The "Are You A Fit?" Checklist

*This ended up being less of a checklist. My goal is always to help parents and athletes with the recruiting process. I hope something like this is helpful as you evaluate where you want to play college volleyball. I'm not perfect by any means. There are lots of variables in recruiting - that is something that isn't necessarily mentioned in this post.

If you've been around me the last 6 months you know that this is one of my soapboxes. I've talked about it with club coaches, club directors, college coaches, parents and athletes. Narrowing in on WHERE you are going to be a good athletic fit is more important now than it was 2 years ago. This is of course my opinion and we will see how things turn out in the next year or so. This idea stems from a couple of things:

1 - I see too many emails go out to the same 25 schools

2 - The recruiting window has shortened and MOST (not all) programs are operating with a relatively similar timeline as before.

3 - Feedback is too generalized; "You can play D1." But what level of D1?

4 - Where are these schools mostly recruiting their athletes from?

There are probably a few more, but that's what I've got right now :)

So let's get to the checklist...

A couple of things here:

My goal here is to create some perspective. I try not to take most things at face value. I often times want to do my own research, dig, and then come up with my own evaluation. This depends on what information I'm getting and from whom. I think that we can get mislead really easily in the recruiting process. We can focus on that one camp invite from that big school far too often, meanwhile we miss or ignore the school in the background that is actually interested and where you might actually be a great fit. The "brand" often gets in the way, far too often.

There will be at least one school that treats you great and does all the right things during your recruiting process. They are not going "above and beyond". That is the actual standard at almost every school. If school's aren't meeting that standard then you have to think about how interested that school really is.

Ok, finally to the checklist - really this are just some things to think about, ponder, process and evaluate throughout your recruiting process.

Where do I fit on the roster?

A quick look through their roster the last couple of seasons should be able to tell you whether or not they have recruited an athlete of your height in your position. Now, height isn't the only metric of course, but it's a start. There are overall levels of physicality and athleticism top down in D1, D2, D3 and NAIA. 2 inches in height; 2 inches in vertical; 2 mph on your swing; can drastically shift where you fit in either direction.

Have I watched them play live?

If you haven't watched them play, how do you know you're a fit or if you can play at that level? Have you watched a team in their conference play live? Have you watched one of their opponents play live? I try not to assume here. So when I talk to college coaches across the country I will usually defer to their feedback. They spend time every day in their gym with their athletes. They should have a pretty good idea of what they are looking for and what they need. (blog link HERE)

You can figure out (I think) whether or not you are a good fit for a team my watching them play live. Do I jump as high? Do I hit the ball as hard or close? Do I move as quickly? Which starter could I beat out? Now, some of these questions you might not be able to answer right off the bat, especially if you're younger.

I think you could also watch some film on youtube or their own website to help with this part of the evaluation. I think that watching live would be preferable, but that's not always possible in the moment.

Do I know anyone else going to play in that conference?

Do you have some sort of comparison? Someone that you could compare statistically? I don't always put a ton of stock in high school awards or even statistics, but there are some standards there that I think you might be able to point to and compare. Hopefully looking at an entire conference you can find someone that you know or someone that will help create more perspective for you on whether or not you might be a good fit there.

Who else are they "recruiting"?

You might not always be able to figure this one out. Sometimes you can, if you dig hard enough. At the very least you can look at prior commitments from the class in front of you. Watch their highlight film and see if you can do the same things they are doing on the court.

There are always question marks when it comes to recruiting. We don't always know the backstory of athletes or their association with a specific institution. Comparisons are usually difficult in both directions. Again, I really think that this kind of evaluation is needed on this end of the recruiting spectrum. I'm not saying that athletes can't improve or grow in their sport or skill - they certainly can and I would encourage every athlete to bust their tail to make things happen! At the end of the day though there are only so many spaces available on rosters. College coaches are making the best decisions they can for their programs...always.

I think good information helps. I think good feedback helps. I think perspective helps.

Things can change over time, that is for sure. But I think it's important to have an idea of where you are starting from. Knowing that helps you figure out what you need to be doing as you move forward.

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