You are the one that knows what you like and what you do not. When thinking about schools to contact and programs to research, keep the following in mind:
Location:
- Where do you want to live for the next 4 years?
- Is family proximity a deal breaker or are you willing to move out of state?
- What type of climate are you willing to live in for the next 4 years?
- What are the expenses of living in that area (housing, transportation, groceries, etc)?
Education/Grades:
- Where can you realistically be accepted?
- Your highschool GPA and SAT/ACT test scores can open doors to merit scholarships and can guide you into effectively looking at certain types of colleges and can rule others out. Even though you are being recruited for volleyball, you still need to be accepted into the school.
- Does this university have a program you want to study and stay committed to?
- Will the school be a good fit for my career goals after college?
Level:
- D1, D2, Junior College or NAIA? This will determine the amount of time you spend being an athlete-student or a student-athlete. If you are looking strictly for a Division 1 beach volleyball experience, expect to be training year round with a limited schedule for outside activities (with the exception of academics).
- Can you realistically compete at the programs level? Have candid conversations with your highschool and club coaches to see if programs you are pursuing would be realistic.
- How much work are you willing to put in?
Coaching/Program:
- Do the coaches philosophies fall in line with what you believe or how you want to be coached? Remember you will be spending a lot of time with the coaching staff.
- How do coaches determine playing time?
- Is a program winning record important to you?
- Are you willing to NOT be on the traveling team roster?
- Roster Size? Is the roster comprised of players from the indoor team? Mixed or beach only?
Size:
- Does the school have what you want?
- Are opportunities to go to football/basketball/baseball games important to you?
- Are class sizes large or relatively small?
Money:
- Does a scholarship matter or can you walk on?
- Being open to walking-on can lead to more available opportunities. Not all colleges are 100 percent funded with 6 scholarships and sometimes the programs do not have anymore scholarships available for your graduation year.
For a complete listing of college beach programs CLICK HERE or login to your Athlete Profile & Click on “College Search”.