Start planning NOW.

Go watch some local college matches. Seeing the level of play will give you an idea of where you’re at as a player and where you need to be by your senior year.

Make a recruiting video. But don’t pay a bunch of money for someone to make it for you. Using video from your phone and editing in iMovie or a similar program works just fine. 

Email college coaches who you might want to play for. (Most coaches have their email/contact info on their school’s website.) Determine the level you can play at in college, be honest with yourself. Determine your long term goals academically. Don’t chase a Division or scholarship – focus on the right level of competition for your athletic abilities and chase the opportunity. It’s never too early to start building a relationship. Generally, emailing is better than calling because coaches are busy, but if you have something specific you want to discuss with a particular coach, calling is fine too. Most coaches prefer a call from you rather than your mom or dad. It shows them that you can take initiative on your own. Remember, if college coaches don’t pick up, they can’t call you back; it’s best to set up a time and date to call so they’re ready to answer. (Sept. 1 of your junior year is when a coach can call back or initiate contact with you directly.)

Plan to attend a summer volleyball camps at a couple of the schools you’re interested in. This is an opportunity to play alongside other players who have similar goals and evaluate your own game. Don’t worry about going to camp at a school that might be beyond your athletic reach. As a freshman, it’s OK to set high goals for yourself.

Update or start your university athlete profile. (The most widely used recruiting service  universityathlete.com.) Remember, including your coach’s contact info is extremely important because college coaches can’t contact you directly until Sept. 1 of your junior year in high school. Until then, they’ll have to initiate contact with you through your coach. (Another important date: Coaches can’t approach players at tournaments until July 1 before their senior year.)

Keep your grades up. The better you do in school, the more options you’ll have, especially with regard to merit-based aid that many universities offer.

Begin making a list of schools and/or conferences that are on your radar. Don’t count anyone out.

Make yourself aware of NCAA core course requirements. Be sure your high school counselor knows what type of classes you need.

Become involved in fitness and strength development programs. It doesn't need to be extensive. A good start is doing strength activities.

Become a great teammate by being positive and exuding energy. Don’t be an “eye-roller” or have bad body language when your teammates make a mistake. Be supportive. And be the type of player who bounces right back after a mistake. Coaches value a good attitude and good body language as much as good skills.

Designate one coach to coordinate all recruit correspondence. Too often you have a high school coach, club coach, club director, club recruiting director all receiving correspondence. This increases the possibility of things not getting back to you.