGH PROPOSITION.

Okay coach. Thanks in advance for any feedback. VolleyDad

TWO CLOSING SUGGESTIONS - ONE, STAY FOCUSED AND STEADY, WHICH WILL ALLOW YOUR DAUGHTER TO KEEP IMPROVING. SECOND, YOU MAY CONSIDER A RECRUITING SERVICE (OF COURSE, I RECOMMEND NCSA ATHLETIC RECRUITING), AS THEIR MARKETING/SUPPORT AND EXPOSURE COULD OPEN SOME GREAT
DOORS/OPTIONS OUTSIDE OF SOCAL.

Coach,

Thanks for the straight scoop. I've got other questions related to club team coaches with daughters on the team, neurotic parents and the attitude that "I don't care if the team tanks as long as my kids looks okay" type stuff. Maybe I should ask a psychologist but I would love your thoughts on that some time. I'm sure you've heard some good horror stories but I got a couple you won't believe.

Thanks for the tip on recruiting service. I'll look into that. Right now she's with a small recruiting consultant who is doing an okay job but, may want to kick things up a notch soon. I'll let you know when it's time.

You know, I'm realistic about this whole volleyball thing. 20 years from now I want my kid to have fond memories of this. Playing on a team at a high level is such a great life experience. She's gonna be a Doctor, Lawyer, leader, CEO or something special long after volleyball is done for her. And that's how we hold it in our family. I have no doubt that at the rate she's coming along now, she's gonna find a good fit at a low to mid level D1 or Ivy League school. So, it's all good. Thanks for the remarks. I really do appreciate it and will continue to share your site with friends.

God Bless,

VolleyDad

Glad to help and I agree that it seems to be some strange days with entitled and selfish attitudes from players and parents. I have always seen this at the club level, but it is now emerging into the collegiate ranks with tough results because coaches are getting terminated as parents/players are not "happy' even though they are riding a full scholarship. I call them the poison pills because they can just kill a potentially good team, and all it takes is just one.

I will look at writing a post about this emerging trend, because it is just not a random program or two, but rather from the very top of DI down to a no name DIII.

Once again, glad to help and good luck this club season.

Coach

Pass - Set - Spike

2012-01-20T06:39:00.000-08:00

1. NCAA Division I recruiting calendar is open, and the opening weekend is now in the rear view mirror. If you missed my two preparation posts to empower your early season playing and recruiting success, please click here y aqui! Not sitting at the end of the club volleyball court, after 15+ years of recruiting was a nice break; the recruiting season is too long in DI and I hope the Powers That Be (PTB unknown BTW) increase the weeks of Dead and Quiet Periods.

2. Please take a look at this video clip of a Chinese professional volleyball match - Great rally and notice how the fans seem to take such a great rally as expected! Thanks to T.G. (aka Al Scates Jr.) for sending this clip in!

3. Disappointing article about the stance of the NCAA President, published on espn.com. Seems to me that he is talking out of both sides of his mouth when it comes to giving extra money, equity and rights of non-power conference Division I schools. Then, just to make sure everything is OK for the big boys, a little 'parliamentary procedure' is used here?

How about some pictures? Not of me, but of you. Well, not you but the Volleyball which you experienced these opening two weekends. There are not enough action shots of Volleyball for all to see, so I am doing my part to compensate for ESPN's failings!

Please send me your best Volleyball action shots or team karma photos, and I will plan on posting the Top 10 on collegevolleyballcoach.com. By submitting a picture, you agree to have it published and I hope this turns into a fun feature for all the VolleyReaders!

Division II Volleyball

2012-01-19T06:03:00.000-08:00

This Q and A was posted in 2008 (wow, I have been running this site now for almost 4 years?????). It is a highly read post and provides some significant information about NCAA Division II Volleyball and Recruiting.

As 2012 collegiate recruiting is now in session for all categories, it is important for 2012 graduates which are still searching for their collegiate volleyball destination to keep an open mind to all possibilities! I have updated the answer and provided some links to various sites which should assist my VolleyFamilies.

Hey Coach,

Could you try to let us know some of the Top Division II programs with in the three general regions - West - Central - East.

We are trying to hash out out some schools. Our daughter has some Mid to Lower level Div 1 offers and a couple of Upper Div II (at Least by Rankings) offers from the above areas. She is leaning toward Div II in So Cal and the Northwest but has a couple of Div II schools interested in her from both the central states and east Coast. Just a little advice would be nice......

Thanks, Chris

This is a good question, especially this late in the recruiting process - come late spring, many high school Seniors are having to make some tough choices.  The American way, and maybe human nature, is to try and reach the highest level of anything - do you want to drive a Porsche or a Ford, do you want to live in a house or an apartment, are you going to get an A or a C in Math class?  Do you chase the title/ego of Division I or the better fit of Division II?

The scholarship pecking order seems to be Division I, Division II, NAIA (because these are 4 year schools), Junior College and/or Division III (I don't agree with DIII being last in line because even though they don't offer athletic scholarships, academic scholarships are readily available and the DIII philosophy keeps volleyball from overwhelming a student's college experience).

I strongly encourage players and families to look at the whole package - too often I have seen PSA's choose a school simply because it was Division I while not looking at academics, location, staff abilities or personality.  Many times in these situations, the player ends up transferring or just stopping volleyball.  As I have written about already, too many Division I programs trade on the title Division I while not providing the support incumbent to a Division I level athletics program; a situation I came to know all to well.

When Head Coaches are making less than a fast food restaurant manager, being asked to fund raise budget money for basic program needs and have to play the political games of a Division I athletics department, this is the recipe for a short term head coach who can quickly lose the passion for the sport they love.  Many, many Division II volleyball coaches are in a better financial and emotional situation than their DI counterparts - they make as much or more, don't have to travel nationally to play and recruit, don't have to deal with the massive amount of politics that are a residual of DI basketball and football, and they have more free time.  By and large, this leads to a higher job satisfaction and long term coaching tenures.

The same thing can be said of Division III and NAIA coaches, and possibly Junior College coaches (I just don't know enough coaches to generate a solid opinion).  Of course, each classification will have turn over and change, but my perception is that non-Division I coaches are a bit happier overall.  I feel this is important because if the Head Coach is happy and satisfied, this will usually translate into a better experience for their players.

Back to the Question - The top Division II programs in each region can be be found by looking at the ncaa.com (yes, .com not .org is where sport competition information is to be found now) website and linking to Division II Volleyball Regional rankings.  Division II Volleyball (and other DII sports) is a bit more logical than Division I - they do everything truly by region.  In Division I, the top 3 conferences will put in 7 to 8 teams each to the NCAA Championship - selection is driven by conference not region ranking.  In Division II, regional ranking determines your selection to the NCAA Division II Championship.  This is why researching the regional rankings and cross referencing it to the Top 25 DII ranking is important.  For example, one region that is very weak will put in 8 teams, while another region that is very strong will put in 8 teams and per the format of Division II Volleyball, the opening rounds of the National Championship tournament are just a Regional Championship - only one team will come out of the region to play another team outside of the region.  There is no regional cross over or mixing of the geographical regions like in Division I.

In Division II Volleyball the mid-west regional teams really don't care a bit about the southeast regional teams.  In DI, we always hear about such and such a conference expressing their belief they should have more teams in the NCAA Tournament than another conference located across the country.

Division II is regionally focused - period.  Because of this, a PSA must just look at that school (academic quality) and how that program does within its region (don't worry about nationally).  If it is consistently ranked in the top 3 in the region year in and year out, then that is a top team.  Don't look at conference, because even though the conference gets one automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament, if the team has a poor regional ranking, they will get beat quickly in the NCAA Tournament.

Division II institutions tend to have a bit more academic focus than Division I (philosophy of the division as opposed to the individual academic rankings of schools).  They don't travel as much, they only are supposed to play in-region or a border region (if located near another region), the National Championship is just a regional tournament until the top 8 (eight regions each send one team to the 'National' championship tournament) and the season is not as long as Division I.  This means that the players can actually have an existence outside of their sport.

Division III is the best classification if a PSA wants to play volleyball but not have volleyball be the main reason for going to a certain college. The mantra of DIII is rather clear, athletics is a part of the collegiate experience but college is for academics. When all is said and done in my career, I can see finishing out as a Division II coach.

My advice is simple - look at the academic quality of the school and if they have the major you want, look at the location (close or far from home - what is important to your daughter?), and then look at how well the program consistently does within its region.  Don't over think the situation, just keep an open mind, look objectively at each school and go with what feels right to your daughter.

If it feels right, it usually is right.

6 on 6 with Armstrong Atlantic Coach, Will Condon

2012-01-18T05:39:00.000-08:00

This is the start of a new feature for collegevolleyballcoach.com, 6 on 6. In an effort to provide a little something behind the scene for my VolleyFolks, I will ask 6 questions to various collegiate volleyball coaches. Their answers can be long, short, detailed or possibly, dismissive.

Our first 6 on 6 is with Will Condon, Head Volleyball Coach at Armstrong Atlantic State University. AASU is an extremely successful NCAA Division II program located in Savannah, Georgia.

6 on 6 with Will Condon, Head Coach, Armstrong Atlantic State University

1. What drew you into the profession of college volleyball coaching?

Since middle school there has always been something that drew me to the sport. I played in high school and me and my friends would drive all over Maryland to any open gym to get on the court. At Clemson, I was fortunate to have some people give an opportunity to start coaching at camp and club. From my first 14's team I was pretty much hooked.

2. If you could change one thing about the sport of college volleyball, what would that be?

I would change the substitution rules. I believe we have way too many subs. It has taken away from the complete Volleyball player, and it slows the game down.

3. Who is the most famous person you have met and where was it?

They filmed the movie "The Last Song" here in Savannah, and they called me and asked if I would work with their actors to help them prepare for the movie. I worked with Liam Hemsworth and he was great. He is a pretty good athlete too, with some training he could have been really good.

4. Why do you feel Division II Volleyball is a great destination for players and coaches?

I think for coaches it is great because it can still be about training and teaching and less about recruiting. We can recruit what other people call 'project players' and help them get better. We have a player this year whose club coach told her she would not do anything in college and her Junior year was an All-American for us.

I think for players it gives you an opportunity to play volleyball at a high level and still have a life outside the gym. We take it seriously, but our travel is not as long and we allow our players to be involved in other things outside of Volleyball.

5. What is the least enjoyable part of your job?

The paper work. Everything we do, every practice, every phone call to a recruit, every visit, every contact has to be recorded. I understand why we have to do it, but it is tedious.

6. If you were not able to coach volleyball, what would you do for a living?

I would probably be doing something in business, maybe a Project Manager or something like that. I enjoy the building of something from scratch, meeting a deadline and exceeding expectations. Just like building a team, but not as rewarding.

The None and Done of College Volleyball Recruiting

2012-01-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

Hi Coach,

Congrats on coming out and on your new book! Also, many thanks for your help regarding a previous question we had. The information you provided was extremely helpful to our daughter.

During 18's club season, do college coaches that are out recruiting ever look at or talk to PSA's that have verbally committed or do they steer clear?

One of our daughter's club teammates verbally committed to a college she loved and prior to making it official by signing, the college coach pulled the verbal offer. Many of us parents were shocked by this and worried...as were most of the girls on the team as well. If a PSA has verbally committed, should she continue to explore all options just encase? Should she let her team recruiter know that if someone approaches and asks about her that she would be interested in learning more? Or does this open the door to problems with it gets around that she is "still looking" and not that committed? Until the PSA has signed her contract to play, should she close up her recruiting website and take herself off of the "active" list?

With all the great competition out there, the recruiting experience doesn't seem to be that cut and dry like when my husband or brother were both recruited. Looking forward to your opinion regarding these questions when you have the time. Thanks again for all you do. We all appreciate it!

A grateful VolleyMom

Glad I was able to assist you with your daughter's recruiting path.

The unwritten rule in collegiate volleyball recruiting, is that when a PSA verbally commits to a school, then they are not to be recruited any longer. What most coaches say, when told that a PSA did not commit to them, is good luck and please call us should anything change.

It is so disheartening to hear confirmation of my None and Done belief. As you may remember, I wrote a post called One and Done where collegiate programs are cutting players who do not develop at the level wished by the coach, and then they are pushed off after one year. But, I also referenced the rarer instances of the None and Done, where programs were verbally committing PSA's, but then not sending the NLI's if the PSA did not progress as believed.

Unfortunately, these instances of a collegiate coach pulling an offer, after a verbal commitment, could easily lead to continuous recruiting efforts until the PSA signs the National Letter of Intent, no matter if a verbal commitment has been made. This scenario is a bit frightening, because it will mandate an almost 'Open Season' on every PSA until they are signed on the dotted line. The honoring of the concept of a Verbal Commitment makes life easier on all parties.

But, let's not put the cart ahead of the horse. Hopefully this was just an isolated incident, for what ever reasons, and is not a trend. I can promise you that the majority of collegiate coaches still honor their end of the verbal commitment, and want to believe in the honor of such a commitment, from both sides of the equation. It is tough enough to recruit in today's environment, much less to do it in situations where verbal commitments have no integrity.

As a parent, focus on what you can control and that is gathering information while your daughter focuses on skill development and reviewing her future collegiate possibilities. As the grown ups, the parents must filter through the sunshine and smoke which collegiate coaches put forth as part of the recruiting process. This filtering, and gathering of information, will allow parents to find out/discover when a coach may have pulled an offer, or if a coach is known to practice the One and Done, or if a coach is a good person who does things the right way for the players.

Recruiting Times have changed in this generation. I don't like seeing families being pressured into early decisions, seeing coaches cut players after one season just because the coach over evaluated them or does not posses the training ability to make them better, and to have collegiate coaches pulling verbal offers before the signing of a NLI is so disappointing. Gone are the days of VolleyFamilies going through the recruiting process slow and steady, with unofficial visits, to home visits, to official visits before making a decision as a mature (comparatively) 18 year old.

As the recruiting game shifts to the younger years, it places families at a disadvantage and this disadvantage is one reason that I joined NCSA Athletic Recruiting; they ONLY have your interests in mind. Families are at a disadvantage in the early recruiting process because the PSA is a freshman or sophomore in high school, and the parents have not spent years in the mindset of recruiting. But, the collegiate coaches are very experienced in the arts of recruiting and this creates a disadvantage for families. You hope that it all works out for everyone, but with the noticeable increase of transfers, this is not happening as much as in the past. I believe that this site, and NCSA provide valuable information/support to help families manage these challenging scenarios. While it may take extra time, or money, for families to garner this experienced information, this is time/money well spent versus having to go through this recruiting effort again under the category of collegiate transfer.

Coach

Coach,

Thanks for getting back so quickly! Yes, you are right...the recruiting game has changed dramatically. I think the key message that needs to get out to parents today is that they can no longer rely on what they knew it to be from years gone by. We as a family were very stuck in our thinking that recruiting hadn't changed at all. We tried to take it nice and slow and nearly got run over in the process. You could literally feel the panic of the parents and girls at the end of the 16's season. You could feel yourself getting caught up on the thinking by 17's mid-season that you hadn't done enough.

These days it is wise to use a recruiting service or website that has your daughter's best interest at heart. Constantly doing your own research, and discovering exactly what your daughter wants from her college experience and being realistic about her capabilities, not falling victim to the other parents/PSA's thinking that if it's not "DI, then it's none." When it all came to a head, we made a conscience effort to slow down, think things through, and do our homework. That's how we found you. I can't tell you enough how often we read through your articles, having long family discussions about all the things club and high school coaches never really tell you about, but you shared online. You helped us stay sane during an absolutely crazy ride and really gave us the confidence to do what was good for us and not react like everyone else.

A verbal should be an agreement between two parties that have done their best to ask all their questions before they verbally agree to commit to each other. If you do all of that beforehand, then the NLI should be literally just a formality. We won't get caught up in thinking that her future college coach will change his mind before she signs. And you're right, the "open season" on PSA's would ruin it for everyone. You'd never be able to tell when someone was being honest with you or not. We'll just keep encouraging our daughter to continue to develop herself into the best she can be so she'll continue to love this fun sport!

Thanks again for your input.

Club Volleyball Tournaments Playing Primer

2012-01-12T06:52:00.000-08:00

The Madness, the Mayhem, Volleyball Mardi Semedi, it all begins this Saturday the 14th of January because the NCAA Quiet Period has come to a close. Tick, Tock, Boom!!! Let's Get Ready to Recruit!!!!!!!

OK, wait a minute, let's bring it down a bit and please allow me to share with you some suggestions to make this opening weekend where all the Crazy College Coaches will be floating so smoothly around the courts, a bit more successful for my VolleyPSA's!

1. Play to the level of your abilities, not past them or below them. As simple as this sounds, this is the best thing to do. If you press and try to play beyond your abilities, then mistakes will happen. If you take it too casual (a common defense mechanism against pressure), then you will not display your talent at an attractive level.

2. Before now, you should have been laying the foundation for your skills sets and physical fitness. Even now, there is still time to work toward proper physical condition for upcoming tournaments. Hear me out; I am not so much talking about looking fit or not fit, but playing fit. It will not showcase your abilities to lose your jump or explosive movements three attacks into a long rally. Being out of shape leads to fatigue mistakes, both mental and physical.

3. Focus your skill sets on your strengths these first couple of recruiting club tournaments - Highlight the strengths of your game to make a positive first impression upon college coaches. If you are a MB and can crush the slide, but struggle on the C, then try to run as many slides as you can. As an OH, if you are better hitting cross court than line, then hit cross court to minimize errors and make positive plays.

4. If you play OH or Libero, then concentrate on passing. Passing is one of the first skills sets that coaches will evaluate you upon and if you can pass, then this ability will elevate your standing in the recruit rankings. For Libero's, this is a given (just a reminder, college coaches will take a great passing Libero over a great defensive Libero - Passing equals winning). For OH's, don't think that just being a great hitter will make up for not passing well.

5. Setters - You must demonstrate leadership and composure. Leadership does not have to be vocal or demonstrative, but it must be evident. You should be supporting your hitters, defending your defensive position and running an offense, just not setting an offense.

6. Liberos - You must dominate the back row. Defense and Passing is your reason for wearing knee pads. College coaches can accept an occasional bad pass or defensive shank, but we will drop you off our recruiting database faster than a Kardashian if you don't go all out. I don't know what drives college coaches more bonkers, the amount of money being thrown away on college football or Liberos who don't go after a ball.

7. Middles - First of all, please don't do the fake swing on an approach when the ball went to another hitter, does not work and looks rookie. Secondly, work hard - Middles have the most physically demanding position on the court and college coaches want to see you doing all of it; be available to attack on every rally, go pin to pin to block the ball, if you get fooled, then drop and cover the tip and then load to re attack. Middles are always doing something - they have no off plays.

8. Outsides - Pass the ball to the setter and if you get set, hit the ball in the court. The simplicity is beautiful. These are the two best things you can do the opening tournaments. Again, pass the ball to the setter and hit the ball in the court - Every other skill set is secondary to these.

9. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT ME!!! The last, last, last thing you should be concerned with is the college coach(es) on surrounding the court. If you play great, sleep well after the tournament. If you play poorly, do not lose any sleep over it - There is a tremendous amount of time left in the club volleyball recruiting season and to stress over one tournament is a waste of your precious youth!!!!

10. Have fun playing the greatest sport. Volleyball is fun to play and fun to watch and fun to be around. If you are not having fun or gaining enjoyment out of your day, then it is time to go do something else.

The Coach's Volleyball Road Camps!

2012-01-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

Each summer I work with a number of high schools conducting what I call my Volleyball Road Camps - The collegiate camp for your high school program.

My Volleyball Road Camps are focused on bringing collegiate level instruction and drills to high school programs, in their gym. This is an easy and inexpensive (compared to collegiate camps) avenue for high school players and teams to get a camp experience which is tailored to their needs.

As I am no longer encumbered by collegiate coaching responsibilities, I am able to 'open' up my calendar for additional high school programs interested in a Road Camp! And, with the help of NCSA Athletic Recruiting's support, I can travel nationally to schools (any high school located a jump serve away from a beach gets priority!!!), along with presenting a Volleyball Recruiting Education talk for all VolleyFamilies at the camp!

For more information about my Volleyball Road Camps, and/or if would like to secure a Camp date, please email me at collegevolleyballcoach@gmail.com.