Volleyball Recruiting Time Line: Junior Year

The Plan

The Junior year is the most important time span in the recruiting process in the sense that many coaches are making decisions about who they are going to offer scholarships (or positions) to this year.  There will be a few top DI programs who secured verbal commitments from players at the end of their Sophomore club season, and there will be many more programs (DII, DIII, NAIA, NJCAA) solidifying their players in their Senior year.  Regardless of when you actually commit, you want to be prepared for this very important year by having your information AND VIDEO readily available because coaches are going to be asking for it!

Types of Video

The types of video that coaches like to see varies from program to program. Therefore, you should be prepared to provide coaches with all types.  These include a skills tape, highlight reel, and unedited match footage from your best match or individual sets from the season.  If you did a good job of taking match footage in your Sophomore year, then you will have plenty to choose from. If not, work on getting good footage during your high school season and the first one or two tournaments during the club season.  

Skills Video

The skills video gives coaches an opportunity to see your form and consistency. You want to keep your skills video short and to the point. Coaches are professional evaluators and can get an idea of your capabilities from 3-5 attempts at each skill (or at each angle of the skill). Make sure you skills video pertains to your position. For example, if you are a Middle Blocker and never play defense in the back row, then don’t show coaches your floor moves, or maybe lack thereof!  Video is the vehicle you use to motivate coaches to come see you play in person, so show them the skills in which you excel. It’s also a good idea to show your skills from a couple different angles i.e from behind and from the side. Also, make sure your skills video captures the result of the ball. Finally, the best person to help you with your skills video is your coach.  He/she will be familiar with what coaches are looking for and will understand how to run a drill. Some club programs offer Skills Videotaping as an additional service/fee.  If so take advantage of this, otherwise simply ask if they would be willing to come in for an hour to help you.

VolleyballRecruits.net offers video editing tools and or services with each of their Recruiting Packages to help you edit a great looking skills video.

Here are some tips of things coaches want to see in a skills video for each position:

•  Liberos/Defensive Specialists: coaches want to see if you can pass/dig consistently to target. Therefore, have someone standing in target catching your balls. Most players at this level can dig a roll-shot so be sure you are challenging yourself by passing/digging the hardest-driven ball you can, while still controlling it with consistency.
• Outsides/Right Sides: coaches want to see how well you hit down the line and cross court, how well you transition from passing to attacking, your serve receive consistency and good hand contact.
• Middle Blockers: coaches want to see the result of all your sets i.e. the 1, 3, 6, slide and all your different shots i.e deep corners! Coaches also need to see your blocking footwork and penetration.  If possible, block a live hitter and always move back to base position in-between sets.
• Setters: show coaches how well you can set when the ball is off target, when moving from defense, and attacking the overpass etc. Be sure to have a person catching your sets so coaches can see where your sets are landing.
• All positions: The point of a skills video is to show your consistency - how well can I perform the exact same skill 3-5 times IN A ROW.  Therefore, work on each skill in a 5-ball series.  For example, hit 5 balls in a row and then stop.  If you are happy with the series move on, otherwise try it again until you are happy.  Also, the drill should be as game-like as possible. If you are serve-receiving, be sure it’s off a live serve (coming from behind the end line).  If you are blocking, block a live hitter and move from base position.  If you are hitting, you can hit some off the toss, but also show yourself hitting off a live setter etc.  If you are digging, then it’s ok for the balls to be coach initiated because without a block, it’s really difficult to read.  When setting, show setting off a real passer.

Highlight Reel

Again, the whole goal of sending video to coaches is to motivate them to come watch you play in person.  The best way to do that is by giving coaches a 4-5 minute highlight reel.  A highlight reel is a compilation of your best plays taken from you match footage. The highlight reel shows coaches your potential.  Obviously the more match footage you have to choose from, the stronger your highlight reel will be.   This is the exact reason why  you should not wait for coaches to ask for video before you start taking match footage.  Be prepared by starting early.

Unedited Match Footage – see “Get Match Footage” in the Sophomore year section.

Each VolleyballRecruits.net Recruiting Package comes with a do-it-yourself video editor, and we have a fantastic team of video editors in house that can help you create a professional highlight reel and upload it directly to your Player Profile.

Develop your VolleyballRecruits.net profile

Once you are a high school Junior, you should create a personal VolleyballRecruits.net profile to give college coaches an easy way to learn about you, see video highlights, and follow your accomplishments.  A profile gives coaches a way of viewing contact information, volleyball information, academic information, video highlights, and the volleyball tournaments you are attending from one convenint location.  Each college coach can be emailed directly through the VolleyballRecruits.net application so you are not wasting time looking up coaches contact information.  The system easily allows you to enter your criteria and pulls up schools that match the criteria.   In each email message you send a coach through the system, a link to your Player Profile and video is automatically included.

 To take a tour of VolleyballRecruits.net, go to http://VolleyballRecruits.net/tours.php

Register with the NCAA Eligibility Clearinghouse

You must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse before you are eligible to attend a NCAA program as a student athlete.  You can register online by going to http://eligibilitycenter.org.  Your high school guidance counselor also should have the appropriate forms.

Standardized Testing

Register for the SAT / ACT standardized tests.  Most students take these tests at least twice. Try to schedule a winter date that won’t conflict with high school or club season. Request that your ACT / SAT test scores be sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse (there is a box on the application form that you check for this).

September 1st

This is the first day, per NCAA rules, that college coaches are allowed to send letters and or email players about anything recruiting related.  The purpose of these letters is to inform the player that the school is interested in that player for their program.  You can get genuinely excited about this type of contact because this means a coach is now “actively recruiting” you.  However, keep in mind the coach is probably also “actively recruiting” 200 – 300 other players.  From here, coaches use a ranking system to determine which recruits they are going after first, second, third etc. 

If you do not/have not receive(d) recruiting letters from coaches by October of your Junior year, this is a good indication that you are not actively being recruited.  There is no need to panic, because there is still a lot of time, but you need to put a plan together and start reaching out to college programs immediately.  A good rule of thumb is to get all your information and video to your target list of schools by January 1st.   Why?  Because almost all college programs will be finished with their season by mid December, so coaches will have a little bit of time off to evaluate players.  Then, over the month coaches will begin generating their list of recruits, and they will have a pretty good idea of players they want to see play in person by early February. YOU WANT TO BE ON THAT LIST!

If the coaches from your list of schools already have your information and video, and you have not heard anything form them in return, then now is also the time to expand your criteria and reach out to new programs. Consider different conferences, different size schools, maybe DII, D III, NAIA or NJCAA programs, and get your information to those coaches as quickly as possible.

Telephone & E-Mail Contact

After you e-mail your target list of schools, it is important for you to maintain periodic telephone and or e-mail contact with the school’s coaching staff.  This will let the coach know that your interest is strong and sincere.  It will also give you an opportunity to evaluate where you stand on their recruiting depth chart. 

Make sure you have a purpose to each contact with a coach or school.  For example, you can inform the coach of a tournament you are attending, ask questions about the program, request information about the school that cannot be found from published sources, or find out if the coach would like to see your highlight reel.  Understand it is illegal for NCAA coaches to call you or to return your phone calls until July 1st the summer before your Senior year, so again don’t be discouraged if they are not returning your phone call.

You are permitted to phone and e-mail the coach as many times as you like, at any time through the recruiting process, so take advantage of this!  Just use common sense.  The last thing you want to do is annoy a coach by calling or e-mailing too often.  One last piece of advice… you should place the phone calls, not your parents.  This will demonstrate that you are a mature and responsible young adult who can speak on his or her own behalf.  Calling a coach for the first time can be intimidating, so remember to relax and be confident. Coaches understand that teenagers may be nervous to get on the telephone and speak with them, but a smooth telephone conversation shows a coach that a player is mature, does his/her homework and is proactive.

Questions to have answers to...
• Why are you interested in our school?
• Is there a program or major that you are interested in?
• Do you think you are ready to compete at the Division ___ level? Why?
• What type of classes are you taking this year?
• How have you balanced your athletic and academic obligations?
• When do you plan on taking the SATs/ACTs? Have you taken any SAT 2s?
• Are you comfortable with attending a school far away from/close to home?
• Are you involved with any community service?
• What do you do in your free time?

We also suggest doing some research on the institution, specific academic programs and the volleyball program so you can ask questions that you may have for the coach.
• What is the out of season training regiment?
• How many games do you play in the Fall?/Spring?
• Are you recruiting my position in the year 20__ ?
• Have you had a chance to see me play? Your thoughts?
• If so, where do I stand on your list of potential recruits?
• What do you need from me throughout the recruiting process?
• How do your players balance school and volleyball?
• What type of academic support is available? Advisers, Tutors?
• How competitive is your school in the ______________ conference?

Contact Periods

There are certain times of the year when coaches are able to evaluate and have contact with players and when they are not. The NCAA defines these terms and periods as follows, per the NCAA website:

• Evaluation - An evaluation is an activity by a coach to evaluate your academic or athletics ability. This would include visiting your high school or watching you practice or compete.
• Evaluation Period - The college coach may watch you play or visit your high school, but cannot have any in-person conversations with you or your parents off the college's campus. You and your parents can visit a college campus during this period. A coach may write and telephone you or your parents during this time.
• Contact - A contact occurs any time a coach has any face-to-face contact with you or your parents off the college's campus and says more than hello. A contact also occurs if a coach has any contact with you or your parents at your high school or any location where you are competing or practicing.
• Contact Period - During this time, a college coach may have in-person contact with you and/or your parents on or off the college's campus. The coach may also watch you play or visit your high school. You and your parents may visit a college campus and the coach may write and telephone you during this period.
• Quiet Period - The college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your parents off the college's campus. The coach may not watch you play or visit your high school during this period. You and your parents may visit a college campus during this time. A coach may write or telephone you or your parents during this time.
• Dead Period - The college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your parents at any time in the dead period. The coach may write and telephone you or your parents during this time.

Dates change each year, so check the NCAA website for your year’s recruiting calendar: http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/AMA/recruiting_calendars/2010/DI/Color/Volleyball%20Color.pdf

Going on campus visits

The best advice we can give you is to start early.  While campus visits are primarily Junior and Senior year events, there’s no need to wait.  Start visiting colleges as early as ninth grade.  Take advantage of any chance to walk around a college campus.  Check out schools in or near your hometown, stop by colleges during family trips, and visit older friends and siblings at school.  The more visits you make, the better you will become at quickly sizing up a school, and recognizing what you want from a college.

Unofficial Visits – There are two types of unofficial visits: those that the players and parents set up, and those that coaches invite players on.  When a coach extends an unofficial visit invitation, this means you are among their top recruits and they want to bring you to campus so they can get to know you better and promote their school’s best features.  If a coach invites you on an unofficial visit, don’t be surprised if they offer you a scholarship or position at their program.  As the recruiting process speeds up, it is not uncommon for a player to verbally commit during their Junior (sometimes even Sophomore) year. 

A verbal commitment is the phrase used to describe a college-bound student-athlete's commitment to a school before he or she signs (or is able to sign) a National Letter of Intent. A college-bound student-athlete can announce a verbal commitment at any time. This "commitment" is not binding on either the college-bound student-athlete or the school; however these commitments are RARELY broken, especially by the program. 

If you are offered a scholarship and position during your visit, remember that you are in the driving seat at this point and you should not verbally commit or accept any offers until you are completely comfortably making this decision.  Let’s be honest, it’s one of the biggest decisions you will ever make! 

 If you are not being invited to go on any unofficial visits in your Junior year, then the player should be proactive and express their desire to visit the campus in an email or telephone call to the coaches from their target list of schools.  Once on campus, you are able to speak with the coach about whatever you would like and visa-versa so you will leave understanding where you stand of their list of PSAs.

Regardless, of who initiatives the visit, going on campus is an outstanding opportunity for you to evaluate everything about the college and determine if the school and team would is a good fit for you.

What you need to know before accepting an unofficial visit. (Pertains to NCAA DI, DII, DIII programs):

• All visits before Senior year are by definition unofficial.
• Prospective Student Athletes pay ALL expenses associated with the visit – this means air fare, lodging, meals, travel etc. (even if the coach invites you to come)
• Prospective Student Athletes are able to stay overnight on campus if the student pays the standard overnight rate, which is determined by the admissions department.
• Prospective Student Athletes can take as many unofficial visits as they like to any number of colleges as long as it is not during a “dead period” (time when no contact between coaches and players is allowed).
• Prospective Student Athletes can meet with the college coach while on campus – this is when verbal commitments are usually made.
• Coaches can help prospective athletes coordinate NCAA unofficial visits.

For unofficial visits, call the admissions office at least two weeks in advance to let them know you are coming to campus.  An admissions counselor can tell you the dates and times for campus tours, information sessions, and open houses. 

The counselor can also recommend classes to observe, help schedule individual meetings with faculty and coaches, and provide a campus map and information on nearby lodging.  Admissions departments keep track of visits.  A admissions information session and guided campus tour shows your interest in the institution

On your visit you should:
• Schedule time for an information session and a campus tour.
• Sit in on a class
• Check out the dorms
• Eat in the cafeteria
• Meet with the coach and players if possible
• See the athletic facilities

During your visit, take notes while you’re on campus, jotting down the name of the dorm you walked through, the class you visited, and the names of professors and students you met.   After each visit, write down your impressions – what you did and did not like about the school.   This will help you when it comes decision time!

Summer Camps

This summer is your last chance to impress coaches at one of their camps.  If you have not already verbally committed (or are not feeling great about the coaches who are still actively recruiting you), this is a great opportunity to get some extra exposure.  Also, summer camps give you hours of coaching usually individualized per position at the “Elite Camp” or “Select Camp” level, so it’s great way to hone in on your skills and improve.

July 1st

Coaches are now allowed per the NCAA to call/return phone calls from a prospective student athlete, once per week.  If you have coaches calling you, then you are among their list top recruits. If you are not in contact with any college coaches, you should consider reaching out to more programs.

In Summary

The Junior year is the most important year.  Be prepared to give coaches all your information and video. Be very active throughout the recruiting process by emailing and calling coaches, and going on campus visits.

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Have questions? Please contact Amanda Millard at 303-929-8587 or by email at Amanda@VolleyballRecruits.net to discuss how to we can help your son or daughter throughout the recruiting process.