With the Spring rapidly approaching in the 2008 recruiting cycle, it is very important that Unsigned Seniors are completely organized with their end of the recruiting process.
It is during this time that all the different classifications of college volleyball are active in the recruitment of the 2008 incoming class. Many Division I programs are trying to secure their last recruit or two, Division II programs are going full tilt in recruiting because most of the Division I programs are almost done so many Prospective Student-Athletes are being a bit more open to possible schools, Division III schools are able to extend academic packages now that the majority of PSA's have taken their tests and are in the last semester of school, and the Junior College ranks are able to secure their incoming classes by illustrating the opportunity to play two years of college volleyball (most often on a full scholarship), then transfer to a four year school that should be better than those four year schools visiting with the PSA's now. All in all it can be a bit of a frantic time for the 2008 unsigned senior class.
Below are some suggestions which year's of experience have created, no matter the level of college:
1. Make sure that you have video available to show to a coach - either a DVD/VHS or something that is on a website.
2. If you send an introduction letter to a school, make sure to include video – get your skills in front of a coach ASAP.
3. If you send an e-mail, be sure to have a link to a website that shows skills on video. If you don't have this technology, then make it clear that you can have a tape sent to the coach ASAP.
4. On any introduction correspondence to a coach (e-mail or letter) include your GPA, class rank and test scores, with a note if you have another test date coming up. This information is critical to all colleges, most especially those outside of Division I.
5. Don't waste time - If you don't want to go to school more than a few hours away from home, don't e-mail a coach on the other side of the country. If you want a small school, don't send a letter to giant State U.
6. Be available after each club tournament is finished to visit with college coaches and make sure your club coach and club director know you are open to visiting on site.
7. If there is the opportunity to take an Official Visit or Unofficial Visit, it take priority over any club practices or non-academic events. If a school sounds good and offers a visit, go see it immediately.
If you are an Unsigned Senior at this point of the year, the reality is that you are probably an average to good prospective college player. If you were not good, someone would have let you know this and if you were elite, you would have already committed to a school long ago.
During February and March, there are many PSA’s that are very similar in talent - 5"9" outside hitters that can pass and hit, 5"11" middles who are solid blockers and attackers, 5'7" setters with nice skills - Like a bunch of Toyota Camry’s; nothing special, they are to be found everywhere and they will do a good job of being consistent, reliable players in college, but they are not the high end.
This late in your Club career, you are really not going to be able to do anything sudden volleyball wise that will make you stand out from other players. What you can do is be more organized and prepared to create an opportunity and when this opportunity arises, you can make an intelligent decision.
Remember, if you are a Junior or Senior in High School and have any questions, just shoot me an e-mail and I will do my best to help you out!
Good luck and have some fun!
