Recruiting Tip: It’s September 1st, now what?
Juniors in high school around the country are likely in a panic if they didn’t receive any emails from college coaches this morning. September 1st is the day when NCAA Division I college coaches may reach out to prospective student athletes who are juniors in high school. This doesn’t mean that the recruiting process begins September 1st of your junior year!
It’s imperative that you respond to any emails of interest within 24 hours! Take the time to complete the online recruiting questionnaire. College coaches want to see you complete the questionnaire in full. It’s best you do not leave many areas blank. For example, if you do not have an answer to one or multiple areas on the questionnaire, then you need to send a follow up email to the coach explaining that you will work on getting the information to them right away.
If you did not receive an email, it doesn’t mean you will not be recruited. However, you need to understand that you need to be proactive to be successful. A college coach isn’t going to just magically appear and offer you a scholarship. Even if, this is a big if, a coach were to approach you and offer you a scholarship, you need to do some serious research to decide if the program is the right fit. Do not limit your opportunities! Keep this in mind, there are over 400,000 girls who play high school volleyball in the United States. You are a little fish in a giant pond! You have got to create a plan and identify your goals.
Seniors:
If you have yet to be recruited, and you are in your senior year of high school, it’s still not too late to begin the process. You need to create a strategy for success. Ask yourself some questions, what are you looking for in your college experience? Are you looking for a large campus or a small campus? Do you want to be close to home, or are you open to moving away? What is your intended major? If you do not have a major, I highly suggest taking a career aptitude test and begin putting some serious thought into what you want to do. The cost of tuition is continuing to rise, far passed the rate of inflation! Your goal should be to get in, and out of college, in the least amount of time possible. It’s becoming terribly expensive, and you cannot afford to take your time. Also, the longer you wait, the less opportunity made available to you.
Freshman and Sophomores:
September 1st should set a serious benchmark for you to kick it into high gear and work on this process! By beginning now, you will have time to find the perfect academic, athletic and social fit in college. Take a look at a few of your local colleges. Walk the campuses to get a feel, and watch some of their college games. You can start to take note of the pros and cons.
This is a decision that will affect your life for the next 40 years. Do not take this process for granted. Do your homework, and create a plan. Define your goals, and go after them. As a college volleyball recruiting expert, I work with student athletes from all over the United States and Canada. To schedule a free consultation, give me a call at 888-354-0052 or drop me an email at Kara@myrecruitingsolutions.com.