Volleyball Video

To Film or Not to Film

By: K.W. Abbott

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like needing to film my daughter playing volleyball. I don’t want to have to lug around a camera and stand there catching footage. I want to just sit and enjoy the match. Some parents . . . especially dads . . . like to film their daughters play. And if that is what you enjoy doing, then great! Go for it! Typically, unless you as a parent are just trying to capture your daughter’s volleyball moments by videotaping their matches to preserve as keepsakes, the purpose of filming your kid is a job with a purpose . . . proof to submit to college recruiters that your kid is good enough to play for their university! Well, the club volleyball coaches tell us that if your kid wants to play college volleyball that we need to get some game footage, skills video and other visuals to send to college recruiters. I say that its not a requirement all of the time as an effort to get your kid recruited. It is, however, necessary in most cases. Here is a guideline to follow:

To Film

*The college that your student athlete
wants to attend does not come to your
club or high school tournaments

*Your student athlete is not a Division
1 caliber player

*Your student athlete is not a starter AND
does not get much playing time at tournaments

*If a school your student athlete wants to attend
requests film

Not to Film

*Your student athlete is a Division 1
caliber player AND she is on the
volleyball recruiting radar

*She is a starter and/or gets a
significant amount of playing time

As you can see, filming your child or having some video to send to college coaches is necessary most of the time. If colleges know about your daughter and have an interest in filling a position on their team that your student athlete can fill, they will come to tournaments and film your daughter themselves for their review and discussion with the other coaches on the team. If they don’t, you must make them aware of your daughter by communicating with the coaches via e-mail or phone and by sending them her volleyball resume so they can know her stats and learn more information about what your daughter could possibly bring to their program. Reading a volleyball resume is one thing, but seeing your student athlete perform in match situations is what has the most impact on a college recruiter’s decision about offering a scholarship opportunity to your daughter to play volleyball at that school. If the coaches don’t know about her and don’t have an opportunity to see her play she will not be recruited.

You must be proactive in the recruiting process. You cannot expect to sit back and have the college recruiter spot your child in a sea of girls at a volleyball tournament. Of course there are exceptions, but typically that is not the case. College recruiters come to tournaments to see certain girls they have on their list . . . who are on their radar due to the proactive work you and your student athlete have done to get that coach’s attention. Of course they look at other girls they do not know about who perhaps will get on their radar, but it is great to be on the radar before the coach gets to that tournament your daughter is playing in. That coach will be more focused on your daughter because his or her purpose is to see your student athlete play. So generally the answer is . . . TO FILM!