I have a concept I'm stuck on and I want honest feedback.
I’m a former college volleyball athlete. I played at South Florida first year, University of Alabama remainder of undergrad, Coastal Carolina Grad school). I was a full scholarship athlete, so I went through the recruiting process in HS and College — and because of that, I’m very familiar with how it actually works.
Since getting back into coaching, I’ve noticed what feels like an astronomical decline in both recruiting knowledge and overall level of play. My theory: club volleyball has turned into a money mill with very little real guidance. Clubs are booming, often run by people who don’t have the capacity (or experience) to guide hundreds of athletes through recruiting. Many clubs offer little to no recruiting education, yet players still want to play at the next level and parents are completely lost. Although, recruiting would add value, clubs seem to not see the hefty prices & subscriptions worth the money.
If I hear “If you’re good enough, they’ll find you” one more time, I might lose it. While that can be true, there are many levels of college volleyball, roster spots beyond the top 1%, and plenty of opportunity for athletes who are willing to put in the time and work. Recruiting is a marketing game—and that brings me to recruiting services.
I don’t hate them. They’re honestly genius business models. But the biggest complaints I hear are feeling scammed, being given vague advice in order to sell the services, and/or never receiving clear steps. The truth is: recruiting is free. Anyone can do it. You absolutely do not need to pay $2,000–$4,000 to be added to a database that “connects you with coaches.” It often fails because recruiting is personal. Stats are only half the battle. Coaches care about intangibles—athleticism, potential, character, GPA, culture fit, mentality. They’re building teams of 17–18 athletes, not just chasing superstars.
That’s where my idea comes in.
NO BS RECRUITING.
A straightforward roadmap of the process:
The education and process/steps itself would be free. The only things I’d sell are optional time saving tools:
I am a very black and white person, truly no bullshit. I never really fit the mold in athletics, I had a foul mouth and big personality. My story is a wild one carried by one person who told me to never change & there was a program who would love me. So creating belief for kids that maybe don't feel like they fit the mold or feel it isn't an option for them really hits home for me. This feels true to me BUT I also understand no ones gives a F*ck in business.
So please—rip this apart.
I’m passionate, but I’m also realistic. I can always sell recruiting tools and recruiting information later when I’m a multi-millionaire. Should I be in a market I want to exploit??
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ENERGY,
Anything is appreciated & I promise when I'm at a place to give feedback and pass on lessons, I will pay it forward
I’m a former college volleyball athlete. I played at South Florida first year, University of Alabama remainder of undergrad, Coastal Carolina Grad school). I was a full scholarship athlete, so I went through the recruiting process in HS and College — and because of that, I’m very familiar with how it actually works.
Since getting back into coaching, I’ve noticed what feels like an astronomical decline in both recruiting knowledge and overall level of play. My theory: club volleyball has turned into a money mill with very little real guidance. Clubs are booming, often run by people who don’t have the capacity (or experience) to guide hundreds of athletes through recruiting. Many clubs offer little to no recruiting education, yet players still want to play at the next level and parents are completely lost. Although, recruiting would add value, clubs seem to not see the hefty prices & subscriptions worth the money.
If I hear “If you’re good enough, they’ll find you” one more time, I might lose it. While that can be true, there are many levels of college volleyball, roster spots beyond the top 1%, and plenty of opportunity for athletes who are willing to put in the time and work. Recruiting is a marketing game—and that brings me to recruiting services.
I don’t hate them. They’re honestly genius business models. But the biggest complaints I hear are feeling scammed, being given vague advice in order to sell the services, and/or never receiving clear steps. The truth is: recruiting is free. Anyone can do it. You absolutely do not need to pay $2,000–$4,000 to be added to a database that “connects you with coaches.” It often fails because recruiting is personal. Stats are only half the battle. Coaches care about intangibles—athleticism, potential, character, GPA, culture fit, mentality. They’re building teams of 17–18 athletes, not just chasing superstars.
That’s where my idea comes in.
NO BS RECRUITING.
A straightforward roadmap of the process:
- Recruiting timelines by age group
- Periods of the year and what matters when
- Gimmicks to avoid
- What camps and showcases actually are (and which are worth it)
- How to interpret coach communication (real interest vs. camp marketing)
- What coaches look for
- How to differentiate and market yourself
The education and process/steps itself would be free. The only things I’d sell are optional time saving tools:
- organization tools (spreadsheets for schools, contacts, emails, camps, etc.)
- A database with direct links to college coaching directories to simplify outreach
- One-time payments only, with money-back guarantees
- University info sites
- Legit showcases and camps
- Scholarship and financial aid resources
- Trainers/Training's in the area
- A community (similar to this forum): athletes connecting with athletes, parents with parents, sharing what worked and what didn’t
- News and reminders: coaching changes, transfer portal updates, dead periods ending, email reminders
- Clubs as a recruiting education resource to share with players and parents
- Parents
- Athletes who want to play at the next level but don’t know where to start
I am a very black and white person, truly no bullshit. I never really fit the mold in athletics, I had a foul mouth and big personality. My story is a wild one carried by one person who told me to never change & there was a program who would love me. So creating belief for kids that maybe don't feel like they fit the mold or feel it isn't an option for them really hits home for me. This feels true to me BUT I also understand no ones gives a F*ck in business.
So please—rip this apart.
I’m passionate, but I’m also realistic. I can always sell recruiting tools and recruiting information later when I’m a multi-millionaire. Should I be in a market I want to exploit??
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ENERGY,
Anything is appreciated & I promise when I'm at a place to give feedback and pass on lessons, I will pay it forward
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Access Restricted: Unlock 1,000,000+ Posts
Stop Peeking Through the Keyhole.
Open the Door.
You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.
- Active Daily: Life-changing content posted dozens of times every day. No dead threads.
- MJ's Inner Circle: Direct access to the author of The Millionaire Fastlane.
- Vetted Network: Connect with founders scaling to 7 and 8 figures.
- Proven Roadmaps: Strategy over motivation. Execution over "hustle porn."
"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."— User Richard Peck
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
Are you surrounding yourself with success?
