On Nov. 8, the day after Williams College ended the Tufts volleyball team's season in the NESCAC Championship game, many players took some time to relax and reflect.
Working in her office the next evening, coach Cora Thompson had no time for that.
"You've got to work late to get those West Coast kids," Thompson said that day.
For Div. III coaches like Thompson, the challenge of recruiting ensures that coaching a team is a full-time, year-round job.
Even though Tufts, as a Div. III school, doesn't grant athletic scholarships, recruiting still holds central importance in a coach's job.
"The coaching staff spends a great deal of time with recruiting," head men's lacrosse coach Mike Daly said. "You win with people and it is our most important resource, so we spend the most time in it."
That time spent on recruiting athletes is as crucial to a coach's success as time spent coaching.
"No matter how good a coach is, if you don't have the talent [on the court] to coach, it limits the potential of your team and your program," Thompson said.
For Tufts coaches, the process of recruiting begins with a search for talented players. To find this talent, coaches hit the road and attend various camps, clinics and tournaments.
In Thompson's case, the search for recruits has landed her at tournaments in widespread locations like Texas, Baltimore and Las Vegas. According to Thompson, a tournament can consist of up to 400 teams and most teams usually have brochures about their players. Once she finds the talented players, Thompson contacts the ones she's interested in.
Because of the high academic standards at Tufts, coaches see it as a waste of time to recruit the players who won't get in. This forces the coaches to find players who are not only talented athletically, but also academically.
According to Thompson, this is helpful in her recruiting process.
"[The standards] help with weeding out players," Thompson said. "It's tough to find kids who are both talented athletically and academically."
Narrowing the pool of players down is important because coaches are faced with such a high volume of possible recruits.
"If I sat back and did nothing, 200 to 300 players would contact me," Thompson said.
After picking possible recruits, coaches try to lure the players in for campus visits and overnight stays. Finally, if a player is desirable, the coach asks the player to apply through early decision.
Throughout this process, the coach spends numerous hours talking to various recruits. According to Daly, the coaching staff spends about 10-15 hours per week speaking with high school coaches and recruits.
For Daly, this time has been well worth it.
"The program was struggling when I was chosen to take over the program," Daly said. "Recruiting and administrative support have been the sole reasons we have been able to turn the program into a top program in the country."
Right now, Daly's team is ranked No. 13 in the nation. Daly has done a strong job recruiting players from the East Coast.
For Thompson, however, recruiting cannot be limited to the East Coast. Unlike lacrosse, which is very popular in New England, volleyball is much bigger in other areas of the country.
"Volleyball is not a huge sport in New England," Thompson said. "Girls here don't start playing until high school. Players in other regions start playing in sixth or seventh grade. Players from New England are generally more raw."
That's why Thompson's recruiting class this year consists of four Californians and a Maryland native. Last year's class consisted of one player each from Texas, Florida, Washington, New Jersey and New York.
Regardless of where the player is from, coaches try to sell the same things about Tufts.
"Being a Tufts alum, I sell the things that sold me, the size of the school and the location," Daly said. "Most of our recruits are looking at peer institutions, so the academic reputation is similar. Certainly, success on the field attracts the players we want in the program as well."
Because Tufts is the only NESCAC school near Boston, the location of the school is a huge recruiting draw.
"Within the conference, I do have an advantage: Boston," Thompson said. "I can sell Boston. Williams and Amherst don't have that. I do believe it's the best college town in America."
Still, schools such as Williams and Amherst have managed to maintain universally strong sports programs. According to Thompson, success breeds more success.
"[Williams] has built a dynasty," Thompson said. "Once you create a reputation, athletes come to you."
Building a dynasty is the very reason coaches like Daly and Thompson spend so much time recruiting.
