Not Playing High School Volleyball

 Hello Coach - We need your advice.

My daughter, a DS/L 2021, is likely going to be cut from her high school team this week.  This is a pretty big time high school program, with talent deep in her position, that the coach has the luxury of being able to play some favorites.  

Meanwhile, she is committed to a D3 program and she has been committed for awhile. 

But what does she tell the coach if she is cut from high school?  Is that going to raise red flags for the coach?  I am thinking that my daughter have a conf. call with the coach and just be very respectful and diplomatic and tell the truth, with no disparaging of the high school coach.  Should either me or my wife be on that video call, or should this be just my daughter and the college coach?   We hate to see the high school situation kill her college dream.   

It is largely due to your blog that she is committed to playing in college - we have used it as our "manual" for several years!  

Thank you, H.C.

Thank you for your email and the compliments on the site - Glad to hear that collegevolleyballcoach.com has helped your family!

When it comes to high school volleyball (and honestly, the odds of high school sports actually occurring this fall are not great because of COVID 19), college coaches are not overly concerned. Now, we say the right things about high school volleyball, as not to upset the high school coaches and seem like narcissistic jerks, but a recruit's success within the high school program is not a priority in our evaluation efforts.

We understand that high school volleyball is its own creature and that the combination of crazy players, crazy parents and crazy coaches can often make high school volleyball a trainwreck.  As a college coach, I only really wanted two things from my recruits when they played high school volleyball - Maximize the free touches (as opposed to the paid touches of club volleyball) and don't get hurt.

Because of the increased length of the club volleyball season, from November to July (if not even longer), club is the absolute driver of player development and recruiting.  When combined with the fact that high school and college volleyball competitive seasons are concurrent, college coaches don't have the time to focus on a recruit's high school results.

As to your question, I would not lend drama or energy to this situation with regards to the college coach.  College coaches are concerned about talent and specifically, does an incoming player have the ability to make their collegiate team better.  From the information in your email, it appears as if your daughter has impressed her future collegiate coach with her talent level.

I would suggest the following:

• Your daughter sends the coach an email, letting her know that she will not be on the high school team.
• Briefly explain it was a numbers situation, as it is a very large school and program, and this year's Senior class had an abundance of Libero/DS players.
• Tell the coach that she will be doing private lessons/clinics with her club team this fall, as to get her repetitions and keep her skills sharp, as she transitions into the club season.

Also, keep in mind that as a D3 program, there is no athletic scholarship associated with your daughter - The coach has not invested or allocated a scholarship.  

Keep the email brief and to the point; if the college coach has any concerns, she will reach out for a follow-up.  As long as your daughter is getting touches this fall and is full go with club volleyball later this year, then it will be all good.

Coach

Club Volleyball team selection - Question #5847

First, thank you so very very much for answering questions and posting them in your site, your answers and site were extraordinarily effective and comforting during the recruiting process for our older daughter (MB).   Last November our older daughter signed her scholarship NLI at a mid level D1 school that was a perfect for for her.  You were a significant part of the “village” that got her and her hard work to that point.   Thank you!!  

Now....  :)  our younger daughter...   she just turned 15, is a HS freshman (following your “freshman free” advice), she plays OH, is 6’ and will probably end up 6’ 1” or 2”, she’s still a bit long and lanky and is just now starting to grow into her body.  

My question:    Well, questions: 
From a college recruiting point of view, would it be better to be on the “B” team of one of the nations top clubs (easily the states top club), but they only play in USA, not OPEN, and not stand out too much, or, would it be better to be on the “A” team of a competitive (only in the state, top 5-ish club) club and stand out as the best OH/player on the team.  

The “B” team, highly rated club, has a “A” team that is LOADED, with some surely future high level D1 players.   Would the coach tend to overlook the “B” team players?  

On the locally competitive “A” team club (Open qualifiers), what if the number 1 outside is super high level? Would it hurt my daughters recruiting to be the “2nd best” OH on the team?

Last question..  sorry.  Recruiting in qualifiers..  open vs USA ?  Does it matter?

Thank you so much!!!!
Almost empty Nester ;)

​Congratulations on the recruiting success with your first daughter!  ​

When looking at club teams for your freshman daughter, focus on the training/practice quality of a club rather than the schedule.  While players are growing into their bodies, improving skill sets is the critical factor for later recruiting success.  In a nutshell, determine which club team will train her better?

College volleyball coaches recruit talent and our job is to locate and evaluate talent.  Our first look is talent driven; all the other periphery items fade into the background.  

At Qualifiers, the Open division tends to 'attract' more coaches but this can be misleading - the power conference programs will be at the Open division and seeing all those big name program coaches tends to skew the recruiting picture for families. Waxahachie State and Penn State are inverses of each other; Penn State will be at the Open matches and drive by a couple of USA courts while Waxahachie State will be at the USA matches and drive by a couple of Open courts.

Power conference programs attend the Open clarification because this is where the vast majority of their recruits will be playing but but but, if they get a video from a player who they feel has the talent to make their team better then they will go watch the Tailgate division!

No matter what division an athlete plays, they must market themselves to those types of schools which are the best fit for the player and the family!  Unless you are a stud player with early developed height and skill sets, you still must be reaching out to schools to get yourself on their radar.  If the coach thinks you have the potential to make their team better, they will come see you play.

Last comment on club team selection; it is better to be on the court than on the bench - If being with Super Duper club means riding the pine (old school term, as I don't think there are more than 20 wood benches left in the United States), then that makes it tougher for college coaches to evaluate you.

Good luck and focus on skill development now!

Coach

Recruiting Success Story!

With the craziness today's recruiting world, it is always nice to hear about a family success within college volleyball recruiting!

While a number of readers may take pause when reading that committing as a sophomore is not rushing the process, the family made the focused decision to try and slow things down as much as the could.  In my writings with collegevolleyballcoach.com and Inside College Volleyball, I have encouraged families not rush the recruiting process.

Be patient, not only when you have pressure early from colleges but also be patient when there is nothing coming your way or your options don't seem that good.  The recruiting reality of today, is that it is always in flux; a no response to an email could well be a come visit us response to your next email.  

I have seen all too often families that commit way too early and end up transferring, along with families who felt that they would not ever find a school only to secure a great opportunity late in their senior year - The new normal is not normal....


Coach,

I wanted to say a big "thank you". I purchased your book, have looked through the questions on your website and have even asked a few. 

My daughter recently verbally committed to her dream school. Ironically, she didn't know her dream school even existed two years ago when she received her first serious contacts in 8th grade. The info in your book gave us the confidence not to rush the process, even when it seemed like everybody else her level was.

In the end, by taking her time she really developed a keen sense of what was important to her in a school and a program, so that she knew right away when she saw it. After her visit she took several weeks to investigate the school and the coach further, and the more she learned the more she knew that is where she wanted to be. That is exactly what we wanted out of this process, and we could not be happier for her. 

Thanks again for all the sage advice.

P.M.

Volleyball Recruiting Success Story

This is not a question, but a Thank you!  I just wanted to take the time to thank you for continuing to provide this free service to volley families.  You have a wealth of knowledge that helped our family and my daughter’s recruiting process.  I also bought your book and read it from cover to cover; I recommend it to all families that ask me about recruiting.

Thanks to her hard work, our parental support, training from her coaches, and your website and book, my daughter is living her dream of playing Division I volleyball on scholarship!  Several times I talked to her about the demands of a DI volleyball commitment, but nevertheless she insisted that was her goal.  She is very busy and focused and loving every minute of it!

Lastly I want to say that your help was so valuable because my daughter is a short back row player who was very particular about where she wanted to go to school, so she took many risks by narrowing her choices. She followed your advice and I just followed her lead because she knew exactly what she wanted.  She did all the work in terms of editing her video and emailing coaches and was able to achieve her goal!

Again, Thank you!!

Grateful VB Parent

Thank you for the kind email - You are welcome and I am happy for your recruiting success!

College Volleyball Recruiting and the Outside Hitter

5'5 OH / college future,

Hello, my daughter is going into the ninth grade and she loves volleyball. She wants to play on the collegiate level. Does she have a good chance on playing with taller girls as well as playing on a D1 or D2 level with her height?

She is 5'5 right now, and has a 9'2 approach and 8'3 block. My daughter played all around in the last club season. Her speciality is OH/DS but she says she is open to any position that will get her a scholarship. She is also a powerhitter. She continues to play club ball in the DFW area because she loves the game and want to get to the next level after high school.

Thank you in advance for your response. 

SA

With your daughter's height and current jumping ability, NCAA Division I will not be a realistic possibility.  Even if she grows to 5'7"+, her approach touch would need to go over 9'6"+ - DI volleyball is extremely height driven for attackers.

If your daughter has the passion to be an attacker at the collegiate level, the categories outside of NCAA Division provide the best opportunity for a roster spot and scholarship.

The key with scholarships outside of DI, is to remember that they are packaged scholarships which are inclusive of athletics, academics, merit and need based avenues.  The packaging of these avenues allows many non DI athletes to actually receive a full scholarship, but it does not come exclusively from athletics.  Not having the scholarship fully funded by athletics, can be a safety net because your financial future is not subject to the whims of a coach or the cruelness of the volleyball gods.

You mentioned NCAA Division II, and be aware of NCAA Division III, NAIA and Junior College categories. NCSA - Next College Student Athlete has a great free recruiting profile, which includes the definitions and protocols for each of the above categories!

Being a "shorter" outside hitter, means that passing and ball control are keenly important. A college coach can accept a smaller attacker, provided they are one of the best passers on the team.  Many coaches will recruit smaller attackers, knowing that they can transition this player to a back row athlete, should the need arise.

With your baby girl being in 9th grade, she has more time on the recruiting clock than a 6'2" OH.  This is a positive because it allows her to develop skill sets before becoming actively engaged in the recruiting process and needing to interact/evaluate collegiate programs!

Stay focused on developing her all around game and keeping the game fun!

Coach

College Volleyball Recruiting Success Story

These emails are the reason I do what I do with collegevolleyballcoach.com....

Hi, Coach. I am not sending you this email hoping you will publish it on your web site. Instead, this is a personal note of thanks to you because we are one of your success stories.

Our daughter signed to play college volleyball this morning, and considering that I have read probably every post on your site and bought and read “Inside College Volleyball” late in her freshman year, I jokingly thought that there should have been a seat for you at her table. lol

Here are two key pieces of her story I want to share with you: She signed with an NAIA school that was on the list of her top five schools she put together as a sophomore. Her new coach is the coach she has most wanted to play for. She never got caught up in what level schools were that recruited her. She determined the type of school and coach she was looking for and stuck to those parameters even when it meant turning down opportunities – and even when it looked at times like she might not play in college.

Although she was offered a good scholarship (for a DS/L -- haha), she will be attending on a separate package of scholarships and grants that will provide more financial aid. The status of a volleyball scholarship never was a factor for her. All she looked for was whether the coach was committed to her during the recruiting process.

Hopefully, from those descriptions, you noticed that someone has been following your advice.

Even if she had not signed to play college volleyball, I would still consider our volleyball experience a success. It feels like we experienced every conceivable up and down when it comes to school volleyball, club volleyball, in-team drama and recruiting. Along the way, our daughter has gained invaluable inexperience at handling adversity and disappointments. She has learned how to communicate with adults through recruiting calls and talking through issues with her coaches. Some of the lessons were painful for her. As parents, we have been grateful those experiences came while she was still under our roof and we were able to help guide her along the way. Volleyball and all that comes with it have helped her mature and has helped prepare her for college and her life after college.

Because of our experiences, I have decided to share one piece of advice for other volleyball parents when I have the opportunity: Don’t fall into the trap of looking at the cost of club volleyball as an investment in your daughter’s athletic career. Instead, look at it as an investment in your daughter. From that perspective, every cent has been well spent even if, for some reason, she never actually steps onto the court during a college match.

I’ve pasted a photo from her signing (photo emitted from post by Coach Sonnichsen) below because I wanted you to see the joy on her face. That’s the smile of a 17-year-old whose dream just came true, and through your excellent advice over the past few years, you have well equipped us (along with many others) to help make that dream come true.

Thank you very much, Coach, for helping put that smile on our daughter's face and for all you do for volleyball players and parents. All the best to you!

D and S

Texas

College Volleyball Recruiting Success Story

Coach,

Just wanted to say thank you for the site and the book.   I utilized them as well as other avenues(club, combines, etc) with my daughter so she could continue her wish to play in college.  Her goal in HS was to play and play in the south (warm weather).  My goal was for her to attend college and graduate with minimal cost for out of state tuition.  

Knowing her, I knew she would do best in a small school setting so I began my search at the junior college level.  We found D1 schools on the NJCAA site, contacted coaches, scheduled visits and I am pleased to say she received a full volleyball scholarship playing in the south for a coach she loves.  Bonus for her (and me) they also have a sand season so she is focused on academics year round!

In HS she had interest from D2/D3/NAIA but this school fit her perfectly.  She started all season and we await the beginning of sand.  I want to let others know this is a wonderful option, we have some excellent athletes in our conference.  A volleyball scholarship with playing time as a freshman-could any player(or parent) want more?

A Volleyball Parent

Great feedback for Volleyball families to not get caught up in the NCAA Division I all or nothing mindset of recruiting.  There are so many great options which all fall under "college volleyball" for recruits and the key is to be intelligent about what option is best for the player and the family!

So glad that Inside College Volleyball and this site have been a positive resource for you during your recruiting process!

Coach

College Volleyball Recruiting Success Story!

These make me happy and VolleyFamilies should find many pearls of wisdom from someone who went through the recruiting process already!!!

Hi Coach.  I first wrote to you for advice a couple of years ago and followed your words of wisdom on several occasions.  I just wanted to send a “happily ever after” note to let you know that my daughter enjoyed her first year of college volleyball at the D3 level.  She had decided on D3 sometime in her junior year.  

Somewhere along the way she figured out that she didn’t want her entire life and college experience to be about volleyball and well, the hyper-competitive club and high school environment and absolutely crazy coaches probably had something to do with her decision as well.  She made a big push her senior year to do what she could to attend the best academic school she could get into.  Most important for VB girls seeking to play for most D3 programs, are their grades and SAT scores.  With a 3.9GPA and 1960 SAT, my daughter was considered average among many of these schools.  

This is where VB gave her the push.  Many D3 coaches really wanted her on their team and I’m sure this gave her that little extra she needed for acceptance…. apparently, there aren’t a lot of 6’0” California-experienced players looking to go to the east coast to play VB!  So, in the end, she wound up with the best of both worlds (at least in her world).  She very much enjoyed her first year of college volleyball (even though she fractured her wrist, a story for another day), and feels very proud of her academic accomplishments thus far.

You advise and advise and advise…. don’t panic, don’t get caught up in the chaos.  I hope more parents take your advice.  Me, I tried, I really did!!  Also, you are right….. at the last couple of national tournaments of her senior year, my daughter was approached by a couple of D1 schools, a couple of D2 schools and several D3 schools.  She had plenty of choices, we just didn’t know it till the very end.  I also learned to listen to my daughter’s desires.  

Although I felt she could pay D1 VB, it wasn’t what she wanted and I had to let her make her own decision.  We shifted gears and spent our money on SAT prep courses and writing classes instead of private VB trainers.

Now I can relax on Saturday morning with a Mimosa and newspaper instead of lugging VB equipment, coolers with lunch (sometimes dinner) to a VB venue where you stand all day, listening to whistles blowing, girls crying, coaches yelling…. I thought I’d miss it, but have discovered…. not so much.  

Many, many thanks for helping us make it to the end!  C.S

College Volleyball Recruiting Process

Dear Coach:

We have your book and have been following your blog for a year or so.  Your information has been very helpful for us to understand the process  of  college VB recruiting and I thank you for that help.

I know that you have mentioned often that there is an overabundance of VB talent today for college coaches to choose from.  Your comments were a definite concern as my daughter started her junior year club season in November. 

Over the club season we sent out about 200 emails with youtube links to about 50-60 colleges.  My daughter is a 5’5” setter who has been shut out of playing high school VB since her sophomore year.  She never had the opportunity to play for the 1s level teams, but does play for club teams that do qualifiers and have strong strength of schedules in our region.  

She is not naturally athletic, but after 6 years of club VB and investing in camps and lessons and training she has great setting and serving skills as a back-row setter.  Over the club season, she got quite a bit of interest from about a dozen or so college coaches in response to the emails.  At least two of the coaches came to watch her at the MEQ.  

After visiting just 4 of those colleges throughout the Midwest, she received offers from all 4 of their coaches to play setter for them in 2014.  Two of the offers were given before the end of the school year in April and the other two before July.  Three were NAIA schools offering their “institutional maximum” scholarships, and one was D3 offering an academic scholarship package.  All 4 financial aid offers and tuition costs were very competitive with each other.  Three of the schools are very dominant in their conferences (consistent top 3).  Two have won their conferences 3 times in the last 5 years and have earned bids to their national tournament.   They are strong programs with full-time VB coaching staffs and great facilities.  

Overall, the process to be offered these college VB scholarships was not as hard, nor as competitive, nor as disappointing as her experiences have been in High School and Club VB.  In fact, it was an awesome and exciting process to watch as my daughter went through it.  Needless to say, she is very much looking forward to college next year.    

I believe that most dedicated VB athletes should be able to find an opportunity to play VB in college if they have that desire.

Thanks again for your service! It has been very helpful!

Mom of a Destined College VB Athlete

Congratulations on managing the recruiting process and securing a comfortable collegiate future for your VolleyPSA.  I appreciate the kind comments about Inside College Volleyball, and the assistance  collegevolleyballcoach.com provided.

I compliment you on being active with your recruiting.  Because there are so many good players, VolleyFamilies have to be pro-active and remain active as they manage college volleyball recruiting.  Reaching out to coaches with video, following up with coaches, going on unofficial visits, negotiating/reviewing the scholarship offers, considering the type of institution and athletic affiliation are key components of begin successful.

Too many VolleyFamilies are still operating under the old model of playing club volleyball, going to tournaments and hoping that their PSA will get contacted, recruited and offered.  For a number of PSA's who have been blessed with height and talent at an early age, this recruiting model still works.  But, for the 5'9" outside hitter with solid all around talent, this process may not yield her the best opportunity.

Recruiting Success Story

Coach,

Just wanted to take a moment to thank-you for your help known and unknown (emails and from your book).  Our daughter committed this week to her number 1 D1 choice.  Great package , great academic program, great coaches and successful team….Along the way of this trip you were very helpful in responding to 3 emails , discussion in one of your web chats, me reading your website blog weekly and your book has been on our coffee table for a solid year being read several times a week – funny how some of the entries I thought had nothing to do with our journey only to be surprised that they next month it was exactly the help we were looking for!

Through your advice our daughter chose to travel 3 hours round trip 3 times a week to play club ball with a national team, we learned how to market her using video, how to communicate with a coach and how to interpret their actions, and most importantly how to bring it all to a successful conclusion!

Things I have learned along the way are how to screen a program for my daughter – to be the sense of reason and to make sure her focus remained on finding the best college for her – not the best volleyball program.  In the end I am 100% sure she made the right choice and although we have never met I really feel like you were seriously a major factor in helping us all to the finish line :) thank you so much….I have purchased a copy of your book for every girl on her club team who are in the middle of their recruiting process and will continue to recommend you  and your site in the future.

Thanks again!

Go Siena Saints :)


Glad to help and congratulations on your VolleyFamily finding the best fit! Thanks for your support of collegevolleyballcoach.com and for your purchases of Inside College Volleyball!

I hope that you are able to enjoy this Senior (or Junior year) of high school and club as a fun VolleyFamily time of just watching your baby girl play Volleyball!

College Volleyball Recruiting Success Story

Wonderful feedback from a happy VolleyFamily.  It just illustrates the opportunities which are available, outside of DI and outside of being an elite, tall player and outside of being on a super duper club team!

Coach Sonnichsen,

I just wanted to send a quick note to thank you for the information you provided on your website and that I have devoured over the last two years.

My daughter presented us with some unique issues (well, probably not for you).  She is a very strong student and wanted a strong academic college.  She was (and still is) undecided over her major and was looking at liberal arts colleges in the medium size to small range.  To top it off, she wasn't sure at first if she even wanted to play volleyball in college.  She was a first team all-district selection her senior year (and state all-academic) in a competitive Texas district so she had the skills to play at some level but the club scene always left a bad taste in her mouth.

In the end, once we decided that DIII was the right place for her the need to play her 18s year seemed less important.  (We actually had a college coach come see one of her privates since she wasn't playing club.)  Not playing her final year of club really showed her how much she missed the game and how much she wanted to play in college.  This week she has decided to play for a wonderful liberal arts school in Texas that has a strong DIII VB program.  The school is providing a very generous academic grant to attend.

The things we really learned (or I should say proved out from what you have written) are:

• Video!  Tape the club and HS games and get them posted on youtube (game footage and highlights).  Some schools will recruit from video alone.  (She was offered a walk-on position to a DI program from video alone as well as receiving DII, DIII and NAIA inquiries/offers.)
• Academics!  Opens up so many more options to the PSA.
• Parents have to stay active in the process or you need to farm it out to a recruiting service.  (There are still so many parents that think the club will do the recruiting for them.)
• There are so many opportunities out there if your child is open to them.  In our case, our options were some-what limited due to our daughter's academic desires but it was shocking to see how many coaches from schools I've never heard of looking for players.  (To that point, we are still getting emails today for opportunities to play.)

This got more involved than I intended.  Just thank you and know that your efforts are helping VB families everywhere!

 

RR

VolleyParent Recruiting Feedback!

Please see the below email from a VolleyParent which has gone through the craziness of collegiate recruiting, and now is enjoying watching their Collegiate Student Athlete!!!

Coach,

I emailed you a number of times throughout my DD’s last couple of years in HS for advice.  I really appreciated your encouragement and the thought you put into your responses.  I’m glad you have this new forum where you’re not so constrained in what you can talk about.

Having “been there and done that” and having had a year of college ball to reflect on; I just wanted to provide some reassurance and a reality check to parents if their DD is not the tallest – been recruited since 8^th grade – only plays Open player.

DD played 8 years of Club VB – always on a second-tier team, never went to Nationals.

School?   9^th Grade – Freshman Team, 10^th Grade – Sophomore Team, 11^th Grade – JV, Senior – Varsity.

Oh, and she is 5’7”.

So, what’s the point?  Even though DD was a solid player, no one was going to come searching for her for their college team.  She’s not tall, didn’t play for the “best” clubs and didn’t play Open.

What we did do was market, market, market.  Signed up for every single free service available: University Athlete, Recruiting Registry, Be Recruited.  Sent tons of emails.  I bought a $99 video camera and filmed matches.  Edited footage on the home computer and posted it to You Tube. Although frankly, if I had known about NCSA I would have probably used it…..

Ultimately, she had offers ranging from Full Rides to Walk-Ons; from D1 through JCs.  She didn’t even commit until April of her Senior year.

DD is now happily in the midst of “3-a-Days” again as a Sophomore at a great school.  Excellent academics, winning VB program, teammates she loves, and a coach that really connects with his players.  And we all love the fact that scholarships (athletic and academic package) almost cover everything.

Was she ever going to be recruited to a Top 20 D1 school?  No, but there are over 1600 schools (D1,D2,D3,NAIA,NCCAA,NJCAA) that offer volleyball programs.  So if someone’s DD really wants to play at the next level.  They can make it happen.  It just takes desire, a solid skill-set, and a willingness to put in the time and effort to make themselves known.

Again, thanks for all your advice and reassurance as we went through this process.    It is so worth it to be able to sit in the stands at a University match and proudly say “that’s my kid!”

K.S.

I have written many times on collegevolleyballcoach.com and in my book Inside College Volleyball, about how effort and openness can lead to wonderful collegiate opportunities and memories!  

VolleyParent Feedback - Read This!!!

A longtime collegevolleyballcoach.com VolleyFamily is getting ready for the transition to collegiate volleyball and provided great feedback for new VolleyFamilies!!!  Read this, print this and put it in your volleyball bag.



Hola,

It feels like yesterday when I was emailing you a list of vb questions regarding my 8th grade DD. And, today, four and half short years later; she's packing and getting ready to head off to play college volleyball on a full ride scholarship. Whoo hoo!!

After several email exchanges with you (before 9th grade and after her Sept 1st of her Junior year, of course), reading your brilliant book, and spending 109838 hours on the internet researching NCAA rules, RichKern, University Athlete etc. Here's my list of top 8 tips:

1. DO NOT ask DD one volleyball related question after practice/matches etc. DO tell her how much fun you had at the movies/restaurant/book store while she was at practice (she'll then tell you about the crazy moms/dads who stayed and watched the 3 hour practice). DO tell her how much FUN you had watching (remember, no vb questions) her play/cheer during the match (she'll then ask you about 102 questions regarding specific plays. Disclaimer: this may take up to 3 car rides, as she'll be wary of your tactics).

2. DO NOT bring DD's water bottle, uniforms, shoes etc. . If she's old enough to have a phone/tv/computer…she's old enough to pack for herself. If she forgets anything, she won't do it twice. ;)

3. If your daughter sulks, stands crossed armed while not on the court, rolls her eyes, or anything else considered to be "snotty Suzy" type of behavior……FILM HER. You will only need to do this once, if ever.

4. DO be a good parent by letting the coach….Coach. Even if you played DI volleyball……techniques are different today. And, if you didn't play….try it! You'll be amazed at the difficulty and will most likely never give advise again. And, she'll laugh hysterically.

5. DO NOT attend every match/tournament……enjoy an occasional weekend off. It is good for YOU and your DD.  IF you can't tear yourself away from the gym (don't tell her your coming) and you'll never forget the joy when she discovers you in the stands.

6. DO HAVE FUN, make friends…and enjoy every moment (good and bad) the time literally flies by.

7. DO invest in good chairs (both for stadium and floor seating) your back will thank you for years to come!

8. DO invest in NCSA!!  DO NOT mistake brochures/letters/postcards as a form of 'recruitment'. Trust me, you'll know if your DD is being recruited or not. If you're questioning it, it's most likely mass marketing.

In closing, thanks for all your calming advise over the years and for teaching me how to enjoy the process. It really is fun!



A Fan

Volleyball Recruiting Double Shot

Dear Coach,

 

I saw where Colombus State Univesity, in Colombus, GA and Georgia College, in Milledgeville, GA were adding new volleyball programs. Is there a site where you can find all the Universities that are adding volleyball programs by region?

 

Sincerely,

 

R.P.

You may have just made the entire list!!!!

My best suggestion is the encyclopedia of College Volleyball information; www.richkern.com.  Rich is amazing in the sheer volume of information he presents and the nominal membership fee he charges is the best money you can spend on our great sport!

Hello Coach,

I wanted to let you know how thankful my family is for your passion and dedication to the great sport of volleyball. I am a father of five beautiful girls who love volleyball. My oldest (a senior 5'9" OH/DS) just signed her NLI to play  for a D2 program on the east coast. I wasn't aware of the recently reinstated four year scholarship until we were offered one. Needless to say we were pleasantly surprised.

My main point however is we waited until late in her senior year for everything to work out. I will say it was a very up and down ride and so much went into the process from my daughter working her tail off in the gym and in the classroom. Playing for a very competitive southern california club with great coaches and support staff. To using a reputable recruiting consultant all played into seeing this day come to fruition. My daughter had to say no to several offers which was scarry before she finally said yes. She had to work through the comparative stigma brought on by playing in the hot bed of southern california vb and everyone should play for a D1 program. She had 3 D1 offers that were 2&2 and 1&3's however one of her top priorities is to graduate with no to little debt which she will accomplish. I was regularly put at ease every time I would read your responses to the worried volley parents out in the recruiting world.

One down four to go. Thank you. D.P.

Thank you for the compliments, they are most appreciated.  Congratulations on your daughter's journey to her collegiate future.

Feedback from a VolleyFamily!

I belive it is important to publish the comments I receive from VolleyFamilies about their challenges and successes managing this craziness called college volleyball recruiting.  Learning from those which have gone first, can sure make our paths easier (rather deep I must say!).



Coach,

Saw you at the JVA World Challenge this weekend, but you had a crowd around you, and I was intimidated so I passed on by.

Read all your blogs and have your book. Its getting pretty dog eared now.  Some of your advice really helped me and my daughter this weekend in Houston.

My daughter is 15, a high school freshman, and lucky enough to be one of those "studs". A 6' 1" outside hitter. For the last couple of months she has been getting introductory letters from schools all over the country. After her first game at the JVA's she started getting wound up about what colleges were there and who was watching her. If I hadn't read your book I would have probably gotten wound up to, and started criticizing  every play she made. Wanting her to look her best in front of these coaches.

But, since I had read your book, I got her off to the side and told her, "Coaches will be watching you for the next 4 years. They will come and go. Your only 15. Just go out there and have fun playing with your friends".

Well, she relaxed and just went back to playing because she loves to play volleyball. The weekend could have been a disaster, but turned out great. My daughter met girls from teams from around the country and had a wonderful experience.

Thanks again for keeping me with the right priorities in mind. Keep writing.

A Volleydad


It is emails like this give me such a good feeling - Makes Inside College Volleyball and collegevolleyballcoach.com an easy labor of love! 

A gem which I would like to single out is the VolleyDad putting the situation into perspective, and thus taking the pressure away, which results in his daughter having a great day of Volleyball!

College Volleyball Recruiting Success Story

Tonight at 9 p.m. central time, I will be conducting a live webinar titled, The Introduction Letter.

We will focus on developing the Introduction Letter to collegiate programs, as the first step in your recruiting efforts.

The link to the webinar is 

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

Very easy to join in; Just click the link, select GUEST, type your name and click ENTER ROOM.

Again, this will be a live webinar, so in addition to seeing my model good looks on the web cam, you will be able to submit questions via the Chat Box for me to answer!

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These are the type of emails which make me feel proud that collegevolleyballcoach.com contributed to VolleyFamily joy!

Coach,

I have been reading your site for quite some time now and have found it priceless the information you give.  I wanted to share a success story with you that you may be able to share with your other readers. 

My daughter is a junior in high school and a 2013 graduate.  She has been playing club volleyball now for 9 years and has been a setter all that time.  She is 5’7 and 5’8 on a good day.  All her time playing a lot of people(even some club coaches) told her she was too short to set at a Division II school let alone a Div 1.  She told herself that she was going to prove everyone wrong.  She worked hard, followed the recruiting calendar and we used a recruiting website and worked that hard as well.  I am pleased to announce after all that work she has just committed to a Div 1 College on a full scholarship as a setter!!  After we left the Gym we both stopped and cried and she said “ see dad with hard work, and with the desire anything is possible.  I AM A DIVISION 1 SETTER” see screamed so loud.  It was one of the proudest moments of my life watching her see a dream realized. 

Thanks again and let your Volleyfamilies know that never giving up and following the dream and the plan is what it’s all about!!!

Thanks Coach

Volleydad17

A few keys I would point out - 1)  She did not let others define her collegiate possibilities, 2) Matched hard work in the gym with hard recruiting work outside the gym, 3) She used a variety of resources to accomplish her goals!

VolleyFamily Commitment Feedback

Some pertinent feedback from VolleyFamilies which have gone through the College Volleyball recruiting process which so many readers are managing right now!



Hi Coach,

I don't have a question, but a comment. My daughter is a freshman playing college volleyball. I just had something to add that may benefit others.

My daughter was one of those late-bloomers and so in her junior year started getting recruited. Until then, we hadn't even pursued college volleyball, until she started getting pursued. Then, realizing she had college potential, we went to work. Navigating the recruiting process truly does become a part-time job for a parent and child. It involves a lot of research and communication. There are those top players who will be "found," but I'd say the huge majority will not be found unless you get her name out there. Too many parents of great players sit back and wait for the coaches to call, while the parents of less talented players actively pursue (and often get) scholarships. Don't underestimate how much this part-time job of marketing your daughter can pay off!

But the reason I'm writing and my major advice is this. While it is very important to have a lot of respect for the coaching staff, PLEASE do not make the mistake we did and pick a school "because she LOVES the coach." There were definitely better schools for our daughter, but she formed a really close bond with the assistant coach (who would be her hitting coach) and said there was no one else she would play for. MANY volleyball friends/coaches/etc commented that she was basing her choice too much on one person and cautioned her that coaches leave, especially assistant coaches. Since her coach was new to the program, he informed us he had no plans of leaving anytime soon. So she turned down offers to better programs and schools that were a better fit to play for one coach.

A month before she started school, the coach left the school. It was something that no one could have predicted. A last minute opportunity came up for him to coach at a top school in his hometown, and he made the decision knowing it would make his wife and children very happy. He was devastated to tell us the news, and my dd was devastated to hear it. She had already signed her NLI and so went to the school where she committed. It hasn't been a bad experience, but certainly not as good as the experience she may have had if she had picked a school for the right reasons, and not based almost solely on the coach.

So please caution the many recruits who read your site about this...COACHES DO LEAVE!!! And make sure they would still commit to the school if their favorite coach left.

Thanks so much for all your info -- I only found your site recently but love hearing your thoughts on the game. M.R.

Hey coach

You were a helpful resource when we went through recruiting a few years back and you spoke highly of D2 programs. Our oldest DD was a top 50 recruit who played in a power conference a few years earlier. I wanted to let you know that DD #2 is having such a positive experience in D2 ball. It is truly 'just right" for her. Quality competition at a level she can contribute, quality coaches who demand hard work & excellence, but also respect the players as people (and not just "cogs" in the wheel of the coach's own success), "big picture" teammates who build each other up & don't focus on "your playing time is taking away from my playing time", program emphasis on academics & keeping up with homework, supportive administration (saw the AD helping take down the net after a big NCAA win at home) and great support from the student body. From a 9th grader who could not see herself playing college ball (this while watching the presure & stress of her her sister's D1 life), DD #2 now cannot imagine NOT experiencing college as an athlete.

I remember your advice 4 years ago as we attempted to sort things out in recruiting. Like many parents, I suppose, I have kept track of the other programs on her list that she said "no" to, and am truly thankful that she is exactly where she is. Just want to say "thanks" for your part in that.

Happy VB parent