Camp Season Is Here: What Do We Do?
As you noticed, occasionally we will take a break from covering events and players to give an opinion/info piece for rising players. We have an article coming soon from a recent freshman college volleyball player sharing their insights on their…
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Continue ReadingAs you noticed, occasionally we will take a break from covering events and players to give an opinion/info piece for rising players. We have an article coming soon from a recent freshman college volleyball player sharing their insights on their first season. Last week we talked about how to navigate the open gym season that rushed upon us. Today we will talk about the camp season. There are an exceeding number of camps out there for lovers of the sport of volleyball. How do you decide which camps to visit over the course of the summer? Let’s discuss some of our thoughts
1. Dream School Camps
These are the camps many attend because they are the college or university they hope to attend one day. Using the lens of Division I volleyball, these are the perennial powerhouses that have name recognition and every little girl says, “I want to play at _____ one day”. Parents will fly their daughters across the country to attend these camps. There is nothing wrong with that on the surface as it can be a great experience and increase the love of the game for their daughter. Many times families go to these camps in hopes they get noticed or on the radar of the coaches. One thing we’ve learned over the years, some of these schools have college prospect camps. The players they hope will attend are really encouraged and pushed through some means of communication for them to attend to get them on campus and show what they have to offer. This doesn’t mean a diamond in the rough doesn’t come out of these camps, however, if the coaches don’t know you and encourage your attendance, be wary of the idea you will leave with an offer or a request to come back for a game in the fall.
2. Local School Camps
Your local colleges and universities also hold camps in the summer. Since I’m in Kansas City, I will say it’s ok to attend the William Jewell, Rockhurst, and Kansas City (UMKC) camps in the summer. It is a strong possibility the camp size will allow for a lot more 1 to 1 interaction and development of your game. In our opinion, one of the primary purposes of camp is not just to have fun but develop pieces of your game you the athlete feel you need to get stronger in. That is much easier to do in a smaller setting with more reps than in a camp with hundreds of players in the same position. Also, sometimes you can knock out a couple of these camps for the price of one.
3. Should You Prioritize Camps?
If you are in the recruitment window, yes! Attend camps of schools you are interested in and they are interested in you. That is the best bang for your buck. You can see the campus and facilities and showcase your skills to the coaches in person. These are the moments where you can potentially walk away with an offer or a stronger relationship. We know in this area of chasing the division one scholarship, the idea is to attend all the camps of the big schools. We want to encourage you to attend camps at schools that match your level of play. We don’t want to discourage anyone but if your hope is to play at a Power 5 school and you’ve had no interaction or interest from them, start looking at other size or division level schools and begin making those relationships. Those are the camps you invest your time and dollars in if your ultimate goal is to play college volleyball.
4. Budget
There is a chance you attend one or two camps in the summer, or five or six. Camps aren’t cheap which is why we stress prioritizing the ones where the return on investment could be strong…that is either in an offer/relationship or getting better in your skills. Those should be the priority takeaway from camp life at the high school age. Don’t break the piggy bank trying to attend every camp around the country. Look at the schedule, and the cost, and choose wisely.
5. Position Camps
This goes without saying but attend camps that focus on your position development and ensure the camp workers have a reputation of helping athletes get better in that position. For example, if you are a libero what comes to mind for me immediately is Iowa State, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin has been delivering in the last few years in this area. Maybe I want to go learn from those coaches and players. Oh, I’m a setter? Maybe I need to see which programs have been known to develop quality setters over the years like on the farm in Palo Alto. Do your research and ensure you are looking to improve as much as you can in the days or week you are in attendance.
6. Former and Current Player Camps
With the addition of Name, Image, and Likeness; current players are afforded the opportunity to host camps. This doesn’t mean every player should and you should attend every camp. But if a very talented, knowledgable player holds a one-day camp, this may be one you take advantage of. Recently, I saw postings that former national champion Kentucky setter Madison Lilley was hosting a setter camp. If you were a setter and in the Kansas City area and didn’t sign up big mistake. Take advantage of these opportunities to learn from seasoned players in the sport.