Talking With A College Recruiter–What exactly are they looking for in recruits?
I recently had a chance to listen to Micah Rhodes give a recruiting presentation at Premier Volleyball. Micah has been involved with the Creighton volleyball program in two different roles: most recently during the 2019 season as the Director of…
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Continue ReadingI recently had a chance to listen to Micah Rhodes give a recruiting presentation at Premier Volleyball. Micah has been involved with the Creighton volleyball program in two different roles: most recently during the 2019 season as the Director of Operations, and then as the volunteer assistant coach in 2016. Both seasons, he was a member of the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. During the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Micah worked as an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha as the program’s offensive and blocking coordinator.
In speaking with the athletes and parents he had this to say from a college recruiter’s prospective on what they are looking for in potential student athletes.
*Good grades–this tells the recruiters that you are able to manage time well, probably have high volleyball IQ and that you are a well-rounded athlete.
*Athlete ability–What physically do you look for? I think it really varies depending on the coach’s style of play, what league they play in, etc. There’s nothing set in stone, no exact rhyme or reason, as to why a coach recruits one player over another. There are a lot of factors and intangibles that go into the process.
*That parents (yes, Parents) are respectful. If they see parents yelling at the refs, or teammates, etc., it can be a sign that the student has learned and copied some of this behavior. So parents, take note!
*We want to “develop–not babysit” athletes. We don’t want kids who are getting in trouble with social media, the law, using illegal substances, etc. We want athletes who respect authority and understand that it’s a privilege to be a collegiate athlete.
*When talking to prospective recruits, we want them to be themselves. We want to see their personality. And, please athletes, make eye contact when you are having conversations with recruiters. Not doing so can portray a lack of confidence or assertiveness. In the same vein, it’s ok to smile and be yourself. It doesn’t have to be all business.
*Make sure when sending emails to us, you have the correct coach name and school. I’ve received emails sent to other schools, probably as a bulk email, where they neglected to change the coach’s name. This does not make a good impression.
*Make every email you write personal to that school. Just a sentence or two, saw you beat XYZ, something to show that you are following along with our program or have done some research, and update us on your schedule.
*What to include in email: Name, grad year, position(s) played, club and high school teams, recruiting coordinator and/or coach’s contact information, and video (no longer than 3 minutes, no music or special effects).
*When talking on the phone to coaches, be engaged! Don’t just give yes or no answers. It’s okay to be nervous (remember coaches also want to make a good impression!), but give the coach answers they can build upon that will lead to an easy-flowing conversation.
*Make sure you have some questions to ask the coach ahead of time. Be prepared. One or two questions is enough, but show you’ve spent some time thinking about this school.
*And last but not least, do NOT talk bad about other coaches you have or teammates. This is a big no-no and red flag, and can potentially show a coach that you may start drama or be a pot-stirrer.
Thank you for the great information.