It Is Never Too Late for Love or a College Volleyball Scholarship!

My daughter is a junior. She is just getting into looking for getting recruited. I was misled to believe that we couldn't pursue anything until this year. We hired a recruiter and are getting e-mails out. We have a profile and video. But what else can we do? She has played on a National club team and for her high school. She has also gone to some of the best camps for exposure. She went to the National HP camp in Colo.

What else should we be doing?
Is it too late, or are colleges still looking for 2012.

ALM


Don't Panic, Relax, Hang Loose, Chill Out - Plenty of time in the 2012 class, as many many schools are still recruiting (I am one of them!). Unfortunately, there is such peer pressure and gossip, that VolleyFamilies can become caffeinated because they feel they are 'behind'. As I have written previously, there are still numerous NCAA Division I Full Scholarship offers being extended well into the Spring of PSA's Senior year and you are still a long ways away from that date!

Suggestions:

- Stay on your VolleyService (click here to read my recent post about VolleyServices) to make sure they are contacting the right schools, keep your video current and updated, and do not hesitate to start shooting out e-mails yourself to schools (no rule says you can't have a VolleyService and double up with recruiting on your own!).

- Probiotics are good to keep your immune system up, since stress burns off the good bacteria!

- 17's Club Volleyball is the big year for exposure (16's is also significant), so the other area to concentrate on is your daughter becoming the best player possible. Talent gets recruited no matter what - If she builds it, they will come (apologies to Field of Dreams). Being a better passer will attract more real attention at a Qualifier than sending out an additional 100 letters. If she is on a National level club team, and being from Colorado (a state which has a good reputation for youth volleyball), and plays in big events (National Qualifiers, Las Vegas, Omaha, etc.), then she will be seen and contacted.

- Eat fruit instead of those energy bars - I believe they are severely overpriced Snickers Bars with a couple of organic ingredients thrown in for guilt.

- Again, don't panic and just start going through the process. One of the tough things about college volleyball recruiting for everyone, is the hurry up and wait reality. All the college coaches know who we want and we are in a hurry to get our players signed, but we must go through the process. Just like the PSA's want to hurry up and get their #1 school committed, they must work their way through the process.

- Ice anything that is sore - Ice is one of the unsung heroes of being an athlete. Ice when it is sore, because this could well keep it from being hurt. I call it preventative icing (not Icee like at 7-11, or Quick Trip, or Casey's, or AM/PM, or TigerMart, or....wow, I have lived in too many places) and it does wonders for college athletes and coach's shoulders.

- Read my Recruiting Plan labels and start with the Junior Year (I know, I need to update it and that is on my post-season to do list). Even though you have hired a recruiting agency, stay active and interactive - The recruiting service gets you in the door, but it is still your responsibility to make it happen.

- Absolutely suck down water the day of travelling and before you go to sleep - You cannot hydrate well enough during competition to make up for all the water you lost while travelling. Best advice I received for long travel itineraries (and this came from a college track coach) is to drink significant amounts of water before you eat and to drink down at least one liter of water before going to bed, even if you are not thirsty.