Again, I write the title this way because you must know the experience behind this post. I only recently left the NCAA. I’d like to give you information that can transform your recruiting journey. This post might be hard medicine for some, but you will learn a lot by leaning on these Fundamental Truths. For those that don’t believe in truth of any form, you’re welcome to stop reading now.
Fundamental Truth 1 – Middles will take less total swing attempts than the pins. At the end of a 5 set match, one middle will average around 15 attempts. 2 middles makes 30 total attempts. There are 3 pins, and at the end of a five set match, each one of the pins will average around 40 attempts. 3 pins makes 120 swings. So, 30 attempts for the middles, 120 for the pins. Only 1/5 of the offense on average, goes through the middle attacks. Not that much. Shrink the amount of sets played, it doesn’t matter, the truth is that, middle attack attempts are much smaller of the offensive pie than the pins. This exact same offensive pie chart distribution (pins getting 4x more sets) is occurring on the OTHER side of the net too! Which leads into Fundamental Truth 2.
Fundamental Truth 2 – Teams that have middles that cannot block the pins consistently lose volleyball games. There is so much offense going through the pins on the opponent’s side. If you are late to close too often, getting used, and lord help us get fooled by the setter and make an early and wrong read over and over again leaving the pin open for a 1-1 attack, we are allowing the opponents pin hitting percentage (remember, 4/5 of the offense) to soar, increasing our chances of losing precipitously.
Fundamental Truth 3 – Since you get so few swings, it can be harder to evaluate middles on attacking criteria. Many coaches resign to watching you in hitting lines because watching an entire club match for 1 hour to watch 2 swings of yours, and 1 of them probably isn’t a great set where we can judge your gifts and abilities anyway, means missing out on evaluating 10 other kids during that wave. However, there is always an opportunity to go block pin hitters when you are in! You have to STAND OUT. Middles probably get the least opportunity to showcase skills out of all positions.
Fundamental Truth 4 – Middles just get in the way in transition bumping into the setter costing 1-2 points every match when they can’t track the ball off their first step (a little humor, but true)
Fundamental Truth 5 – Middles are the most specialized position and lack common skill acquisition compared to other positions. When you walk into a juniors convention center, middles have on average and comparatively amongst the position groups, the least effective serves, low serve receive numbers, limited defensive abilities, inability to set overhand, and a difficult time being asked to play any other position. Yes, there are middles who can do these things, and I am sure you have seen them as have I. Whether they have the potential to do something or not is not the issue – a coach is evaluating what you are doing RIGHT NOW in front of them for the initial eval. Note I am writing this with not the experience of 1-10 teams, it is with evaluating thousands of teams and athletes.
So, how do I stand out? Here is the priority job description for fundamental skills to show in a highlight reel/develop yourself on the court/do your job at a high level/get a coach to come back to your court.
1.) Blocking
2.) Attacking
3.) Serving
4.) Setting
5.) Defense
To get recruited as a middle & earn & keep your jersey in college, you need to be blocking the pins extremely well, particularly in 3 and 2 value pass situations. You need to slow down, the majority of their offense!
For those of you with careers, a middle that cannot block the pins, is a doctor who can’t place an IV, a developer that can’t use a keyboard, and a lawyer who loses their voice before court. No good.
Now, QUALITY college coaches will disagree on the fringes, where to order serving, setting, depending on their system too, etc. To each their own. But, as soon as the fringes become the number 1 priority (and god forbid you’re not even good at the fringes and that’s your first clips in a highlight film – you get closed out) that coach creeps into not quality, and for some, barrels into non quality status. Being great at the fringes makes you standout when the blocking and attacking are the same compared to someone else, but it’s the cherry ontop, not the ice cream.
You can play a middle tier club national bracket, be a middle that gets their 1 kill each 3 ro’s you’re in, not block the pins well, and have a fine season. But that won’t work against the quality programs most young women and men seek to play for. Fundamental truths and position specific priority checklists come to light more and more the higher level you go with small deviations around the fringes.
Example we all know – “I need a middle who can swing like crazy!” Yes, attacking is important, but I cannot tell you how many MB’s I have evaluated and they can hit hard, but can’t read or block to save their life. No good. You’re off the list 99 percent of the time. Why risk the fate of the college program? Some skills are better off being recruited than trained and hoping you get better at the very thing that gives a team an opportunity for success. So often, a coach blames their inability to dig balls on the backcourt defenders, when in reality, the problem is their middle who is useless at the net blocking, but preening themselves over their few kills.
It's not that there isn’t a college coach who won’t take you if you’re not blocking well. Maybe they’re the best blocking trainer in the world, maybe they are hubristic (usually hubristic). Maybe they can tell you haven’t had any training. But we are focused on gaining the attention of the majority of quality college coaches – aren’t quality coaches who you want to play for anyway?
Within only 1 Film Review and email, a family and I were able to stir up great action on their recruiting board by applying these principles and more to appeal to the eye that quality college coaches use to coach the game and recruit middles. I am so happy for them. I am excited for their results to come. Best part, they learned it on their own and have the knowledge to create future highlight reels indefinitely and not need to wonder if what they are putting out there is “good” or not.
Middles you have the most unglorified position. Block, transition, swing, repeat. But so incredibly necessary. Do the dirty work. Go block, go attack, and go dig that one ball a tournament after you serve so your team gets hype!
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Note* It is dishonest to say a reworked highlight film will guarantee more opportunities. Maybe yours is already fantastic (few are). However, it is part of the holistic process in college recruiting that demands execution at a high level to solicit more opportunities along your journey to commitment and get your foot in the door with programs. I hope you enjoyed. If you want me to continue writing more posts, let me know.