1. How to Recruit Against the “Big Boys” at Your Small School on a Shoestring Budget Coach Doug Walters – Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at Cedarville University (NCAA DII)

2. Objectives  For small school coaching staffs to be able to understand how to maximize their recruiting and scholarship budgets to bring in top-tier student-athletes to their programs.  To foster communication between coaching staffs on different ideas on attracting high level student-athletes.  See alternative methods to recruiting software and programs that are geared towards schools with large budgets.

3. Change the Mindset!  “That kid is a Division I kid, so we don’t have any chance in her coming here.”  Don’t let this stop you! It is about finding the right fit for your program and for the student-athlete!  The talent pool is constantly growing as the sport continues to gain in popularity.  The lines between the different divisions are getting hazier and hazier every year!

4. What makes your school “special” or different?  Take advantage of the strengths of your school!  Foster great communication with them and their parents on a regular basis as early as the rules will allow.  Constantly highlight the strengths of your school!

5. It is OK to look outside your region!  This is especially true if you are at a private institution!  You can take one look at our roster and see that I am a big believer in this.  Due to our strict admissions standards, we must look nationally to increase the pool size.  Use this as a positive if it applies to you and not a negative.

6. Recruiting Services at Tournaments  Are recruiting services necessary?  Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have to spend the money of the “Big Boys” when you travel to club tournaments in the spring!  BE CREATIVE!!!!!  Recruiting software is a HUGE plus when you use it well especially for compliance purposes!

7. Prioritize Your Scholarships  Not every player is the same!  Not every school is the same!  Prioritize by position, need, and what works best in your conference!

8. Conclusion  It is possible to recruit “Big Boy” talent to your smaller school without breaking the bank!  Best utilize the limited resources that you do have! It might take more work, but it will be worth it when that student-athlete is playing at your place!  Discussion: What are some things that have worked well with your program that you would like to share?  Help me stay ahead of our women’s basketball team by following us on twitter at @cedarvillevball !!!!