College Volleyball Recruiting Outreach

Hi coach,

I'm concerned that if I send coaches a letter to show interest in their school and tell then about myself, they will simply over look me because I haven't done anything great in my career yet. 

I'm a junior in high school and this was my first year of varsity, and I was a starting outside hitter. Last year I was MVP on my JV team and I played for a 16 twos team at a mediocre club.  Thus year however, I made an 18 nationals team at a great club, so I am hoping to grow a lot this year as a player to get me ready for college level play. For the past few years, I have done both defense and hitting, mainly outside, and I am 5' 7". 

Should I even bother sending coaches a letter until this club season has progressed some, so I can have some good stuff to tell them about my season? I feel like if I send my accomplishments as of now, coaches will ignore me because I have nothing extraordinary going for me. In your experience, coming from where I do, is it even likely I could become good enough play for a division 2 school? 

Even though I haven't been very good previously, the past 2 years I've done training year round and clinics to get me to the level I need to be. I'm willing to continue to work hard to make playing in college a reality. 

Thanks so much for your blog! Its been a great resource for me!

A.H.

Glad you enjoy the site and I hope you have had a chance to read Inside College Volleyball.

College volleyball coaches are focused on your future, not your past. What you did yesterday does not help a college coach tomorrow.  College coaches recruit players based upon what that player can do for the program, when they arrive on campus.  

Ask yourself one question:  Do you believe you have the talent to play college volleyball?  If the answer is yes, then move forward with making this goal a reality.  If you hesitate or say no, then finish out your high school volleyball experience and focus on something else for college.

College coaches don't want to read a book, we want to watch TV.  Don't worry about your letter, worry about getting video in front of a coach's eyes.  You can tell me how great you are and all these amazing things you may have accomplished, but I still want to see video.  Video will tell me everything I need to know, while a letter really does not tell me too much.

I have a couple of suggestions for you:

1.  Take a look at NCSA for recruiting assistance; they have a Free site which is amazing and their Premium site is the best in the country.  Just go to my site, click on the upper right NCSA logo and fill out the landing page information.  It is here that you can research schools, build a free profile, start to search out schools which best fit your athletic, academic and social/geographic comfort zones.

2.  Get some video together and this is easier than you think.  After you have practiced a couple of weeks with your club and your skills are sharp, have your mom/dad/brother/uncle/friend/barista come film you in practice.  Shoot pepper, passing drills, defense drills, hitting lines, etc, then cut up the video into the good stuff and send out to college coaches.  Remember, I want to see you before I read about you.

3.  This is a process and it is something in which there is no perfect path.  You have to just jump in and start swimming.  By working through the process, you will figure out what is best for you, what schools are looking for and find that comfort zone in which you secure your goal.

As a Junior, you still have time for recruiting but you don't have time to wait any longer.  Division II is a great level and as a smaller OH, you can find the right school provided you have an open mind and work the process.

Good luck!