"I'm very blessed to have been offered by....."

[rvdadvb]

So, in the football and basketball (both boys and girls) world... it's all about social media and piling up offers. Because of family friends in those sports as well as following my favorite schools in those sports, my Twitter feed some days is nothing but "blessed to have been offered by XYZ Western South State University". 

Yet, in the volleyball world this is virtually unseen. It's usually only the commitments that end up on social media. Frankly I prefer it the volleyball way, but find it interesting that it's such a stark contrast in cultures between the sports. 

Any idea why this is? Do the college coaches prefer it this way and tell the girls to keep it on the down-low, or is it just the difference in the culture of volleyball vs. the "money" sports?

[charger0304]

Bite your tongue. It's starting to rear its head in the volleyball world.

[pepperbrooks]

Definitely a culture difference between the sports, partially due to the money involved. Volleyball, for the most part, is just not that way. In football and basketball I feel like the recruits have all the power. The whole last-second-change of commitments, dramatic reveals, huge press conferences.

[stanfordvb]

I would love for volleyball to do it haha I wanna see who’s offering who before they committ !!!

[vbfamily]

I’ve seen a few for volleyball, and prior to last year’s legislation that made unofficial visits with coaches forbidden until Junior year there were many posts on Instagram and Snapchat stories. For example: “what a fun visit @ XYZ” and pics with coaches/players, however, even if an offer was included, it often wasn’t posted in our sport. I do hope VB continues to stay low-key.

[stevehorn]

May 2, 2019 8:13:02 GMT -5 rvdadvb said:

So, in the football and basketball (both boys and girls) world... it's all about social media and piling up offers. Because of family friends in those sports as well as following my favorite schools in those sports, my Twitter feed some days is nothing but "blessed to have been offered by XYZ Western South State University". 

Yet, in the volleyball world this is virtually unseen. It's usually only the commitments that end up on social media. Frankly I prefer it the volleyball way, but find it interesting that it's such a stark contrast in cultures between the sports. 

Any idea why this is? Do the college coaches prefer it this way and tell the girls to keep it on the down-low, or is it just the difference in the culture of volleyball vs. the "money" sports?

In football and basketball, there is at least one recruiting site following all or just about all P5 and many G5 colleges and many have more than one. So there is a rabid audience following each school's recruiting including offers, commitments, visits, etc. If the recruit didn't post the offer, word would leak out anyways and he would get a number of calls from writers on various sites, both that schools and many others. So posting the offer on twitter likely makes it easier for the recruit in addition to the fact that he has a hungry, attentive audience for that type of news.

If volleyball recruiting was being followed to that extent, you would almost certainly see the same thing.

[money]

May 2, 2019 8:54:30 GMT -5 stevehorn said:

May 2, 2019 8:13:02 GMT -5 rvdadvb said:

So, in the football and basketball (both boys and girls) world... it's all about social media and piling up offers. Because of family friends in those sports as well as following my favorite schools in those sports, my Twitter feed some days is nothing but "blessed to have been offered by XYZ Western South State University". 

Yet, in the volleyball world this is virtually unseen. It's usually only the commitments that end up on social media. Frankly I prefer it the volleyball way, but find it interesting that it's such a stark contrast in cultures between the sports. 

Any idea why this is? Do the college coaches prefer it this way and tell the girls to keep it on the down-low, or is it just the difference in the culture of volleyball vs. the "money" sports?

In football and basketball, there is at least one recruiting site following all or just about all P5 and many G5 colleges and many have more than one. So there is a rabid audience following each school's recruiting including offers, commitments, visits, etc. If the recruit didn't post the offer, word would leak out anyways and he would get a number of calls from writers on various sites, both that schools and many others. So posting the offer on twitter likely makes it easier for the recruit in addition to the fact that he has a hungry, attentive audience for that type of news.

If volleyball recruiting was being followed to that extent, you would almost certainly see the same thing.

It is 100% ego - it has nothing to do with media/writers. It is a way for ego-driven boys (and some girls) to get validation. #blessed

[beachdude]

What I enjoy are all of the pictures taken of D3 athletes with a piece of paper in front of them. Like they are signing a letter of intent for athletic aid? No. They are justifying about $7,000-$20,000 of parents spending on the sport. Funny.

[fatface]

It's not even just in sports. Kids are having "College Decision Reveal" parties. Not athletes deciding on which scholarship opportunity to take, just kids that were accepted at more than one college and have decided which one to go to throwing a party and announcing the decision. It is a crazy world out there.
Here is a news story about the trend

[Wolfgang]

I think the kids (and their parents) know who got offered by whom. Volleyball, esp. club volleyball, is a small world. Not related to vb, but here’s a story:

When I was in grad school, a fellow grad student in another department told me that there was a forum for people in his field of study and the posters knew to check in and post where they were accepted. My friend said he was on the waitlist at some schools. In the school that he eventually attended (that is, my school), he was also on the waitlist and he could name all the people who were admitted based on info posted on this forum. Time goes by and eventually, one girl who was accepted by my school declined the school’s offer and picked another school. A day after she announced that on the forum, my friend got a phone call from my school where they made him an official offer. He knew (suspected) that his offer was causally related to that girl’s decision to go elsewhere.

[coahc21]

May 2, 2019 11:17:49 GMT -5 fatface said:

It's not even just in sports. Kids are having "College Decision Reveal" parties. Not athletes deciding on which scholarship opportunity to take, just kids that were accepted at more than one college and have decided which one to go to throwing a party and announcing the decision. It is a crazy world out there.
Here is a news story about the trend

Just another byproduct of shift to social media driven generations....everything is about "look at me, look what I'm doing"

Arms race among peers for more and more likes and views

That being said, it's the biggest decision they will make in their lives until they have kids, buy a house, etc... I have no problem with them being excited and celebrating

[mikegarrison]

May 2, 2019 11:21:11 GMT -5 Wolfgang said:

I think the kids (and their parents) know who got offered by whom. Volleyball, esp. club volleyball, is a small world. Not related to vb, but here’s a story:

When I was in grad school, a fellow grad student in another department told me that there was a forum for people in his field of study and the posters knew to check in and post where they were accepted. My friend said he was on the waitlist at some schools. In the school that he eventually attended (that is, my school), he was also on the waitlist and he could name all the people who were admitted based on info posted on this forum. Time goes by and eventually, one girl who was accepted by my school declined the school’s offer and picked another school. A day after she announced that on the forum, my friend got a phone call from my school where they made him an official offer. He knew (suspected) that his offer was causally related to that girl’s decision to go elsewhere.

Grad school is different, though. You probably know exactly what program you are being admitted into, and you may well know the other people being considered for the same spot.

[c4ndlelight]

May 2, 2019 11:54:44 GMT -5 coahc21 said:

May 2, 2019 11:17:49 GMT -5 fatface said:

It's not even just in sports. Kids are having "College Decision Reveal" parties. Not athletes deciding on which scholarship opportunity to take, just kids that were accepted at more than one college and have decided which one to go to throwing a party and announcing the decision. It is a crazy world out there.
Here is a news story about the trend

Just another byproduct of shift to social media driven generations....everything is about "look at me, look what I'm doing"

Arms race among peers for more and more likes and views

That being said, it's the biggest decision they will make in their lives until they have kids, buy a house, etc... I have no problem with them being excited and celebrating

Previous generations of teenagers weren't "look at me, look what I'm doing?" Are you from the "Me Generation"?

[azvolleydad]

May 2, 2019 8:13:02 GMT -5 rvdadvb said:

So, in the football and basketball (both boys and girls) world... it's all about social media and piling up offers. Because of family friends in those sports as well as following my favorite schools in those sports, my Twitter feed some days is nothing but "blessed to have been offered by XYZ Western South State University". 

Yet, in the volleyball world this is virtually unseen. It's usually only the commitments that end up on social media. Frankly I prefer it the volleyball way, but find it interesting that it's such a stark contrast in cultures between the sports. 

Any idea why this is? Do the college coaches prefer it this way and tell the girls to keep it on the down-low, or is it just the difference in the culture of volleyball vs. the "money" sports?

I hope that this doesn't appear in volleyball.  I've noticed the difference too and suspect that part of it is because of how early girls volleyball recruiting is done in comparison to football and basketball.  It's hard to remember the last time that a top-100 type volleyball recruit (except for those waiting on Stanford) wasn't verbally committed before her junior year of high school -- long before even official visits can be made.  It's very different in football and those "offered by" by tweets usually accompany an official visit.  

[jayj79]

May 2, 2019 11:17:49 GMT -5 fatface said:

It's not even just in sports. Kids are having "College Decision Reveal" parties. Not athletes deciding on which scholarship opportunity to take, just kids that were accepted at more than one college and have decided which one to go to throwing a party and announcing the decision. It is a crazy world out there.
Here is a news story about the trend

I don't find it any more ridiculous for non-athletes to make announcements/have parties/whatever about their college choice than I do for athletes to do the same thing. It is still a major decision, and their friends and family are probably interested in where they are going to school.