Committed Athlete transition to Collegiate Volleyball advice....

 Hi Coach! Back in September 2017, you answered a question that I had about the value of sending my then 14 year old daughter to combines and showcases. I also got your book and followed some of your recruiting tips. Well since I posed that question to you, I want to let you know that she‘s committed to play next Fall at DI -  It was a long hard journey, but without your tips and advice I’m not sure where we would be or how we would’ve made it up to this point.

Now that she has committed, what should she be focusing on as a HS senior between now and the day she reports next summer to campus for her team practices?Any specific things she should be working on as L/DS to prepare for D-1 volleyball?  Thanks again and I wish you continued success.

P.T.

Thanks for the update and congrats on the DI commitment; glad I could help contribute to this great news.

Three main areas that all incoming athletes need to stay focused upon as they transition from HS/Club to Collegiate Volleyball:

1. Steady improvement of skills - College coaches recruited the current talent levels of their incoming athletes, but they also expect their recruits to continue to get better.  All players should keep their strengths strong and their weaknesses less weak.  Keep touching a ball, keep focusing on fine tuning skill sets and for Liberos, make your serve receive as good as it possibly can be.  Collegiate coaches need passers more than they need defenders.

2. Enhanced Fitness - Collegiate athletics is physically more demanding than HS/Club.  The incoming freshman will be competing with/against athletes that are 2 to 5 years older and have been deeply involved in a collegiate level strength and fitness program.  While it can be a challenge for a HS/Club player to mimic these collegiate workouts, all incoming players can do cardio, pushups, situps, stairs, lunges, sprints, body weight strengthening, etc.  More often than not, the difference between a successful freshman year and a freshman year spent shagging balls is how fit does the athlete arrive?

3. No lingering Injuries - Incoming athletes should not arrive to pre-season practice with a big or small injury.  This means not showing up with knee tendonitis, or a sore shoulder, or a twingy back, or pulled muscles, or the flu or mono, etc.  Again, collegiate athletics is physically challenging and if you are not injury/pain/discomfort free, then you will not be on the court long into preseason.  Take time during your Senior spring to make sure you are physically good to go - If something is sore, rest and strengthen to make it better.  If something hurts, go see a doctor to find out exactly what is wrong and address it.

If you are able to focus on those three things, then you can set yourself up for an enjoyable first season of being a collegiate volleyball player!

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

Walk On to Scholarship opportunities...

Hello,

My daughter has been offered a 2 and 2 offer but the full scholarship are for years 3 and 4 as coach is at 12 counters her first two years. Clearly since the school is not bound by this offer for two years I am concerned given we have all the risk. Coach told us all the right things like he is making a 4/5 year plan with his team and expects her to make an impact right away. Said 3 or 4 times for us not to be concerned that the money comes in later years - as long as she is working hard and progressing she has zero to worry about. He is on a 4 year contract with possible 1 year extension. The school checks all the boxes my daughter wants in a school and she can get some academic merit to help years 1 and 2. 

Feel like we just have to make a bet on the coach and my daughters ability to add value. Are we being naive or dumb to accept this offer? I mean this coach  is very well respected and I would think if he or any coach made a living out of promising and then taking away money it would catch up to them soon.

Appreciate your thoughts?

C.M.

The 2 + 2 or 1 + 3 or some type of walk-on with promise of athletic scholarship scenario has become more prevalent in recent years.  General speaking, any "walk on to scholarship" offer should be based on the academics and non athletics attributes of the school.

Often, the walk on to scholarship is used with the Libero position, as college coaches can be hesitant to provide one of 12 NCAA Division I full scholarships to a freshman Libero.  It has become common place to have a few Liberos and/or Defensive Specialists on the roster, but the athletic scholarship is not awarded until the upper classmen years and after one player has emerged.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Any verbal scholarship offer is just words and is not real until the scholarship papers have been signed.

• As shown by our current extreme, unforeseen things happen which can change the equation.  Now, I didn't have world pandemic on my bingo card, yet the USA collegiate governing bodies are still trying to sort through the 2020 spring sport roster/scholarship adjustments, while trying to figure out what the heck we are going to do with collegiate sports this fall and winter!

• Less extreme is a coach getting fired, players getting hurt/quitting/flunking out which result in a program needing to recruit and scholarship another position or player.

• It DOES turn out the way the coach promised - We can't say all the time or most of the time or some of the time because there is no way to track these walk on to scholarship promises.

• As a walk-on, you do have access to scholarship support which is not athletically based.  Depending on the recruit's academic status (grade point average and SAT/ACT scores), community service and family financial status, good scholarship packages can be arranged by the school's admissions and financial aid offices.

Circling back to an earlier statement - A player should only pick a walk on to scholarship offer if the school is a great fit outside of the volleyball team.  Hope for the best and plan for the worst.  The best is everything works out as offered and everyone lives happily ever after.  The worst is the volleyball life is garbage but the school is such a good fit, that being a college student (instead of a college student athlete) is a great experience!

You made a couple of statements which merit a deeper dive:

"Said 3 or 4 times for us not to be concerned that the money comes in later years - as long as she is working hard and progressing she has zero to worry about." - This gives the coach an 'out' to not award the scholarship after 2 years. Of course, collegiate athletes need to work hard and improve their skill sets, but it opens the door to the scenario where another player could be awarded the scholarship because they are "better" or have worked "harder".

"Feel like we just have to make a bet on the coach and my daughters ability to add value." - Absolutely correct.  The number one job of a college coach is to win and they win by recruiting very good volleyball players.  If a coach believes a player will make their team better and will help them win, then they will recruit that player.  There have been many players that I thought were great young people, with outstanding academics, a wonderful attitude and had great parents, but they did not have the physical skill sets to make my collegiate team better, so I did not recruit them.

Be objective and subjective - Is the school a great fit for your daughter completely outside of the volleyball program, and does your gut tell you that the coach can be trusted?  If both answers are yes, then move forward with confidence and enjoy the life of being a collegiate volleyball family.  If any answer is no, then don't commit.

Libero and Attitude Adjustment

This past year I’ve really struggled to find the position that I want to play and I spent my club and high school season on the bench (I’m a freshman). I’m pretty short 5' 4", so I know my best bet for now is Libero. But how do I get better at home and gain confidence in myself again for next year? I’m not entirely sure about college right now but I’d like to give it my best shot.


Thanks!

Hi!

I realized I had yet another question that I wanted to ask you. After lots of time thinking and replaying scenarios during quarantine I know that my attitude had a huge impact on my playing time. While changing my attitude wouldn’t have given me a starting position I know my coaches would’ve tried harder to put me in. 

How can I let my coaches know that my attitude has improved and that I’m working on my coach ability? I have a goal to start as a Libero by senior year and would appreciate any tips to show my improvement and attitude. I’ve played since 7th grade (that was the earliest I could play) and I’ve always been a setter. But I know if I continue to be a setter not only will I be riding the bench my chances of college ball might be out of reach. 

How do I introduce my self as a Libero?

S.L.

The best way to improve is to practice and play; in any sport, the way to get better is to practice.  For instance, I enjoy surfing and I only get better by getting in the ocean and falling off my board.  With your height, the libero position would be your best fit.  Your time as a setter will help in your transition to a Libero, as the setting position also includes a focus on ball control and game intuition.  

To improve as a libero, you have to train as a libero with the focus on on passing and defense; and passing is the critical skill (too often back row players get hung up on their great digs and defense, when it is passing that the coaches need the most).  Use this summer to transform yourself into a libero by attending as many camps/clinics as possible (college/high school/club) and only train in the libero position.  Use this summer to play as much as possible on the sand or the grass or indoor pick up games. If you can't get out, then pass the ball against the wall a thousand times a day, set the ball against the wall a thousand times a day, grab a buddy or parent or sibling and play pepper as much as possible.   You are trying to achieve as many touches as possible, especially since you did not garner much playing time this past season.  

I commend you for taking a step back and evaluating that your attitude was holding you back - Not too many athletes, myself probably included, have the maturity at a younger age to realize an attitude adjustment can be needed for success.

Attitude is something which must be demonstrated, not talked about.  Even if you approach your coaches and say your attitude has changed, they will not believe that until they see the change.  A few attitude improvement suggestions; always be a bit early to the gym, always keep eye contact when the coach is talking, always be the first to jump into a drill, always be the first to shag a ball, compliment team mates (verbally, high five, pat on the back) and never demonstrate negative body language no matter how tough the drill/match.

As a libero, your attitude is huge - The two best liberos I ever coached in college had 2 vastly different styles of playing.  One was the silent assassin and the other was non-stop talk but both shared critical attitudes - They went after every single ball no matter now near or far from them, they always got dirty by going to the floor to keep every ball off the ground, they worked extremely hard in training, they always paid attention in games and practice, they were instantly supportive of their team mates, and they never ever ever had anything but positive energy no matter how tough the situation.

Because of your graduation year, you have time to transform in to a collegiate level libero by maximizing your touches and your positive, hard working attitude!

Good luck!

How to get recruited by The University of Hawaii

I know that you are a coach, and I just really really want to play at the University of Hawaii which is Division I.  

I have just been a setter for 6 months, I really believe in myself and I know that I have potential. But I don't know if I am going to be able to get all these awards that girls in my position at Hawaii have (with this Covid 19 and stuff). And also in Chile we don't have all these awards and stuff. 

So what would you recommend to me in order to fulfill my dream.

Thank you,

M from Chile

Your talent/skills/ability will determine if you have the opportunity to play volleyball at the University of Hawaii. Just like an athlete from the USA or Canada or Germany or Brazil - The US College Volleyball coaches focus only on ability of the player.  Don't focus on any awards you may have or may not have - Awards don't influence a college coach.  We make our recruiting decisions by what we see, not what we read. If college coaches think a player has the ability to improve their team, they will recruit that player.

Because Hawaii has very good local players (living in Hawaii) and is a popular volleyball team in the USA, being recruited to play at Hawaii is a challenge; they only recruit very, very good players at each position.

With the COVID 19 worldwide crisis, your recruiting focus should be on using video of volleyball trainings and tournaments from January/February to promote yourself to the University of Hawaii.  As every volleyball player in the USA is also experiencing your same COVID 19 volleyball shut down, the USA volleyball players must also use video to market themselves to colleges/universities which they are interested in attending.

What you did not mention in your email is your graduation year or what year in high school you are?  In addition, you did not mention your height?  These two details will determine the viability of playing volleyball at the University of Hawaii.  

NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball is height driven, especially at the popular DI schools.  The taller you are, the more recruiting attention you will receive.  In general, if you are a bit 'short' for a particular school, you can compensate by being very athletic, but this does not translate into an athletic 5'5" setter being able to play at Nebraska.

As with all high school age volleyball players who are trying to get recruited, you need to be sending emails with your video and personal/academic information to the University of Hawaii women's volleyball program (and 100 other schools which are of interest).  Everyone in the college volleyball recruiting world is operating via email and video today, and at least through the early part of the summer.

When volleyball is able to get back into the gym, you need to continue your skill development and training to become a better volleyball player.  As I noted at the top, your volleyball ability will determine your college volleyball opportunity.

Coach

College Volleyball Rosters

Hey Coach,

I wanted to ask how to go about asking a college coach about their transfers/players that quit their team. 

A school I am interested in has one senior and no juniors this year, although they had many players on past rosters that should be juniors and seniors now. Understandably, this is somewhat of a red flag to me and I want to know what happened before I get too interested in the program, but I don't know how to politely ask the coach. It’s possible that some got injured or things came up, but it’s just information I want to know. 

How should I bring this up with the coach?

Thanks,

Current Athlete

College volleyball roster turnover is a valid concern for recruits but it can be difficult to get clear answer.  From my experience as a head coach, the most common reasons for gaps in the player roster are:

1. Residual effect from a coaching change - When a new coach is hired, there is usually some type of  immediate player attrition either by the coach cutting a player or a player leaving the team of their own accord.  This won't show up immediately in the roster and may take a year or so to become clear to the outside.

2. Playing time - We are seeing more transfers, and thus different class sizes, because of players not being satisfied with their playing time.  Because of the ease of transferring, the collegiate volleyball grass is always greener on another team! 

3. Injuries - These season changing injuries (results in redshirt year) or career ending injuries can occur over the course a few years which will result in a Junior or Senior class being thin or empty

4.  Academics - Players become ineligible and have to redshirt, or they leave the program and/or school.

5.  Craziness - Some coaches or players are just a bit crazy and the stress of collegiate athletics will only magnify this craziness.  Crazy coaches tend to have high player turnover and crazy players tend to leave (either by choice or by being cut) a program.

6.  Player Life - College is a transformative time in any young person's life.  As a result, players may realize that their current athletic life, is not the best path for them.  Academic preferences, romantic relationships, family, travel desires, life in the community; all of these examples are not a negative or positive reflection upon the volleyball program or coach - sometimes life is best lived outside of collegiate athletics.

With the average volleyball class being from 2 to 5 players, all it takes is a few of the above examples over the course of a couple of years to result in an empty or 1 person roster class.

Recruit families should be the most concerned about #5, because you can't fix crazy and to manage crazy is not worth the current and residual stress.

The best way to ask the coach is to ask the coach - "We noticed that there are no Juniors and only 1 senior listed on the roster.  Could you update us how that came to be?".........and then, listen to the answer.  The college coach should be able to illustrate exactly, without judgment or blame, how the current player roster came to be.  Make sure you have a parent or another person listening to the coach explanation, as a second set of ears will be able to pick up nuances which you may not hear.

Good luck!

The Coach

NCAA Division I Scholarship for a LIbero

Hello Coach, 

My name is J. and I go to a private school but play volleyball with a public school. I am 5’1” as a freshman and I was wondering if I would have any chance for a college scholarship at a D1 school? 

Sincerely, J.

Talent will determine your opportunity.

It is generally understood that the NCAA Division I scholarship is the Lottery Ticket of volleyball scholarships.  As a quick reminder, DI Women's Volleyball provides 12 full scholarships (if the school fully funds the volleyball program, which the majority of DI programs do) but only 12 players can be on an athletic scholarship.  Because of this limit of 12 players, women's volleyball is known as a 'head count' sport among DI athletics - 12 players/heads can get a scholarship and if the program is fully funded at 12, then 12 players are receiving a Full Athletic scholarship.  

When we do the math, the odds are not forever in your favor to be selected for a NCAA Division I scholarship - For simplicity; 325 DI schools offering 3 scholarships each year versus tens of thousands volleyball players in each graduation year.

Players and families must also be aware of the excellent scholarship packages which can be found outside of NCAA Division I - By combining the additional scholarship avenues of academic, merit and need based with athletic, significant scholarship support can be obtained which can approach the total of a full scholarship.  

Quick breakdown of divisions and scholarships:

NCAA Division I - 12 full athletic scholarships, limited to 12 players.  Non athletic scholarships can be awarded to players not receiving an athletic scholarship, but these non-athletic scholarships are not influenced or under the control of the volleyball program or athletics department.

NCAA Division II - 8 full athletic scholarships (if the school fully funds the volleyball program) and these 8 scholarships can be divided among as many players desired, as long as the total value of awards equals 8 or less athletic scholarships; women's volleyball in Division II is called an "equivalency" sport.  In addition to receiving an athletic scholarship, players are allowed to also receive an academic, merit or need based scholarship.

NCAA Division III - No athletic scholarships, per DIII rules in any sport.  But, players may receive academic, merit and need based scholarships just like any other student.

NAIA - 8 full athletic scholarships (if the volleyball program is fully funded) and these athletic awards may be divided among as many players as desired.  In addition, additional academic, merit and need based scholarships may be awarded.

Junior College - JC's are divided into 3 categories, similar NCAA athletics.  JC division I provides full athletic scholarships (up to 14 depending upon school support), JC division II provides partial athletic scholarships and JC division III does not allow the awarding of athletic scholarships.

Back to your DI scholarship question - Yes, if you have the talent, you can receive a scholarship.  

With your height being 5'1" as a freshman, you would need to play the Libero position, unless there is huge growth spurt headed your way.  NCAA Division I players are tall; the power conference players are ridiculously tall and the non power conference players are still tall.  This height makes right reality of DI will eliminate the Middle, Outside and Setter positions from your possibilities.

And, to make your scholarship mountain a bit steeper, the toughest position to receive a DI scholarship in, is the Libero.  The reason is the only thing I can remember from my Economics degree; supply versus demand.

Typically, DI volleyball programs only provide 1 scholarship to the Libero position (not 1 per class, but 1 total scholarship on the team) and a number of schools don't even do that, as they only accept Libero's as walk-on players.  If we return to our simple math, that is 325 scholarships for all of DI.  The supply of Liberos is huge and the demand is small.

To further make bad math, the Libero position tends to be the catch all recruiting position in women's volleyball.  Not tall enough to play outside, switch to Libero.  Not a good enough setter, play Libero. You can pass but don't hit as well, play Libero.  Mom and Dad are not taller than 5'8", you only play Libero.

It is because of this huge supply of quality players in the Libero position, that college coaches only have to award 1 scholarship, if any at all.  They know that talented Libero players will walk-on to their program just to say they are DI players or to have a chance of maybe, possibly receiving that Lottery Ticket sometime during their collegiate career.

Enough of the scary math and let's return to Talent - If you are good enough, you can receive a DI scholarship.  But, you need to be really good.

Since you are a freshman and the Libero position is the last one recruited, you have time to focus on developing your skill sets.  Basically, you need to serve receive very well, play great defense, be in the right cover position at all times, and be a supportive/vocal teammate.

Club volleyball participation is almost mandated to develop DI skill sets, as it provides thousands of additional repetitions and hundreds of additional matches versus just playing high school volleyball.  Additional camps/clinics focused on the back row skill sets may also be necessary, if your club program is a bit lacking in Libero development and support.

Another suggestion is to play as much volleyball as you can.  For many years, before the rise of club volleyball as year round business, California players were regarded as the most talented, especially in the ball control positions (Outside, Setter, Libero).  Many believed this was due to being able to play volleyball year round with high school, beach and grass volleyball, along with recreational leagues.  But, no matter the surface, the players were playing volleyball...it was a steady diet of touches and playing the game.

So, focus on developing your skills, practice and play volleyball whenever you can, and understand that it is a challenge for a Libero to receive a DI scholarship.

Is the Club Volleyball worth it?

My daughter is a sophomore and is 5’9”. She plays front and back row on her high school team.  As she is attending a small school, she is forced to play front row as she hits hard and has a decent game vertical at about 2’ but her scrappiness is impressive in the back row. 

She has a hudl account and keeps on getting emails from ncsa, which she is hoping that it means colleges are interested but it’s more likely that paid recruiters want our money. She has been offered to play on a travel team but there is so few girls on the team that are college level girls and the cost is over $3000. Are we better to save that money for our daughter’s college or investing it toward her getting a scholarship? 

My daughter also is a softball pitcher and a basketball player and has a perfect gpa. She managed to play varsity as a freshman in all three sports.  She’s also a kind and a terrific team player.  She does love volleyball. 

I don’t know if contacting coaches is a good option. Should she get attend a camp to get some data on her athletic abilities?  Should we spend the money on her playing on a travel team?  Is she tall enough to make a D1 team?  Is her making a D2 or D3 team even worth the cost of travel volleyball?

K.O.

Thank you for your email and there are a number of questions to work through - Before answering, I will provide some additional context and information.

Club volleyball is looked at as the entry into college volleyball, but that is a little bit like "putting cart in-front of the horse".  Talent determines an athlete's ability to play college volleyball and club volleyball provides the opportunity for athletes to develop their talents.  Because an athlete will receive a significant amount of extra repetitions and hundreds of extra matches versus just playing high school volleyball, club volleyball is the dominant vehicle to increase a player's abilities.

As college athletic scholarships are limited in numbers and/or amounts, it is a competitive situation to obtain an athletic scholarship.  A player's talent will determine the opportunity to receive an athletic scholarship and the amount of such a scholarship.

Traditionally, club volleyball is commonly viewed as the pathway to college volleyball because of all the college coaches which attend club volleyball tournaments to evaluate/scout recruits.  If college coaches can't see an athlete in person, it can be uncomfortable for them to offer roster positions and scholarships to players via video tape.  Club volleyball tournaments allow college coaches to evaluate hundreds of players over the course of 2 to 3 days.  From January to the end of April, there is a large club volleyball tournament every weekend in the more populous states, which allows college coaches to constantly evaluate athletes in person!

NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball has 12 scholarships to award and since women's volleyball in DI is a 'head count' sport and only 12 heads can be on a scholarship, each player gets a full scholarship (provided the program is fully funded with scholarships, which the majority of DI women's teams are) - Obviously, the DI Full Scholarship, especially considering the crazy cost of college these days, is a huge motivation for families to participate in club volleyball.  

Families need to be aware that NCAA DI Women's Volleyball rosters are larger than 12 - Take a look at the roster page on the school's athletic website in the fall season, and you will see Volleyball teams with 16, 18 or 20 players.  This means that all the players outside of the Golden (like Greenwood) Ticket holders, are not receiving an athletic scholarship; they may well be receiving academic and/or merit scholarships, but these are not influenced or controlled by the athletic department.

NCAA Division II and NAIA have 8 scholarships (if the school fully funds the volleyball program) and these type of scholarships are called 'equivalency'.  A coach can take those 8 scholarships and divide them among 20 players, as long as the total amount awarded is equivalent to 8 full scholarships.  In Division II and NAIA volleyball, athletic scholarships are rarely awarded in full amounts, but rather in partial scholarship amounts.  But, unlike NCAA Division I, DII and NAIA schools can stack or package a variety of scholarships together; a player can receive an academic, an athletic, a merit and/or need based scholarships.  Often times, especially if the player has very good academics, the scholarship package at DII/NAIA schools can total out to a Full Scholarship.

NCAA Division III does not offer athletic scholarships.  Doesn't matter how great of a volleyball player, the division rules do not allow the awarding of an athletic scholarship. However, players can receive academic, merit and/or need based scholarships, but they cannot be influenced at all by athletic ability or the athletic department.

Junior College has a variety of athletic scholarship opportunities, depending upon the category of JC.  Junior Colleges have 3 divisions or categories of athletic programs, much like the NCAA.  DI Junior Colleges have full scholarships and the limit is 14 full scholarships if the program is fully funded.  DII gives out partial athletic scholarships, and DIII Junior College is not allowed to provide athletic scholarships.

That should provide some background information to move into your questions - As you have a number of important questions, let me break them out, along with a few other lines from your email which merit comment: 

• .....she is forced to play front row as she hits hard and has a decent game vertical....

As she is only a sophomore and she is 5'9", it is a good thing that she is playing all the way around.  The most competitive collegiate recruiting position is the Libero/DS/Back Row player because there are so many talented players and not a lot of opportunity.  All to often, the back row players don't receive much of an athletic scholarship, if any at all.  I believe 'good' all around Outside Hitters have more recruiting opportunities, than 'good' back row players.

• ....but it’s more likely that paid recruiters want our money....

Recruiting Services are businesses and they have well developed systems to encourage families to sign up for their support.  Some families do need a recruiting service and this can be a wise investment to manage the collegiate recruiting process.  

• She has been offered to play on a travel team but there is so few girls on the team that are college level girls and the cost is over $3000.

Club volleyball is expensive, but it is the protocol to increase ability and to be effectively seen by college coaches.  College coaches don't recruit the club team, we focus on the player were are evaluating.  The majority of time, we don't even know the score of the game much less stay for the entire match.  We don't judge a player by the abilities of her teammates; we judge her interaction with team mates though.

• Are we better to save that money for our daughter’s college or investing it toward her getting a scholarship?

The current club season has ground to a stop with the COVID 19 pandemic, so we will consider the Junior and Senior year of high school playing club volleyball - If we look at this from a return on investment viewpoint; $3000 per year for the next 2 years of club volleyball, plus related expenses of equipment, travel, meals, etc: say....$8,000.

If an athlete plays for 4 years and graduates in 4 years (we won't consider the possibility of a redshirt year), the per college year investment is $2,000.  To make the math work, a player would want to receive at least a $2,000 per year athletic scholarship.  There is a certain in-college value to playing collegiate sports (academic support, priority scheduling, athletic clothing and equipment, representing something larger than yourself, developing lifelong friendships through a common experience, etc.), not to mention post college life of having athletics on your resume and potential employers rating you higher.

Because of my experience as a collegiate player and as a collegiate coach, I feel that eight thousand dollars is a good investment.

• ....and has a perfect gpa....

If her ACT/SAT test scores will reflect this great g.p.a., she will be in a good position to garner academic scholarships.  For the majority of non-Division I players, the academic scholarship will be the largest scholarship award and, as long as you keep up the college mandated g.p.a, this academic award will continue until graduation!

• I don’t know if contacting coaches is a good option.

It is not only a good option, it is the only option to reach your recruiting goals.  As presented above, college volleyball recruiting is competitive - Your 5'9", all around outside hitter daughter, with the great gpa and personality, is competing against thousands of other 5'9" all around outside hitters with great grades and personalities.  Waiting for college coaches to find a player is not a plan, it is a dream.  Because there are so many talented players of average height, it is absolutely necessary for players/families to reach out to college coaches via email with player information and current video.  Even if a player is participating in club volleyball, they still need to reach out to college coaches to convince them to come to court #52 in the Dallas Convention Center during the MLK Classic tournament.

• Should she get attend a camp to get some data on her athletic abilities?

Camps are generally not designed for recruiting, unless the camp specifically says it is for recruiting and has the itinerary to support such a statement; a college camp where the only coaches are from one school (the host college) is not a recruiting camp.  A better option would be recruiting combines or showcases, where a bunch of college coaches attend and would contact an athlete if interested.  The best, but most expensive option, is club volleyball, in which the team plays in large tournaments and the player/family can easily see how they stack up!

• Should we spend the money on her playing on a travel team? 

Yes, if she does want to play in college, she needs to have the training and repetitions needed to develop her talent, along with putting herself into the live view of college coaches attending big tournaments.  There are rare occasions that a gifted volleyball athlete can secure a collegiate opportunity by playing only high school volleyball.

• Is she tall enough to make a D1 team?

Yes, but not at the Power Conference or upper mid major level.  There are plenty of 5'9"-5'10" outside hitters at the mid to lower level NCAA Division I programs.  Her ball control/passing, attacking ability and volleyball intelligence will be more of a deciding factor for these type of DI programs, rather than just her height.

• Is her making a D2 or D3 team even worth the cost of travel volleyball?

I believe so - Think of DII/NAIA in terms of a combination of scholarships and collegiate experience.  Even a partial D2/NAIA 'partial scholarship' will routinely be more than $2,000 per month.  Again, the packaging of D2/NAIA school scholarships can approach and easily total a full scholarship.

There is much to digest when it comes to today's college volleyball recruiting environment.  Hopefully my answers and background information will provide some direction as your daughter moves forward with her volleyball career!!!

Evaluating College Volleyball Programs!

Dear Coach,

I am looking for the best way to identify colleges programs that meet the following criteria:

1.  Quality Coaching Staff.

2.  Interested in an athlete despite height.

3.  Finding programs/coaches who like to run a 6-2 offense with their setters.

4.  Team Culture is a high priority.

Any thoughts on how to identify these schools/programs would be greatly appreciated.

S.C.

If I had a metric which could compile and rate all the various college volleyball programs based upon your criteria, I would be living on an island in the South Pacific eating fresh fish and tropical fruit because I would be a multi millionaire....

In year's past, finding programs which consistently scored high in the referenced criteria was easier than today. This was due to the fact that coaching changes did not occur as frequently, players did not transfer with such ease, the athletic conferences were a bit more stable and the recruiting process was much slower for both college programs and families.

For criteria #1 and #4, Quality of Coaching Staff and Team Culture, families need to visit campus to watch practice and to attend matches.  This is something which is impossible to ascertain via the internet or on TV.  Only by watching practice and watching a match in person, can a family see how a Coaching Staff operates and how a Team engages.  In addition, not all campus visits should be arranged via the volleyball program; remember that the priority of any volleyball staff is recruiting, so they will always put on the best show for visiting families.  Better to sometimes just slip into practice and watch.

For criteria #2, Athlete Height, that can be researched on line by reviewing the team roster for the current years and the program archives for previous years.  But, each category of college volleyball will have a difference 'baseline' of what is tall versus not tall.  When I coached NCAA Division II for one season, after being a DI coach for almost 15 years, the first day in the gym with my DII team, I thought the net was set too high.  My reference point for player height was mid-major DI; once we got into the DII season, my team was the same height as the other DII teams we were playing.  Maybe you could look for outliers on rosters; a 5'8" outside hitter on the roster of Michigan, or a 5'4" setter on the roster of Texas Women's University....but, and there is always a but, are these two examples scholarship players or walk-ons?

Criteria #3, Offensive System, is just watching volleyball matches of potential schools, but (again, another but), college programs will change offenses based upon many factors.  Rarely is a college program committed to always running a 6-2 offense (either the Old School type...You're my boy Blue!...with 2 setters that also hit front row - or the New School type with setters that substitute out front row for hitters), so basing a recruiting evaluation upon this offensive system is risky.  The year over year recruiting success, along with the player position make up and related talent will determine if a program would move to or stay with a 6-2 offense.

I wish I had a better answer or evaluation system for you, because I would be enjoying a wonderful lunch of grilled mahi mahi with sliced mangos!

Late Start in Boy's Volleyball and Recruiting

My 6’ 5” son is a middle hitter in his junior year of high school. He played year round basketball for 10 years. After sophomore year’s basketball season he decided to play volleyball for the first time with some friends. He fell in love with the sport and is all about volleyball now. 

During the summer he played weekly co-ed grass, wallyball and sand to improve his skills. He played on a local club team with friends rather than traveling to play at a higher level so he could stay on top of his grades and part time job. He has the grades and test scores to get into any college, but wants to stay in California. 

I am told that most colleges already have their 2021 class in mind. Is is worth paying money for recruiting help or should he just try to walk on to whatever college he gets into and/or play club?

Thanks for your advice.

A.H.

The good news is that men's collegiate volleyball operates on a slower recruiting timetable than women's collegiate volleyball, which I think is partly due to boy's physically maturing a slightly later age. The bad news is that men's collegiate volleyball has a fraction of the collegiate playing opportunities that women's collegiate volleyball has - maybe 240 for the men and 1800 plus for the women.

Men's volleyball will be well into their 2021 recruiting cycle with scholarships being offered and player commitments being received, but not every school (even the California schools) are done with recruiting and things are constantly changing with recruiting needs.

With the reduced number of collegiate programs, the recruiting equation for boys is quite competitive; there are a lot of good volleyball players trying to find a home on not so many teams.  Combined with the athletic scholarship limitations, the vast majority of players are getting a small partial athletic scholarship, if anything at all.

With your son's late start, the key to playing collegiate volleyball is playing on the best possible club team right now.  Unless he just has natural, gifted from the volleygods abilities, he needs to be training at a high level to compensate for his late start in volleyball.  His talent will determine his college volleyball opportunities.

I understand the desire to play in California, as I played at UCLA and wish I was living back in California right now, but the majority of men's college volleyball playing opportunities are outside of The Golden State.  

Encourage him to keep playing where and when he can, because each touch will make him better, then look to have him join an established, national level club program, and start the outreach process to colleges, with or without the help of a recruiting service.

ACL Injury and Volleyball Recruiting

Dear Coach,

My daughter is a high school junior, and she was on a huge rise as a setter in her volleyball world.   She has been a 3 sport athlete for at least 8 years, with basketball being one of the sports.  She tore her ACL this month during a basketball game, and will be out the entire national elite volleyball club season where she was going to shine bright and already had many college contacts.   She had already been in contact with college coaches prior to the injury, and she had given her schedule to a few that requested it.   ACL recovery takes months, and she will likely be recovered just in time to start her senior year HS volleyball season.   She is a very talented athlete and many of her coaches are talking about her amazing comeback and she shouldn't worry about this setback because she will definitely get recruited.  I have sat quietly in the background thinking that it probably isn't really a possibility for her any more, and they are just trying to make her feel better.   I am completely new to this whole college recruiting process, so in your experience, is it a possibility for her to get noticed her senior year?  Do colleges want an athlete that has gone through ACL surgery?  Does she need to contact the coaches that she already gave schedules to and let them know about this injury?  Obviously, she will be on the sideline for the season, so they will not be able to see her in action.

I know if anyone can do it, it would be my daughter, but I don't want her to be set up for a huge disappointment.   She truly is a super athlete, making varsity for all 3 sports she plays as a freshman (in a school with ~2500 students), she has a 4.1 GPA, so her academics are excellent too.   I am just worried for her, as she has spent her entire life in the sports arena.   She trains hard, and is a force on the court.  Opposing team coaches seek her out after matches all the time to give her accolades. She knows this was the important national club season, so she is devastated to miss it.  I pray for her to still be able to accomplish her dream, I just don't want her to set an impossible goal.  

Any advice you could give would be so welcoming!

Thank you,

Hopeful Volleyball Mom

In a nutshell, she will still have many recruiting options post rehabilitation.  Injuries can be an overwhelming situation for players and parents, but it will be 'all good'...

• I believe the current generation of parents, for high school age players, are the last one which viewed injuries as career ending when we were in high school.  I can distinctly remember very good athletes, popping their ACL and their athletic days being done. This is one reason (before concussions) that so many parents did not let their son's play football (mine included and I am very thankful they did not let me play).

• Sports surgery and rehabilitation is amazing today, especially for ACL injuries - Almost every sport will be at risk for ACL injures with football and soccer standing out.  When I look at how quickly people, especially young athletes, are able to get functional after an ACL surgery, it is unreal - They have the athletes doing rehab while they are still waking up from the surgery.

• If an athlete stays focused on the rehabilitation, then ACL injuries just cost a season, but can have no long term affect upon their high school, collegiate and/or professional career. 

• And, with the current uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus, if the volleyball gods said you had to miss one club season, this is the one to miss.

• Her senior year of club volleyball will be important; notice that I didn't say Senior year of high school volleyball.  Limit high school volleyball to ensure that she is 100% full go for her last club season.

• College recruiting for Juniors can go 'quiet' in the late spring and summer - This is a result of college coaches playing possum with the recruiting process; they don't necessarily want to offer that last scholarship to a Junior in May, because they don't know what college transfer may come available or an athlete coming back from injury or an international player pops up.

• The late fall of the senior season is when college volleyball recruiting ramps back up big time and I feel this year, it will be more pronounced than ever.  College coaches are always looking for senior athletes, so those senior players which have talent will have great choices!

• Don't spread the news about the ACL injury - If a college coach asks why you are not playing, then be honest.  No reason to focus on a negative though; better to step back from outreach/communication and then when she is entering her senior year of club volleyball, to reengage actively in the recruiting process.

The key to her college volleyball opportunities is her rehabilitation and recovery from the ACL surgery.  Right now, that should be her primary and steady focus.  Rehab will have good days and bad days, but it is a steady march towards regaining athleticism.  If she does the work now, then she will have the opportunities her senior year.

Good luck and stay focused!

Height Makes Right

Dear Coach,

I wanted to consult you on what height to list for college recruitment purposes. I am currently an outside and would hope to be able to play for a mid-level division 1 school. In my shoes I measure just shy of 5'9 1/4" (so about 5'9.2"). Could you please tell me if I should list myself myself as 5'9 or 5'10? I get the height in shoes thing, but I was looking for advice on how to round my height in shoes. I don't want to fudge numbers, but at the same time I don't want to put myself at a disadvantage. 

Also, my standing reach is 7'4" and my approach is really really good at almost 9'7. 

Thank You So Much!

J.W.

List yourself at 5'9" - Sure, 5'10" sounds better but that is a generous round-up in shoes (or get taller shoes?).

Touching 9'7" is solid but not great for Division I (just being honest) - You don't say what year in school you are are, so maybe you still have time to get that approach jump up a bit - Generally speaking, each year players tend to add 1 to 2 inches to their jump just by getting older and stronger.

More important than height or approach jump, as an outside hitter is your passing ability and your attacking ability.  Being a very good passer is an obvious statement, but being a good hitter is more than hitting hard; as an outside, it is hitting smart.

Average sized players, no matter what category or level of play, need to have complete, higher level, well rounded skill sets.  You need to be able to do everything good; not great but also not average.  Being average sized and having average skill sets, is going to leave you with average opportunities in college.