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Post by alemanymom on Apr 20, 2014 16:49:29 GMT -5
Afternoon,
Hi All...new here and would like some feedback. My daughter, a junior in high school was on the rise in her volleyball (beach, club, and school) as a libero when it came to a hault last month at the JnQs when she tore her ACL and meniscus. Since surgery, the doctors seem optimistic and stated she would be back on the court in 5-6 months. My daughter wants to play and is determined to get through PT and get back on the court. Prior to her injury, she had already been approached by two scouts last year but didn't have a focus on 'what she wanted to be when she grew up' so nothing has been pursued. I have talked with her about college and that volleyball should be a means to greater end. Academics is the priority and if volleyball is the vehicle by which she gains her knowledge, then great! I am uncertain now if this is a possibility. Curious to know how colleges feel about an athlete who had been injured?
Thanks you in advance for all your feedback.
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Post by elevationvb on Apr 20, 2014 17:23:20 GMT -5
Afternoon,
Hi All...new here and would like some feedback. My daughter, a junior in high school was on the rise in her volleyball (beach, club, and school) as a libero when it came to a hault last month at the JnQs when she tore her ACL and meniscus. Since surgery, the doctors seem optimistic and stated she would be back on the court in 5-6 months. My daughter wants to play and is determined to get through PT and get back on the court. Prior to her injury, she had already been approached by two scouts last year but didn't have a focus on 'what she wanted to be when she grew up' so nothing has been pursued. I have talked with her about college and that volleyball should be a means to greater end. Academics is the priority and if volleyball is the vehicle by which she gains her knowledge, then great! I am uncertain now if this is a possibility. Curious to know how colleges feel about an athlete who had been injured?
Thanks you in advance for all your feedback. Back 5 to 6 months after ACL surgery? Seems way to quick. Was she being seriously recruited this year - - receiving letters, etc?
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Post by wonderer on Apr 20, 2014 17:32:04 GMT -5
Afternoon,
Hi All...new here and would like some feedback. My daughter, a junior in high school was on the rise in her volleyball (beach, club, and school) as a libero when it came to a hault last month at the JnQs when she tore her ACL and meniscus. Since surgery, the doctors seem optimistic and stated she would be back on the court in 5-6 months. My daughter wants to play and is determined to get through PT and get back on the court. Prior to her injury, she had already been approached by two scouts last year but didn't have a focus on 'what she wanted to be when she grew up' so nothing has been pursued. I have talked with her about college and that volleyball should be a means to greater end. Academics is the priority and if volleyball is the vehicle by which she gains her knowledge, then great! I am uncertain now if this is a possibility. Curious to know how colleges feel about an athlete who had been injured?
Thanks you in advance for all your feedback. at the libero position I don't think it will affect her chances too much, it will depend how fast she can get to her level of play and how well she can recover her agility.
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Post by alemanymom on Apr 20, 2014 17:37:34 GMT -5
Yes, 5-6 months. The Dr. states she is in great physical shape but how she does in PT will determine when she actually returns to the court. No, not seriously. The first scout was when she was a sophomore, and the 2nd was just recently. We haven't pursued anything further. I don't know anything about scouts or the recruiting process.
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Post by oldman on Apr 20, 2014 17:59:01 GMT -5
My daughter had surgery May 30th last year and returned in time for basketball Nov 1st. I recommend reading the following article: www.kneeclinic.info/rehab_markdecarlo.php By the way, IMHO stay away from braces once your daughter returns to activity. There is no studies that show benefits from bracing and I have have seen many athletes struggle with being athletic with the braces. My daughter played BB with only a sleeve on and is now enjoying softball as well.
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Post by somethinbruin on Apr 20, 2014 18:04:19 GMT -5
The surgery probably won't be too big of a problem, particularly since she's a libero and not a hitter. Six months is about right for an ACL recovery now, although to really feel 100% full strength takes about a year.
Realistically, she will miss her high school season. I wouldn't rush back for it. Getting the agility back is more important than a high school season. Again, not a huge deal as high school season does not tend to be where a lot of coaches get out to see players. If your daughter is interested in playing in college, though, she needs to get proactive about her recruiting process now. The reality is that liberos (outside of the elite ones) don't get heavily recruited. So she needs to be contacting colleges and getting her profile and any game/skills tape you might have out there. This may mean that she has to start thinking about what she wants--from a school, from a VB program, as a major--because this all figures into what schools she targets.
College coaches will not care that she has had an ACL repair. Coaches deal with that all the time, and athletes come back from ACL tears all the time.
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Post by ja on Apr 20, 2014 21:05:56 GMT -5
First of all, sorry to hear this! I hate to see girls got injured, but unfortunately this is a part of the game. Second, please do not rush her in! The combination of meniscus and ACL is quiet serious. She will loose her speed and lateral movement, so the most important for her to keep positive and stay in the gym! Also, she would try to do more then she should, so please be smart about working out and relaxing. I am pretty sure you can find athletic trainer or PT specialist, who can guide her through out the process. She still have the time to get back to club, but I would strongly recommend to skip HS season. Good luck!
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Post by moovb17 on Apr 20, 2014 21:13:48 GMT -5
I did this - about this same time. I went to Indy to have my surgery and I was back on the court about 80% for JO's my Jr Year. I played every game of my Sr Year. Was it to fast? maybe but my doctors wanted me to start doing movements. (walking without a brace in 2 days). DONT have her wear a brace - if she is not confident in a brace then she will rely on one. As for recruitment, tell the truth and then move ahead. If they drop off then that is their option - but there are still many options out there. The biggest thing is for your daughter to keep involved in the game and learn (I coached when I was hurt). Best of luck! Any more questions feel free to PM me.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2014 21:48:26 GMT -5
Every athlete is different. I've seen cases where athletes have returned to activity in 3-4 months, and some that took over a year. The physical therapy will likely be very structured and consistent, so physically, recovery from an ACL reconstruction is very successful these days. However, a lot of people don't realize how much an injury like this can affect an athlete mentally. The psyche can be a powerful thing. Often, the lost confidence, doubt, and slow progress can be more debilitating than the actual injury. It's a test of mental toughness more than anything else.
And, being a libero doesn't mean that she'll be back any sooner. It's not only about jumping and landing. There are tons of defensive movements that can put stress on the knee (especially if trained improperly): pivoting, changing direction quickly, pushing off on one leg, twisting while the foot is planted, rolling and landing on the knee, collapse digging, etc.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2014 7:03:13 GMT -5
First, if she hasn't gotten many looks prior to the ACL tear then it's safe to assume, she's got some work to do on her end to get noticed. Do your homework and target those schools that fit your academic interests and may need a DS/L. Second, don't forget to visit those schools when you have been cleared to play. At Division II a tryout may help since you get seen in person. Also when you are cleared to play, go to some camps of the schools before your senior year. Skip the combines and showcase things they do little to exhibit the skills of defense.
The bracing is beneficial during your recovery. I would not recommend ignoring it while you are recovering. I've seen athletes bite it hard and delay their progress. It's there to protect you until you are strong enough to protect yourself. Once you are cleared to play, I would suggest weaning yourself off of it. The floor moves you will make will have to be adjusted as well. This might actually help your defense posture forcing you to become a platform first defender, but that's another story. Good luck.
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Post by volleyballer4life on Apr 21, 2014 10:56:44 GMT -5
I messaged her privately, but figured I'd answer in case anyone else is using this thread for advice. While a lot of people have provided good feedback about what she should be doing physically, we're not addressing her original concern: How will this affect her chances of playing in college? As academics is her primary concern and she's currently at a stage where she's undecided on what she wants to do, that's the starting point. Step 1: Start thinking about what she wants from college off the court. Geographic location, potential fields of study, school size, or anything else that may be of interest to her. She may not have answers to things like that, but the more the gears start to turn, the sooner she'll start to paint the picture of what she wants from school. Step 2: What does she want from her playing experience? We talk about talent typically when we're talking about Divisions for the NCAA, what about the workload? Does she want 6 AM weights, class, individual practice, team practice, mandatory study hall, film sessions, missed classes when they go on away trips? Not to spook people from D-1, but I think we don't always do a good job of educating young players on what the expectations are once they step foot into a Division 1 program. Also, what does she want from her experience? I usually give them 3 scenarios: 1) National championship contender every year, no promise of any playing time 2) Middle-Tier team, competes to win conference but has up/down years, playing time there to compete for but she'll have competition at her position for it 3) Single-Digit win team rebuilding their program, but playing time ample. There's no wrong answer - every player has their own motives as to why they like to play. Having an idea of what environment she's looking for will help her when doing her search. Step 3: Research Schools. Collegedata is a great resource to use as a search engine - you can put many different "filters" on your search and see what schools fit your wants/needs. The NCAA has a search engine to find schools and their academic/athletic websites, with a nice color coding to differentiate divisions and a google map to see where they are located. For parents, I always recommend The College Solution as a great resource for learning about how the process really works - the author has an awesome selection of topics that helps parents/athletes conduct their search efficiently, as well as gives tips on how to find $. Step 4: Start contacting schools - it's always good to contact the coach, see where they're at, add a blurb about their school and why it interests you so they know you're not just "Firing and Forgetting" to them - the more they think you're interested in the school, the better chance of them investing time to communicate with you. That's a very broad start - but hopefully that helps! Don't wait on schools to recruit you - no one has your athlete's best interests in mind more than the family. Start figuring out what you want from college, use the internet to find schools that meet the criteria YOU set forth, then communicate with the schools. With over 1,500 in the nation, there are options out there, you just have to find them!
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jcvb
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Post by jcvb on Apr 21, 2014 12:42:01 GMT -5
I'm a club recruiting director and former Division 1 recruiting director. Feel free to message me directly and I can give you my take. I've dealt with ACL recoveries and the recruiting associated several times. Might have good insight for you.
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Post by volleyballer4life on Apr 21, 2014 13:02:08 GMT -5
I'm a club recruiting director and former Division 1 recruiting director. Feel free to message me directly and I can give you my take. I've dealt with ACL recoveries and the recruiting associated several times. Might have good insight for you. Care to share with the class? I always am interested to hear a recruiter's perspective on things of this nature.
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Post by david on Apr 21, 2014 14:38:55 GMT -5
If she focuses on schoolwork, getting healthy, and picking the best college(s) she can get into, and then focuses on passing nails against top competition, then she might get a chance to choose between walking on at a top school or perhaps a 2 and 2 or even scholarship position at a lower tier school.
Have her contact the coaches at her favorite schools for a reality check, and then play her best and see what happens from there. I've seen All-Staters not get a return call from a top college coach but they went to the school anyway and are having a great time in college club volleyball.
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Post by alemanymom on Apr 21, 2014 18:30:46 GMT -5
I appreciate all the perspectives here and a wealth of information. Possibly entering the college sports arena can be intimidating. Compounded by this recent injury creates doubts as to which road to take, athletics vs academics. My daughter has always excelled academically (3.5 cum) and this could be the course she takes if she wants to continue playing volleyball.
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