✅Finding the right FIT
Whether you are just beginning your recruiting journey or wanting to take more control of your process, below is a great place to start!
Finding the right volleyball program and college for you is all about 'finding the right fit'.
There are a lot of things that go into 'find the right fit'. We will talk about the three big ones here:
Volleyball Program
Academics
Location
Each of these pillars has multiple components to consider, and we will dive into them below.
In this article, we will ask you a lot of questions, questions that only YOU (the athlete) can answer! Take control of YOUR recruiting journey. There are no right or wrong answers, your answers may change over time, and it is okay if you do not know the answers right away. These are questions designed to get you thinking, and equip you with knowledge about what is important to YOU!
Pro tip - grab a pen and paper and answer the questions below to the best of your ability:
VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM
Many recruiting coordinators give the advice of 'pick a school that you would be happy at even if volleyball was not a part of the equation', and there is some value to that! But the truth is, you are making the decision on which school to attend with a ton of weight put on the volleyball program, the team, the coaches, and the culture! It is vital to research, ask questions, and get to know all of the people you will be spending your collegiate playing career with! Below are the important parts of the volleyball program you need to consider:
Program History/Culture
Playing Time vs Success of Team - Of course the most ideal scenario would be to find a program where you can play right away as a freshman AND the team wins a lot. However, that is not always the case. You need to identify what the most important factor to you is!
How important is playing time to you? Would you be okay sitting on the bench?
Lots of people think they will be okay riding the bench, but in reality they've never experienced that before. Remember, every athlete in college was a starter on their respective club team. When you get to college, you need to be prepared to compete with other top athletes not only in your class, but the three classes above and eventually the three classes below you.
Depending on your level of play, and the success/roster of the team you are considering, you may have an opportunity to play as a freshman. This is not always (or most of the time) the case. If you would NOT be happy sitting on the bench, you may need to adjust the division you want to play at, or find a program that you may have more of an opportunity to play right away.
Another way to try to gauge what opportunity you might have to play right away, is to look at the roster. What year are the current players on the team in your position? Talk with the coaches about how they see you fitting in.
How important is being a part of a team that wins to you?
Say you find a program where you are able to play right away, but they are a struggling program, bottom of the conference, or have a losing season - are you going to be happy?
Do you want to be a big fish in a small pond? Or a small fish in a big pond?
2 What kind of culture do you want to be a part of?
How many athletes leave the program after each season?
The transfer portal has changed college athletics drastically. Transferring is easier than ever. Players transfer for a number of reasons, some of which have nothing to do with the volleyball program. However, it might be a red flag if you notice there are a ton of players transferring out of or into the programs you are looking at. Your goal through the recruiting process should be to find a home you can commit to and stay at for at least four years (or 2 years in the JuCo world).
People
Your teammates will make or break your college volleyball experience. Take visits, meet the team, follow the team on social media. Find ways to get a feel for whether or not you could see yourself playing with, living with, and becoming friends with these people. Most importantly, ask about the other people who have committed. Follow them on social media and get to know them! The current athletes on the team are not always the ones who will be there when you get to college.
The Coaches are also a huge factor in your decision. While it is true, coaches change all of the time, you still want to get to know the coaching philosophy and style of the staff you are committing to.
What kind of coaching do you respond best to? (demanding, screaming, encouraging, passive...)
This can be one of the hardest things to figure out during the recruiting process. Ask questions, watch a practice, watch a match, ask the girls how they like their coaches. This is a big decision and you want to be equipped with as much information as possible!
ACADEMICS/SCHOOL
Unfortunately, your college volleyball career only lasts for 4-5 years. One day, you will need to enter the real world. You want to choose a school that will give you the best opportunity to succeed in whatever it is you want to do with your life. Here are some of the things to consider when analyzing different schools.
What do you want to study?
If you know what you want to study and what you want to be when you grow up - AWESOME! Start researching that specific area of study for different schools. Some schools offer internships, some have different requirements, some might have application requirements you need to meet coming out of high school, etc. Begin to compare and contrast what programs offer more, or are accredited in your desired field.
If you don't know what you want to study - THAT'S OKAY! You have time! This would be a good time to start thinking about what jobs sound interesting, and what occupations may align with your interests.
Size of school - Do you want a big school, small school, or something in between? What type of learner are you? Size of school also means size of classes. If you are a good self-teacher and can handle large class sizes, great! If you need more individualized attention from a professor, you might need to consider a smaller school.
Big school - 30k-75k students. Huge campus, likely need transportation to get around. Big class sizes, often times taught by teachers assistants. Typically only DI schools are in this size range.
Medium school - 10k-29k students. Moderate sized campus. Usually walkable, but may need to take transportation. Large general education classes, but smaller class sizes as you get into your major requirements. DII and DI schools.
Small school - 1k-9k students. Small, walkable campus, small class sizes, individualized attention from professors. Every level of volleyball has schools within this size range.
Campus Life - What is important to you? Dorms, food, campus size, activities on/off campus...
You can find virtual tours of almost any institution in the country on their website. Go watch them. Visit the Activities page of the website to see what is happening on-campus outside of the athletic department. See what catches your eye as cool or exciting!
LOCATION
Distance from home. Are you going to be homesick, or are you wanting to go far away?
Close to home: less than a 3 hour drive
Drivable
Can get home for a day/night
Parents can come visit/see you play easily
Medium distance: 4-8 hour drive
Drivable
Can get home for a weekend
Parents can come visit/see you play
Far from home: 9+ hours away
Likely have to fly
Can only get home for a long weekend/breaks in school
Summer/Spring/Winter breaks
Parents may only be able to visit/see you play in person once a season
Geographical location - Are you okay with the cold? Do you want to be on a beach? Do you need to see the mountains?
Type of area you are in - Are you a small-town kid? Do you need to be in a city? Do you need a mall, movie theatre, restaurants, and other amenities close by?
Once you have answered some of the questions above, you can start to build your list of schools to contact based on what is important to you!
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