The Recruiting Secret

The hiding in plain sight of college volleyball recruiting is this -

If a coach believes a player will make their team better, then they will recruit that player – If they don’t, then they won’t.  This is and always will be the bottom line of all college coaches’ recruiting efforts; improve the talent on the team.

 

Coaches, those that keep a job as a college volleyball coach for any length of time, are focused on making their team better through recruiting.  Volleyball abilities are the mandated, non-negotiable litmus test of being recruited.  College coaches understand that talent is refined, not created, especially in today’s world of club volleyball where athletes can receive good skill set development and thousands of touches year round.

 

If a college coach feels you can make their team better, then they will add you to their recruiting database.  After you pass the “pass/fail” skills evaluation, college coaches spend the rest of their recruiting efforts comparing your skill sets against another recruit’s skill sets, in addition to evaluating all your other characteristics which have nothing to do with your physical abilities.

 

College coaches rank their recruits (and ranking is the order in which they offer a scholarship) based upon many factors; talent, attitude, academics, personality, effort, being a good teammate, competitiveness, etc.  The ranking of recruits will be constantly changing, depending upon what college coaches observe on video, and more importantly, when watching a player live.

 

Players and families must understand that no matter how positive, hard working, supportive and always mowing the lawn of Grandma and Grandpa, it will not influence a college coach’s initial evaluation of volleyball ability.    When a college coach does not respond to an email or video or watching you play, they have stated their evaluation of your skill sets. 

 

Your talent will determine your opportunity.

Playing Position and College Volleyball Recruiting Timetable

At the many club tournaments and recruiting combines which I attend and speak at each year, I always get questions about when certain playing positions are recruited.  This question tends to come from a Libero family, as they have seen other players get recruited and make commitments, while waiting for the same recruiting attention themselves.

In general, and please understand that each year a college team may not recruit each position, college volleyball programs will recruit the positions in this order - Outside Hitter, Middle Blocker, Right Side/Opposite Hitter, Setter and Libero/Defensive Specialist.

The Outside Hitter, an attacker that can serve receive, play defense and attack from the left or right side antenna is the most important position on the court.  It is no coincidence that Stanford won 3 of the last 4 NCAA DI Women's Volleyball Championships and their primary Outside Hitter was considered the best in the country in her position for all of those years.  Beyond DI Women's Volleyball, it is rare for any team at any level to achieve great seasons without having an elite level Outside Hitter on their roster.  

From my college coaching experience, my best seasons were when we had a good outside hitter and my least succesful seasons coincided when we did not have a good primary Outside Hitter available.

Because a talented Outside Hitter is so critical to the success of a program and literally means job security and advancement, this position will always be recruited first.

The Middle Blocker used to be more important back in the day of sideout scoring and monochromatic volleyballs, but the nature of rally scoring has diminished their importance just a bit.  They a remain key to program success and college coaches will be keen to secure a tall, talented Middle Blocker to anchor their team's blocking ability.  

The Right Side/Opposite position takes home the Bronze Medal, but it was a down to the wire finish with the Setter position.  The RS/OP traditionally has been the home of the left handed outside hitter and/or the fall back position for those Middle Blockers who were not quiet elite in their position or the taller Outside Hitter who struggled with passing/defense.   With the increased importance of the Outside Hitter (who predominantly attacks at the left antenna), the need for the defense to have a tall, effective blocker at their own right side antenna also increased in importance.  Also, an effective RS/OP attack will relieve pressure on the Outside Hitters and Middle Blockers.

Setters, and this is difficult for me to say having played the position at a high level, have diminished in importance in college volleyball rally scoring.  Teams can be successful with an average setter, if they have very good Outsides and Middles, but rarely does a team reach elite success with a very good Setter, when they only have average attackers.  College coaches understand this scenario, and they also understand there are many good setters which they can recruit after the OH's and MB's.  

Liberos are Last.  With the hundreds of Recruiting Education Talks that I provide, I have to express this rough saying to many families.  A talented Libero is important to the success of a team, as they are in theory the best passer on the team and serve receive is the critical touch in any rally.  The reason Liberos are last is simply Supply versus Demand.  There are many, many good Liberos in club volleyball and a few great Liberos, but college coaches do not recruit this position every year.

With the Libero being the catch all position for the shorter player with good ball control (shorter/less powerful OH's, short Setters or players who just have always played backrow because they have always been not tall), there is an abundance of talent within this very specific position.  College coaches know that they can focus their recruiting on the other positions initially because they can always find a good Libero later in the process, just because of the sheer numbers recruits vying for backrow positions in college volleyball.

Each playing position per graduation year will have a different recruitment timing. Talented Outside Hitters may need to be focused earlier than anticipated; Middles, Right Side/Opposites and Setters have a bit more time.  Liberos will have to be the most patient to succeed in college volleyball recruiting.

The College Volleyball Crazy Season

For college coaches, our regular season has ended (except if we made the NCAA tournament) and the crazy season has started.  Crazy season? This is the time of year when college coaches conduct end of the season player meetings and the Athletic Directors conduct end of the season coaches meetings.  

Both of these meetings will result in roster openings; some spots will become available immediately, while other spots won't open up until well into the New Year.

In both cases, players must reach out, and continue to reach out, to volleyball programs because college coaches recruit in the moment.  

To this end, be sure to follow these 4 tips in your outreach:

1) Reach out by email, not by a telephone call.  College coaches don't like 'cold call's' from recruits.  Only call a volleyball program if the coach has requested that you give them a call.

2)  Always include current video (either your NCSA recruiting profile or hosted by youtube/Vimeo.  By current, I mean within the last 30 days; either cut up your last couple of high school matches into a high light tape or film an early club practice or two.

3)  Contact programs which are realistic to play at - If you don't have the physical talent to play in the Big 10 conference, then you should not email those schools.  Accept feedback from your club coaches, review what level programs have responded to you earlier as to determine what level of college volleyball is best suited for your abilities.

4) Expand your horizons.  A great thing about collegiate volleyball is there are all types of programs, all across the USA.  The further you are willing to travel from home to attend college, the better your opportunity to secure that roster spot (and scholarship).

As you employ these suggestions in your outreach to volleyball programs, remember that college coaches recruit Talent - If you have the ability to make their team better, then they will recruit you!

Coach

Volleyball Armswing Advice

Matt,

I've read this blog post on your site, http://www.collegevolleyballcoach.com/2010/04/volleyball-armswing-technique.html, quite a lot because it's one of the few online resources I've found that talks about the position of your thumb after contacting the ball on the attack. Most on-line resources talk about how to use this to initially shape an attack, but I am fighting the unintentional thumb down follow through you describe.

It has been very difficult for me to correct this, and I'm reaching out to you for any advice you might have on teaching yourself to correct this, or why it might be happening. Shot in the dark that you might still be answering this email, but if you are and wouldn't mind spending a quick second to reply, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,
J.L.

Thank you for your email and reading collegevolleyballcoach.com.

With regards to having the thumb down through the armswing, it is a physical habit which you picked up earlier in your career.  As noted in the linked article, after the moment of contact, many players will rotate their thumbs down and away from their body.

All players hands face down after hitting, and the thumb will face down, but the issue is when the hand rotates away from the body (or towards the pinky finger).  As a reminder, this down and out rotation of the thumb puts strain on shoulder.  When the thumb rotates down and out, the armswing also rotates away from the body and this out rotation is managed by the rotator cuff of the shoulder.  

As a collegiate coach, I would not recruit any players who had this thumb down and out armswing because I knew it would result in shoulder issues in the player's collegiate years.

How to improve the swing?

• After moment of contact, try to finish the swing into your belly button, not outside your hip.  If your hand finishes in your stomach, it is very difficult to rotate the thumb down and away.  The armswing should look like "/" and not "|", if you are right handed.
• Practice this into the stomach swing by standing to attack the ball (against a wall, into the net, over the net, etc).  High toss, step, attack and finish into the stomach.
• During practice or training, hit into the right back corner (if you are right handed) of the opponent's court - This forces you to swing across your body (instead of away from your body) and will keep that thumb from rotating away.

Ultimately, you are changing a muscle memory and this takes many, many and many repetitions to correct.  

Good luck!

Coach

College Volleyball Summer Recruiting

College volleyball recruiting is a year round endeavor for coaches but there are slow times in the recruiting calendar and we are entering one of these 'slow' times.

Currently, college volleyball coaches are coming back from vacations (I know this because I used vacation time in late May and early June, and I see all the Facebook posts from my coaching friends in such exotic locations as Pensacola, Florida), going to USA Volleyball Nationals or the AAU Championships if the budget allows, along with preparing for the 863 camps they will run in July and finally making those last minute preparations for the fall season (which is time consuming because of all the details which must be checked, double checked, signed, copied, approved and submitted).  

The National Championships (USA Volleyball and AAU's) are more see and be seen, rather than the active recruiting of the winter spring club season with the National Qualifiers and Super Regionals.  The Championships are where college coaches check in with their committed/signed athletes, take a 2nd or 3rd look at players in their databases, and generally walk around like human sign boards so their school can be recognized by that needle in a haystack great kid from Twin Falls, Idaho.

This quadrangle of vacation, championships, camps and season preparation, conspire to drive VolleyFamilies to distraction because the recruiting tempo and communication have changed.  Parents and players, especially rising Juniors and Seniors, get panicked because they are coming off a very active recruiting period (the winter/spring club volleyball season) and now........recruiting has gone into slow motion.

Online and in person (yes, I have old school face to face conversations with families while I am at events for NCSA Next College Student Athlete), I encourage families to stay focused and patient, rather than PANIC (at the Disco).  During the spring, many VolleyFamilies were engaged in active communication (either email/text/voice) with college coaches and then, these conversations slowly died.  All too often, the parents/players feel that they will not get recruited next season and must take whatever offer they can at this moment.

As I have written in the past and spoke of with VolleyFamilies, college coaches are playing possum right now - We have purposely slowed down the recruiting because we need to focus on other areas, and we don't want to get busy with recruiting until later in the fall.  

Once we have got through the camp season, through the arrival of our team, and into our collegiate season, then we will once again engage in active recruiting.  We go 'quiet' in recruiting because we want time to determine exactly what we need in recruits for the next two seasons - We won't know what we need until the end of the current collegiate season.

College coaches, in all divisions/classifications, have learned that today's collegiate volleyball life is fluid.  Gone are the days where a coach can bank on having a job for 8 years and needing 3 athletes per year. Because of this, we employ a two part recruiting mentality - 1) the for sure needs; 2) the post season needs.  #1 is fairly easy; we are graduating 3 Middle Blocker's in 2020, so we will for sure need a MB or two in 2020.

#2 is a learned response - Stuff happens after the collegiate season which affects our immediate recruiting needs:

- We get fired.

- We get a new job; new coaches bring in new recruits because the days of the Athletic Director saying graduate all the current players and slowly build up your team are gone; everyone wants to win now and the victims are often the current players.

- We get threatened with termination; Athletic Director says we need to win next year or we are gone which results in coaches doing everything they can to bring in day one impact players (international, transfers, etc).

- Player quits; this is more and more common because players are committing in kindergarten and when they actually arrive to campus, they don't like the coaches, players, dorms, food, team mates, academics or campus.

- Coach cuts player(s); developing talent has given way to recruiting talent.  It is easier to cut and recruit, than train and develop.

- Player suffers career injury; this happens less than in the past because of the big strides in sports medicine. But it does happen, so college coaches suddenly need a passing Outside Hitter that they didn't need a week ago.

VolleyFamilies cannot control the recruiting process but they can manage the process.  Effective management is understanding the protocols and timing of today's recruiting process.

My suggestions:

1)  Accept that this is a slow time, and focus more on volleyball and vacation and camps and recovery and rehabilitation, instead of recruiting.

2)  After Nationals, or if you are not at Nationals, allow your body and mind to recover and recharge.  Small injuries should be rehabilitated and you should enjoy a solid block of non volleyball time.

3)  Focus on skill development; your ability will determine your opportunity.  Either in camps or clinics or private lessons, if you have listened to your coaches, you should know exactly which skill sets you should be improving.

4) Keep in contact with those programs you are currently engaging with (even if they have gone quiet) but understand that this is a slow time for all.

5)  Review your recruiting efforts to this point - Have you been writing Top 25 schools and none have replied?  Then you are shooting to high.  Have you written the bottom 25 schools and all have offered you a scholarship?  Then you should consider reaching out to a higher ranking of schools.  Have your academic goals changed?  Are you more or less open to various regions of the country? Etc, etc, etc...

6)  Enjoy your high school season.  This is something which I think gets lost in the club volleyball and college recruiting culture.  I understand that some high school teams are great while others can be a near waste of 2 hours.  Beyond golden (like Greenwood) or garbage, you are still representing something which is larger than yourself and will reside in the record books.  

7)  As late October rolls around, reengage actively with your current schools and reach out to as many schools which fit your recruiting comfort zone.  Remember that the collegiate seasons' start to wind down in late October and finish in mid-November - this is when the collegiate recruiting craziness starts up full tilt and you want to be front side of this madness.

In closing; stay recruiting patient now and focus inside to set the table for a successful winter recruiting.

Coach

College Volleyball Camps

With summer upon us, comes college volleyball camps (and for that matter, volleyball camps of every shape, size, angle, classification and cost).

If you have read Inside College Volleyball, or heard me talk with NCSA Next College Student Athlete, then the remainder of this article will just be a timely reminder.

When it comes to college volleyball camps, absolutely do not use this as your recruiting outreach effort and I strongly caution you to not use camps to even supplement your recruiting process.  Why?

1)  I ran college volleyball camps for many years, so I know of what I speak.

2)  The NCAA rules allow colleges to send camp information to a Prospective Student Athlete (PSA) at any time. So, freshman and sophomores can get camp information from any school (NCAA all division through JC's).

3)  College coaches will often (but not always) allude to some recruiting aspect in their camp outreach to you, "we would love to evaluate you at camp", "camp is a great opportunity for you to meet our coaches and see our facilities", "we have an elite camp where our top recruits attend each year"; this is all window dressing to get you to sign up for their camp.

4)  Do the math; average of 3 scholarships per year available (considering DI) and how many players attend camp?  70, 100, 300? 

5)  Do the big math; the college programs have just spent the spring going to national club events and evaluating hundreds if not thousands of recruits for their scholarship needs.  College coaches, especially DI and well funded DII/NAIA programs know right now if you are good enough to help their team; they don't need you at camp to evaluate.

6)  Camps are expensive!  Take that money and make unofficial visits to those collegiate programs which have communicated with you or that you believe would be a good fit athletically, academically and socially.

7)  Camps are Disneyland, they are not the real world of collegiate athletics.  Camp is fun, the training is not too intense (no matter what you think or have been told), the coaches are smiling and laughing, etc.  Being a collegiate athlete is intense business with big time demands and pressure to perform; that is not the same thing you will experience at camp.


And now, you are asking yourself...."are college camps worth attending at all?"  Yes, I think college camps can be great for 2 specific reasons:

1)  It is a volleyball vacation!  College volleyball camps are still summer camps and the summer should be fun!!!  A chance to be on a college campus for a few days, play/train in the same facilities as the collegiate athletes, meet different players other than your club or school team, experience the student union, recreational facilities, book store, etc.  For example, Sooner Born and Sooner Bred and when I die, I will be Sooner Dead...universities run strong in families and this is a change to go to that alumni campus, get a cool shirt, and drive the Boomer Sooner!

2)  For elite level training - This can be a bit difficult to discern, but some college camps provide great skill development.  You are learning from professional college coaches (this is a full time job for them, hence their profession), you are receiving maximum repetitions, you get instant feedback on your skills, etc.  All too often, families think that giant state university, who is ranked in the Top 10 must have the best camp because their program and facilities are so good.  Think about the numbers; there are 4 college coaches at that program (head, assist, assist and volunteer assist), and maybe the camp can bring in a couple of JC or DII/NAIA coaches to help.  But, if it is a huge camp, say with 15+ courts, the camp is not going to find 20+ elite level college coaches.  The reality is, your PSA may well be coached by a walk on Opposite from Waxahachie, Texas!


Of course, there is always the exception to the "don't use camps for recruiting" mantra, wonderfully and overwhelmingly argued at the top of this great post:

1)  If a school has only seen video of you play, and was not able to see you play in person.  This usually happens if a school you are interested in is not in your region (you live in Arizona and you are interested in a DII school in South Carolina).  If this attractive school has been constant and sincere in their interaction and recruitment of you, and you have the financial resources to attend, then and only then, is this the exception.  BUT, there is a difference between one letter/email saying "come to camp because we want to recruit you" and a months long communication.

In closing, be conscious about your goals and expectations when you consider signing up for college camps.  

Coach

Libero Question #74998

Coach, with my son's junior golf, his success or failure always leads back to the quality of his short game.  After all these years, some days it's shaky, some days it's good, some days it is magical.

With my 14 year old libero daughter, it now seems that "serve receive" is the deal.  Some days it's pretty shaky, some days it's good, and some days it's beautiful.  She can have a 1.5 day and turn around and have a 2.5 day.

Is that life as a libero?

C.H.

Yes, it is the life of a Libero and outside and middle and...well, you get the picture.  

One of the characteristics of a young volleyball player is inconsistency; it just takes practice and time to become more consistent.

When I was younger player, it was always frustrating to play the 'old guys' in beach volleyball. They didn't jump as well, they didn't hit as hard, they didn't move as fast but they also did not make mistakes.  They had played for so many years, that they became extremely consistent in their play.

What separates the average from the good and the good from the great Libero is the consistency of serve receive.  

College coaches look at serve receive as the primary and overriding evaluation skill when they recruit Liberos; they are expected to pass 3-5ths of the court and pass it well (the courts has 3 main passing lanes and 2 passing alleys; collegiate Liberos need to be able to pass their lane and the 2 alleys between lanes).

Passing perfect is too much pressure for any Libero, just like expecting a hitter to attack 1000% is not realistic.  

Instead, as Liberos gain maturity, the results reflect less and less number of balls passed outside the 10 foot zone (3 meter zone if we are being metric) or put another way, the setter can at least deliver a quality set to 2 hitters.

With your daughter's age, she has time to develop that needed consistency to make the good and beautiful days the new normal.

Coach

College Volleyball Recruiting Family Conversation

Today's college volleyball recruiting climate is more competitive than ever.  This is due to the ever increasing number of high school age players and the corresponding increase in the number of club volleyball programs in the USA.

Finding talent is relatively easy for college volleyball coaches.  We are now in the heart of the club volleyball season, with National Qualifiers and Super Regionals every weekend (thank you to the VolleyMom from Michigan for the wonderful compliments this weekend at the Mid-East Qualifier on the website and Inside College Volleyball). The convention centers are full of players and so many of them are good.  

The toughest part for college coaches is filtering talent; trying to determine which good player is the best fit for the coach's volleyball program and then convincing that player/family to come to their school.

While the volume of quality players has created more competition for volleyball families to attain that roster spot/scholarship for their daughter, parents still have the responsibility to ensure that their child's future school is the best possible fit.

VolleyMoms and VolleyDads, finding this best possible fit must start with making sure you are engaging with the proper schools and this is a result of having quality conversations as a family.  These conversations should start early, 8th grade/Freshman year, and continue until your baby girl starts practice the 1st day of her collegiate career.

What should you be talking about?  Well, your friendly College Volleyball Coach has your topics!  Remember that this is a continuous conversation, not a one and done talk.  Your daughter's and family's preferences and desires will and should change over the course of your Junior High to High school career.

G.A.A.S - May not be the best acronym but it will work for your family!

G - Geography.  

From my experience in college volleyball, both as a player and as a long time head coach, the most important consideration families must make is how far from home is everyone comfortable with attending school.  Is your family very close and your daughter still wishes to be involved in everyday family life?  Then, pick a school very close which allows her to live at home, while being a full time student.  Do you want to live a few hours away, so you can come home easily on breaks?  Do you want to be an average airline flight away, as to spread your wings a bit?  Or, have Mom and Dad had enough of your teenage years and they want you to attend a school on the opposite side of the country?

You must figure out the distance from home you are comfortable with - There is no value in engaging with a coach/program in a region of the country that does not work for the family; that region could be next door or the furthest point away from your house.  

A - Athletically.

In college volleyball you can never play up, you can only play down.  If you have the ability to play at Nebraska or Texas or UCLA (yes, I have to promote my alma mater!), then you can play at any program/conference/division in the USA.  

But, if your volleyball ability is at a mid level NAIA program (which can be a great opportunity), then you will not be able to play NCAA Division I.

Work with your high school coaches, your club coaches, watch college volleyball, get feedback about what your athletic volleyball talent is - If you don't have the talent to play elite DI, then writing the power conference schools is a waste of your time.

A - Academically.

If your player is still in Junior high or a freshman in High school, it may be tough to know exactly what they want to study in college.  But, you should have a general idea if they are a right brain or left brain child - Do they like science?  Are they into acting?  Is math their thing? Are they all over the place with what they like to do away from volleyball?  

For instance, if your Lovely Libero is into blowing stuff up in the back yard, then going to a small liberal arts school focused on humanities is not going to be the best fit.  As you might imagine, this topic could take a bit longer to flesh out.

S - Socially.

The topic that scares parents the most, including the College Volleyball Coach, is the social nature of college.  Socially speaking, what type of collegiate experience is the family desiring?  Does your daughter want the big campus experience with football, concerts, festivals, etc?  Does she want the small school comfort of knowing her classmates and instructors?  Does she want a big school in a big city, a big school in a small city, etc?  As much time as our babies will be on the court or managed by the program, they will still have a campus life that involves itself in the local environment.

By talking through G.A.A.S., you will be able to determine what schools/programs are the best fit for your family and which schools/programs you should be pursuing.  G.A.A.S. is not meant to reduce your potential schools to just a few, but rather to make your list more realistic thus manageable.

Again, this G.A.A.S. conversation is not a one time talk, but rather a continuous dialogue as a family which reflects your preferences and comfort zone through the recruiting process.  

The reality of recruiting is if you don't manage the process, the process will manage you.  Don't get caught up in those players which just had the process happen perfectly without trying, as those are the fortunate few.  Stay focused on educating yourselves about all the opportunities and challenges which encompass the college volleyball recruiting process.  My absolute belief is that those families which put the time into managing the process put their daughter's into the best possible position to enjoy a memorable collegiate career.

Coach

Reading the Server

Coach, I have done quite a lot of searching for info. re:  "reading the server" for the back row players.   

A lot of data says you must "read the server", but I am trying to give my 13-year-old daughter more specifics about specifically WHAT to watch for and WHERE the ball is likely to go as a result.  Instead of merely reacting to the serve, it seems that she could be much more PROACTIVE and more effective, if she has an idea of where the ball is heading.

Do you have any simple "If the server does this, then look for XXX" type tips?

Thank you Coach!

C.H.

Congratulations!  No other reader has asked me about 'reading' the server!

In the same way a baseball, softball or tennis player tries to read the server, so should the passers.  Getting that split second jump on the ball, can make a huge difference between an acceptable pass or a perfect​ pass.

My keys:

• Servers tend to face exactly where they are going to serve, before they even toss the ball.
• If they toe the line, they will probably serve short, especially if they usually stay a bit deeper on the serve;  Please note, that deep and short on a club tournament sport court may only be 10 feet.  Much different in high school and college gyms.
• At the high school/club level, if the player serves away from where they initially face, they tend to turn their shoulders in the direction they wish to serve just before contact.
• Armswing will tell you so much about the incoming speed and trajectory.  Watch the arm speed; if the player arm slows down, it will be shorter, if it speeds thru the serve, it will be deeper.
• Toss; a high toss tends to lead to a higher arc on the serve while a shorter toss tends to yield a flatter serve.

Even though there are 3 types of serves; standing float, jump float and jump (spin) serve, the above suggestion should hold true.

To practice, just have your daughter watch players serve in a match and try to guess where and how they will be serving.

Good luck!

Coach 

The Libero and College Volleyball Recruiting

Coach, despite the obvious good serve receive and defense, what does a college coach look for in a libero? If DS 1 and DS 2 are both good passers, who gets the libero position?

My daughter is in 8th grade and will be trying out for perennially one of the top high school programs in the state (and even nation some years) this summer. Her goal is to make JV as a freshman though that is a super lofty goal - they are loaded with back row talent in the grade above her.

Right now we are on a so-so club team but good coach, and are taking weekly libero lessons from a former libero at this high school. Working on all aspects of back row play.

Any other suggestions to get her in a position to set herself apart? 

T.P.


Effort and Attitude.

The most competitive college volleyball recruiting position is the Libero/Defensive Specialist.  This is because there are significantly more high school Senior Liberos than there are Freshman Libero roster spots; and we are not even talking about Scholarships (Scholarships, scholarships, we're talking about scholarships?...channeling my inner A.I. - ASJr. gets the reference).

With the development of this position in International (Club volleyball) and College volleyball, it has become the catch all position for club volleyball - The short player, the not tall enough outside, the setter who is too short or not talented enough to set in college, the outside who doesn't hit with power, etc.

Generally, the LIbero position is the last one recruited by college coaches (OH, MB, Setters and then.......Liberos); this is because college coaches can usually find a solid Libero late in the recruiting process as a result of the sheer number of players in this position.

Because the Libero position is so competitive, separating yourself from the other Liberos is critical to obtaining your collegiate playing goal.

Effort and Attitude.

VolleyFamilies would be surprised at the sheer volume of back row players (Liberos/DS's) which are spectacularly average yet feel comfortable in their belief of deserving a collegiate roster position.  Just because you play the position on your club team, and are on the court, does not mean you are talented enough to play at the collegiate level.

I will randomly watch club volleyball matches, with nationally recognized club programs, and routinely see Liberos not move their feet, not go to the floor after a ball, pass easy serves to the 3 meter line, dig easy balls at 20 feet, forget to cover their hitters, etc.  Even more surprising, is to see club coaches accepting these poor quality plays. When 17's and 18's club players are allowed to make routinely marginal, below grade plays by the club coach, then the player has no motivation (other than the endangered species of self motivation) to play to a higher standard.

Effort and Attitude.

The difference between the Libero who gets the collegiate roster spot/scholarship and the one who doesn't is Effort and Attitude.  The difference between the Libero who plays and the one who doesn't is Effort and Attitude.

Effort - Being physically where you should be at all times.  Taking the extra step on serve receive to center the ball into your torso.  Making the effort to get your body lower to the ground to properly present your passing platform.  Pushing through the pass to get the ball to within 3 feet of the net for the setter.  Having the leg strength to get under a dig and push it up in front of the 3 meter line.  Exploding through a low defensive posture to dive forward for a tipped/deflected ball.  Going from standstill to full speed in 1 second to chase down another player's bad touch upon the ball.  Sprinting cross court to get into coverage position.   Holding your defensive position when the block fails, and you know you are going to take a body shot.

None of the above examples are anything exceptional; they are the job description of being a good Libero.

Attitude - Attitude will determine your Effort.  Your mind controls your body.  Attitude is communicating with your passers and defenders about positional responsibility before the rally starts.  Attitude is going after that deflected ball which you only have a 3% chance of actually touching. Never letting a ball touch the floor without getting as close to it as possible.  Ensuring that all down balls, free balls, easy digs, easy serves are always within 2 steps of the setting area.  Calling each and every touch upon the ball, and reinforcing when the ball is another player's responsibility. Never taking a play off.  Always supporting your team mates efforts; praising when great plays happen and lifting up when poor plays occur.

None of the above examples are rah rah cheerleader examples but rather having the mind set of being great in your position.

I have had 2 great Liberos play for me - One was almost silent as a player and One was never silent as a player.  Both were great Liberos because of their Effort and Attitude.

Coach

Jump Setting and College Volleyball Recruiting

Hi Coach,

I have a question about when D1 colleges need to see a setter jump set full time.  My daughter is 16 (a sophomore) 5'11" and feels she is not ready to jump set all the time.  I don't want her to "miss the window" when D1 schools are looking to recruit setters and may pass her over if they don't see her jump setting.  Do you have a suggested time line when she should be jump setting full time?

Thank You,
N.A.

Thank you for your email and my apologies for the tardy reply. 

As a sophomore, your PSA should be jump setting a majority of the time.  If she is not jump setting, college coaches may not necessarily pass her over, but they may well rate her lower in their evaluations.

I would like to see 16's club setters jump setting full time.  The term "jump setting" is really not accurate; it is more "hop setting" - When setters are jumping and setting, they should not be taking a full or complete jump (like a hitter or blocker).  Rather, they should be taking a controlled, balance jump as to not impact their release and body balance.

The only time setters jump full, is when the pass is tight to the net and they are trying to save the ball.  All other setting opportunities should result in a small, controlled jump.  Like all things, it just takes practice to become comfortable with jump setting and she should be jump setting in practice.

Because of this small controlled jump, jump setting should be full time by the setter as a 16s club player!

Coach

How to Start the College Volleyball Recruiting Process

Hello, my name is Madalyn. I am a 5'8" libero/ds. I have a few questions I really hope you can help me with. 

I know I am not the typical height for a defensive player, but I have no objection to hitting the ground. I give 100% at all times. I have a 38mph float serve and I play defense against a high school men's volleyball team. I am currently a sophomore who made varsity this year. I sat the bench for reasons not explained to me and I don't know where to go. 

I want to play for a junior college in the North West, but am open to anywhere. I don't know where to start in the recruiting process. I believe I have talent and potential but how am I supposed to show colleges my interest? I am committed to this process 100% and I will give everything. Please help me get started, or any advice at all would be phenomenal!

Thank you so much!!

M.M.

Best advice I can give you, is read through the Recruiting Plan (find under Labels) on the collegevolleyballcoach.com site or with Inside College Volleyball; follow the suggestions as many, many players/families have used this plan for great success.

As a Libero, your position is usually the last one to be recruited and commit to a college.  On  average, OH's are 1st, MB/RS 2nd, Setters 3rd and.........then Liberos.  This is due to the fact that there are a large number of talented players who play this position, so college coaches understand they can commit a quality Libero very late in the recruiting process.

For Libero VolleyFamilies, they must be consistent and very patient in the outreach and communication process.  

Stay open to any collegiate possibility; don't limit yourself to a specific category or a small region.  Let the responses from your collegiate outreach provide feedback.  For instance, if you reach out to all the Pac 12 schools (and ALWAYS include video with any email outreach), and none of them response, then this feedback tells you that the Pac 12 is beyond your abilities.

Also consider getting a Free Recruiting Profile with NCSA Athletic Recruiting - The Free Profile has a tremendous amount of education, a college search map for doing research about various colleges/universities, along with the ability to link videos to you profile and send to college coaches.

Good luck!

Coach

Volleyball Pre-Competition Routine

Coach, I am wondering if you can address the phenomenon of sluggish starts in competitions?

Example 1:  My teenage son is a competitive junior golfer, and he has a habit of playing poorly the first two or three holes, thus damaging his final score.  The last 15 holes are an uphill climb due to the slow start.  The first three holes, however, can shoot him right out of contention barely before the round has begun!

Example 2:  My daughter is a libero on her 8th grade volleyball team.  It seems since she started playing, the early going of a match is just awful - the "deer in headlights" look.  A ball or two hitting the floor right near her. So much so, it's like "how is she playing libero?"

Yet as the match progresses, her abilities usually shine through - passes are nails, digs are crisp.

The problem is, her slow starts are hurting the team.

As a coach, is this a phenomenon commonly encountered?  Is it human nature to "start slow"?   What strategies do you suggest to minimize this?

Thank you!

C.H.


The 'slow start' is a common concern with any coach of any sport.  

And this is not a new phenomenon; I was watching a video of my UCLA glory days and even when we won a NCAA Championship, we had to do sprints in a couple of practices during the middle of the season because we kept dropping game 1 (we ended up 30-3 overall).

But, I would suggest that this 'slow start' situation is becoming more and more common in today's youth sports because today's youth have a different mentality.  Because of technology and social media, there are any number of superficial distractions before matches.  These distractions don't disappear until the athlete is on the court, within that insulated environment, and it is only then, do players focus in on playing. But, it is not an instant focus, as it takes a certain amount of time to dial in the concentration.

The coach's desire that their teams/players focus before competition is the entire reason for pre-game rituals. This is why coaches take away cell phones before competitions (cell phones are today's biggest distraction to individual athletic success), why there is a serve and pass before the match, why there is a team pre-game meal, why there are team meetings hours before a game, why players are not allowed to hang out with family pre match, etc., etc., etc.  Coaches are trying to establish a routine which results in focus and team success.

Back to your babies; they need to develop a pre competition routine and a pre training routine for success.  The old saying, you play how your practice is true.  If it takes a player 30 minutes to "get into" practice, then they will do the same thing for competitions.  I suggest that high school age athletes develop a pre-athletic routine, that allows them to let go of distractions and prepare for practice/competition.

My senior year pre match routine was my room mate drove me to the UCLA campus, we listened to two Rolling Stones songs on the way, I went to the training room to change, entered Pauley Pavilion through a specific door and went to the floor to start warm-ups.  

For today's players, they need to lose the social media distractions (or friends or family or socializing) before they get ready to practice/compete.  They need to develop a specific routine that allows them to successful at the proper time.  They need to develop a pre-game/pre-practice routine.

Put the phone on airline mode and just listen to music before practice.  No text or snapchat or instagram is going to be worth sacrificing concentration before practice/competition.  Use 30 minutes before practice/competition to visualize the upcoming endeavor.  Use 30 minutes to create a 'quite space' to let the distractions and the day fade away.  Use 30 minutes to focus on what your practice/competition responsibilities are.  If a player steps into practice/competition mentally focused on the task at hand, then they will be more successful than 'getting into it' during warm ups.

Parents need to become part of the successful solution and not the distraction.  I can't tell you how many times, I had collegiate players talking/texting with their folks right before warm-ups.  Wish your kids good luck an hour before the match, not 5 minutes before warm-ups.  Remind your daughter/son to turn off their phone and that you will call the coach if there is an emergency.

It just comes down to the reality that you can't be thinking about something and doing something else physically.  The slow starts of players is a result of using time for their minds to join what their bodies are doing.

Coach

Libero Passing Technique

Hello coach.  For years, my 13 year old has been taught to "get around the ball" to pass, rather than reaching left or right for it.
So today, she went to a high-powered libero training clinic where the teacher told her essentially the opposite.   It really blew her mind because the instructor just kept on her about it.
Is there an absolute correct way to receive a dig or serve, or is this a disputable matter?
She said that her passes were still on target.   I told her if that's the case, I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Thoughts ?

C.H.

The first priority is to make a good pass, the second priority to to make it consistently and this is where the discussion about technique comes in. 

To "get around the ball" can be a challenge, because of the un-predictability of the serve.

To "reach right or left" can be a challenge because of the geometry of passing. 

My belief is correct passing technique is a combination of footwork and platform.  In a perfect volleyworld, the passer wants to move his/her feet so the ball is centered into the stomach.  But, because of the geometry of volleyball, the platform must be angled to redirect the ball to the setting area (depending upon where the serve was received).

In general, I wanted my passes to move their feet to get behind the ball, and then keep their arms no wider than their hips to redirect the ball to the setter.  Depending on how tough the serve was and how much they were able to move their feet, this would impact how much right or left (from the centerline of the belly button) they moved their arms.

If your daughter was able to pass well with this newer technique taught at camp, then that is great news.  Player's ability to adjust to new techniques/new circumstances/new coaching will only make them better.

When in Rome, do as the Roman Liberos do...

Coach

Post Club Volleyball Season College Recruiting

May, the month of the club volleyball season which seems years away when all the annual club craziness started last November.  

As a club volleyball family, May is either the end of the season or a small breather before ramping up for the national championship tournaments.   Below, you will read the greatest advice ever for the next steps in the recruiting process during the month of May.

Club Season is Done:

Wow, that was a quick season!  The good news is that you have no more monthly payments, no additional travel costs and having to show your wristband to walk in the door and watch your baby girl play volleyball.  You can actually have a weekend free, take a family trip to WallyWorld and go visit those grandparents you have been ignoring for the last three months (and no, they really don't like sitting in a convention center with all the chaos and random volleyball flying around).

For the collegiate recruiting process, you are no longer in a situation where a college coach can see you play in person.  That is the biggest downside of not continuing the club volleyball season into the national championship events.  But, this downside is not really as steep as you might think.

• If you have been reaching out to college programs with video during the club season, then interested college coaches would have already seen you in person.
• Believing that you did reach out to the correct programs and reached out often (please follow my often written advice on collegevolleyballcoach.com and Inside College Volleyball), then the national championship events, from a recruiting perspective, are no different than a late season national qualifier.
• The college volleyball coaching changes have occurred in the early spring, and the corresponding or independent roster changes have also occurred in the early spring.  The table is set for the next recruiting cycle.

Your focus needs to be upon three areas:

1. Rest/Recover/Rehabilitation - Your club season has run from November to May.  That equates to thousands of impacts on hard surfaces and a ton of swings.  Knees, ankles, back, shoulders, hair ties, have all been pounding for months. This is a large amount of wear and tear upon the body and the body must heal.  If it is sore, rest will help but if it hurts, you need to see a doctor/trainer and start rehabilitation.  Resting does not fix pain, resting just masks it.
2. Skill improvement - After you are back physically (whether that takes 1 week or 3 months), then target those areas which need to improve.  If you paid attention to your club coach(es), then it should be obvious about the skills you should focus upon.  If you did not use your ears, then remember what you saw - Who was the best player in your position that you saw this club season?  Mimic what she did; you can't control your height but everything else can me improved.
3. Recruiting management - Just because your club volleyball season has ended does not mean your recruiting season has ended.  Recruiting is now a 12 month a year effort and those families which are consistent and focused in their management of the process, are the ones which enjoy the luxury of choice.  You should still be making videos (open gym, private trainings, camps), still be reaching out to college coaches, still engaged in communication with college programs and still determining which programs would be a good fit for the future.
4. Enjoy being a kid - What? What is this crazy advice?  Be a kid?  Yes, for the love of Tachikara, be a kid!  As quickly as the teens want to grow up these days, they are still just kids and that whole adulthood thing will be here too soon.  Hang out with your friends, go to the beach, stay up all night on a sleepover, set up a lemonade stand and donate all the profits to a charity, etc.

National Championship Events (We are going to Disneyworld!....or Indianapolis....):

While the national championship represents the end of the season and competition against the nation's best in hope of garnering the number one ranking, from a recruiting perspective, the championships are no different than a late season national qualifier.

You still want to keep communicating with college volleyball coaches, you still want to reach out to new programs or re-reach out to a program which may have said no (if you know that the program would be a good fit for you) earlier in the year - While the tempo of college volleyball program changes (coaches/players) may have drastically slowed down from earlier in the spring, stuff happens.

When you are at the championship, don't get too caught up in the recruiting process as it relates to how your team is doing.  College coaches don't put any additional value on the championship versus  watching you play in a February practice.  Just play to the best of your ability and forget those logo wearing crazy college coaches walking around.  I had a recruit who's team did not win a set at Nationals; not one set, much less a match.  Her team winning or losing at the championship did not mean a thing to me.  She was a quality player and person who was an immediate positive to my collegiate team.

Focus instead on the recruiting management before you ever step foot in the the Sunshine or Hoosier State - Reach out to college programs, send video taken recently, re-reach out because the worse case scenario is the coach hits the delete button, and don't get stressed about this being the championship with regards to recruiting; for college coaches this is another tournament to recruit at.

As the championships don't start until mid to later June, you have a small window of time to rest and heal your body.  As per the examples above, you have been physically stressing your body for months and now is the time to recover.  Find time to rest anything that is sore, go see a specialist if something hurts and if all is good, then keep your conditioning steady, so there is no drop off in your physicality pre nationals.  

Lastly, use this segment to generate some new video; either cut up footage of your last national qualifier or film a trainings session or two.  Remember that college coaches don't need fancy video  they just need recent video.

Have a great summer if you are free and Good luck at the Championships if you are playing!