Advice for 3-sport freshman who wants to play college ball

Question
My daughter is currently a freshman in high school.  She is approximately 5'8" and has a nice vertical.  She's played on the varsity team since 8th grade as an outside left hitter.  She is a 3 sport athlete and also plays basketball and runs track (MN State Champion in 4x800 relay).  She has received many great reviews from coaches in the high school level for her volleyball ability.  It has been mentioned that she could have a future in Division 1.  As a parent my goal for my daughter at this stage in her life is to play and have fun doing it. Her goal is to play volleyball in college.  I feel some push that my daughter should participate in a club team during off-season.  The challenge with this is that our the local club teams seem to suggest that their players should be one sport athletes.  If my daughters goal is to play volleyball at the college level would you suggest she give up other sports to focus on volleyball and participate in an off season club team?  If she doesn't participate in a club team, how do college coaches find her?  What should we be considering for her future if her goal is to play volleyball in college?  I would like to see her continue as a 3 sport athlete.  Can you give me some advice?  What would you do if this were your daughter?

Answer
Hey Deb!

I wish that a lot of people could read what we're about to discuss.  Most parents have these exact same questions.  Let's get after it!  

a) Can your daughter play college sports w/o playing more than high school?

Almost impossible.  So, if your daughter has dreams of playing ANY sport in college, 3 months of school ball and summer camps is not enough.  Period.  If she thinks it is, she doesn't realize that there are thousands of girls across the USA playing 7, 8, 9 months of their favorite sport a year from the time they're 7th grade...and your daughter will not be able to compete with them for a spot on hardly ANY college team, regardless of the size of that college.  Most girls on teams at even D3 schools played club ball when they were high school after they finished their school ball season.

b) Can your daughter still have college coaches notice her w/o playing club ball?

Certainly.  All it takes is a video camera, a few hours in the gym, and some editing.  Not a problem.  But, look back at (b).  16 National/o the skills that club ball generates, you can only hope that a college program sees potential in her.

c) Can a girl play club vball and another school sport simultaneously?

Sure, in most clubs.  But you need to find out from the vball club coach, maybe even in writing! whether she will be punished for missing club vball practice for school activities.  On some vball club teams (there are several here in Virginia), the club teams come first ....... period ........ except for family or personal emergencies.  But on other club teams (like mine), girls can miss practice for in-season school teams, as long as they make up that practice.   On my 16 National team that won the Old Dominion Region, most of our girls were playing another school sport.  Some were playing 2 other school sports.  One girl played three simultaneously:  my team, school sball %26 travel sball.  

d) Can a girl keep her grades up and play school bball and travel vball?

Girls in my club do it all the time.  No problem.  This past season, I had two girls in our local Governors School For The Gifted and they did just fine.

e) What do I recommend?  What would I do if this was my daughter?

I recommend you allow her to do what she wants.  What does SHE want?  You may want her to play college ball, play 3 sports, etc.  That's not going to keep anyone satisfied but you.

If she were my daughter, I'd let her do everything she wanted to do as long as we can pay for it, and as long as it doesn't affect her grades or health adversely.  Yes, my daughter also played three sports in one season several times.  She would play school soccer, school track and travel vball.  Yep, three school sports at the same time!  She is #5 on the vball team at www.radford.edu!

Now, for all this typing, I need a favor.  Please visit me at www.coachhouser.com.  And please ask your school coach to consider having one of my staff come to your school to direct a site camp.  The price is right, my staff are role models, our camps are intense, yet fun!  

Did I leave out anything?  If so, please follow up!
I'd LOVE to make this public?  Would you mind?
Coach Houser