Recruiting Time Line
Reproduced by permission of Bob Howdeshell (High School Baseball Web) and modified for volleyball by Jennie Gilbert (Former Tennessee Tech Head Coach) Freshman (9th grade) Settle into the high school environment. Get to work developing good classroom and home study habits. Learn to manage your time.
Work hard on the junior high/high school team. Try to stay after with the coach to learn new skills or perfect basics. Play the best and most competitive spring/summer club volleyball that is available to you. Play with the best teams, at the best tournaments, against the best competition possible. Attend a comprehensive college summer camp. Sophomore (10th grade) Continue to "hit the books" hard. You’ve probably heard it before, but it is very true. Your athletic ability means nothing if you can’t do the class work! If you can’t qualify for college academically, your talent and efforts will be wasted. Meet with your high school guidance counselor -- tell him/her of your desire to play college volleyball. You want to be "on track" with the NCAA required core courses. Play as much club volleyball as possible ... the more you play, the more experience that you will get…and the more you should improve. Attend as many college summer camps as you can afford. This gives you a chance to learn new techniques, see different coaching styles and see many campuses. You will begin to find what things are important to you in a future school. Send out your first contact letters – include your club schedule and your junior year high school schedule. College coaches are not permitted to write back yet except to notify you they received your letter and to invite you to their summer camp. But you will get your name out in front of the coaches you want to play for. Plan Visits! Before your senior year, all of these visits are "unofficial." This means that the college can not pay for any part of the visit. These are done on your own. Call the coach asking to meet with them, an academic advisor, and a professor in the major you care to pursue. Ask if you can attend a practice or match and meet the team afterwards. You will be starting to narrow down you college choices, so be thorough on this visit. You may be asked to make a decision before you will be allowed by the NCAA to take an official visit! (search this document for "official visit") Junior (11th grade) Ask your high school coach to write letters to a few preferred colleges.Include a copy of your fall schedule. SEPTEMBER 1st - Coaches are permitted to send letters in writing! Register with the NCAA Initial - Eligibility Clearinghouse (your high school guidance counselor should have these forms). Register for the fall ACT / SAT 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). Prepare a videotape to be sent out when requested. Ask for help from club coaches, parents, and club teammates. Continue club ball – but be selfish! If college ball is your ultimate goal, you need to play on a team with a lot of exposure. You could be the star on a local team, but if your club only attends a few regional tournaments, the college coaches won’t see you! “Play” is the other concern. If you are on the club’s number one team, but never play, you won’t be noticed. Ask to move to the #2 team where you can compete more often. As difficult as it may be, moving to another club can help you get the exposure you want. Focus this summer should be on attending "Select” or “Advanced" or “Elite” camps. In this environment you will be able to gauge yourself against some of the best players, at each camp. The college coaches will be able to do the same. JULY 1st - Phone contact from college coaches is permissible. Senior (12th grade) DO NOT LET UP ACADEMICALLY! It’s easy to catch senioritis – but it may cost you your eligibility. Review core academic requirements with your guidance counselor. Make sure you are "on track." Send out your fall schedule. The first day of class for your senior year is the first day you may attend an official visit. If you haven’t already verbally committed, take those visits ASAP! If you are offered an official visit -- prepare for your visit with a list of questions written down. (You’ll be amazed how nervous you will get – and you’ll forget what you wanted to ask!) Be prepared for any questions the college may have for you. Early signing period -- dates vary slightly from year to year -- Check on the NCAA website for the current years dates. You can contact college coaches (by phone) at any time (prior to July after your Junior year they can not call you). |