I had an enlightening conversation with the mother of a highly recruited athlete that will help other families understand the process of finding the “right fit” for their athlete, no matter what the sport.
Caity Farus is a 6 foot 3 inch middle hitter volleyball player from Knox High School in northern Indiana. She is tall! I am 6 foot 5 inches, so it is not often a young lady is practically as tall as I am (!). The 12th grader plays for the Black team at Dunes Volleyball Club. Each year I speak on the recruiting process at Dunes Tryouts for Club Director Rick Ashmore.
Caity’s mother, Julie, told me that in 9th grade, Purdue contacted her High School coach to express their interest in Caity and wanted her to come in for an unofficial visit. Her mother’s initial reaction was, “Are you sure? She is just a freshman.” The response from Purdue was “we start early.” Purdue also said that besides playing High School volleyball, if she really wanted to play college, she should play Club Volleyball.
I constantly have people say, “Oh, my kid is just a freshman. It’s too early.” No, it is not too early to start the recruiting PROCESS. Your kid may not get the kind of initial interest a 6 foot 3 inch volleyball star gets in 9th grade, but families constantly hurt their prospects by waiting until 11th or 12th grade to START the recruiting process. It’s not to say a lot doesn’t happen in 11th or 12th grades in recruiting, but you are best served to lay the groundwork as soon as possible.
Caity joined the highly respected Dunes Volleyball Club and started getting better and started getting exposure to college coaches at events they played in during Club season. Because she played on Dunes’ top team and she was 6’ 3” it didn’t take college coaches long to learn about her and get her on their recruiting lists. However, what often confuses families is they think it they automatically do Club, Travel Ball, AAU and such things, that college coaches will discover their kid and scholarships will soon come flying their way. In Caity’s case, yes, because she was on their top team and she was very tall and skilled. Although her personal work ethic has meant so much, she has been blessed with God given height. Her mother played basketball at St. Joseph’s College in Indiana and her Dad, Jeff, was on the football team. Genetics played a big role in all of this. If there is an athlete College coaches will ‘discover’ at Exposure-type events, it is someone like Caity.
College coaches tend to find the courts of the top teams of Clubs. But many families get frustrated because their kid doesn’t get that kind of response, and they are traveling all over creation wondering what is going on. That’s why Rick, the Club Director, brings me in to deliver the NCSA message, so they learn the 5 Things They Must Know and the 5 Things They Must Do to have success in recruiting. He has told me that many families don’t understand how proactive they must be in the recruiting process.
Caity was evaluated early on to be a Division One prospect. The question then would be finding the right level of D1. In her high school career she racked up over 1500 kills and 650 blocks. While many may have thought she would be dead set on a Big Ten school, she put a lot of thought into the various levels of D1 and was determined to find the ‘right fit.’ Among the Universities that watched her at Nationals in Louisville, KY was High Point University in North Carolina, a Division One school. On September 1st of Caity’s junior year they were allowed to write her, and they did with an email and a packet that got there as soon as possible.
At first, Caity and her family put them off, not wanted to go all the way from northern Indiana to central North Carolina for college. As recruiting played out, Caity got serious interest from other schools such as Ohio State, Cincinnati, Dayton, Purdue, Oakland University, Valparaiso and many others, but High Point “put on the full court press” according to Caity’s Mom.
“Rick the Club Director,” said Julie, “suggested we go visit. He said they REALLY wanted Caity.”
One of the things I say when I speak at High Schools, Clubs, Combines and other events is “Go where they want you, where you can get funding, and if you have a career ending injury, you would still love the school.”
They took a visit and it was magical.
“At every other school we visited,” her Mom said, “there was always something that held her back in totally liking the school. Not with High Point. Everything clicked. The University is so beautiful. Many buildings had marble floors. They take you around on these golf carts and you are amazed at everything.”
“I felt at home there,” said Caity. “I felt like I would be taken care of. Their coach, Jason Oliver, I could tell that he was not only a coach but a parent away from home. I liked him as a person. The girls all liked me. I saw us as one big family.”
“Playing time is very important to me,” Caity added. “I have an opportunity to possibly start as a freshman there.”
Other schools wanted her to redshirt. At some Big Ten schools she could the feeling she would red shirt and probably not get quality playing time until her sophomore year. Some kids are fine with that plan while others want to be on the court as soon as possible.
“Parents need to have long talks with their athletes about a lot of things,” said her Mom, “including how important playing time is to them. These kids are playing all the time in High School and Club. They get to college and some have a hard time being a reserve.”
Putting a lot of thought into how far away from home you want to go is a big part of the evaluation process. Caity will be going all the way from rural Starke County in northern Indiana to the central part of North Carolina.
“I will miss my family,” said Caity, “but I won’t have much time to be homesick. I will get there for summer school to get adjusted and then will be working hard as an athlete and as a student. There is a girl, Brittany Durham, on the team from Noblesville, Indiana and another from Chicago.”
Their roster shows players from North Carolina, Arizona, Ohio, Indiana, Nebraska, California, and Washington.
High Point University is not what you would consider the top level of D1 in volleyball, like Penn State, Texas, and that crew, but one of the motivations for athletes going to a school like High Point is they can be a part of the teams that take the school to a higher level of achievement. High Point recently lost to 12th ranked Duke University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. It was the first time High Point had ever been in “the big Dance.” Maybe Caity can be a part of teams that make it deeper into the NCAA’s. That’s another thing for High School athletes to consider. Do they want to go to a program that’s in the NCAA’s every year, or go to a school where they can help get that program to where they go to the NCAA’s every year.
It’s like in college football recruiting. One young man might by motivated by signing with the University of Florida and getting a shot at a National Championship at least once in his time there, while another young man might be motivated by signing with Central Florida and helping them take a major step in their program by getting to a major Bowl game.
There are all kinds of things to consider in finding the right fit. It’s why I always say start the recruiting process early instead of this ridiculous notion of STARTING the recruiting process in 11th and 12th grade. That kind of logic would mean you would start saving for retirement around age 53.
Being a Division One athlete in Volleyball means you get a “full scholarship.” Caity’s scholarship will be in the $40,000 a year range. What a relief that is for her family, especially in these times when going to college is so important yet costs can be challenging.
Caity got the best of both worlds in High School. She played Club Volleyball, which she says dramatically increased her skills and gave her exposure, and she played High School Volleyball which meant so much to her community. Before she started playing, not many people came to the Knox HS volleyball matches. By the time she was done, the stands were packed and she helped them to their first Regional title in school history. She was the school’s first ever Indiana All Star in volleyball. She helped them to their first ever Top Ten Ranking. Those things will always be remembered. Club volleyball is vital, especially in sports like volleyball, but communities remember athletes for their achievements on the High School team. That’s where their legacy is carved.
I hope this has helped you gain a greater awareness of the recruiting process and how important it is to find the right fit. For Caity, it is High Point University.
UPDATE: Here is a synopsis of how Caity’s freshman season at High Point went for her -
2011: Completed her rookie season appearing in 21 matches with 14 starts for HPU … Had four kills and four blocks against Virginia Tech (8/27) as well as one ace … Posted two service aces and two assists in 3-0 win over Navy (9/3) … Set career-highs with 10 blocks, five service aces and six digs vs. Norfolk State (9/24) … Had five kills, zero errors and hit .455 with five blocks vs. UMES (9/24) … Recorded five kills, zero errors, hit .455 with two blocks in a 3-0 win over Charleston Southern (9/30) … Tallied four kills, with zero errors and hit .444 at Coastal Carolina (10/1) … Hit .417 and tied her career high with five kills at Gardner-Webb (10/28) … Broke her career-high with eight kills and included six blocks in a 3-1 win vs. NCCU (11/08) … Talied up six kills, two assists, and four blocks vs. Charleston Southern (11/12) … Set career-high nine kills and had four blocks in the Big South Tournament match vs. Radford (11/17/11).
Where are you in recruiting? 6’3″ athletes like Caity will be chased by college coaches. The great majority of High School athletes, though, have to be more proactive in recruiting. It is very important to have an Analysis of where you are in the Recruiting Process now.
click here for an Evaluation from a College Scout
Charlie Adams, NCSA Recruiting Network Speaker
cadams@ncsasports.org
To bring a former College Athlete, Coach, or Broadcaster to educate parents and athletes at your School, Club or special event click here
Gwen Burton heads into her eighth season as an assistant coach on the Chicago State women’s basketball staff.
