Annual Team Sting Volleyball Recruiting Seminar
Julie Dailey – Sting Club Director

Why would I want to be recruited to play college volleyball?

College scholarships
Opportunity to keep playing volleyball
Built-in “support network” as a freshman in college
Academic support
Physical fitness
Businesses like to hire college athletes

If you are a high school freshman girl who is 6’0” tall – start early! Club directors are now getting asked about their 14-15 year olds vs. their 18’s. The recruiting process is speeding up!  Make sure that you work with your club director and or club recruiting coordinator.

Start the process as a high school freshman. Make a file, start a folder.
Keep a list of awards, honors, newspaper articles, etc.
Start walking around potential college campuses informally, while on vacation travel in an area.

View a list of collegiate volleyball programs at www.volleyball.org/college or www.ncaa.org then go to member institutions and you can view schools by division.  You can also go to www.naia.org and www.njcaa.org to locate member institutions.

Letters sent from college volleyball programs are generic until you are a high school junior (at least for Division 1 colleges).  Be sure to fill out volleyball questionnaires that are mailed to you and turn them in – Show interest!! Start a folder.

Full ride scholarships actually run for one year, renewable yearly.  Most colleges renew them since they don’t want a bad reputation.

Note:  A big part is how much effort that you put into the recruiting effort to tell coaches about where you are and show interest in THEIR school.   Review the college websites.  Look at their volleyball rosters. See what positions are coming open.  If you are a high school junior, look at their juniors. Are the statistics low on the backup players in those positions?  Do you want to play right away or wait behind a current player? Note recent accomplishments of the team. Learn as much as you can about their program for future conversation or an e-mail to the coach.

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT VOLLEYBALL! AS A COLLEGE ATHLETE, WHEN YOU ARE DONE PLAYING VOLLEYBALL, YOU NEED TO COME OUT WITH A GOOD EDUCATION!

College coaches look at athletes, not teams. It doesn’t matter if your high school or club team is not one of the top names.  Your job is harder, but not impossible.

College coaches look for:

Athleticism (to play the level they play)
Attitude (will you emotionally fit in their program?)
Academic ability (can you make grades in college?)
Work ethic
Passion for the game

Key Tips and Advice from college coaches:

As a starting point, consider using your club coaches and high school coaches to ask what level they might see as a best fit for your volleyball ability (Division I, II, III, NAIA, etc.)
Go see a practice and matches at a local university. See what system they run. Let the coaches know in advance that you are coming.
College coaches don’t want to hear from the parents. An e-mail should come from the player when inquiring about their program or introducing themselves.  It is OK for a player to show some personality, too.
Start e-mailing college coaches (i.e.  In your sophomore year), letting them know where you will be playing, your number, etc.  It is recommended to include your club coach’s e-mail address, whom they can reply through if NCAA rules prevent correspondence until your “Junior year (such as for Division 1).
When you play in a major tournament (a Qualifier, Regionals, etc.) know that college coaches may be watching you at all times.  That includes your warm-up before a match:
Don’t goof around in warm-ups or look like you are going through the motions. Coaches are looking if you are a “fit” in their quality of program.
Remove a warm-up shirt so your number is visible at warm-up time.
Don’t turn to your mom that you need water as a Junior… have your own bag and water, etc. when preparing to play.
College coaches won’t talk to you at a tournament – some aren’t allowed to.  Don’t misunderstand their interest level by this.
Wins and losses at the tournament are not the concern to a college coach. They are looking if you lift everyone up when losing and looking at your skill level.
Your e-mails or cover letter for a DVD can show creativity and awareness of THEIR program – never hurts to stroke a college coach’s ego congratulating them about a recent big victory or a player honor announced.
As a player, you need to be assertive and talk with the coach if they call, e-mail, etc.  It is not a problem for parents to make a list of questions for the player to get answers for.
Have your volleyball resume ready by your Junior year. It should be only one-side of a page.  Good to include a player picture. Include your player number!
DVD and video tapes are not as big a deal as they used to be.  Some never get looked at. Older generation coaches tend to like them.  Some prefer a skills tape of no longer than 8 minutes. Some like game film. Some prefer unedited, while others don’t want to waste much time watching your teammates finish a play on your DVD. Some players now use www.YouTube.com to post video clips or e-mail them directly to a coach.
Take the ACT test several times, since your subject scores can be raised.  Don’t wait until your senior year. Some colleges may require the SAT test instead, so do your research.
Narrow to 5 college choices to visit.  Break your initial list into:
60% average schools (where I know I can play)
20% dream schools (would be a stretch for my level of play)
20% “locks” which may not be strong in volleyball, but I can go there for a match on my academic interests and also play

More information is available on the internet. We have compiled some of the best information and have it listed also.

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
Julie Dailey
Team Sting Volleyball Club
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www.teamstingvolleyball.com