[XutvJet]

I'm looking for some input regarding college recruiting from any recent former D1 players and/or parents of players.

My 16 y/o daughter (currently a sophomore) is a volleyball player and come June 15th, D1 college recruiters/coaches will be able to talk directly with her about offers. Over the past 1.5 years or so, D1 (and some D2) colleges expressed interest in her to her club director, coach, and/or reached out directly to her with invites to their elite/prospect camps. Based on the interest thus far, it looks like she may get recruited by #10 to #60 ranked D1 teams.

She has that "thing" that Kobe, MJ, and Bo Jackson in that she is extremely passionate about the sport and is driven to be the best and play with the best. She trains so damn hard and never complains. She is a sponge, is so coachable, and has an aggressive, yet extremely positive presence on the court. Over the last two years, she has done all the right things like make highlight videos and send them with emails to her top 7 or so schools on a routine basis, routinely posts highlights on Instagram, has a Sportsrecruits page, has an NCAA recruiting number, has a 4.65 GPA, and helps coach young kids and boys HS VB and fosters cats. She's also fairly outgoing and isn't afraid to talk with adults, coaches, etc.

I'm a competitive VB player myself, but never played college so I have no idea about dealing with coaches in the recruiting process. My wife wasn't an college athlete either. I play VB with ex-D1-NAIA women and men's players as well as many current college and club coaches and/or have VB friends with D1 assistant coach friends. On a couple of occasions this year, I've had these friends indicate that their college coach friends have my daughter at or near the top of their recruiting list and that there is NIL money available (that's still crazy to me). My daughter has spoken with her coach, her director, and a recent former D1 assistant/recruiter about the types of questions she might be asked during the recruiting process and she is preparing.

My wife and I are concerned that our daughter might get offers within a week or so of the recruiting window opening which seems very stressful for a 16 y/o. Our club director told us that is quite possible for girls like her that are ranked fairly high nationally could get offers quickly.

What I'm looking for an ANY input on you (former player) or parents dealt with this process and how you approached it when the recruiting process opened, the pressure to commit, gotchas, etc. My daughter has received good input from the sources I noted, but I want to cover all the bases as much as possible for all of us to be best prepared, ask questions, be cautious, do you commit if your #1 or #2 make you an offer quickly, etc. I want her to enjoy the process, but this is a huge decision to make at 16/17.

[ash_schwin]

I wish I could add value to this conversation, but all I want to say is that as a father of a 3 year old daughter, I hope I do as well of a job as you and your wife did raising your daughter. Good luck to her with the recruitment process and as cliche as it sounds, try to have fun through the process!

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by ash_schwin

I wish I could add value to this conversation, but all I want to say is that as a father of a 3 year old daughter, I hope I do as well of a job as you and your wife did raising your daughter. Good luck to her with the recruitment process and as cliche as it sounds, try to have fun through the process!

Thank you. Yes, I totally agree. I have told her that she needs to try and enjoy the process and the ultimate goal for college should be to have fun and continue to enjoy the sport while getting a good education. If it isn't fun, why bother?

For better or worse, she's a competitor in everything she does. She couldn't stand seeing her older brother getting stellar grades and taking AP classes so she wanted to do the same. He's crazy smart. She is too, but she has to work much harder at it. I definitely was not that kind of student. I think her high GPA also is a selling point to coaches.

[19M5]

My only suggestion to you is to seek the advise of an NIL Certified agent.

[CLTMDA]

Only tidbit I have is probably obvious. Take the visits, meet the coach, meet his players. Do NOT rush the decision. Also, she needs to ask herself, "if I get an injury the fist day I step foot on the campus, would I be happy attending the school without my sport. If not, would I be willing to transfer."

My son got offers to play soccer, but not for any schools he really had at the top of his list. He was/is a smart kid too, just graduated from Med School last week. He went to a very good school undergrad and decided to walk on for the soccer team. He was one of two walk-ons to make the team, but he decided not to because he did not like the coach or the players. He played club and was happy with his experience overall.

NIL is a whole different animal.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by CLTMDA

Only tidbit I have is probably obvious. Take the visits, meet the coach, meet his players. Do NOT rush the decision. Also, she needs to ask herself, "if I get an injury the fist day I step foot on the campus, would I be happy attending the school without my sport. If not, would I be willing to transfer."

My son got offers to play soccer, but not for any schools he really had at the top of his list. He was/is a smart kid too, just graduated from Med School last week. He went to a very good school undergrad and decided to walk on for the soccer team. He was one of two walk-ons to make the team, but he decided not to because he did not like the coach or the players. He played club and was happy with his experience overall.

NIL is a whole different animal.

Totally agree. The school is most important then the sport. She will certainly talk with the coaches and do a visit. She's already visited most of her top 7 schools through either a visit with us and/or attended a camp last year. She likely has a shot at getting an offer from at least one of them.

What caught us off guard was that there may be schools my daughter has received no real contact from yet they have her high on the recruiting list, might have some NIL money to give her, and plan to call her on Day 1. It worries me a bit that there could be others and that could muddy the waters and be overwhelming for her. Typically offers are good for 2 weeks.

I don't think there will be much NIL money for her, if any, at least from the school. I think only those going to the top 10, get substantial NIL school money (i.e., $10k-250K/yr like those on the Nebraska team).

[Alfisti]

So is she likely to get a scholarship? Asking because my 13 year old can play at a decent level.

The university entry system in North America is a farce of the highest order btw... foster's cats....like ffs i mean great kid but fuck me dead why does that matter. Ridiculous system.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

So is she likely to get a scholarship? Asking because my 13 year old can play at a decent level.

The university entry system in North America is a farce of the highest order btw... foster's cats....like ffs i mean great kid but fuck me dead why does that matter. Ridiculous system.

My daughter will get a D1 full ride. There's little doubt in that when over 100 D1 programs have reached out to her in the last year. There have been huge changes to the NCAA and roster limits for the 2025 fall season in womens college VB which plays into her favor as well. There are no more walk-ons. All players will get an athletic scholarship. Some will also get full academic.

And yeah, it does mean something to college coaches that recruits show that they have a life outside of sports, do things for the community, and take school and grades very seriously. She doesn't do this stuff to impress coaches or us. It's just important to her. We aren't the type of parents that require excellent grades. We just want our kids to do the best they can do and don't half-ass anything.

Does your daughter play club VB? If so, she'll need to be playing "Open" level at recognized multi-day tournaments once she's 14/15 to start getting on college radars as most D1-D3 programs are generally honed in on the open level players vs the other levels. In the US, the levels below open would be USA, Freedom, and a few others. In the US, there about 3500 club teams in my daughter's age group. The colleges are generally looking at the top 100 or so teams or about 1000 girls to field D1-D3 teams. High school VB is pretty meaningless.

Overall, I think club sports in the US is just a HUGE money grab and gives the vast majority of parents false hope of thier kiddo playing in college. Only about 4% of the club vb girl players will play in college and less than 1% D1. The amount of money we spend is staggering when travel and training are factored in. It's around $8k-10k/yr for us but being open level, we do travel nationally about 4 times a year for 3-4 day tournaments.

[Alfisti]

My 13 year old (son) only just joined his first rep team but is clearly the best player and with no coaching so far. I'm just wondering how good he can be if he actually had some help, will find out this year I guess.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

My 13 year old (son) only just joined his first rep team but is clearly the best player and with no coaching so far. I'm just wondering how good he can be if he actually had some help, will find out this year I guess.

Boys VB is expanding rapidly, Canada has some pretty solid boys club teams, and many Canadian boys are playing D1/D2 in the US. It's far easier for boys to get into the US college VB system than girls because the girls system is MASSIVE in comparison. There should be plenty of higher level boys clubs teams in Toronto. If he's truly interested and motivated to play at a higher level, he's getting close to the age where it makes sense to try out for a higher level team, perhaps like a regional travel team next season rather than full-out travel just to see how he likes being coached by someone with a VB background. It may excite him or turn him off. Since girls grow and develop faster, you tend to see who's likely to be a rockstar when they're in the 14/15 y/o range. For boys, it's around 15/16.

I coached my daughter in rec when she was 10 and 11 as I thought it was dumb for sub 12 y/o to be playing club ball given how undeveloped they were and of course the cost. She then went to a better rec team at 12. She clearly loved the sport and was good at it. At 13, we moved her to a regional club team that was 30% of the cost of a travel team. She excelled on that team and the coach even told us she should be on an open-level team. She tried out for 3 of the best teams in Kansas City and got on the #1 team. She knew she'd have to work hard for it because the other girls that played open since 12. She assumed she'd only be a sub and not a starter. She was like a sponge and became a starter almost immediately and that was that. And so was our bank account, but my wife and I love it. I could watch her and her team play all the time. I'm super passionate about the sport.

[Alfisti]

You're right, I notice a LOT of girls, like 4 to 1 at the clubs he plays at. Kid hasn't quite figured out what a gold mine it is, though it is starting to dawn on him I think.

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

I'm looking for some input regarding college recruiting from any recent former D1 players and/or parents of players.

My 16 y/o daughter (currently a sophomore) is a volleyball player and come June 15th, D1 college recruiters/coaches will be able to talk directly with her about offers.
[...]
do you commit if your #1 or #2 make you an offer quickly, etc. I want her to enjoy the process, but this is a huge decision to make at 16/17.

As a parent of a junior who is being recruited for sports right now, here is what I've learned:
1). You are under NO obligation to commit to anyone, until start of Senior year. Coaches want to lock you in early, and may lie about that, so 2x-check with admissions (who will actually be sending out the offers).
2). This is a GREAT opportunity for your daughter to learn and practice saying "no", and to negotiate in life. She will need help from you, but this is a fantastic real-life negotiation opportunity as much as anything else.
3). If a coach puts unreasonable pressure on your kid (some will), or lies excessively (many will), you may need to step in and tell them to back-off. You will need to commit time to stay involved in the process.
4). Quality of education at D1 schools is (mostly, with few exceptions) sub-par. Unless YOU need money to send your kid to college, I would recommend expanding your horizon to D3 schools!
5). There is a HUGE difference in college teams' environments, coaches and team-mates temperaments, sense of belonging on campus and fit for YOUR kid. The only way you will figure those out is by visiting and having your kid spend a day on campus. This will take time and money, but is impossible to over-state!

Originally Posted by CLTMDA

Do NOT rush the decision. Also, she needs to ask herself, "if I get an injury the fist day I step foot on the campus, would I be happy attending the school without my sport. If not, would I be willing to transfer."

This is the critical Q - does your kid REALLY want to play semi-pro sports (20-40 hours/week commitment) in college and sacrifice educational and social opportunities, or does she want to LEARN and explore careers outside of sport?

If the latter, D1 offers/contracts may not be for you!

This is where I've seen far too many parrents focus on the D1 scholarship $$$ (as ROI on time and money invested into kid's sports) instead of what's best for thier kids. I know you know the types of parents who do that, as you've run into many of them along the way. As a parent, beware that you may be putting pressure on your kid to play sports through college as much as the coaches, and your kid may not feel comfortable saying "no" to you! And that playing semi-pro sports in college may not be what your kid really wants.
I'm not saying that's you, but I've seen a lot of parents fall into that trap.

Long story short - I think my son will be passing on D1 offers (with $$$) and go to one of the D3 schools that he visited, liked, and wants to be in for the four formative years of his life. He will be on their sports team (they are recruiting and pre-reading him), but only to the extent that it doesn't intefere with the rest of his college experience.

HTH,
a

[XutvJet]

All excellent points and considerations, afadeev. Thanks!

I've spoken to my daughter quite a bit about the D1 expectations. As a D1 player, your social life will be your teammates and your life will revolve around the sport and school. There will be little time for anything else. You won't have the college experience that many of us enjoyed in terms of social stuff. Also at D1, there is enormous pressure on coaches to win as their job depends on it. That pressure trickles down to the players. You're also constantly fighting for your spot. Nothing will be easy.

I spoken to her a lot about considering D2 or D3. She's hell-bent on D1 right now. She's always craves more to get better, wants to be pushed and surrounded by better players, thrives under pressure, loves playing in front big crowds, especially opposing crowds, wants to be on ESPN, and wants to be at a bigger school. She just loves VB and loves to learn in school. She has many friends, both in VB and outside, but is not caught up being popular, partying, etc. She's weird like that.

Regarding D1 colleges and education, I have a different perspective than you. I'm a manager at an engineering/consulting firm and I manage a large number of staff across the world and I hire (and fire) them. As someone that got a general bachelor of science, non-engineering degree from a mid-major D1 school (University of Kansas), I do not have the education many of my colleagues do from much more prestigious and expensive schools. Based on my 25+ years in the professional environment, I've personally found that those with degrees from prestigious schools, whether D1-D3, does not mean their work ethic, smarts, etc. automatically translates into them being better workers. We might pay them fractionally more fresh out of school, but after 2 years or so, it doesn't matter. Most college degrees won't prepare for the true work environment. And why is it that many of those that went to prestigious like to heave it into conversation and remind you of it? LOL

With all that said, being collegiate athlete, regardless of D1-D3, will often times push you ahead of the hiring line because most college athletes have good time management skills, are good leaders, have more drive, are more attentive, and are eager to learn. We certainly see it that way.

[TheWatchGuy]

I was lightly recruited out of highschool, but not from any major schools, and this was way before NIL was even an idea so my advice will be outdated.

They will offer the world and try to pressure you in to signing things that dont necessary match those promises. They will try to rush you to make a decision. My advice is to do things on your own timeline, and when you meet with the schools, tell them what that timeline is.

You will need to make a plan, and stick to the plan. For example, all offers need to be in by this date and a decision will be made on this date.

I dont know the pro prospects of female volleyball players, but she will also need to think about what she wants to do after college. Dont necessarily pick the school that gives her best volleyball experience, but one that gives her both the sports and the academics so she can be successful after volleyball.

With NIL now, might look in to an agent as well. A coworker has a HS kid that is being recruited, and they got an agent that deals specifically with HS kids being recruited. You need someone who understands NIL and what tricks these schools play with it.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by TheWatchGuy

With NIL now, might look in to an agent as well. A coworker has a HS kid that is being recruited, and they got an agent that deals specifically with HS kids being recruited. You need someone who understands NIL and what tricks these schools play with it.

Luckily my daughters club is one of few clubs in the US directly affiliated with League One Volleyball (LOVB), one of the two US pro volleyball leagues. They have a couple staff that are specifically there to assist players and parents with NIL stuff. I found that out this week.