Come back every Monday for Coaching Staff's Advice on the college recruiting process, what they look for in athletes, and what to expect as a college athlete.

Doug Walters took the helm as head coach of Palm Beach Atlantic's women's volleyball program in 2018. In his time there, he's built an above .500 program who has posted impressive wins against five AVCA top 25 teams. Not only that, his players have earned All-American, All-Region, Newcomer of the Year, and Freshman of the Year honors along the way. Here's what he had to say about the recruiting process and tips that can help athletes along the way.

What is the best way for a recruit to get on your radar?

The best way for them to get on our radar is to contact us. We reply to every initial email that we receive, and we will usually send them a link to our online questionnaire. THEY NEED TO FILL THAT OUT! That questionnaire is a test to see how interested in our school they actually are, and it provides us with some other vital information as well. 

If they do not take the time to fill that out, we usually are not going to be interested in them as a potential student-athlete! If they are a current freshman or sophomore in high school, it is important for them to try to call us until they get a hold of us. We cannot contact them back directly. So, they need to get a hold of us if they want to communicate and ask questions. They can usually email us a time that they would like to call, and we will try to be available at that time.

Related: Rate Palm Beach Atlantic University

When should an athlete contact you, what is the best way? (age, grade, time of year, email, phone, or other)

Most of our initial contacts come at some time during their sophomore year of high school. We have some that will contact us [during their] freshman year, and still others that contact us as juniors. The most important year for us in the evaluation process is during their junior year club season followed closely by their sophomore year club season. They can contact us at any time of the year by phone or email.

What are your expectations for incoming players in the classroom, in the weight room, and on the court?

We are looking for student-athletes that are very strong academically. At the Division II level, there are very few players that will get large scholarships based on athletics alone. We do have the ability to combine athletic aid with academic aid which will make the overall scholarship package pretty significant for the student-athlete. We also expect them to enter their college career in pretty good physical condition with the understanding that they might not have all of the knowledge in this area as our current athletes do. So, we will help them along in that area as much as we can. 

However, the incoming freshmen are still expected to perform in the fall preseason fitness test items just like the returning players. In terms of on the court, we are always looking for incoming players that are going to push for playing time right away. Our returning players expect this as well which makes for a great competitive environment in the gym!

Related: Rate Coach Walters

What are the do's and don'ts of being recruited?

When emailing a coach for the first time, please refer to them as Coach (Last Name). Do not call them Coach (First Name). That will immediately send a red flag about your respect level for the coaching position. Let the coach tell you that it is OK to refer to them by their first name. That is a big one! Also, make sure that you are representing yourself and your family well on social media! This also plays a huge role in the recruiting process!

What is the best advice you can offer a recruit?

Make sure that volleyball is not the only reason that you are looking at a school. You need to be looking at schools that you would want to be at even if athletics was not a possibility! It is about deciding on the best school for you and not the athletic program that will give you the most bragging rights back home! Too many clubs are pushing players to schools that are not the best fits for them (mostly for bragging rights) which ends up causing problems later on! This is why the transfer rate is so high (especially at the Division I level). 

Also, do not narrow your choices down too soon. We had a recruit that was a great fit that turned us down because she really wanted to a different school that had not made her an offer yet in the hope that they would eventually. Well, they never did. So, she tried to come back to us, but it was too late by that point. So, she ended up having to settle for another school that is a decent fit for her but was not necessarily the best fit for her.

Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities, and Campus Visits

What really jumps out to you when reviewing a recruit's highlight tape? 

We are really looking at energy on the court, athleticism, and support of teammates! We are really looking to see if we want to go and see this recruit play in person! So, they really need to show us something that stands out on the video. Athleticism in terms of lateral speed and or approach/block jump height are very important there.

What are the main do's and don'ts for a recruit's highlight tape?

We really like highlight videos and unedited match videos from the club season. Personally, I am not a big fan of heavily edited skills videos that only show the pluses and do not show the weaknesses. Also, make sure that when making a highlight video that you are playing against a good opponent! Many players can look really good when the opponent is not very good! We want to see you battling against some of the best!

When do you recommend recruits put together and share their highlight reels? Is it best to make their highlight reel during the offseason, in the middle of season, or after each game?

For us, you can never send us enough video. We like to receive them all of the time. So, we love when recruits send us video after each tournament in the club season. It also shows us their dedication to wanting to make themselves the best that they can be!

What advice do you have for recruits who get turned down by their dream schools? What are their options if they don't gain the recruiting attention they desire?

They need to not be afraid to ask the schools exactly where they rank. Keep in mind the answer might not be what you are hoping to hear, but it is better to know that sooner rather than later so you can begin focusing on other schools on your list!

How big a factor is social media when recruiting players? What advice do you have for athletes regarding social media?

As I said before, social media is pretty big! Recruits must always be aware that their social media accounts are public (even if they have privacy settings on). They need to be representing themselves, their families, and their friends in the best way that they can. If they exhibit problems on their social media accounts in high school, then that is a good indicator that they could do that in college as well!

Have a story idea or know an awesome athlete/coach we should interview? Email us at [email protected]

* Originally published on June 27, 2022, by 2aDays Staff