Recruiting Overview

What are the Main Differences Between the way Canadian and American Coaches Recruit?

Volleyball coaches are people just like you. However they are coaches with a job to do, some paid very little and some paid very handsomely. Depending on what conference they coach, budgets, what country they live in or what their coaching philosophy is, will ultimately depend on how they recruit athletes.

In Canada many College and University coaches start the recruiting process in grade 12. Some coaches do little recruiting and let the athlete come to them, while others are very aggressive and travel to scout and communicate with many athletes.  American coaches or scouts are more proactive in their recruiting practices. For example, the main difference in the US is that it is common for programs to start recruiting athletes in grade 9 and 10.  What this means is that American athletes and parents are far more aware of the recruiting process at a much younger age. Not only aware but also much more educated as well. If you are just discovering this now it validates what we are attempting to communicate to parents. Essentially, the sooner the parents and athletes take control of the recruiting process, the better chance you have of securing the best academic and athletic scholarship for your son or daughter.

The rules that govern recruiting from Canada to the US are vastly different. Whereby many rules are implemented in the US to provide a fair and balanced recruiting process to protect athletes, sadly fewer such rules apply in Canada. Perhaps this is due to the vast number of programs in the US whereby they have had to implement tighter restrictions. Or it is because some athletes have been unfairly treated. Whatever those differences may be, it is important to remember that the athlete must always come first.

Information is power. The LESS information athletes and parents have the MORE control the club administration/coaches have on the athlete and ultimately where they will play volleyball. Remember one of the fundamental philosophies of VPC is to “empower” the athlete.

These clubs could also be directly affiliated with a post-secondary program which is another method used to recruit student-athletes to their club program. However you should know post-secondary schools will recruit the best athletes from across the province and country. These college/university affiliated programs can not recruit your entire team! Sure they may want you to believe that but really they’ll only want 1-3 players every season. If you are one of the other 8-10 players and you don’t have information or exposure to other opportunities what are you going to do when you do graduate? Another potential danger that we have seen happen in Canada is that a college/university affiliated club coach has deliberately withheld information packages intended for the athlete from other post-secondary schools. This is the ultimate offense against the athlete.

It all comes down to making “informed” decisions, doing your own research, and not believing the rhetoric you might read or hear. Remember, there will always be people out there who will tell you what you “shouldn’t do” because they want to control you. VPC’s advice is to surround yourself with dynamic people/coaches/club programs that support your dream to play volleyball, receive exposure, and freely obtain unbiased information. Do you really want to play for a club program that doesn’t support your dream to explore all of your volleyball options?

Many opportunities are afforded to athletes in these programs such as good coaching and good facilities. But there are other factors that parents need to be aware of that are directly related to recruiting. Consequently if your child is involved with such a program, be sure to communicate with the coaches what their chances are of making the college/university team when they do graduate. If you wait too long, or are unsure of where they stand as a prospect, when the time for a decision does come, the athletes choices and options for a scholarship elsewhere may be much much fewer.

Another aspect of playing under college/university programs that could possibly hurt an athlete’s promotion and exposure is called “sheltering”. This is when the coach attempts to limit the amount of information an athlete receives regarding their exposure or the recruiting process so that they have a better chance of retaining that athlete for their program. Information is powerful and the less information the athlete/parents have the more control the coach has (over you and where you ultimately play). This however depends entirely on the coaches’ philosophy. Most college coaches in Canada who run reputable programs want their athletes exposed to every playing and education opportunity, while others simply may not. If you are an athlete or parent, you will want to know what your coaches or clubs philosophy is regarding access to information and exposure.

It really is up to the athlete and parent to decide what is best for the athlete and where they will receive an education and eventually play post-secondary volleyball.

*In the United States the NCAA rules govern that colleges and university programs are not permitted to run their own youth clubs because of the unfair recruiting practices that is has over other programs. These rules primarily were also instituted to protect the best interest of the athletes. (see About NCAA)