College Volleyball Recruiting Feedback from a VolleyMom

Dear Coach,

Thanks for ALL your great recruiting tips and information! This site is a godsend.

After helping my daughter (class of 2012) through this process, I wanted to share my thoughts with you and other readers.   If I could do this over again:

I'd start earlier! You have a recruiting timeline--people should use it!

Our local club has been NO HELP AT ALL with college recruiting. If your daughter wants to play in college, find a club that supports that. Get real examples from the Directors and coaches on how they help the girls through the recruiting process. Look at their "track record" of girls who go on to play in college. Look at the tournaments they take the girls to; how many college coaches typically attend? Do they help the girls make a skills tape? Do they take the girls to AAU Nationals?

I don't think camps are the best way to be seen by coaches, but I probably would've sent my daughter to her dream school's camp the summer after sophomore year, instead of waiting for the summer after junior year.

I am blown away by clubs that have every one of their 17s players committed to a D1 or D2 school by the end of junior year.

We GOT absolutely no encouragement, feedback, or advice, this year about the recruiting process which is frustrating. Not one of the girls from my daughter's 17s National team has a college commitment. The parents are just now thinking, "maybe we should make a skills tape".

Sadly, so many D1 schools have already gotten their commitments and the available spots are dwindling.
I've always believed that things will work out as they should for my daughter. But I believe we would've been smart to have started earlier, and possibly gone to another Club that helps their athletes through the college recruiting process.

You really only have one shot at this! Make sure your daughter has options and hasn't put all her eggs in one basket when it comes to the schools she's contacting.

VB Mom