For club volleyball, recruiting is more dependent on technology than ever. MN Select picks Hudl to stay on the leading edge and provide effective tools for athlete recruitment.
Since its founding in 2003, Minnesota Select Volleyball Club has experienced success at a high level, as the number of athletes, teams and trophies grows yearly.
A key element of the club’s success is getting athletes to the next level. But that’s no surprise for an organization perennially ranked in the Top 100 Clubs nationwide.
Since 2018, MN Select has assisted over 100 athletes to make the jump from club to collegiate volleyball—and that's just the girls’ program. The club’s boys’ program also excels, with more players reaching the next level every year.
On-court success is paramount, but now the onus is on clubs to manage the progression of club players into college prospects. This responsibility looms large over club volleyball.
However, MN Select ensured there were plans in place to ensure every player had a chance to achieve their goals in the club and beyond by implementing a recruiting coordinator position and bringing on tools to meet the growing needs of recruiting.
“We have to use video for both learning and for the recruiting. [It’s] super important.”
Kayla Cole, Minnesota Select Associate Director, Coach and Recruiting Coordinator
Recruiting Coordinators: a Must-Have
The recruiting coordinator position is becoming essential for clubs across the country. With ever-increasing competition for next-level opportunities, clubs like MN Select have instituted recruiting coordinators to act as guides for players with collegiate volleyball aspirations.
In 2017, Kayla Cole joined the MN Select administrative team as the club’s associate director and recruiting coordinator.
A four-year starter and two-year captain on the Bethel University (Minn.) volleyball team, Cole is now an assistant coach at her alma mater in addition to her responsibilities at MN Select. All her experience means she’s familiar with every aspect of the recruiting process.
Despite the growing need for the role, the recruiting coordinator position is still in its infancy, and Cole has had to figure out how to be effective on her own.
“The role has evolved. There hasn’t been a model to go off of,” she said. “But the more I've been doing it, the more I realize that most big clubs our size have somebody doing this. Most clubs now have a person full-time just doing recruiting.”
The emergence of the position alone speaks to the importance of recruiting in club volleyball. Cole and others in her position are vital to athlete success as well as the growth of the club.
At MN Select, Cole has designed trainings, worksheets and more to educate every member of the club on best practices for recruiting. Much of the material hinges on using Hudl for creating highlights and using the tools in conversations with college coaches.
Cole credits her experience as a teacher for shaping the curriculum she’s implemented within MN Select, including athlete worksheets around using Hudl for film review and highlights.
The implementation of systematic film review and highlight creation has templatized the recruiting process. It is by no means a guarantee, but a roadmap. And the 107 (and counting) MN Select athletes playing in college since Cole took her post is no coincidence.
Hudl: Proven to Work
MN Select athletes hold roster spots at every level of the game: Division I, II and III. The club has athletes on Power 5, HBCU, NAIA rosters and beyond.
The efficiency and agility of Hudl separate the club’s athletes from the pack. The tools are nimble enough to have highlight reels ready just hours after a tournament and powerful enough to break through the clutter and reach recruiters.
A prime example of this was right after the MN Select 17-1s team held a scrimmage showcase. Afterward, players were encouraged to watch film, create highlights and meet with Cole to determine the best way to contact colleges.
Then this happened:
Results like this are never a guarantee. But an opportunity at a Div II program from a scrimmage highlight reel? Imagine what athletes can do after a tournament.
Tools Anyone Can Use (and Love)
On top of video review and highlight reel tools, MN Select is all-in on Hudl Assist—the game breakdown service that delivers full team and player stats in under 24 hours.
Cole says Hudl Assist is essential for any team. Not just for performance, but how it speeds up highlights and powers recruiting.
“Hudl Assist in and of itself, I can’t get the word out enough,” she said. “This is so easy and it’s doing it for you. All you have to do is click on your clips and pick your favorites that it made. Like, the end. It’s so simple.”
“From Hudl to [Hudl] Assist, it’s a non-negotiable. If you have a Hudl team you have to get Assist.”
MN Select athletes agree. The players love the seamless experience of using Hudl and Hudl Assist to review film, jump directly into creating highlights and then share them with recruiters.
Everything they need is in one place, with tools they feel confident and comfortable using. Take it from 16-1s athletes Addison Kemper (middle), Elena Hoecke (middle) and Ellery DeBoer (setter):
