Recruiting tips for the start of your hs season

The start of the high school season is a great opportunity for players who want to play in college to take an important step towards that goal. This time of year provides a natural opportunity to initiate meaningful dialogue with colleges you’re already speaking to, or that you may have a desire to build a new relationship with.

Look at your HS season as an opportunity to build (or further develop) your relationship with a variety of colleges. Rules surrounding communicating with college coaches vary depending on your grade, and the classification of the college (i.e. DI, DII, etc…), but regardless of your situation you are ALWAYS allowed to e-mail a coach; however they may not be allowed to respond. To better understand how these rules work, visit our Recruiting FAQ at https://www.pinnaclevball.com/recruiting-faq.

If you are initiating contact with a school for the first time via e-mail, write a short paragraph to introduce yourself and specifically mention why you are interested in that school’s program. This personal touch will go a long way. Within the rest of your e-mail, include your high school schedule, what position(s) you expect to play, and what jersey number you will wear. This is also a great time to update the coach on any academic changes (i.e. ACT, SAT, GPA, etc…).

Plan to send a brief e-mail or call every 3-4 weeks with updates on your season. Let them know how your season is going since the last time you communicated, and what’s coming up. It’s ok if it hasn’t been the best year; let them know what you’re learning from it. In fact, I would suggest sharing both a recent highlight and a struggle in each e-mail, pointing out how you grew from the adversity. Share an opportunity you took to provide leadership, help a struggling teammate, etc…  Look on their schedule or website and include a personal touch (such as good luck tomorrow against whoever they are playing!) in each communication as well to let them know that you’re genuinely interested.

High School season is also a chance to get some quality video footage showing your progress from last year, and sometimes in a different position or role than club; take advantage of it! The ideal angle is behind the endline, raised off the floor. Avoid angles that require the camera to keep moving with the ball. At the beginning of the season think about which gyms provide the best opportunities to position your camera (phone, tablet, etc…), while also being a competitive matchup. Plan on recording a few matches, and coordinate with other athletes and coaches on the team so that you can share video on YouTube for the whole team to use! Once you get the video up on YouTube send it out to the coaches you want to see you play, or who you have already been communicating with.

Remember, the most important part of the season is developing as a player and leader, and achieving team success all while playing the sport you love. Highlight your growth as a player and leader, the things you are working on to improve, and how you are helping your team achieve success. If you are playing on a team competing for a State Championship, and are playing as a 3 rotation DS rather than a libero like in club, it’s ok to point that out. Let the coach know that you have embraced your role, still work hard, compete with and support the libero and other DSes, and that you are willing to do what it takes to win even when it may not be the role you aspire to.

Good luck with the start of your season!