We stumbled onto your blog last year and (like many volley families) wish we had found it earlier. Just ordered your book. We are especially interested in your advice to parents whose daughters are not tall early in high school or don't make the top team in their area and thus are not on the radar screen, so to speak.
Daughter plays OH/RH. She is a year ahead in school and she grew late...not good for college recruiting, especially if you live in California.
9th grade, she was 5'3" at club tryouts; in 10th grade, 5'6'; 11th grade, 5'10"; 12th grade, now 6'0" (barefoot, not 'volleyball height'). She's a strong student planning to do research and post-graduate study. She contacted coaches across the country from fall of junior year through fall of senior year, but no response from coaches other than an occasional "come to our camp". So, she ended up focusing on D3 schools. ((BTW, if you are willing to consider a D3 top women's college, reach out to those coaches.)
This year (12th) she's tall enough to get on a top club team. D1s are coming out of the woodwork because they've had injuries or de-commits, or are recruiting her to boost an existing squad - so your comments about being patient are right on target.
What we learned the hard way is that if you have any interest at all in a selective school (or an honors program at a less selective school) you'd better apply before their deadline. Don't count on Admissions agreeing with what the coach promises you. Even a walk-on opportunity at a school where you might qualify for academic merit aid or need-based aid is a challenge; they likely won't have any funds left if you apply late.
This is great feedback from a VolleyFamily who has stayed the course with college volleyball recruiting, and I know my Inside College Volleyball book will help them even more! They kept reaching out, they kept an open mind to options and they were shown that there are late arriving opportunities because of how college volleyball recruiting has changed these last few years.
I understand that growing 6 inches in two years helps gain some attention, but they did not give up before the growth spurt. The new recruiting model is colleges actively recruiting all four years of high school because of way too early evaluations combined with too many transfers.
Very pertinent advice with regards to DIII and/or elite academic institutions. Many times you need to apply early to give your self the opportunity for admission, and academic scholarship support.
VolleyFamilies, please keep working the process, keep reaching out, keep an open mind to all opportunities even when it feels like it is too late.....it is not.
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Quick Update - I will be at the MEQ's in Indy presenting my NCSA Volleyball Recruiting Education Talks.
On Thursday night, in conjunction with the High Performance Tryout at 5 p.m., and then on Friday and Saturday at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. All Educational Talks are held right next to the main entrance doors onto the playing courts. If you like my webinars, my Talks are even better!!!!
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Quick Update - I will be at the MEQ's in Indy presenting my NCSA Volleyball Recruiting Education Talks.
On Thursday night, in conjunction with the High Performance Tryout at 5 p.m., and then on Friday and Saturday at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. All Educational Talks are held right next to the main entrance doors onto the playing courts. If you like my webinars, my Talks are even better!!!!
This story sounds familiar to me, since our daughter traveled down a similar path a year ahead of your daughter. Our daughter (a 6'3" barefoot middle) was a late bloomer too, and we were playing catch-up in her Junior year. By November of her Senior year, she had decided that she couldn't wait to see if playing college volleyball was an option, and made out her list of colleges based on their academic fit. Most of them ended up being D1 schools, while her talent and academic bent were more in line with D2 and D3 schools. Her academics were good enough that she got a merit scholarship (but not full ride) into an honors program as a Top 100 (and D1) school. She was set there fairly early in her club season, even though a number of D2 schools contacted her late in the season. But it has all worked out for the best for her, since she still plays volleyball at the recreational level when she can find a break from her other activities. The balance she's found as a regular student is better for her needs than if she had been a student-athlete.
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