College Volleyball Recruiting while Injured

Hey Coach,

I am a class of 2016 high level club and high school player.  I have  won numerous awards on the high school level and am a lower D1/ competitive D2 recruit.   However I have recently had ACL surgery and will be out until January 2017.  I read a reply you had from another ACL injury question which stated to lay low from the recruiting out reach and focus on rehab.  I understand that from a new out reach perspective.  My question is how do I manage recruiting with schools that I have been in communication with and have shown some interest in me prior to my injury?  Also, I have some D3 and JUCOs that know about my injury and are recruiting me much more aggressively since my injury.  How should I view an offer from a JUCO or a D3 right now while in rehab?  Is it best to still hold out from committing at a lower level school until after rehab and wait until I get back to the court for club next year?  Or is it best to maybe consider JUCO now? This has all been nightmarish for me considering I was expecting to receive a few verbal offers this summer!

Any direction would be very helpful!

Thanks!
Injured knee and distraught recruit



Apologies for the later reply and sorry you are having the manage an ACL injury, especially with this timing.  Most ACL injuries take 12-14 months for full recovery (physical happens before mental….I know after my Achilles surgery and rehab).

I would focus on JC's at this juncture, just because you won't be back to full speed in 2016 to have an effective recruiting opportunity and I would be wary of a 4 year scholarship'ing you, because they could just as easily cut you if they don't think you have progressed well enough.

Use the rest of the summer and fall, to start evaluating JC's with the thought process being you will attend/play for 1 year, then move to a 4 year school the next year.  If the knee needs a bit more time, then you stay for a 2nd season.

The silver lining for this situation is that you will receive a sizable, if not full, scholarship offer, you will be able to focus on your recovery without the pressure of recruiting, and you can get quality volleyball experience while knocking out a full year of college credits while at the JC, and you will be more mature to better manage/understand the 4 year opportunities after a year at JC.

Stinks now and the timing really is frustrating, but there are many positives that can come of this currently tough situation.

Hang in there and do your rehab!

Coach