Recruiting 101

1. Recruiting 101 Tips on the Recruiting Process

2. Setting Expectations • There are over 1,670 women’s volleyball programs in the U.S. • But earning a volleyball scholarship has a lot do with finding the right program. • There are A LOT more No’s than Yes’s • Try not to take it personally and understand it’s about finding the best fit

3. You have to do the work! • As an athlete you have to go out and make things happen for yourself. • Do not expect the opportunities to come to you. • You need to be proactive in the process and not look for others to do the work for you.

4. Where to start? • Develop a list of priorities for what you are looking for in a school. • Your list will need to contain topics like “emotional priorities”, “location”, “academics”, “athletics” and “costs”. • Look into different levels and school sizes.

5. How Many Volleyball Scholarships are Available at Each Level? • Each division level and school has a different amount of scholarships to offer. • Not all colleges offer scholarships • For example, Ivy League schools choose not to offer athletic scholarships.

6. Women’s volleyball is a head count sport in NCAA DI only, which means all scholarships in NCAA DI are full scholarships. • NCAA DI: 12 • NCAA DII: 8 • NAIA: 8

7. Recruiting Timeline • It is never too early to start writing to colleges, especially if it is a college you really want to attend. • Colleges can not respond directly to you until September 1st of your junior year • However, you can reach out to the college as much as you want at any age

8. Recruiting Rules • NCAA rules restrict colleges in responding to only a letter with a questionnaire until the athlete reaches September 1st of her junior year • Rules apply to both players and parents

9. How to Contact College Volleyball Coaches • Email is the easiest way to get in touch and keep in touch with college coaches • A phone call can also be a good way to get in touch with a coach/school that you are very interested in, but keep in mind they cannot call back until September 1st of your Junior year.

10. What to include in a Letter/Email • Keep the letter simple • Include important statistics such as: • Year of graduation • Height • Approach jump and standing reach • Position • List of references • What you are looking for in a volleyball program and college experience. • Always include a playing schedule • Write with personality • Write a follow-up letter • Mention you have a skills video available

11. What is the best way to send a video? • The easiest and most inexpensive way is to provide a video attachment or link in an email to a college coach. • You can use any video recorder and upload it to YouTube. Who to send it to? • Colleges interested in you • Colleges you are interested in

12. How long should my video tape last? • No longer than 7 minutes • 1:00 minute each skill * In most cases, the techniques and the athletic ability are more important than the results. • Example Outside Hitter: • 1:00 minute hitting 4’s • 30 seconds hitting 9’s • 30 seconds hitting back row • 1:00 minute defense • 1:00 minute serve receive • 30 seconds serving

13. “University Athlete” online profile • University Athlete is an information company that supplies most all collegiate coaches with information at tournaments. • Keep your information up to date in UA (University Athlete) by using their free web site at www.universityathlete.com.

14. Eligibility • NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER WEBSITE: • Register at: www.eligibilitycenter.org • http://www.ncaa.org/ provides access to the latest eligibility and recruiting information. • Via this link you can access recruiting calendars, Eligibility Center information and the NCAA recruiting chart, which breaks down permissible recruiting activities for each sport beginning with the sophomore year in high school.