Recruiting Thoughts from Red Rock Rave

Are you tired me talking about how important it is to narrow down your list of schools?

Have you heard me say 100 times now that the schools you're targeting need to ALSO be interested in you?

Well, I'm going to keep saying it. Based on some conversations I had with college coaches while I was in Vegas this past weekend it is something that I will continue saying as much as possible.

Here are some thoughts:

• The NEQ is now 4 weekends long. They split the 16s and 17s (most recruitable ages) into 3 different weekends basically.

• The Boston Qualifier (relatively new) is 3 weekends long. They split the 16s and 17s into 3 weekends.

• The West Coast Qualifier (Anaheim) is in it's first year as a USAV qualifier and is only one weekend right now.

1) There are more qualifier weekends now than there used to be. Being totally honest, I don't have the numbers on that statistically. But I remember the first time a qualifier had more than one weekend. I imagine there will be the same number if not MORE qualifier weekends next club season than we had this year and that was 32.

2) Clubs have not really added qualifiers to their schedules. 3 in one season is still fairly typical. Triple Crown, while a HUGE recruiting weekend isn't necessarily a qualifier and so while some clubs will add a 4th qualifier, many of the top clubs are doing 3 qualifiers plus Triple Crown amidst all of their other local tournaments.

3) With all of the new recruiting rule changes coming down the pipe for volleyball, none of the conversations I am having with college coaches include changing the 80 recruiting days that D1 college coaches have to go out and recruit.

You might be able to see where I'm going with this...

If you add all of this up, what do you get?

There are now fewer recruiting opportunities to be seen by college coaches.

• You aren't going to more qualifiers.

• There are more qualifiers and qualifier weekends each year (seems like)

• D1 schools are limited by recruiting days and budgets

• D2 and D3 schools are limited by their recruiting budgets

The math just doesn't add up.

College coaches are having to decide not which qualifier to go to, but which weekend of a qualifier. Not every school can go to 2 weekends of one qualifier, not to mention 3! They don't need to. They will continue to focus their list based on the athletes that they get to watch more.

The school that you really want to come watch you play is going to watch you in Spokane. But you're going to the 2nd weekend of the Spokane qualifier and they are going to the 1st weekend and NOT the 2nd weekend. Your team is trying to get a USA bid and the 1st weekend is for 16 and 17 Open.

That's the scenario that will continue to play out for athletes each and every recruiting cycle.

Are you tired me talking about how important it is to narrow down your list of schools?

Have you heard me say 100 times now that the schools you're targeting need to ALSO be interested in you?

Now we need to make sure that these schools that have mutual interest are actually going to watch you play at some point during the club season.