Girl wants to know about playing college ball

Question
Good Day!
My name is Memie, and I'm a freshman, i am very passionate for volleyball. I was a freshman on varsity and made a really good club team this season.I play DS/Librero I really would love to play in college, but i am not very tall. I was wondering when contacting colleges would be a good idea, and also who i should contact?
Coaches? Athletic Directors?

Thank You so much for taking your time to do this!
memie

Answer
Hello Memie!

Thank you for visiting www.allexperts.com!

a) Go ahead and begin researching schools on the internet.  Make notes about the important stuff.....like how far from home, what you can major in, how big are they, are they out in the country or in the middle of a city, how much money it will cost to attend, etc.  

b) Make a skills tape during the end of your soph year in high school, or the beginning of your junior year.  Then send it out to the head coaches at the colleges that you researched and you like.  Yes, send it to the head coaches, not the athletic director.  You will find his/her mailing address on the school website.

c)  Height doesn't matter a lot if you play DS/Libero.  In fact, a great libero played for Winthrop University and graduated in 2008.......I don't think she was any more than 5' tall!!

d) Follow up.  After you know the coach has received your tape, contact the coach by email/text/phone once a week and don't stop until a coach tells you, "I'm not interested."   Yes, send your tape to the coaches and call the coaches, not the athletic directors.

e) Visit the schools.  Watch the teams play.  If you're not impressed with the school, then scratch that school off your list.

f) What does the school offer academically?  If you don't like it (or you don't have the grades), then scratch it also.

g) Go to their summer camps.  Meet the coaching staff.  Get to know them.  

h)  PLAY CLUB BALL!  Then contact the coaches that want to see you where you'll be.  If you don't play club ball, send the coaches your high school schedule, but don't expect a coach to see you play school ball.   

i) I have had very few "scouts" see my players.  But many parents and players think scouts are at every tournament.   Maybe they are.  I don't know.  College coaches evaluate my players by what they see on DVD's and what they see in person.  That's about it.  (If you're a scout and you see me at BigSouth, Shamrock, NEQ, etc. this season, please hand me a business card. I want to meet one.)

j) Do your work in the wt. room!  Don't overdo it, but don't ignore it.  Do what the basketball players or softball players do.  No, you don't keep up with the football team!  haha

I think that's about covered it.  What else can I do for you?

Please visit me at www.coachhouser.com  I think you'll like the smiling faces.

Coach Houser