Wednesday, I added some information on scholarship availability for women's volleyball. The numbers come as a surprise to a lot of people. That being said, that's not to say that those who want to play college volleyball will not have opportunities to do so: it just mean they may not get their education paid for in the process. This is why I push our players to push themselves in the classroom to get the grades: It will give them more opportunities.
Looking at the numbers (which are more estimates than concrete, and doesn't include data regarding club participation, but gives us a good benchmark to work with), one could argue that with around 418,000 kids playing in high school and 25,000 for college, that about 6% of kids that play in high school will have the opportunity to play in college. However, I would say that the chances are much higher than that. Many high school volleyball players compete in other sports, and will play those sports in college instead. Aside from them, others are focused on other interests and do not want to play volleyball in college. I have seen the top Division I teams and the lowest Division III teams: I firmly believe that if you play club volleyball in high school and REALLY want to play in college, the opportunity is there. However, certain things should be considered.
When I sit down with players and parents, We discuss their ideal situation: what do they want outside of volleyball? Have they thought about what they want to study, what are your grades, do you have a preference in geographic location (I have read articles that actually think this isn't good - while I agree that you shouldn't break your bank simply to go to college in your dream location, it doesn't mean you can't look there if you have grades/ability that will allow you to do it for the same cost), school size, or any other factors that matter to them?
The idea isn't for them to necessarily know all these things - the reality of the situation is I can cook a meal for someone, tell them the ingredients, how I prepare it, and what it should taste like - until they take a bite, they won't know what THEY think about it. However, the more thought students put into what they want from their experience, the more confident they can be about making the right choice for them.
At that point we discuss the volleyball aspect of it - I ask them about what they environment they would be most comfortable with:
a) Joining a team that is a legitimate contender in their respective National Championship each year - playing time all 4 years can be worked for but there is no guarantee.
b) Joining a team that is in the middle of the pack, but could compete for a conference title. Playing time doesn't happen freshman year, but if the player works hard the opportunity will be there to move into a starting role.
c) Joining a team that has not been successful in wins and losses, but player could potentially start freshman year and maintain their role should they continue to work hard.
The purpose isn't to say that they will have one of these scenarios, it is to make them think about what they value and what they would like to envision their playing experience to be. Truth be told, I have had athletes that have said "I just want to win - I don't care what role I play" - I have also had athletes that say "I'd like to have the opportunity to start all four years". From there we can talk about how to hunt for programs that best fit their description.
While we can look for a place that history dictates will be similar to their wants, I also remind them that things can change outside of their control, and they'll have to be open to that possibility. Coaches can leave that helped built that program - My coach had a nationally-ranked team for 4 years, and once he left, the program went from being a regular 20-game winner back to single digits immediately following his recruits' departure. You can go to a school that appears like they NEED you, only to find the coach has 2 other recruits coming in at the same position that have the same goals you do, or perhaps a returner put in a rigorous off-season and isn't so willing to give up their spot on the court. I want to make sure that they understand that should the experience not go exactly as desired, they are willing to do what will be expected of them.
All of this information may seem disheartening, but better to accept the possible outcomes instead of getting blindsided with them once they're already committed/on campus. My goal with all of my kids is to get them to pick the school that's right for them after thinking about what they want - it requires some legwork on their end, but it's worth it if it finds them the school that they're going to be happy attending, that will bring out their best and set them up to succeed in the real world. I am not shy to say that I feel organizations/college liaisons of many clubs are not doing it right for their kids by simply throwing their film/specs out there and hoping a school shows interest (and don't try to tell me they don't - most clubs are more concerned with being able to say they send kids to play at college moreso than if it's a good fit, and the amount some of these organizations are charging is absolutely ludicrous, especially with the tools we have at our disposal online).
If the kids go to a school with no specific thought process about what they want, the coaches/tour guide are going to make that school sound perfect. That's their job, and that's not going to change - but if we were to buy a house, we wouldn't let the realtor tell us all about the house and buy it without inspecting it ourselves, or having an idea on what WE wanted to get out of it. If we were to buy a car, we wouldn't just let the salesman tell us all the great specs on it and buy it - we'd take it for a test drive, perhaps have our mechanic look at it - all while knowing WHY we want the car (more passenger space, better gas mileage, etc.) - so why wouldn't we make our athletes put a little more thought into what they want from college before investing years and a large amount of money into it? This applies to non-athletes as well!
The reality is, if you truly want to play college volleyball, there are opportunities. I have seen schools pulling kids from soccer teams/basketball teams to fill out their roster. They are smaller schools, their programs are in a rebuilding phase - but there are definitely programs that would be extremely happy to have anyone with club experience. The player just has to look at the overall environment and decide where their priorities lie.
With a little preparation and guidance, there is no reason players can't find a school that makes them happy - with over 1,500 options, it's just a matter of doing the research and finding the right one!
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