Selecting the Right School
You may not make a more important decision in your young life than which college you want to attend. Be sure to put a lot of thought into the schools that you really want to go, not just the volleyball team you want to play for.
Some Questions to Consider when Choosing a School:
- Does this university offer the type of academic programs you’re interested in pursuing?
- What type of resources do they provide for student athletes?
- What type of financial assistance is available?
- What academic scholarships do I qualify for?
- What are the sports facilities like?
- Does this school fit with the college experience I’m looking for?
When choosing the school, coach and program, ask yourself if this is the best opportunity for me? Does it have to be a D1 program or you’ll be severely disappointed? What if you didn’t get to play for 2 years? 3 years? Never? Believe me, there’re many stories of great players that chose the better school/program and never played an actual college game. Or what if you got no scholarship or financial assistance? Would you be happier at a smaller school or a D2 or D3 school and be the star player? What about an NAIA or Junior College to start? There are so many schools offering beach volleyball now, with approximately 30 colleges adding programs every year, so there’s bound to be a college that fits you perfectly. Don’t limit your opportunities to just D1 schools.
Reach for the stars on a few of your choices, but also have a few safety schools, and have the majority of them where you realistically see yourself getting in and flourishing.
Important Steps to Take:
- Keep your grades up! Most of these schools are top-tier academically and you don’t want to miss out on an opportunity because of poor grades.
- Catalog ALL of your tournaments, with data on the number of teams, finishes, dates, beach/location played, and organization (CBVA, AAU, AVP, Stealth, p1440, BVNE, etc.).
- Prepare well for and take ACT/SAT.
- Create your NCAA Eligibility Certification Account
- Get familiar with the schools and coaches you’re interested in.
- Check the cost of schools you’re looking at and make sure it’s affordable, or look into the financial assistance offered.
- Visit the schools on your list. Take a tour (officially or unofficially).
- Attend coaches’ summer camps or clinics.
- Attend College Showcase Tournaments.
- Treat your current training like college training.
- Communicate with Coach Brett on which schools you’re interested in. Show Coach Brett what efforts you’ve put into your recruitment process.
Coaches don’t just hand out scholarships. There’s some definite work that needs to be put into this. All of the coaches here at Stealth are committed to doing everything we can to make this dream come true for you. We are excited to help any way we can so don’t ever hesitate to reach out to us.