Questions from a VolleyDad

First off, thanks for a GREAT resource you have here.  I’ve sent your link out to many friends.  Really terrific.

Okay coach, I’ll try and keep the questions succinct.  And, I want to give you as much useful background as possible.  Here goes:  My High School Junior daughter is a tad over 6ft barefoot (never sure how everyone measures?  In shoes or not??) and plays for a good club team and was a high school starter at one of the more highly regarded high school programs in SoCal.  Her passing (especially serve receive) and digging is so strong the coach plays her through the back row.  Which I attribute to her working hard and playing LOTS of beach volleyball.  According to all her coaches her setting is exceptional (wish I had her learn the spot starting at 12) with soft strong hands.  She’s a decent jumper and a good blocker.  Plays OPP/ MB mainly and will set in practices and scrimmages some times.  So far so good right?  Well she’s battled a weird coordination thing with her hitting.  She can hit, has smart shots but has a hard time getting power on the ball.  Her arms are unusually long and slightly hyper-extended which I think makes it tough.  And she hits from a nice high reach.  She’s been working on it and it seems it’s finally starting to come together in just the last 4 weeks but still needs to come along as we enter the 17s club season.  Up to now, she (mom and I too) has been very realistic.  And open minded.  She’s had several D3, D2 and a couple lower level D1 coaches express above average interest.  And she is very open minded to East coast etc.  Oh and she’s a 4.2 AP/Honors student so grades are super and just took the SAT cold and got a 2100.  And she’s super smart on the court too. So my I have several questions:

ANSWERS IN CAPS (AND THANKS FOR THE COMPLIMENTS ON THE SITE):

1. Her passing is really outstanding but it seems that so much emphasis is placed on hitting when a player is 6ft that it doesn’t matter.  I’ve seen girls from our area offered D1 full rides and they are great hitters but can’t pass. What’s the real deal on this?

COLLEGE COACHES ARE FOCUSED ON HITTING BY TALL PLAYERS BECAUSE THEY CAN ALWAYS BRING IN A COUPLE OF PLAYERS TO PASS AND DEFEND.  WITH THE LIBERO AND 12 SUBS IN COLLEGE, AT LEAST THREE HITTERS NEVER HAVE TO PLAY BACK ROW.  NOT BEING ABLE TO PASS, IS NOW MORE THE NORM THAN THE
EXCEPTION WITH VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS.

2. Her setting ability is so very strong.  Is it too late to get good at that spot as a HS Junior?

SETTING IS A TOUGH POSITION TO LEARN LATE.  MANY KIDS CAN SET, BUT NOT MANY ARE A SETTER.  THE BODY POSITIONING OVER THE COURSE OF A MATCH AND CONSISTENT GOOD DECISIONS ARE THE SUBTLE PARTS OF THE POSITION WHICH CAN BE LOST ON NON-SETTERS.  THAT IS NOT TO SAY SHE CAN'T SWITCH, BUT IT IS ONE OF THOSE CAN'T GO HALFWAY IN SWITCHES - IF SHE IS GOING TO SET, THEN SHE NEEDS TO FOCUS ONLY UPON SETTING.

3. If her hitting comes together, she will be pretty desirable further up the D1 food chain than she is now. She’s got strong interest from good academic D3s and D2s and a couple Ivy’s.  If her hitting catches up with her other skills, she will have a whole new landscape of possibilities but, it may be too late?

NOT TOO LATE - LOTS OF TIME LEFT ON THE RECRUITING CLOCK, AND DOUBLY SO IF SHE IS THE RARE SOCAL KID WHICH WILL PLAY OUTSIDE OF THE WEST COAST.  SHE IS PROBABLY JUST ONE OF THOSE TALL, TALENTED HITTERS WHOS POWER COMES TO FRUITION LATER IN HER HS YEARS.  SOME PLAYERS JUST GET
THE 'BANG' IN THEIR ATTACK APPROACHING THEIR SENIOR YEAR FOR SOME REASON; EVERYONE DEVELOPS AT THEIR OWN SPEED.  HER 17 YEAR OF CLUB IS JUST STARTING, YOU WILL SEE LOTS OF RECRUITING LOVE THIS YEAR AND EVEN THEN, THERE IS STILL THE 18'S YEAR WHICH IS STILL VERY DOABLE.  LOTS OF SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN UP AFTER EACH SEASON BECAUSE OF VARIOUS REASONS.

4. Because her all around skills are so good she does very well in competitive beach/sand tournaments. Maybe we should pursue this route to scholarship dollars?




SAND VOLLEYBALL IS STILL A SPORT TRYING TO DEFINE ITSELF.  NOT TOO MANY SCHOOLS OFFER THIS SPORT, AND OF THOSE WHICH DO, THEY DO NOT OFFER MANY SCHOLARSHIPS.  BY AND LARGE, THERE ARE PLAYING OPPORTUNITIES ON THE SAND, BUT MANY TIMES THE PLAYERS ARE ALSO ON THE INDOOR TEAM OR THE PROGRAM IS FUNDED JUST TO THE LEVEL NEEDED TO
SATISFY NCAA RULES THUS ASSIST EQUITY.  HONESTLY, THERE ARE MANY COLLEGE COACHES UPSET WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SAND VOLLEYBALL BECAUSE OF HOW SLIPSHOT IT HAS ALL BEEN HANDLED, AND THE INCREASE IN THE WORK LOAD.  AGAIN, NOT TO SAY THIS COULD NOT BE A POSSIBLITY, BUT JUST THE COMBINATION OF LIMITED SCHOOLS AND TONS OF 5'10" PASSING OH'S WHO GREW UP ON THE BEACH MAKES IT A TOUGH PROPOSITION.

Okay coach.  Thanks in advance for any feedback.  VolleyDad

TWO CLOSING SUGGESTIONS - ONE, STAY FOCUSED AND STEADY, WHICH WILL ALLOW YOUR DAUGHTER TO KEEP IMPROVING.  SECOND, YOU MAY CONSIDER A RECRUITING SERVICE (OF COURSE, I RECOMMEND NCSA ATHLETIC RECRUITING), AS THEIR MARKETING/SUPPORT AND EXPOSURE COULD OPEN SOME GREAT
DOORS/OPTIONS OUTSIDE OF SOCAL.

Coach,

Thanks for the straight scoop.  I've got other questions related to club team coaches with daughters on the team, neurotic parents and the attitude that "I don't care if the team tanks as long as my kids looks okay" type stuff.  Maybe I should ask a psychologist but I would love your thoughts on that some time.  I'm sure you've heard some good horror stories but I got a couple you won't believe.

Thanks for the tip on recruiting service.  I'll look into that.  Right now she's with a small recruiting consultant who is doing an okay job but, may want to kick things up a notch soon.  I'll let you know when it's time.

You know, I'm realistic about this whole volleyball thing.  20 years from now I want my kid to have fond memories of this.  Playing on a team at a high level is such a great life experience.  She's gonna be a Doctor, Lawyer, leader, CEO or something special long after volleyball is done for her.  And that's how we hold it in our family.  I have no doubt that at the rate she's coming along now, she's gonna find a good fit at a low to mid level D1 or Ivy League school.  So, it's all good.  Thanks for the remarks.  I really do appreciate it and will continue to share your site with friends.

God Bless,

VolleyDad

Glad to help and I agree that it seems to be some strange days with entitled and selfish attitudes from players and parents.  I have always seen this at the club level, but it is now emerging into the collegiate ranks with tough results because coaches are getting terminated as parents/players are not "happy' even though they are riding a full scholarship.  I call them the poison pills because they can just kill a potentially good team, and all it takes is just one.  

I will look at writing a post about this emerging trend, because it is just not a random program or two, but rather from the very top of DI down to a no name DIII.  

Once again, glad to help and good luck this club season.

Coach