SUMMIT VOLLEYBALL CLUB

RECRUITMENT TIPS

 

Here are some important tips that will help you in the recruitment process:

 

All scholarships are not created equal:

Colleges don’t have unlimited budgets. Very few of them offer a traditional full ride scholarship. The vast majority of them will often offer what we call an “Institutional Scholarship” which is a combination of a partial scholarship and a financial aid package. An “Institutional Scholarship” may be the only way a coach get can get you (or your daughter) into that school. These are very similar to the traditional full ride scholarships. If the school looks like a good fit and they offer one of these “Institutional Scholarships”, consider them the same way you would consider a traditional full ride scholarship.  Additionally it is important to note that even a full ride scholarship does not mean that it is “all expenses paid.” There will still be costs involved with college. Tuition only scholarships do not cover the cost of books, housing or food. If you consider the cost of an apartment and food each month, a college that is offering an “institutional scholarship” and still asks you to pay $4,000 a year is still better than going to somewhere and paying full price.

 

You are never alone, so be on your best behavior:

When you are playing in a tournament, on the road in front of a crowd, it is imperative that you be on your best behavior. Coaches don’t always come to see if you are a good player. If you are playing in the Open Division for example, they already know you are a good player. They are coming to see if you are a good teammate and have a winning attitude. Coaches are not interested in those who slap their legs, frown or show negative emotion when they make a mistake. They want the players that remain positive and always encourage and work with their teammates (even when they are on the sidelines).

 

Take advantage of every situation:

Each team has a couple of players that will draw lots of college attention. When coaches come to watch those players, what else do they see? They see you as well! Even though they did not initially come to watch you, if you play well, you could end up impressing that coach and they could have an interest in you later.

 

Put together a highlight reel of yourself and upload it to our website:

College coaches love to see highlight videos of you without having to leave their home.  Have someone record several of your volleyball matches and use movie maker or some other video editing program to create your video. Our website allows for unlimited pictures and videos, so get those videos uploaded.  We will continually contact coaches and request them to check out our volleyball players that are interested in playing in college.

 

Never assume:

Don’t read into a situation. A coach may come to your match, watch for a couple of minutes and walk away. Don’t assume they are not interested. They may have already made up their mind and are pressed to see another player. They may come back later or they may have seen what they need to see. Most coaches will evaluate your athletic abilities on video they see on our site, you send, or they request. When they come to watch you, they may just want to see how you interact with your teammates. You never know what they are thinking so don’t assume.

 

Make decisions based on what is best for you:

Make sure that your decision is not based on staying close to home or what your boyfriend/girlfriend wants or any other reason other than what is best for you. This is one of the most important decisions in your life and you need to do what is right for you and no one else. Your parents want what is best for you. As for the boyfriend/girlfriend, if the relationship is solid, it won’t be affected whether or not you are in the Kansas City area and they are in Chicago, Illinois. Don’t let a boyfriend/girlfriend run your life; what happens if you break up? You will be living his/her life and not yours.

 

Remember, there are thousands of other players nationwide competing with you for college scholarships. The Summit VBC coaches are building relationships and learning what coaches are looking for and we will do our best to pass that information on to you. You need to listen to your coaches and take heed. If you are interested in playing volleyball in college, it takes a lot of hard work and our coaches will be right beside you every step of the way!

 

 

A brief summary of things to know

 

FRESHMAN

 

You are declared a recruit once you enter high school.

 

Contact with college coaches via phone, instant messenger, letter, email, fax, or visit can only be made by you. College coaches cannot call, email, write, fax, or visit you, with the exception of one underclassman letter from a college, which includes general information about the university and volleyball program. The letter can also include one questionnaire.

 

You are eligible to receive one camp brochure from a college.

 

You are eligible to take an unofficial visit.

 

 

SOPHOMORE

 

Contact with college coaches via phone, instant messenger, letter, email, fax, or visit can only be made by you. College coaches cannot call, email, write, fax, or visit you, with the exception of one underclassman letter from a college, which includes general information about the university and volleyball program. The letter can also include one questionnaire.

 

You are eligible to receive one camp brochure.

 

You are eligible to take an unofficial visit.

 

 

JUNIOR

 

Beginning September 1 of your Junior year, you can receive regular written correspondence from any university, which includes letters, email, and fax. There is no limit on the amount of written correspondence you can receive from one university at this time.

 

After July 1st of your Junior year:

 

Contact with college coaches through phone and instant messenger can only be made by you.

 

You are eligible to receive one camp brochure.

 

You are eligible to take an unofficial visit.

 

You can receive one phone call or one instant message per week or one from each university

 

You can receive up to 3 in-person, off-campus contact with coaches, including a home visit.

 

 

SENIOR

 

1st day of classes, Senior year

 

You are now eligible to take an official visit to a University: You are only allowed up to five official visits

 

November 13th – 20th

 

Early signing date: Once you sign, you have no restrictions on phone calls, contacts, or evaluations.

 

April 15th – August 1st

 

Late signing date

 

 

ELIGIBILITY

 

(Keep in mind these figures change from year to year)

 

Minimum cumulative grade point average compared to ACT/ SAT score. It is graded on a sliding scale. The higher your GPA is, the lower your test score can be and vice versa.

 

English: 4 years

 

Math at the Algebra I level or higher: 2 years

 

Natural or physical science (including at least one lab course if offered): 2 years

 

Additional courses in English, math, or physical science: 1 year

 

Social science: 2 years

 

Additional academic courses (keep in mind that most universities require at least two years of foreign language): 2 years

 

ACT: www.act.org

 

SAT: www.sat.org

 

NCAA Clearinghouse: www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

 

The clearinghouse will have a section where you can fill in school codes, which is a number that specifies that you want your information sent to a specific University. You can obtain the school code from the University you are interested in and your clearinghouse information will be sent directly to that specific school. You can obtain the school code by calling the University or talking to the coach.

 

IMPORTANT: As a student enrolling in a University, you must remember it is your job to make to make sure you are sending your information to the correct places.

 

The clearinghouse and university do not work together! Both institutions must receive your SAT or ACT score, your unofficial transcripts, and your official final transcripts. REMEMBER: there is a big difference between unofficial transcripts and official final transcripts.

 

ACT or SAT? If you are uncertain on whether or not to take the ACT or SAT you can take both to be safe. If you have narrowed your choices to a certain number of schools you can contact each specific school and see which test they require.