Advice from those that have been there

I thought we could use a thread where those of you that have more experience with the ins & outs of volleyball, whether it be club ball, high school ball, college ball, coaching, rules, or recruiting tips, could share your experiences with the rest of the class.

Those that are just entering the world of volleyball or those of us that have been in for a couple years could learn from your experiences and expertise and maybe others can also pick up a thing or two.

As an example, and to kick things off, could you recommend a good and easy to understand rulebook? I've picked up quite a bit but there are still some calls or ref signals that I don't know. So a good book would be nice.

Hopefully this will be fun and productive. Thanks to everyone.

I am NOT a volleyball parent but I had 3 kids that played high school sports so...

I'm also an official.

First, let me applaud you for looking to actually know the rulebook. Refreshing.

I'd tell parents that NKY does not produce a large number of kids whose college is completely paid for. So the odds of your daughter being one are low. Remember that. Enjoy getting the chance to watch them be part of a team.

Don't look at the high school coach as being an impediment to free tuition.

Volleyball signals:

http://www.nfhs.org/media/882331/2013-14_volleyball_rules_book_signals_chart.pdf

From one parent who has been in volleyball for over 7 years....if your daughter is good and athletic (tall always helps) and loves to play...get her training early on her jumping ability to touch 10', have her become a lethal server, and do private lessons with a good coach that is specific to her position. (top setters should go to Sports Performance Setting camp in Chicago before the age of 15,.... 5 days long...lol)

If she is good and having fun...play club on the highest level and enjoy it.

If she is average, dont spend the money on top clubs.

Although I agree with Clyde that the primary focus should be on the benefits of playing high school sports more so than the goal of getting college paid for. However, In NKY, I would bet that the percentage of female volleyball players getting full athletic scholarships is significantly higher than in any other sport.

Although I agree with Clyde that the primary focus should be on the benefits of playing high school sports more so than the goal of getting college paid for. However, In NKY, I would bet that the percentage of female volleyball players getting full athletic scholarships is significantly higher than in any other sport.

I'll defer to you on the percentage.

How many full rides in the last 5 years? My point is that the odds are heavily against your child.

I'm going to agree with Mr. Equus. There many in NKY who get full rides and partials because they can play volleyball at a high level.

Regarding club, I think it depends on what school your daughter is playing at. If you want to play volleyball at NDA, Ryle, St. Henry, Beechwood, Cooper, Scott, etc. you most certainly need to play club. If you are not playing club, I think you have a difficult time making varsity or getting playing time. I look at it as the price of admittance.

I'll defer to you on the percentage.

 

How many full rides in the last 5 years? My point is that the odds are heavily against your child.

For NKY? I don't know everyone's roster that well so this is strictly an estimate. I'd estimate an average of 5 or more players per graduating class in NKY get full scholarships to D1, D2 or NAIA schools. That number would be more than basketball and at least comparable to football with significantly fewer players.

These are truly earned mostly through the players club associations rather than high school play. Colleges recruit exclusively through the club channels for 2 main reasons:

1) The high school and college seasons are played at the same time leaving no time for college coaches to travel to watch HS matches. Also, HS ball, for the most part, is not played at a very high level comparative to club volleyball. This is not specific to only volleyball and is the same in other sports. You will see college coaches at tournaments with a strong reputation (LIVT, Mother of Mercy Fall Classic, Durango, etc.).

2) A college coach can maximize their recruiting budget by traveling to HUGE club events and scout numerous players at the same time. These club qualifiers or other events can have as many as 120 courts all playing at one site. These events have mobile apps for the college coaches so they can get the exact schedule of all players on their recruiting list

As a referee at both the high school and club level, and a club coach, there are rules differences between the two. I commend you for wanting to know the rules instead of being that parent that just yells things from the stands, but really doesn't know what they are yelling for.

From a competition stand point, club is much higher caliber ball. The pace of the game and the skills of the girls is just far above high school, even as low as the middle school ages. If you are looking to get your daughter onto a high school team, expose her to club as soon as possible, especially if she is in a public school system. They do not get exposed to volleyball as early as the private schools (not beating a dead horse here, I know this has been debated on this site for years). In playing club, they will develop at a much quicker pace fundamentally than if they just play at SOAS or a rec league.

One and only piece of advice is to try and find your daughter the best coaching availability. Watch a training or practice prior to committing to a club. Talk to athletes in the club and their parents. There are plenty of options out there and one size does not fit all situations.

I am still learning as well. Thanks for the link. Ill tell ya a call that grinds my gears is the double hit. Like holding in football happens almost every play but only called about half the time. :lol2:

I am still learning as well. Thanks for the link. Ill tell ya a call that grinds my gears is the double hit. Like holding in football happens almost every play but only called about half the time. :lol2:

A little note about your pet peeve. Typically, most referee's will not call a double on first contact. And depending on the level of participants, they can be very lenient. From my observation, almost every time a setter is falling/stepping backward and the ball has any spin on it, your chances of being called are pretty good. Also, if the setter is chasing the ball it seems to be called more than if the setter is stationary. No referee wants to stop play an award points to the other team, so they have a tendency to try and let the kids win or lose the games if possible, which generally means letting a few doubles and lifts go by.

A little note about your pet peeve. Typically, most referee's will not call a double on first contact. And depending on the level of participants, they can be very lenient. From my observation, almost every time a setter is falling/stepping backward and the ball has any spin on it, your chances of being called are pretty good. Also, if the setter is chasing the ball it seems to be called more than if the setter is stationary. No referee wants to stop play an award points to the other team, so they have a tendency to try and let the kids win or lose the games if possible, which generally means letting a few doubles and lifts go by.

I agree with this 100%.

Thanks for the link. It was very helpful. Also thanks to everyone for your advice and tips. Some good info above and I appreciate you sharing. And timely too as we will be going to a club parent meeting within the next few weeks.

Does anyone else have questions they'd like to ask the group or things they'd like to share?

A little note about your pet peeve. Typically, most referee's will not call a double on first contact. And depending on the level of participants, they can be very lenient.

In high school, refs should never be making double contact calls on the first touch of each possession. Every time a team gets a new set of 3 hits, the rules prohibit calling a double contact on the first of the 3 touches, no matter how ugly. A lift can still be called, though.

I do agree the calls on the 2nd and 3rd touches are incredibly inconsistent. However, in 15+ years of volleyball, as a player and a coach, my experience is that refs generally are not inconsistent between 2 teams playing each other, but refs are inconsistent between each other. Some refs call nothing, some call everything.