New to PrepDig? Start Here

If you're new here, welcome. I'm Michelle Bamford, the Business Relationship Manager for PrepDig. First question I'm always asked, no, I do not own PrepDigCA. PrepDig is part of Prep Network, whose mission is to positively impact the high school sports experience by providing comprehensive coverage, rankings, and competitive events for athletes at all levels. The goal is to help athletes achieve their goals, create lifelong memories, and open doors to college opportunities through our media and event platforms.

My goal is to celebrate today's wins by bringing exposure to athletes who have a genuine passion for the sport of volleyball. I spend every day on our Instagram account, @PrepDigCA, watching athletes compete, tracking development, writing articles for our college subscribers, and helping athletes focus on what they are accomplishing today, using their own voice whenever possible.

PrepDig exists to bridge the gap between athletes and opportunity.

My goal is to make sure California athletes are seen, heard, and represented the right way. I also own the brand Coachable247, which I started to help athletes across the nation get more exposure, especially when I'm at National Qualifiers and major recruiting events.

My focus is not rankings.
It's stories, character, consistency, and community.

Your PrepDig Player Profile is one of the easiest ways to give college coaches a centralized place to learn who you are. University Athlete houses the coaches' notes, whereas PrepDig gives coaches a more well-rounded view of the athlete.

Your profile includes:

It also allows me to track your growth year over year and connect your name to performances I see in person, on social media, and at showcases.

Some athletes already have profiles built by our team. If that's the case, you can simply claim it and update it.

Your Instagram page is your digital resume for volleyball. It's one of the main ways I discover, track, and stay connected to athletes between events. Use this template to help you clean up your page and make it work for you.

You do not need to be viral.
You do not need fancy edits.

What matters is:

Invite @PrepDigCA to collaborate and tag us in your stories.
Send messages through DM.
Follow our account so I can message you back.

Social media is your recruiting resume in motion.
Use it wisely.

This one is huge, and so underrated.

I'm at tournaments almost every weekend, and a lot of the time I am absolutely star struck by you. If you see me in the gym, come say hi. Introduce yourself. Tell me your name, your team, and your position.

It doesn't need to be awkward or formal.

“Hi Michelle, I'm (Name) ___, I am a (Grad Year) ___.”
Please always include your name.

That's it.

This shows confidence, maturity, and awareness. And I promise you, it is great practice for talking to college coaches.

Recruiting is still human. Relationships matter.

Tip: when I ask you how you are doing, I mean it. I am not asking for your team's record for the day. I want to know how your mindset is, how you are feeling, and what you are working on.

And yes, I will always take a picture with you. 📸

If PrepDigCA follows you, messages you, or engages with your content, please respond when you can.

I am not using a virtual assistant to reach out to you. It is me, Michelle. PrepDigCA is not a robot account. I'm a real person building real relationships with athletes and families across California. I communicate with players, club directors, college coaches, and parents, so if you message me first, it might take a day or two, but know that you are in my queue.

Following us back and staying connected allows me to:

Showcases are valuable as long as they produce content, either highlights or written evaluations.

PrepDig Showcases allow me to see you live, in a controlled environment, side by side with other athletes, evaluated the same way college coaches evaluate. The best part is you do not have to compete for a starting spot or playing time.

It's not about being perfect.
It's about:

What I love about showcases is that they create real visibility. I get to watch you, film gets created, stories get written, and your name actually starts circulating in real recruiting spaces.

That's what matters to me. Not just playing, but being seen.

PrepDig showcases happen year round, including the Winter Exposure Tour, National Qualifying Showcases, and our Spring Up Next, Freshman, Sophomore ID, and Stock Up Showcase Series.

This one is important, because I get asked about rankings all the time.

First, I want to be very clear. I am not the California ranker. The official California State Rankings are created by Michael Deleon (@CoachMikeDZ or Michael@prepdig.com).

Michael spends hundreds of hours in gyms across the country watching athletes compete in person. He also studies game film, highlight reels, high school and club performance, and speaks with club directors, high school coaches, and college coaches throughout the state. His process is extremely detailed and very intentional.

The rankings are a living document, meaning they are updated three to four times per year. Players are added, moved, and adjusted based on new data, film, evaluations, and continued development. There is also an Official Watch List, which includes athletes who are being actively tracked and evaluated for future ranking consideration.

Are rankings 100% perfect? No. And Michael is very open about that. Recruiting and player evaluation is not an exact science. But what is real is the time, care, and experience that goes into the process.

Here's where you come in.

The best way for Michael to learn about athletes he may not have seen yet is through film, social media, showcases and direct communication. Tagging PrepDig, sharing updated highlights, and staying visible absolutely matters. The more film available, the more accurate and fair the evaluation process can be.

And this is where I want to tie it back to my role.

My focus is not where you are ranked.
My focus is making sure you are seen.

I help athletes build visibility, tell their story, get evaluated, get featured, and get connected. Rankings are one piece of the ecosystem. Exposure, relationships, consistency, and character are what sustain it.

If you are ranked, amazing.
If you are on the watch list, amazing.
If you are not listed yet, that does not define your future.

What defines your future is your development, your mindset, your work ethic, and how you show up.

And that part, I'm always watching.

This might be the most overlooked step of all.

PrepDig articles are written for college coaches, but they are also written about you, which makes them directly relevant to your journey.

They teach you:

If you want exposure, start by understanding the system you're trying to enter.

The smartest recruits I meet are the ones who read, learn, and apply.

Without subscribers, I cannot do the work that I do. Subscriptions are what allow me to be in the gyms, write the articles, attend showcases, highlight athletes, and build relationships across California and beyond.

You do not have to be an active high school athlete to subscribe. If you love the sport of volleyball, believe in exposure for female athletes, and want to support the next generation of players, this is how you can be part of it.

If you're ready to join the PrepDig community, you can subscribe using my code:

Use code: COACHABLE247 for 30% off your subscription

And every subscription helps me shine a bigger light on more athletes.

Thank you for being part of the community.

~ Michelle Bamford @Coachable247