Amanda Millard @ 12:02 pm
Here is VolleyballRecruits.net's Part 6 of Get to Know a College Program! Periodically, we are going to share with you interviews with college vballers, who are here to tell you how they chose their program and what it's like to be a part of their college team.
Today's player is Julia Cawthra. She committed to Missouri State University as a setter and redshirted for one year. She chatted with us about what was like to be a Bear and the path that took her there. Cawthra had 2 successful seasons at Missouri State making it to the NCAA tournament both years. She then transferred to the University of Denver where she is about to begin her final collegiate season. Here's what she had to say!
On the Recruiting Process
In what ways did you make yourself accessible to coaches?
I actually signed up for a recruiting service, where I paid to get my name put out there. I had my high school coaches help me with a skills video and the service edited both game footage and skill videos. In my personal opinion, it was not the best use of my money, but this was before I seriously started playing club at Juggernaut Volleyball. I played there for 2 years, and through that experience I got great exposure traveling to national qualifiers and AAU’s. I did not reach out to programs; I definitely waited for them to contact me which, looking back, is not the way I would do things today.
When did you first receive personalized contact from coaches from your program?
It was at Omaha President’s Day Tournament of my senior year that I started hearing from Missouri State. After Colorado Crossroads that year, they came to visit me at my home and watch me practice with my club team. The home visit might seem weird, but looking back, it was a great way for them to get to know me on a more than volleyball level and for me to get to know them outside of the gym.
How often were you contacted by coaches from your program?
I remember being contacted, after I committed, every few weeks if not more. This was mostly because I committed April of my senior year and they needed to make sure I was ready to go with the application process, being in shape, and ready to come to camp and move my life 800 miles away.
When did you go on campus visits? And what other schools did you visit?
Missouri State was my only official visit. I visited Cornell University and Yale University as well but that was when I was simply trying to figure out the whole process and what I should be doing (it was part of a vacation and I made meetings with the coaches to hear more about their programs).
What separated your school from the rest of your top choices?
Missouri State automatically felt like somewhere I could call home. I know it was my only visit, and it was very late in my senior year, however as soon as I was in Springfield I knew the people I met would help me develop into who I wanted to be as a player and as a person. I loved the coaching staff and the girls on the team, and immediately got a family feel throughout the program.
Do you have any suggestions for future athletes’ visits?
Make sure you ask questions about the city, about the girls’ individual experiences (away from coaches) and how they make their players better women, not just better volleyball players. Although that is a cliché question, I felt that volunteering and reaching out to the community really helped make my experience memorable. The more questions you ask, the better.
What relationship, if any, did you have with current players on the team during the recruiting process?
My host for my visit gave me her email address when I left, and as soon as I committed, all of the girls became my friends on Facebook. We began to talk over that, and it helped me not feel so overwhelmed coming into something so new.
When did you verbally commit? When did you sign the National Letter of Intent?
I had passed the time to verbally commit, so I signed my NLI in April of my senior year, which was extremely late and I realize now how lucky I was to get such a great opportunity so late in the recruiting process. It is almost unheard of.
If anything, what would you have done differently in your recruiting process?
I definitely would have put myself out there more, contacting coaches and showing them that I wanted to go to their school. There were some schools I was very interested in, however I waited for them to contact me to see if they were an option for me. If I could do it again, I would be emailing them and calling those coaches, letting them know I was interested; there are way more prospective athletes than coaches, and there are several players who slip through the cracks because they are simply not known about. Put yourself out there!
On Being a Student-Athlete
Describe your campus’ location.
Springfield, MO is 3 hours from St. Louis, Tulsa, and Kansas City. Those were the major cities, but Springfield was a nice urban city to compliment those extremely large cities. It’s cozy and the people are very nice. The only highways were on the outskirts of the city, so it would take a little bit longer to get from one place to another, but there was hardly ever traffic which was nice. I always felt safe, and the school is located in a safe area.
Please describe a typical class at your school.
Classes were scheduled for 3 days a week or 2 days a week and there were some science classes that met 4 days a week. I know they changed the timing of classes after I left, so I am not familiar with how long the classes are currently. I remember having a lot of students in my classes, very vividly my Organic Chemistry course had at least 100 people in it with one Professor, which was difficult. The general education courses were about 30-40 to one Professor, which was better but that was the smallest it got. We would have Graduate Assistants teaching our science labs, working with the Professors to make sure material was covered.
Are there mandatory student-athlete study sessions?
Yes. Your freshman fall semester requirement was 8 hours a week, and if your grades were above a certain GPA, they would let you be on your own in the spring. Unless your grades dropped below a certain criteria, there was no more mandatory study hall.
What kind of academic resources are available to student-athletes?
Tutors, that are free if you sign up for them; an athletic academic advisor, who would work with you to make sure you could balance your school schedule as well as your athletic demands, and the professors were easily available.
What did you major in? Are there any well-known majors at your school?
My major was Cell and Molecular Biology. I am aware of our Hospitality and Restaurant Administration (HRA) Program being very good, and our Business programs were very good as well.
What are off season workouts and practices like?
We would always have workouts and practices in the morning. We would always have classes start after 10 or 11, and we would start workouts at 6:30 or 7 in the morning. For the first two months or so of spring semester, we would have short individual practices 1-2 times a week with a few other players (sometimes just one on one) and the coaches, with intense conditioning and lifting 4 times a week. After Spring Break we would start team practices, which were longer and every single day, on top of lifting 3-4 times a week. We also had 4 weekends after Spring Break that we spent playing other teams in our region.
What was your travel schedule like?
We would play Friday and Saturday night. Thursday afternoon, we would load up our bus, and head to our first match. The bus had beds in it and a flat screen TV in the back area as well as the front area, and TVs in our individual bunks. Sometimes we would get 12 beds, sometimes only 8 or 6. Either way, our buses were very nice and made the 6-7 hour trips much more bearable. We would return home right after our match on Saturday night and get home Sunday early morning, around 3-4 am.
How did you balance volleyball and academics?
It was important to have those 8 hours of study hall my first semester! I learned that if I just made time for studying and school, I could finish all of my work and do well on my exams. Time management was extremely important as well as understanding that you can’t go out with your friends who go out multiple nights a week. Making school and volleyball your first priorities is expected, and if you come into the situation thinking that way, it will be a much easier transition.
Describe your living options.
As a freshman you are required to live on campus unless you are from the Springfield area. If you were approved (with grades, etc) to live off campus, you could choose to do so starting your sophomore year. I lived off campus the rest of my time at Missouri State and living in Springfield is extremely affordable.
Was it possible to participate in any extracurricular activities?
We could not study abroad until after our senior season. It was difficult to balance school and volleyball as well as SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee), much less being in a Sorority. There are many options available as far as clubs and organizations and I have known athletes how have been in Greek Life.
Explain a day in the life of a player during fall season.
Class starts at 8 or 9, goes until 12 or 1. You must pack a lunch or grab something fast in the cafeteria because practice would start at 1:30 or 2, and between class getting out and practice, there was always training room treatment that needed to be done to take care of your body and make sure you were ready to play and healthy. After a 3 hour practice and 1 hour of lift or conditioning, it was time to take care of your body again and ice or get additional treatment, then get dinner, and start studying or working on assignments for the next day. Bedtime was around 10 or 11.
Is there any additional information about your school you feel would benefit recruits?
Just be certain that Springfield is where you want to be. It is a great place, but it is not for everyone, just like any other college town. It is a slower pace than a big city, but I found that to be a great change. There are a lot of changes going on around campus, so check those out. Also, be confident that you will connect with the girls on the team. They are your support system, and if you choose to move away from home, they will get you through the toughest times of your life when your family is not around. I have very fond memories of playing, but what I remember and cherish the most is the friendships I have made and will sustain for life.
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