When a College Volleyball Offer Changed Everything for Claire

We really thought Claire was done with volleyball…until a college athletic recruitment decision made it’s way into the mix.

You see, she had gone through the full college volleyball recruiting process–talking with coaches, sending film, weighing options. That whole volleyball recruiting rigamarole. And it was a GOOD learning process. Dave and I were pretty impressed with how she handled it all.

She had decided to step away and focus on being a regular college student at Utah Valley University.

But sometimes college athletic recruitment decisions don’t stay simple or predictable.

Out of nowhere, a Division I coach called.

And everything changed.

The End of the Volleyball Recruiting Process (We Thought)

So, as I talked about what we all thought was her last volleyball match at nationals. Bitter-sweet for all.

And she started getting her mind and classes all situated for fall being a regular student at Utah Valley University (UVU).

Claire had sent the UVU volleyball coach some film a while back so she was on his radar. But there were already plenty of middles so she had turned off even entertaining that idea.

I mean, UVU is an NCAA DI team who made it to the NCAA tournament last year, so it was a tall order.

But then here we go…

A Surprise Call From a College Volleyball Coach

A few weeks ago the UVU volleyball coach gave her a call out of the blue one day.

He talked to her for 45 minutes, getting a feel for who she is, where her mind was at, etc.

And then he wanted to have a conference call with her and her parents along with her.

Yikes.

So we all met up, sat in a row facing that coach:

(Dave had to sneak pictures, of course.)

We fell in love with the coach, he seems like such a great guy.

And we talked for a long time…apparently very seriously:)

The Unexpected Offer

And at the end of that call he offered Claire a spot on the team.

What?? Pretty crazy, right?

It was all so sudden and so unexpected, a possibility for quite a change of trajectory, that’s for sure! We were all pretty discombobulated, and he asked Claire how long she needed to make the decision.

It was a Friday and they agreed she could think about it over the weekend.

Wow. This picture can’t really explain all the emotions going on inside of us, especially Claire, right then, but glad we captured the post-call selfie:)

Trying to Decide What Was Right for Claire

That girl thought long and hard about that decision.

It reminded me of this painting I love by Brian Kershisnik:

Sometimes we think we’re going one way, and we keep taking those steps, but then we realize there’s another “right” way.

This happened over the weekend for Claire.

The Weight of a Sudden College Athletic Decision

And also for her mom. Oh I was hesitant about that thing I have to say! We have shared this girl with volleyball for so long, and college athletics is a whole new ballgame. Practice starts before a big family trip we have planned. Not sure how much she’ll be able to spend much time with us over the summer. She will have to miss some school/friend/freshman-in-college things of course. There are pros and cons to everything.

But oh, what an opportunity!

Yes, she will be giving up some things. But she will be gaining so many more! We all got on that volleyball bandwagon once again, and she was ready for the coach’s call on Monday. She closed herself in my office for the call, and I couldn’t help but snap a pic. of her Dad waiting for her to come out:

Ha! Bo was waiting on pins and needles herself:)

Not sure how he managed this one to capture her in the act of acceptance, but he did:

(Yikes, Dave and I both need to do a little desk-tidying!)

Saying Yes to a New Direction

And there we have it: another college volleyball athlete on the horizon:

She made her verbal commitment and we’ll have a little signing ceremony this afternoon.

And there we have it: the eve of some big new adventures for this girl!

What This College Recruitment Experience Taught Us

In the end, this wasn’t just about volleyball.

It was about a college athletic recruitment decision that came out of nowhere—and learning how quickly a young adult’s path can shift.

We thought we were stepping into one version of college life.

Instead, Claire stepped into something completely different.

And we’re learning, again, how to let kids take the lead in the paths that open for them.

GO WOLVERINES! And Go Claire, that girl we’re gonna have a hard time letting go, but we’re sure going to love watching and rooting on that team she’s joining!

If you’re in the earlier stage of helping your child choose a college, that process looks a little different. I wrote all about how Elle made her own college decision a few years ago.

If you’re in any kind of parenting transition, these posts filled up with stories about letting kids go may help.