I see some version of the following question show up in coaching groups on a fairly regular basis:
I’ve got a kid on my team who wants to play in college. What can I do to help them out?
First and foremost, I’d recommend encouraging them to get a copy of The College Volleyball Recruiting Playbook. And get a copy for yourself as well! In it I offer loads of information, guidance, and advice on the recruiting process.
I wrote a high school recruiting piece a while back that’s really applicable across the board where I lay out the main pieces of advice I’d offer to anyone in this position. In this post, however, I want to really focus on one thing – getting players seen.
Ultimately, getting players recruited it about getting them in front of college coaches. Once upon a time, that came down to playing in important tournaments. That was when making a video and sending it to coaches was much harder than it is now.
Don’t get me wrong. Recruiting still happens at tournaments. That is generally not the first evaluation, though. This is why I’m not in the camp who says you have to attend certain events (or types of events) so coaches can see you.
Video is the starting point. I don’t want to get into a big discussion of that here. Instead, I can refer you to this video with tips on putting one together.
From there, everything is about putting that video in front of the right coaches. This is where coaches likely can provide the most value. Recruits and their families often don’t know the relative levels of play available at the college level – and it’s a wide array! You can help there by being educated on that subject.
You can also help them focus on academics and the overall college experience, not just the volleyball piece.
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