"We believe that our role is to serve the players by helping them achieve success both on and off the volleyball court."
MASTERS VOLLEYBALL ACADEMY, Maryland
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RECRUITING TIMEFRAME
FRESHMAN
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You are eligible to receive one camp brochure from a college.
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You are eligible to take an unofficial visit.
SOPHOMORE
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You are eligible to receive one camp brochure.
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You are eligible to take an unofficial visit.
JUNIOR
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You are eligible to take an unofficial visit July 1st after your junior year
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Can receive one phone call or one instant message per week or one from each university.
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Can receive up to 3 in-person, off-campus contact with coaches, which includes a home visit.
SENIOR
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Early signing date: Once you sign, you have no restrictions on phone calls, contacts, or evaluations.
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April 15th - August 1st
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Late signing date
While many players don’t start thinking about playing volleyball in college until later in their high school careers, the sooner you set this goal for yourself, the easier it will be to obtain. Hard work and good study habits need to start now! Expecting to just be able to “flip the switch” in high school will not go as smoothly as you think. Play as much volleyball as you possibly can. Whether it be on a middle school team or simply by attending clinics whenever you can, playing as much volleyball as you can at a young age will really speed up your learning curve.
Play for the best club available during the club season at the highest possible level. Playing against the best competition from a young age will only make the transition to high school athletics easier. Attend a few summer camps too really improve your skills before going into high school.
Tryout for your High school JV or Varsity team. Please keep in mind that it may be better to start on JV (and get a lot of playing time), compared to being one of the last players to make the Varsity team (and riding the bench). At a young age, getting as much game-like experience is VERY important, so keep that in mind while making your decision for your school team.
Play with the best club team available to you. Push yourself to get placed on the most competitive team in your club, and work hard on honing your skills.
Attend an overnight college summer camp to get a feel for a more serious volleyball environment.
ACADEMICS ALWAYS COME FIRST!!! Good study habits are a must, because no matter how athletically gifted you are, without decent grades, you will not be able to get into the colleges you want.
Continue to focus on your schoolwork! The better your grades, the easier it will make it on your college coaches to get you into their program.
Meet with your high school guidance counselor and ask about the required NCAA “core classes” to be eligible for as a student athlete.
Play as much club volleyball as possible. The more you play, the more your skills will continue to develop.
Attend as many college summer camps as you can afford. These camps will not only improve your skills, but it will also allow you to learn new techniques, different coaching philosophies, and to see different college campuses you may be interested in attending in the near future.
Get your name out to the college coaches you want to play for. Send out your first contact letters, which will include your high school and club schedules. Coaches will not be able to write you back yet, but they can come and see you play, along with inviting you to attend their summer camp to get an up close look at you as a player.
Plan some campus visits! Before your senior year, all visits will be considered “unofficial” which means the school will not be able to pay for it. Ask to attend a practice or game and meet the team afterwards. Get a feel for the dynamic of the team and the coaching staff. Meeting with an academic counselor, a professor at the university, and possibly the chair of the major you’re interested in will all be good steps towards getting a feel for that particular college.
MIDDLE SCHOOL (grades 6,7 & 8)
FRESHMAN
SOPHOMORE
JUNIOR
Ask your high school coach to write a few letters to college coaches that you are interested in playing for. Make sure to include you high school schedule.
Register with the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse (your high school guidance counselor should have these forms).
Register for the fall ACT / SAT standardized tests. Most students take these tests at least twice. Try to schedule a winter date that won’t conflict with high school or club season. Request that your ACT / SAT test scores be sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse (there is a box on the application form that you check for this).
Continue playing as much club volleyball as possible. Make sure you are on a team that has a lot of national exposure. If you are the star on a local team who never plays in any big tournaments, it won’t matter how good you are if coaches don’t have a chance to see you. Playing on a team that consistently goes to National Qualifiers and big tournaments in different regions will give you the best chance to be seen by collegiate coaches. Please keep in mind that if you are on the #1 team, but never “play” it may be better to ask to move down to the #2 team in the club to get some playing time. Without the playing time, the coaches can never see the skills you possess.
Prepare a videotape to send to college coaches. This should include all skills (passing, hitting, serving, etc…) The most important part of this tape is the GAMEPLAY portion.
Make sure this is an uncut game. While coaches love highlight reels, they also want to see how you handle yourself throughout the course of an entire game. Make sure to attend the highest level camp available to you this summer. Matching yourself up against the best players you can find at these camps will give you a very good idea of where you stand in your respective age group and region.
SEPTEMBER 1st: Coaches are permitted to send letters in writing!
JULY 1st: Phone contact from college coaches is PERMITTED!
SENIOR
Review core academic requirements with your guidance counselor. It is very important to make sure you are on track with your required classes.
Send out your high school schedule to a select few college coaches. Your list of colleges should be narrowed slightly at this point.
In your Senior year, the first day of class is when you are ELIGIBLE for OFFICIAL VISITS. Make sure that before you attend these official visits that you have a list of questions written down for the coaches, academic counselors, etc… Do not think the questions will come to you on the visit, come prepared!
Keep an eye on the early signing period. While the dates may change from year to year you can check on the NCAA website for exact details. Keep in mind you can contact college coaches by phone at any time prior to July after your junior year.
DO NOT LET UP ACADEMICALLY! It’s easy to catch senioritis, but in doing so, could cost you your opportunity to play in the NCAA!