Preparing for Showcase Events
Showcase and multi-day tournaments are a hub spot for college coaches. This is their opportunity to see the nation’s elite all under one roof. Use this as a time to showcase your skill and grab a college scout’s attention. Show your best self with these tips:
Get in a good mental state
You are going to be playing high-level volleyball for 6+ hours a day for 3 days straight. Not only is this physically exhausting, but mentally draining. Get yourself in a confident mindset through visualization, meditation, yoga, and plenty of sleep. Another helpful tip is to get caught up on homework before the event; avoid external stressors during these tournaments.
Pack efficiently
Give yourself the best opportunity to succeed by packing right. Organize yourself ahead of time by packing game-day essentials the night before (especially if you play in the morning), packing rollers and other items to alleviate muscle fatigue, and buying nutritious snacks. Have everything you need at your fingertips to compete at your best.
Prepare your body
In the days leading up to the tournament, make sure to fuel your body correctly with the right balance of carbs, fats, and proteins, get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water, stretch muscles, and tend to any nagging aches or injuries.
Reach out to coaches
A HUGE part of gearing up for these tournaments is establishing yourself within the recruiting world. If you have any desire to play collegiately, reach out to college coaches by sending emails, text messages, and even voicemails. Provide a short bio about yourself and a schedule of your bracket and where they can see you play. Be sure to personalize these emails to show that you are truly interested, not just mass emailing every college within a 500 mile radius.
Be prepared to communicate with coaches
This is dependent on how old you are, but be prepared to speak with college coaches at these events. Be ready to answer questions about where you are in the recruiting process, what you hope to accomplish in college, and if you are interested in their program. Also, prepare questions for them such as where they could see you in their program, what are you looking for in my recruiting class, and when would be the best time for a visit. Speaking to college scouts can be a little intimidating at first, but is nothing to be afraid of! They simply want to get to know you better and see if you would be a good fit for their program, so show confidence and respect when speaking with them!