Capital City Articles
Specialized Recruiting Coordinator, a Boon for Capital City Athletes
Jim Saari joined the Capital City Volleyball Club staff in 2006 with a resume that included 16 years as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball coaching field at Ohio State University, University of Utah, University of Nevada, and the University of South Florida. In these various positions, Jim often served as the recruiting coordinator.
Club Director Danny McLaughlin was quick to realize that Jim's expertise in the college recruiting process could serve as an invaluable source of information and contacts for Capital City players looking to move on to the college level. Jim was quickly elevated to the position of Capital City VBC Recruiting Coordinator, a move that has certainly paid big dividends for many players and their parents the past two seasons. Over that period, every Capital City senior player who sought a college scholarship-eleven-has received at least a partial scholarship if not a full ride, a testament to Jim's ability to partner players with schools that meet their needs, as well as the ability of the CCVBC to showcase players in national tournaments where players gain much needed exposure to college coaches from across the United States. Those players include:
| Player | High School | College | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tai Jaques | Spring Creek | Southern Oregon | NAIA |
| Bridgette Boswell | Churchill County | Chadron State (NE) | DIV II |
| Lindsay Ford | Carson | Hartford | DIV I |
| Jessica Woods | Whittell | Wright State | DIV I |
| Kelly Karmann | Whittell | Cornell | DIV I |
| Diana Rutt | Dayton | Franklin Pierce | DIV III |
| Shaylene McLaughlin | South Tahoe | Lindenwood | NAIA |
| Player | High School | College | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monica Knight | Douglas | Hofstra | DIV I |
| Kristin Hunt | McQueen | Indiana State | DIV I |
| Whitney Estes | Douglas | Grand Canyon | DIV II |
| Dana Jensen | South Tahoe | Hawaii Pacific | DIV II |
As someone who was intricately involved in the recruiting process as a college coach, Jim brings a wealth of personal experience to the process when he speaks with athletes and their parents about how the process works, what are college coaches looking for, and what might be the best fit for an individual athlete.
One the first elements Jim utilizes in the process of attempting to match athletes with college programs is to meet with the player and her parents to discuss what their goals are and to determine if there are any issues that need to be addressed, such as financial considerations, distance from home, educational needs, etc. These family meetings also serve as a guidepost for Jim to share with players and parents what athletes should be doing to better prepare for the recruiting process.
His role as Recruiting Coordinator includes a great deal of homework and leg work to provide Capital City VBC athletes with as many opportunities as possible. Jim says he scours the rosters of countless college programs across the country to determine what position players a particular program may be recruiting over the next year or so based on graduation, attrition, and other factors. With his voluminous contacts, he also sends countless emails to college coaches informing them about players in our club and seeking more information about what types of players they may be looking to add to their roster. And when we travel to tournaments, Jim makes personal contact with every college recruiter he sees to determine if Capital City might have players that fit their needs.
As for how he goes about matching players with particular schools, Jim says several factors play a role. First, he helps the athlete determine what level of program might be a good fit based on the player's athletic ability, competitiveness, potential growth as a player, and her academic ability. As clearly demonstrated from the list of players mentioned in this article, Jim strongly believes that athletes need to look at all levels of play: Division I, II, III, and NAIA.
Jim says many athletes get trapped into believing that receiving a Division I athletic scholarship is paramount, but in truth, many players are much happier attending a smaller school devoid of many of the distractions and pressures associated with "big-time" college athletic programs.
As for how early an athlete should begin to get involved in the college recruiting process, Jim suggests that players intent on earning a volleyball scholarship should begin filling out player questionnaires and sending introductory emails to college coaches during their freshman year of high school. Further, athletes seeking a scholarship should visit the websites of women's college volleyball programs and related links to determine what types of schools will best fit their athletic and academic desires. He adds, the higher a player's GPA and SAT score, the more opportunities that will be available.
Our best advice? Make sure you and your parents take advantage of Jim's sage wisdom and experience by meeting with him to discuss your athletic future. His success rate is pretty hard to beat!
