Recruited Walk On Position

Hi Coach - Hi back to you!  I will answer your very good question in CAPS below!  Apologies for YELLING back the answers!

Thank you again for the insight your website provides!

I have a question regarding recruited walk-ons and the DS/Libero postion.

My daughter is a junior and has visited about 8 small to mid-size D1 programs as well as a handful of D3 programs.  GOOD - HOPEFULLY YOU WENT ON A FEW OR ALL OF THESE VISITS?

All the school are very highly ranked scholastically and that has been her focus in targeting schools.  GOOD TO USE VOLLEYBALL AS THE VEHICLE TO ACHIEVE ACADEMIC GOALS!

From what we learned from our visits at the D1 programs it seems to be the norm that for the DS/L position they are initially offering a walk on spot with merit money, with potential to earn athletic scholarship money as an upper classman.  They use examples of their current DS players who followed the same path and received 2 years of athletic money, but no guarantee of course.  From your experience is that offer the normal trend as DS/L players are less valued due to supply and demand?

YES - SUPPLY AND DEMAND IS THE KEY TO COACHES BEING ABLE TO FIND VERY GOOD WALK ONS AND NOT HAVE TO IMMEDIATELY OR ALWAYS USE A SCHOLARSHIP.  2 YEARS IS A BIT STEEP, BUT NOT UNCOMMON.  MANY SCHOOLS HAVE A RECRUITED PLAYER WALK ON FOR 1 YEAR, WHILE MANY SCHOOLS SAY NO GUARANTEE AT ALL OF A SCHOLARSHIP EVER!

Regarding merit money, I'm sure this is different by school, but do you have any sense of how/if is that typically renewed year to year?  And should the program be able to define that amount before the player commits to the walk on spot, or is merit money not defined until the player receives the school's acceptance letter?

NON ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT SCHOLARSHIPS (ACADEMIC/MERIT/NEED BASED) HAVE RENEWAL DEPENDENT PER THE DICTATES OF THE SCHOLARSHIP SOURCE AND ATHLETICS IS POINTEDLY REMOVED FROM THE PROCESS.  SOME PROGRAMS CAN PAINT A GENERAL PICTURE OF ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, BUT IT IS BEST TO DEAL DIRECTLY WITH ADMISSIONS/FINANCIAL AID - THESE ARE THE OFFICES THAT CAN INFORM YOU WHAT YOU WOULD RECEIVE BASED UPON YOUR PARTICULARS.

One of the D1 schools that my daughter visited has become above and beyond her first choice for first volleyball and academics in the pool of the dozen colleges we have seen.  I know in your other posts you suggest that a player should not normally accept a recruited walk on position until the spring of their senior year to leave scholarship options open.  But for her DS/L position would she likely find herself with the same offer elsewhere? And based on supply and demand regarding her favorite school, is there likely another DS in the wings who would snatch up the recruited walk on opportunity if she doesn't? 

NOT NECESSARILY WITH REGARDS TO THE SAME OFFER/POSITION ELSEWHERE AS A SENIOR.  THINGS CAN CHANGE DURING A PLAYER'S SENIOR YEAR WITH COLLEGE - COACHING CHANGES, PLAYER'S GETTING CUT, PLAYER'S QUITTING, ETC., WHICH CAN OFTEN TIMES RESULT IN AN ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY.  

BUT, YOUR DAUGHTER (AND FAMILY) HAS A DIFFERENT MENTALITY THAN YOUR AVERAGE LIBERO; YOU KNOW THAT VOLLEYBALL IS THE AVENUE TOWARDS THE ACADEMIC GOAL AND IF SHE HAS FOUND THE ACADEMIC FIT SHE WANTS (AND WOULD WANT TO BE AT THAT SCHOOL IF VOLLEYBALL VANISHED), THEN I WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH SECURING THE RECRUITED WALK ON OFFER, WHILE PURSUING NON ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS.

Thank you so much for your help. 

ABSOLUTELY AND GOOD LUCK! 

 - T