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“You’re not going to enjoy every minute of the journey, but the success you’ll find at the end will make it all worth it.”
— Muhammad Ali
As an Athlete and one of the co-founders of Balltime, the first-ever Volleyball AI platform, I've been fortunate enough to help hundreds of Families on their recruiting journey and work with some of the best Universities and Youth Clubs in the country. I know firsthand that the recruiting journey can be very stressful for both Athletes and Parents, taxing in terms of costs, time, and mental health.
As an outsider looking in (I grew up in France to an American mom, and there is no Collegiate Recruiting in Europe) I feel like I’ve gained a fresh perspective on the process by interviewing countless Parents & Student-Athletes and learning about the incredible benefits that come from it.
In this article, I’d like to share my insights and focus specifically on the silver linings that can be difficult to see when you’re in the thick of the process. Specifically, I'll be discussing how the recruiting journey can help student-athletes learn invaluable life skills and how it can bring parents closer to their children. So whether you're an athlete looking to make the most of your journey or a parent eager to support your child's growth, read on to discover why the Volleyball Recruiting Journey is so much more than just a means to an end.
1/Learning Invaluable Life Skills that Will Transfer to Adulthood
I’ve done most of my career in Sales, Marketing & Business Development Leadership Roles, and I remember that one of the first things I thought to myself when I started scratching the surface of the Recruiting Journey was “Wow, these kids are learning how to pitch and to sell themselves at 15 years old”!
In my opinion, one of the biggest benefits of the recruiting journey is the opportunity for Student-Athletes to learn valuable life skills that extend far beyond the volleyball court. When they take an active role in the recruiting process, they learn how to sell themselves, put themselves out there, navigate the ups and downs of cold emailing, and hearing "no" a lot. These skills are essential for success in any field, and the recruiting journey provides a unique opportunity for athletes to develop them at a very early age.
2/ Learning about Persistence, Self-Improvement & the Importance of Team Work
Volleyball is an incredibly demanding sport that requires athletes to constantly improve their game and work together as a team. The Volleyball Recruiting Journey requires individuals to shine bright to get noticed, but in order to do so, they also need to be supported by their teammates. Navigating the ambivalence between self-interest and the needs of the larger Team is a tricky one, that requires a good amount of emotional intelligence. Finally, learning to not get discouraged from not making it out of pool play or putting up a bad game takes some adjustment, but teaches about persistence.
Again - these are all great life skills that will transfer over to their Collegiate careers, and follow them all the way into the workplace as young Adults.
3/ The Reach and Strength of the Volleyball community
It’s hard to see it when you’re in your High School years, but the Volleyball Community is an asset in and of itself.
While on the Journey, Athletes end up meeting teammates & opponents that hail from different backgrounds, schools, and states - people they wouldn’t be meeting without taking part in Club Volleyball, and relationships that will most likely endure for many years after they’ve been established.
After the Journey and the College Years, Grassroots Volleyball thrives in nearly every City, State, and Country in the World. A lot of Student-Athletes will end up living away from where they grew up, and Volleyball offers a way to immediately find a community, meet people and feel at home. I’ve been fortunate enough to live in multiple countries, always using Volleyball as an entry point and never taking more than a week to find a group of people to play with.
I can only imagine how difficult the Recruiting Journey is for a young Student-Athlete chasing their Collegiate Dreams. But there are definitely intangible upsides along the way that will become clearer as years go by, and Parents play a key role in highlighting these along the way.
While the recruiting journey is primarily focused on the athlete, it also provides a unique opportunity for parents to support and guide their children through a pivotal time in their lives. By accompanying their children on this journey, parents can teach invaluable life lessons that extend far beyond the sport of volleyball.
One of the biggest benefits of the recruiting journey for parents is the opportunity to spend quality time with their children. Traveling to tournaments and spending time in the car may seem like a chore at first, but it's actually a chance to bond and create lasting memories. By being present and engaged during this time, parents can build stronger relationships with their children that will endure long after the recruiting process is over.
The recruiting journey also provides an opportunity for parents to take an active role in their child's growth and development. By working together to navigate the ups and downs of the recruiting process, parents and children can learn to communicate effectively, set goals, and support one another through challenges. Watching your child develop and bloom over the course of this journey is incredibly rewarding, and it's a source of pride that parents can carry with them for years to come.
It’s a privilege to play Travel Sports in the US
In conclusion, the recruiting journey is so much more than just a means to an end. For athletes, it provides an opportunity to learn valuable life skills, to develop persistence and self-improvement, and to form lasting relationships within the volleyball community. For parents, it's a chance to bond with their children, to support their growth and development, and to feel a sense of pride in watching their children achieve their goals. So whether
