Getting Recruited Starts with You
Choosing to play volleyball in college is a big decision. But once you make that decision, it’s up to you, the athlete, to get the ball rolling and make it happen. Below are some valuable tips to get you started on the college volleyball recruiting process. Contact our Recruiting Coordinator if you need any further assistance.
Getting Started
Ask yourself these questions:
- What do you want to study in college?
- How far do you want to go from home?
- What division are you capable of playing?
- What size school are you looking to attend?
Research volleyball programs:
- Once you have a sense of what you’re looking for, start looking up volleyball programs and researching the coaches and teams.
Start contacting coaches. Emails to college coaches should include:
- Name
- Recruiting class
- Position
- High school and club team
- GPA
- A link to a highlight or game video (no more than 3 minutes long)
- A copy of your schedule and where they can see you play
- Your vertical training stats, if you have them — these are a great addition!
Know how often to contact coaches:
- Freshman year — Send a follow-up email every 3 months.
- Sophomore year — Reach out once a month, letting coaches know how your season is going.
- Junior/Senior year — Reach out before every tournament to let coaches know where you’ll be playing and how they can find you. Send updates during big tournaments on how you’re doing, and where they can find you the following day.
Always include highlight film
- Include highlight film with your email, or include a link to your YouTube or Hudl account.
What to Include in Your Highlight Video
- Start your video with a photo of the athlete, so coaches know who to look for, along with the club or school they play for, jersey number, and position.
- Keep the video no less than 1 minute and no more than 3 minutes in length.
- Game noise is fine, but try to avoid spectators talking in the background — it’s even better to turn off all sound if you’re able to.
- Arrows or indicators showing where the athlete is in the video are a nice touch, but not required.
- Separate different skills into their own sections within the video.
- Include a way to contact you, your parents, or your Recruiting Coordinator at the end. For safety, consider listing your Recruiting Coordinator’s email, or set your video to private so only the people you send it to can view it.