How Parents Can Support Their Athlete in College Volleyball Recruiting

Welcome to Part 2 of this 3 part blog series! Remember that recruiting is a journey and it can be tough on everyone involved. You have a great opportunity to support your athlete through this challenging process!

The college volleyball recruiting process can feel like a full-time job. One that you and your athlete never signed up for!

Let Your Athlete Take the Lead

Athlete driven communication throughout this process is really important. I know that our first response as parents, many times, is to go "let me do it" when things get challenging. But letting them take the lead in how and when they reach out to schools creates a level of independence and gives them the opportunity to finish this process and say, "I DID IT!" While I know it might be hard to believe, college coaches figure out pretty quickly whether or not it's a parent or their daughter emailing them. They have been around young athletes enough to have figured out a lot of the nuance. As much as we pretend to, we don't talk like our kids.

Here are some simple ways that you can let your athlete take the lead in their college recruiting process:

• Writing their own emails to coaches

• Making calls or sending texts themselves

• Following up on communication

How Parents Can Help (Without Taking Over)

I found that when I became a D1 college volleyball head coach, it was important for me to stay focused and support my athletes during our matches. Each season I wrote at the top of my match sheets what my players NEEDED from me. I was constantly reminded of my goal and mission as a coach throughout each match and it really helped. Here are some simple ways you can help with what your athlete needs from you:

• Emotional Support: Listen first and advise second - As parents we can be quick to solve problems. Try and ask questions before you go in for the fix.

  
  

• Celebrate effort, not just results - as we said last week, just sending emails is an accomplishment!

  
  

• Help with organization - there is a lot going on and some younger athletes struggle keep track of everything. Figure out a system that works for them (not just you) and help them keep track of deadlines, schedules and other logistics.

  
  

• Be a sounding board for ideas, the highlight videos they make and be available to discuss some of the tough decisions your athlete is going to make. It's entirely possible that they have to make quick decisions and they will need your input and advice.

Managing Setbacks Together

• Remind your athlete that rejection is normal and most athletes hear "no" before getting a "yes"

  
  

• Keep everyone on the same page about the typical recruiting timeline (we are here to help with this!)

  
  

• Encourage resilience and remind them that eery step forward is progress

Taking Care of Yourself

I watch club and high school volleyball all year long. I know that parents can be just as emotionally bought into the match just as much as their athletes. It's not a bad thing because it shows you care and are invested in your athlete's success. Try your best though to process how you are handling certain stressful situations and how that might impact your daughter's reactions and how SHE is handling those situations. Sometimes it's important for you to have someone to chat with as your daughter goes through this process. Athletes can be really resilient. We need to do our best to encourage that from them every step of the way. Take opportunities to NOT talk about recruiting with your athlete as well.

Remember that every family's journey is different! Get help where you need it when you can and don't wait until all hope is almost lost either.

Next week we are talking about how to take care of yourself and your family along the way. Be sure to come back and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

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