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 College Volleyball Recruitment Info Web Sites [below] 

 Common Parent Mistakes in the Recruiting Process

Alex M. Postpischil,  Assistant Coach - University of Maryland, Former Assistant Coach - Creighton University provided help in the writing of this article.

  Thinking they understand what is happening.

       "Every parent I ever asked about recruiting stood there nodding their head, 'Yes, yes, yes,"' said future hall of fame USC Volleyball coach Pat Powers.  "Recruiting is like someone who buys a new car once in a lifetime from someone who sells cars 50 weeks a year and has been doing it for 15 years. One doesn't know anything, the other knows everything. Who is going to get the best of the deal?" he asks.   Rather than acting knowledgeable, parents must become knowledgeable, by asking questions, evaluating answers, seeking information and asking more questions.   

   Thinking they can evaluate their child's athletic talent.                                                    

       Howard Garfinkel, founder of the famous Five Star basketball camp, tells athletes to "seek a college one level below what you think you are and two levels below what your father thinks you are." College coaches talk about parents of high school sophomores wondering if their child can play at our level, then two years later wanting to dictate playing time."

   Losing track of the importance of a college education and a college degree.                                                                       "In choosing a college, education should be the first consideration, then athletics second, not the reverse as is so often the case," said legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden.  "The college education will be the important part, because it can be of great service throughout life. He or she will be an athlete for only a comparatively short time. A limited few play after college, even though they all think they will.   "Young people have difficulty thinking about the future," Wooden continued. "Parents can help them, but to do that parents have to separate themselves from the thrill of being recruited."  "Will my son start early?" was, and is, asked more frequently than "Will my son get a good education?"

    Believing "if a college wants my child, they will find a way to get him/her into school.”                                                  "The academics of the athlete has been taken out of the hands of the college coaches; 100 percent of the responsibility is on the athlete and the parent," said LSU men's and women's track coach Pat Henry.  Athletes have three basic responsibilities before they can receive a scholarship: to pass designated courses with a certain average; achieve a certain score on a standardized test; and report both results to the NCAA Clearinghouse. Parents can help their children by overseeing this process, which begins with calling 1-800-638-3731 and ordering a copy of The NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete.

    Thinking that a letter means a college scholarship.                                                           

       "We've got garbage bags full of letters," said the father of a Big Ten recruit. "They mean nothing, burn them. They don't mean a school wants you, they just mean you are on a list."   Yet every year parents call colleges after the signing period and tell the secretary, "We thought our child was going to receive a scholarship here."  Such stories are sad, but they can be avoided by understanding the process. The reality is that  women's volleyball schools have nearly 500 names and usually sign two to four athletes a year. A letter is only an introduction, not an offer.

    Expecting the high school coach to guide an athlete through the recruiting process.                                                           High school coaches are paid to be full time teachers or administrators, and receive a small supplement for their added coaching responsibilities. Their time is taken. Yet many do a marvelous job promoting and guiding athletes, not just their own but even those from other schools.   Now, is the time for you to investigate all these issues.  Start working with your child when in the 9th grade and follow the above advise and below listed time line.