College Recruiting Toolkit


What You Need to Be Recruited


Recruiting Rules

This is a general guide. Please refer to additional sources for exact rules.
  • It is always legal for you to phone, e-mail or write a college coach.
  • It is always legal for a college coach to talk to you in person on their campus.
  • It is always legal for you to pay your own way to visit a school. This is an unofficial visit.
  • If a school pays for you to visit, you are making an Official Visit. See additional resources for rules regarding official visits.
  • Whenever you or your parents talk to a college coach in person, it is a contact. College coaches are not allowed to contact you off their campus until after your junior year is completed. There are a few exceptions to this, see additional resources.
  • It is not legal for a college coach to phone you until July 1 after your junior year in high school. E-mail rules vary by division and association. Please see additional resources.

    • Additional Resources and Links

    NCAA Rules
    NAIA Rules
    NCAA Guide for Student Athlete

    Example Recruiting Timeline

    Sophomore Year

  • List the schools that interest you. Send them an introductory letter, including your e-mail address, club schedule, and your coach’s phone number and e-mail address.
  • Complete and return any information sheets that schools send you.
  • Reply to any e-mail you receive from schools on your list.
  • Register with free sources such as University Athlete or Rich Kern.
  • Consider attending a volleyball camp at schools on your list to get to know the coaching staff.

    • Junior Year

  • Make an Athletic Resume and videotape to send to coaches who are not able to come see you play.
  • Make unofficial visits to any schools you are seriously considering.
  • Refine your list, adding new schools and dropping schools as needed.
  • Many top players will make verbal commitments during the spring and summer of their Junior Year.
  • Continue to respond to e-mails. If you have made a commitment respond appropriately.
  • Take the SAT or ACT test and inform schools of your results. If you don’t like your results, retake the SAT only.
  • Attend a volleyball camp at schools on your list to get to know the coaching staff.
  • Register for the NCAA Clearinghouse.( www.ncaa.org )

    • Senior Year

  • Narrow your list to schools interested in you. As schools receive commitments, those schools will drop the rest of their recruits. This is the most difficult part of the process, since schools that have recruited you for more than a year may suddenly drop you.
  • Although some players will begin committing as Juniors, many players do not commit until their Senior year.
  • Apply to the schools on your final list.
  • Make a verbal commitment when you are ready.
  • Sign a National Letter-of-Intent if required.

    • Additional Resources and Links

    Detailed Recruiting Timeline (via Kingwood Park High School website)

    PSA Questionnaires / Student Athlete Resume

    The Athletic Resume plays an important part in the recruiting process. Time and care should be exercised in the preparation of this document. The purpose of the resume is to highlight the student-athletes accomplishments and goals. This is generally the first contact that a coach might have with PSAs. As with job resumes, use your imagination but don't get too carried away. A typical athletic resume will consist of the following items, usually 1 page total plus reference letters.
  • Letter of Introduction
  • Athletic Profile
  • Athletic Accomplishments and Honors
  • Academic and Extra-Curricular Profile
  • Current high school or club game schedule
  • Letters of reference from coaches.
    • One of the key concepts on this is to make yourself look good. A little bragging is appropriate as long as you can prove whatever you say. You do not want to tell a coach you can touch 10 feet when, in fact, you can't. Be honest with the coach, as they will find out sooner or later.
    Use this information as a guide for filling out PSA questionnaires, now common at all programs web sites. This web interface allows you to enter your information in the colleges databases to begin the process of focusing the colleges recruiting efforts on players interested in their school and those that meet the Athletic departments’ requirements.

    Additional Resources and Links

    The Student Athlete Resume
    You should also register with free recruiting services:
    Be Recruited
    University Athlete
    Rich Kern

    Website

    Another method of getting your resume to a large group of recruiters is to create a web site. Many of the same guidelines to the student athlete resume apply to the athlete’s web site. The biggest difference is that you can create a dynamic resume that changes with new accomplishments and changes in status of the athlete. One idea can be to find a site you like and mimic their style. Additional Resources and Links Google Sites Yahoo! Web Hosting Yola.com

    Video

    One of the first items that may be requested by a recruiter will be a video of you playing. They use this to determine if you possess the basic skill level for their program. The biggest guideline is that this is NOT a “highlight reel” of your best moments.

    Video Guidelines:

  • 3 minute or less skills video. Best if coordinated with a coach to fine tune skills as they are taped. Edit out the best 4 to 5 repetitions for each skill relevant to the athlete’s position.
  • 1 full set UNEDITED.
    •    > Even if you do not play the entire time, DO NOT EDIT the set. Recruiters are interested in: how well you pay attention when you
        are not in the game; how you handled adversity; how you respond when the coach yells at you, etc.
       > Try to include the entire team and some of the other team as well. They are looking for how you react to other action on the court.
  • When recruiters request a video, send them the video in a timely manner.
  • PUT YOUR NAME on each of the items sent. They will get separated and lost, so it is important that they can be linked back together.


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    College Volleyball Programs

    Types of College Volleyball Programs

  • NCAA Division I

    Usually larger schools with 12 full athletic scholarships

  • NCAA Division II

    Medium sized schools with 6-8 athletic scholarships

  • NCAA Division III

    Smaller schools (usually private schools) that do not offer athletic scholarships, but may have academic and needs-based scholarships available.

  • NJCAA

    Two year schools that offer some athletic scholarships

  • NAIA

    Smaller schools similar to Division III. See NAIA website and schools for specifics on financial assistance at these schools.

    • Additional Resources and Links

    NCAA Colleges by Division
    NJCAA Schools by Region
    NAIA Schools by Conference

    Help with Picking the Right College

    How to Find the Right College by Collegeboard.com
    College Volleyball Update

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    Important Questions to Ask Yourself and Recruiters

    Download our List ofHome Visit Questions.

    This comprehensive list includes questions you will need to answer at some point in the recruitment process. You may already know the answers to some of these, and you may find the answers to others before the home visit. Some will seem inappropriate for a particular visit, so use your best judgment. Make several copies and go through this list with your parents before the home visit, highlighting those questions you want to ask of a particular coach. Most of all, relax and enjoy the experience!

    Topics Include:

    Academics
    Campus
    Scholarships
    Sports Program
    The Coach
    Medical Services

     

    The Season
    The Athletic Department
    Financial Questions
    Team and Program Issues
    Campus Questions


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    Willowbrook Recruiting Services

    How We Can Help You

    Willowbrook performs many services for PSAs at no additional fee.

    Recruiters’ Corner: The Showcase for Willowbrook Athletes

    The Recruiters’ Corner is a dedicated area on Willowbrook’s website to showcase Prospective Student Athletes (PSAs). In the Recruiters‘ Corner section, Willowbrook will maintain, and update as requested, basic information on PSAs.
     

    Player Dossier Service

    Willowbrook maintains a player dossier service, keeping relevant information accessible to coaches and staff. Willowbrook utilizes this dossier service whenever we have the opportunity to discuss players with recruiters. The more information parents and players provide to us, the more we can help you, so keep us informed!

    Skills Video posted online

    A basic skills video is filmed on recruiting night. This will be edited so that each athlete is shown individually, and posted online at the Recruiters’ Corner for public accessibility and ease of viewing by coaches and recruiters.

    Links to outside service or personal website

    Any links from Recruiters’ Corner content and videos to players’ personal websites or other recruiting services will be done free of charge upon request.
     

    Match Video posted online

    During the Tour of Texas tournament, we will film one match for each team with eligible players, and create several videos that can be used in the players’ recruiting portfolio to show themselves in competitive situations.
     

    Honest, objective feedback to recruiters

    Willowbrook gladly provides information to college coaches and recruiters who have contacted us as a reference. If you are being recruited and are receiving letters from any school, it is important to inform the Club Director immediately, so that he or she will be prepared to discuss you with that coach.

    List of Additional Services

    Editing of a master DVD for duplication

    $200
    If a player or parent is unable to create a DVD due to time or technical capabilities, Willowbrook‘s Video Team can film, edit and create a master DVD for players to copy and send in response to video requests.

    Filming additional match video (with or without hi-pod)

    $150
    Willowbrook’s Video Team will be available to all teams at selected tournaments. However, due to limited availability, requests for filming must be made well in advance to ensure that there is no conflict with other taping schedules. Please also note that travel schedule is limited.

     

    Filming additional skills video

    $100
    Private fees and scheduling also apply. Once free taping is completed, Willowbrook’s Video Team will be available to tape additional skill sessions for updates or DVD creation.

    Duplication of master DVD with labels

    $2.00 per copy
    Willowbrook can provide duplication services for a Master DVD, whether created by the Willowbrook Video Team or by the parent.

    Mass Mailing of Athletic Resume and DVD to select schools

    $50 plus postage fee
    Willowbrook will send your resume and DVD to select schools from the college coaches’ database. We can provide both e-mail and postal services for mailing of resumes and DVDs.
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