FREE: You Never Know Who’s Watching, and Why Getting Seen Matters
Recruiting in the volleyball world is challenging. I have seen it as a scout, but I have also lived it as a parent. I know the excitement that comes when a coach shows interest, the frustration when an email goes unanswered, and the questions that come with trying to figure out where a player fits. So many talented athletes are trying to be seen, and no two recruiting journeys look the same. Players need people who will support them, advocate for them, and help create opportunities. That is one of the biggest reasons I love what I get to do through Prep Dig.
Prep Dig is about more than rankings. It gives volleyball players another chance to be seen through scouting, articles, rankings, events, and continued coverage. That is a big reason Prep Dig matters to me. The Midwest is full of volleyball talent, including athletes in gyms and communities that don't always get much attention. Some players are already well known, while others are still developing or simply waiting for the right person to notice what they can do.
One of my favorite examples of why this matters happened last club season in Utah. I was on a Freeze volleyball court at a North Dakota club when a college coach from Hawaii sat down. We began discussing the players, and, of course, he asked about how we manage the North Dakota cold. Eventually, he started asking who had committed. I turned the question around and asked him what he was looking for. That conversation led to Alayna Foster DeVold.
I knew Alayna could play at that level, and I knew Hawaii was high on her list. When he started asking me about her, the first thing I talked about wasn't how hard she could hit a volleyball. I talked about who she was. What kind of person was she? What kind of teammate was she? To me, that is huge. A college coach isn't just bringing a volleyball player onto campus. They are bringing someone into their program and team for the next four years.
Then he asked me if she was coachable. Absolutely. From there, I talked about what made Alayna stand out to me on the court. One of the most significant things was her versatility. She could play anywhere across the net and handle different roles depending on what her team needed. I had watched her enough to know what she could do, and I believed she could play at that level. So I told him what I knew.
What stayed with me most from that conversation was how impressed he was with the Dakota players he had been watching. He didn't know much about the athletes on that court before sitting down, and he kept asking questions and wanting to learn more. Before he left, he thanked me for the insight I had given him on Alayna and the players from our area. Then he said something I still remember: he felt he had discovered a gem.
That meant a lot to me, not because I needed the thank-you, but because it showed me exactly why having scouts in these gyms is so important. A college coach from Hawaii was sitting at a court in Utah watching athletes from North Dakota, and I could provide him information he couldn't get from a stat sheet or a roster. I knew these players. I had watched them compete. I knew more about their games, versatility, development, and often the type of teammates they were. When he wanted to know more, I could help him understand those details.
I didn't go into that tournament expecting that conversation. I didn't have some master plan to connect a player with a college coach. I was sitting at a volleyball court when we started talking, and when he told me what he was looking for, I knew of a player he needed to watch. Later, Alayna's family reached out during their trip and thanked me. That meant a lot. Alayna earned her opportunities because of the player, teammate, and person she had become. I just happened to be in a position to help someone see her.
And that is just one story. I've shared information with college coaches about gems in gyms all over the Midwest. That is one reason Midwest players are becoming so exciting to recruit. These kids know how to work. Many of them learn multiple positions because their team needs them to. They travel hours for club practices, tournaments, camps, and training. They compete, adapt, and learn to pursue opportunities that aren't always obvious. That toughness comes with it, and it is worth paying attention to.
That is what I am looking for when I walk into a gym. I am not just looking for the tallest player, the hardest swing, or the biggest stat line. I watch the whole court. How does a player respond after making a mistake? How does she treat her teammates? What happens when a coach corrects her? What does she do when she isn't getting set? Can she adjust when her team needs her somewhere else? Those things don't always show up in the stats, but they tell me a lot about a player.
One part of this role I have really come to appreciate is being able to bring what I see beyond just an article or ranking. I have had opportunities to provide input for Breakdown Sports in Minnesota and for the Gatorade Player of the Year process in both North Dakota and South Dakota. I don't take those opportunities lightly. When someone asks me about a player, I want to offer more than numbers. I want to talk about what I have actually seen, how that athlete impacts a match, what kind of competitor she is, and what separates her from other players. That's another reason being in the gyms and truly knowing these athletes matters to me.
I also want players and parents to know that I don't believe college volleyball begins and ends with Division I. I want those athletes to discover homes. Period. Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, or junior college, opportunities exist everywhere. The best fit will look different for every athlete. If a player finds a school where she loves the coaches, can contribute, gets the education she wants, and is fulfilled, that is something worth celebrating.
Sometimes helping a player get there starts with something really small. It could be a ranking update, a watch list, an article, a tournament evaluation, or a conversation sitting beside a court in Utah. When I write about a player, I don't want just to repeat her height, position, and statistics. I want a college coach to learn something about her. What makes her different? What kind of teammate is she? Is she coachable? Is she versatile? What does she do that could translate to the college game? Most importantly, is there something there that makes me think, "You need to watch this kid?"
Being a parent who has gone through the recruiting journey has shaped how I scout, too. I know how exciting it can be, but also how confusing and frustrating it is to figure out where your player fits. There is a kid and a family behind every name I write about, and I don't take that lightly. I know how much one conversation, one coach showing interest, or simply having someone believe a player deserves another look can mean to a family.
At the end of the day, this is what I want my role with Prep Dig to be. I want to identify players. I want to follow them as they develop. I want established players to receive the recognition they have earned, but I also want to find the kid whose name people don't know yet. I want to be someone college coaches can talk to when they come into our region and want to know more about the players. I want to sit next to a coach, hear what they are looking for, and think, "I know someone you should watch."
There are gems in gyms all across the Midwest. Some have already been discovered. Others are still waiting for someone to see them.
That's why I keep looking. ~Theresa@prepdigdakotas
