South Shore Juniors: Get Recruited

richkern

Recruiting Help


This web site is AWESOME!!!!
Rich Kern has set up the easiest way to get you recruited.

It is as easy as 1,2,3.

1. Click the link
2. Pick a School
3. Email a Coach

College Database


With a little time and effort you can knock out at least 40 schools in an HOUR!

Can you imagine sending letters to hundreds of schools in a couple of days.............it can be done!!!

Also, if you would like to register for the Recruiting Registry click the link below

Recruiting Registry Sign Up

This is the easiest way to get seen by about 5000 coaches.

Good Luck, Work Hard




Athletic Resume



The following is a brief summary of what should be included in an athletic resume.

The Athletic Resume plays an important part in the recruiting process. Time and care should be exercised in the preparation of these documents. The purpose of the resume is to highlight the student-athletes accomplishments and goals and to peak a coaches interest. This is generally the first contact that a coach might have with PSA's. A typical athletic resume will consist of the following items, usually 1 page per item.



  • 1) Letter of Introduction
  • 2) Athletic Profile
  • 3) Athletic Accomplishments and Honors
  • 4) Academic and Extra-Curricular Profile
  • 5) Current high school or club game schedule
  • 6) Letters of reference from coaches.

Item 1 - should be a 1 page letter introducing the athletic to the coach. Always address the letter to coach using his/her name, not "Dear Coach." Use the school name instead of saying "I'd like to find out more about your school..." The letter should be from the athlete NOT the parents. Give specifics of yourself. Your name, high school, year of graduation, club team, coaches names, addresses and phone number. Also include a brief description, height, weight, touch, jump, etc. Mention your GPA and your college goals and major interests. Remember this letter is an introduction, not a detailed summary of your abilities.

Item 2 - Athletic Profile, on this page give more specifics about you and your sport. Height, weight, position, hand preference, high school, coaches, current age, birth date, running speed, vertical jump, batting average, other sports played, current GPA, class ranking if available, SAT/ACT scores. This page is a "free-format" page, you can list the data in an eye appealing format... don't make it all text. This is also a good page to include a color photo of yourself. Once you get the page typed attach a color photo then take to a copy shop, and have them Photostat it in color, this way the picture becomes part of the page. A second page to this you may want to include your current or previous season stats or records you set.

Item 3 - Athletic Accomplishments, by HS year list all of your athletic awards, Most Improved, MVP, Athlete of the year, Scholar Athlete, Captain, All Tournament Team selection. Include records held and any other athletic honor received.

Item 4 - Academic / Extra-Curricular Profile. People tend to build up just their athletic background. Coaches want to know about you, the person also. List your academic accomplishments, Honor Roll, Student offices, National Honor Society, Club offices. Also list community service activities, church, hospitals, retirement homes, etc. This shows that you are well rounded and can succeed and still be involved with other "social" activities. Many HS athletes fail to become involved in areas like this, but it is really a benefit to be able to add to your resume.

Item 5 - Current HS or club schedule - no explanation needed but give the coach time so that he might be able to see you. If you don't have this available, send to him in follow-up letter as soon as you receive it.

Item 6 - Letters of references from coaches. Don't over do it. 1 or 2 will be sufficient. This is just a brief overview of athletic resumes but it should give you an idea on how to start it.

There are no set rules as to how in-depth you should go or even what to include. This is your chance to catch the coaches interest and to get a response from him/her.

One of the key concepts on this to make yourself look good, a little bragging, but make sure you can prove whatever you say. You do not want to tell a coach you can touch 10 feet when in fact you can't. Be honest with the coach, as they will find out sooner or later.

This should be completed during the summer before your junior year and sent to the coaches shortly after the start of the your school year. You need to give the coaches time to observe you and to gain their interests. Generally you should target 20 - 25 schools minimum when initially sending out your resumes. Keep an open mind and be on the lookout for additional schools to send your resume to.

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Time Line



    Freshman Year

  • Get settled in high school. Concentrate on a solid high school Curriculum.
  • Talk to your coaches or Athletic Director about local volleyball club teams.
  • Setup a workout schedule allowing comfortable time for academics and sports.
    If you think you are interested in attending a college for a sport, send an introduction letter in your freshman year. Send an update at the end of the season, along with your club schedule. Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse (it's never too early, but it can be too late). Prepare your athletic resume.


    Sophomore Year

  • Continue striving for academic success. Research NCAA academic requirements.
  • Make sure that you are "on target" for all core requirements.
  • Stay active in Club Volleyball and High School Volleyball.
  • Visit your High School career center or counselors office and start investigating colleges and their admission requirements.
  • During the summer between the Sophomore and Junior years, prepare your athletic resume.
  • Prepare to send out your initial contact letters with resumes. Include high school and club volleyball playing schedules, if available. If schedules are not available, mail a follow-up letter and schedule as soon as they become available, but still send out initial letters.
    Update academics with Clearinghouse. Monitor the academic requirements of the universities you want to attend. Send an update letter to the schools you are interested in, send club schedule in the winter. Refineand update your resume. Prepare an skills videotape (10-15 minutes in length with 6-7 minutes of basic skills and the rest of game footage). During the fall season, go to the college matches (if they are local)and talk to some of the players, the coaches, etc...or during the summer before your junior year, make unofficial visits to the colleges.


    Junior Year

  • Send out athletic resumes now, if you have not already done so.
  • Register with the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse.
  • Request that ACT/SAT test scores be sent to the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse.
  • Keep up with your studies and once again review the NCAA requirements to make sure they have not changed.
  • Keep investigating other colleges and send out additional resumes.
  • Prepare video tape to be sent when requested.
  • Send out update as your season closes. Include your new stats and any special recognition's you may have earned.
  • Visit some of the campuses that you are interested in, if you can.
  • Try to watch some local college games in you sport, especially if one of the schools you are interested in is playing close by.
  • In July, after completion on your Junior year, phone contact with college coaches is permissible. Begin heavy contact with the schools you are interested in, even makinga few phone calls (but remember that coaches cannot call you back until July 1 after you complete your junior year). Update your academic informationwith the Clearinghouse. If your top choices of colleges have not panned out send info to your second and third choices. Send out your club schedule ASAP. If coaches want to make home visits, they will do thisafter Nationals/Davis are finished. Make more unofficial visits to schools that interest you.


    Senior Year

  • Do not let up on academics
  • Review your core requirements with your high school counselor.
  • Send out your senior team schedule as soon as possible for high school and club volleyball.
  • Keep college coaches posted on any changes or updates to your team schedules.
  • Send out last of resumes, if new interest in other schools.
  • Find out Letter of Intent dates for Volleyball from NCAA.
  • Take advantage of, no more than 5, college paid visits, if offered.
  • Ask a lot of questions and weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of the schools you are interested in.
  • Study hard and play hard, but remember you are a student athlete and the student comes first. If you are being seriously recruited by a school, they will invite you to make an official visit (where travel, room and board is paid during one of their home weekends. Continue phone contact with schools.Some schools ask their top recruits to verbally commit to attending during the spring or summer before their senior year. Most school like to be finished recruiting by the end of the volleyball season. The thing to remember is that a committment is not binding until a National Letter of Intent (NLI) and Offer of Financial Aid is signed by the recruit. The first official signing day for VB is typically in early February and extends into August. Recruits may change their mind about a school after they've made a verbal committment, but not after signing the NLI. If they do not attend the school they sign with or transfer before one year is completed, they will lose at least a year of eligibility. Players must also understand that being brought to campus on an official visit does not constitute an offer of a scholarship.
    DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOUR SENIOR YEAR TO MAKE FIRST CONTACT OR REGISTER FOR THE CLEARINGHOUSE.
    There are so many minor details for students to know about the recruiting process that thousands will never know. Recruiting classes are typically 200-300 players per year. Most recruiting is finished by April each year. Many coaches attending USA Volleyball tournaments in April and later are looking at Juniors and Sophomores, as well as standout Freshman. Coaches still looking at Seniors in the spring may have had some lack of continuity in their recruiting (maybe a coach left) or had a player transfer out of school in the spring or may be an NAIA school or lower level NCAA program or some other circumstance.