College volleyball camps are an important way for players to advance and speed up their recruiting process. Especially for incoming sophomores and juniors, summer camps are crucial! What’s stressful for parents and players is the uncertainty of not only figuring out which camps to go to, but also how to get their player to all of these camps, does it matter, and will it pay off?
I’ll start with how I’ve looked at camps and clinics over the years for my daughters and players I’ve worked with in the college volleyball recruiting process. I LOVE college volleyball camps and I believe they are a key part of a player’s recruiting process when used strategically, focusing on your target list! It’s great because players get to experience being on the campus, in the college gym, and they get a feel for the coaching style of the head coach and the staff in general. Many times the current college players will be court coaches and players get to interact with them and can ask them questions also. On the flip side, the coaches can see a player’s work ethic and personality in the drills, competing in 6’s, AND during warm-ups and peppering….when you walk into the gym in a college summer camp, the college coaches are evaluating you…in their minds they are developing an impression of you. Are you quiet? Super talkative and social? Being silly or serious and focused? Camps are a great way for both the players and the college coaches to learn so much more about each other.
Here are 8 important tips when considering college volleyball summer camps.
If you are an incoming sophomore, junior, or senior…so the summer before 10th, 11th, or 12th grade:
- Only go to camps that are on your target list and you are certain or quite certain they need your position in your grad year.
- For incoming 10th, 11th, and 12th graders, DO NOT spend money on college camps at schools where your player doesn’t really want to attend, is not their level of play, or they know they are not being actively recruited by that school. There are really only 3 or 4 weeks in July available for volleyball recruits to attend camps, so you want to pick them strategically to make them worth your time and money AND to help in your player’s recruiting process. NOTE: College programs will prorate camps. If they know your player is coming to their camp and needs to leave early (to attend another camp), they will only charge you for the days your player is there. The top choice/most important camps that take priority, from a recruiting perspective, are the camps your player needs to be there towards the END when they are competing 6 vs. 6. This is the best time for coaches to evaluate and for the players to show their skill level and competitive intensity!
- The large showcase-style camps where multiple college coaches will be in attendance (for example, EXACT Camps), I’m not against, but just know what you’re getting into. These camps are OK for exposure and to be coached by several college coaches in one location at one camp is good. Some drawbacks are they are expensive, can be a low/beginner level of play, and can sometimes feel crowded and for the masses. Also, sometimes they feel like a big money-maker and I’ve had some parents say they didn’t feel like their athlete got truly watched and evaluated. IF YOU EMAIL THE COACHES LISTED TO ATTEND IN ADVANCE, (who coach at schools you are interested in) and let them know you are attending the camp, it will be more beneficial for you. They can look for you. Also, if they are physically there and not virtual, you can quickly introduce yourself to put a face to a name. Earlier in the recruiting process (incoming 7th, 8th, or 9th grade) or if you are just getting started and maybe nervous about camps, these types of camps may be a good start to attend with a teammate or friend, to get your feet wet and see how they work.
- A perfect scenario for incoming seniors is that you’ve been talking to the coaches on the phone, you’ve discussed camps, and you know you would be an actual recruit at their camp. You know they are evaluating you for their program and they want to get to know you better.
- A perfect scenario for incoming sophomores and juniors is you have already been emailing college coaches (expressing your interest) and saying that “you would love to attend a camp or clinic this summer, if they think it would be a good idea!”. Hopefully, they will send you a camp invite! If you are targeting D3 and NAIA schools, you can ask the coaches directly about camps and if you would be evaluated as a possible player for their program and they can respond. If D1 and/or D2 schools make up most of your target list, the perfect scenario is when you’ve said the above and asked them to respond to your club recruiting coordinator or your club coach, if they need your position in your grad year and if they would like you to attend their camp.
- After June 15th of your sophomore year the coaches can respond to you directly, but by this time you would want your camps already booked! This is annoying for parents who want to plan their July summer travel and their kids camps in April! So, follow the advice in the bullet points above and keep July open or vacations tentative, until you have the camps scheduled because it’s a crucial summer for recruiting.
- For incoming freshman and middle schoolers, I think it’s good to target schools for summer camps you think you might be interested in, but also focus A LOT on getting better and learning. Maybe a local college camp with good coaching is available to you, but it might not be a school you’re interested in. Schools close to home can still be a great learning experience for playing volleyball in a collegiate environment!
- Remember, players are evaluating the school and the coaching staff as much and the coaching staff is evaluating them. Players can definitely come away from a college volleyball summer camp they attend and realize that the school would not be a good fit for them, even though they enjoyed the camp. Sometimes the “no’s” from the player’s side of the recruiting process is just as important as the “yes’s”. The summer college volleyball camp experience is an important learning tool for the volleyball recruit for this reason also. Players are learning their likes and dislikes, which is awesome for their recruiting process.