Episode #181: April Elsbernd on Recruiting

🏐🎧 Why Recruits Should Visit Colleges More Than Once | April Elsbernd 

How many college visits should a recruit take before making a commitment? 

According to Coe College Head Volleyball Coach April Elsbernd, probably more than one. 

In Part II of our conversation, Coach Elsbernd shares her recruiting philosophy and explains why finding the right college fit requires more than a quick visit and a fast decision. We discuss culture fit, evaluating potential teammates, communicating with college coaches, the realities of club volleyball, and the important role parents and high school coaches play throughout the recruiting process. 

Coach Elsbernd also provides practical advice for recruits on how to stand out in their communication with college coaches and why authenticity matters far more than mass-produced recruiting emails. 

Topics Discussed: 

 ✅ Why recruits should visit colleges multiple times
 ✅ The importance of meeting current players
 ✅ What college coaches look for beyond athletic ability
 ✅ How to write better emails to college coaches
 ✅ Club volleyball myths and realities
 ✅ Advice for parents navigating recruiting
 ✅ The role of high school coaches in recruiting
 ✅ Why culture fit matters 

Transcript

0:09

On the latest edition of the Significant Coaching Podcast, the recruiting-focused presentation of the Coach Matt Rogers YouTube channel, available audio only everywhere you get your favorite podcasts. I'm your host Matt Rogers. Last week in part one of Significant Coaching, Coe College head volleyball coach April Elsbernd shared her journey into coaching, her passion for helping young people grow, and why relationships remain at the center of everything she does.

Matt Rogers 0:35

In part two, we shift our focus to college recruiting. Coach Elsbernd shares what she looks for when evaluating prospective student athletes, why culture fit is so important, the value of multiple campus visits, and how recruits can separate themselves during the communication process We also discuss club volleyball, parental involvement, and the role high school coaches play in helping athletes find the right college fit. Throughout the conversation, she offers a thoughtful perspective on recruiting that is centered on relationships, authenticity, and making decisions that lead to long-term success rather than short-term gratification. Also this week, be sure to check out the weekly blog, where I provide practical strategies for college coaches to take control of their recruiting process, their time, and ultimately, their results. If recruiting constantly feels reactive, overwhelming, or disorganized, this week's article is designed to help coaches build systems that create more efficiency, consistency, and success. And don't forget to subscribe to the Significant Coaching and Recruiting Newsletter. Subscribers receive full access to every podcast episode, the weekly blog, recruiting, coaching, and parent tips of the week, plus leadership tools and resources designed to help coaches, recruits, families, and athletic departments thrive. You can subscribe and find it all at coachmattrogers.com Now, here's part two with the fabulous Coe College head volleyball coach, April Elsbernd. Coach Elsbree, as anyone that listened to our first episode, you and I have a lot in common. And we have a lot to talk about, so I apologize for anybody if we got long-winded- 'cause I think we both enjoy talking about what we were talking about. W- welcome back. Thanks for doing this. Yeah.

April Elsbernd 2:30

Thanks so much. it's been fun. I- it's my first time on a podcast, Is it really? I'm glad we broke the seal. You, you're- Yeah you're good at it. We need to get you on more of these. we need your voice out there more. let's talk about some recruiting. I love the behind the scenes of how every coach goes about it.

Matt Rogers 2:47

I have assistants, former assistants that are now head coaches, and they tease me about how I recruited, 'cause on my marker board, which is over here, I had, lists. I'd color code cards, and I'd have names on magnets and- and then I'd have it on a spreadsheet. And we'd recruit four years out, and I was just, I was just all in on my recruiting. Mm-hmm.

April Elsbernd 3:08

What does it look like, your structure of how you see your recruitment from day to day? Yeah. I think first of all, one of the biggest things that is just always present is what type of player, what type of person is the player that we're recruiting? for a coach who, I think is... I'm very culture first. really there, it's just ever present. And so even though, I can talk about how we have a projection of, these are the player, a spreadsheet that'll show these are the players who are returning, these are the slots that we could use, in each position, and kinda do that for every recruiting class. I think where I spend most of my energy is, really trying to build relationships with recruits that I think will be a good culture fit for us. And I always tell that, I always say, "Hey, if you're a great culture fit and you're a great player, that's the sweet spot." but being really, looking for specific things when I'm out watching players. how do they interact with their teammates? What, what is their body language like? how do they listen to the coach? What, what happens to them after a mistake? even just how are they talking to their parents? those kinds of things that, I'm always, watching beyond what are they, what are they actually, what are they physically doing on the court, of course. But then what are those, intangibles or, those personality, qualities that I think are gonna, fit well with what we're trying to do as a program. Yeah. be really s- really competitive- Yeah but really supportive. and I think getting to know our recruits, pretty well, like building those relationships and, with each recruit kind of telling them, "Hey," "we want you to come to campus, two or three times before you commit." you should visit every- anywhere you're g- looking to go, you should go at least two or three times. and then just being really clear with what the culture is- that, that we're building, and what we hope that their role will be within that culture. And I think, there are some players who maybe I'm a little, I might be a little too, I don't know, gushy for them, and that's fine.

Matt Rogers 5:33

Yeah. maybe that, this isn't, like- It's, a lot of kid, lo- especially young women, they're looking for- a little gushy. with the players- They're looking for someone to love 'em a little bit and- Yeah. The players that want that are really, I think are really drawn to that. And, so it's, so I think it's more, finding those players that are great athletes that also really wanna be a part of what we're trying to do here. and at the same time, wanting to make sure that the decision they make, they're gonna be 100% confident in. Yeah. So I, I think there are maybe other coaches who are like, "Okay, so are you good?

April Elsbernd 6:09

You don't need to visit anywhere else? You ready to sign or whatever?" And I'm the opposite. I'm like, "Go to the colleges that you think you need to see. Go check out different options. Because when you commit to my program, I want you to feel like you did everything you could and 100% this is yes." Yeah. and I, and obviously it's a little different in D3 because we aren't offering scholarships, but, but I just think, I think that's a big... everyone wants to talk about the transfer portal and this and that, and I feel like clubs and maybe high school coaches and parent, we are not doing, we are not doing enough for these young people to help them find their best fit. Mm-hmm. Whatever level that is, whatever school that is, there's so much pressure to commit and, if you don't commit, you miss this deal, maybe you're gonna miss your best option, and this and that. And because I think it's too easy to say, "Well, if you don't like it, you can transfer." Right. And it's that should not be, like- It should be the last option, and I feel like it's turned into kind of the first option. Yeah. and it's just because the young people, they don't, haven't had enough time to really, get to know a place they're visiting or the players that are gonna be their teammates or, ask those questions about... I want my recruits to have time with my players to ask the questions that they should be asking. That's right. What is Coach April like on the court? What is she like when we're winning? What is she like when we're losing? is she this way or is she different? and so I don't know. I just... To me, that my, my coaching, it's more of a philosophy. and really trying to find players that will wanna fit within that philosophy and, and that I think because they're gonna, respond well to my type, my style and the program's culture, that's how we're gonna get them to be the, the best player that they can be, is to be really comfortable, and feel really supported and those things. recruiting, man, it's, it's so much of our jobs. and it's, and it really is. it really, sometimes really depends on s- your success as a coach. but, I think I tell all my recruits and I tell all of the players at the beginning of the season, my expectations for how you're gonna be as a teammate, are pretty firm, and you're gonna g- you might get a couple chances, but I'm not gonna keep anyone in the program no matter how good they are if they, if they're not, if they're damaging our culture, right?

Michael 8:40

Yeah. Yeah. I think the more we can all get to know each other in the process, the better it is for everyone- Yeah in the long run. I love the mindset, and I'm 100% with you there. for that parent- that doesn't understand why more than one visit, or why more than one visit is important- what do you hope a recruit'll, will gain that second time they come, or maybe that third time? Maybe they're a kid in Des Moines and they got a chance to come, scrimmage with your girls. you can't be in the gym for those, but- February, the season's over and they wanna come visit. What do you think those... What do you want those kids to get from a multiple visit? Yeah. I think, the first time you're on campus as a recruit, you're... There's so much information that you're trying to take in and process that either you end up focusing maybe on the wrong things, or you're missing things that are really important that maybe, you might see on a second visit, right? And it just depends. I wanna make sure that every athlete that comes, gets a chance to meet with our players, right? And so sometimes it may only be one, but then I'm gonna make sure that they have time with our players, whether that's lunch, whether that's, they can play in an open gym.

April Elsbernd 10:00

because, summer happens a lot, summer visits happen a lot. It's hard to have them meet the players. So- It's hard to get the full experience of what a campus looks like. Yes. Yeah. And what is campus like when students are around versus not around? And I think that initial visit for all recruits should be just more of a yes or no, and not a, "This is the place I'm going," right?

Michael 10:26

'cause I say, "Do your first round of visits. Visit as many colleges as you think you wanna visit. You're gonna know what your nos are before you're gonna know your yeses." That's right. And those initial conversations, "Yeah, I could see myself here. Yeah, I got a good... I got a good vibe from Coach. I could be friends with these players. They seem really authentic and genuine. I like the campus. I like the way it looks." I think those first initial impressions, they tell you a lot. They really do. But I think it's hard to then decide, that, yes, this is, this is a place that I wanna spend four years- Yeah on a three-hour visit, right? Yeah. Or even, And then I think that second visit, can be more in depth with, okay, what is, I really, I try and give the players that we're recruiting an idea of what role I might see them play in their first couple years. but- I even, I even ask a lot of the players, the recruits, what's,

April Elsbernd 11:20

If your teammate, if I was asking your teammate what your leadership style is, what would they say, right? So just getting a little deeper into letting me figure out what their core values are, and seeing if those align. so it's a two-way street, Yeah. you'll love this, and I'm gonna send you one of these. I wrote the Volleyball Recruits Journal. Oh. and it's exactly what you're talking about. Awesome. I think too many kids show up at a coach's office, and they'll a- and you're gonna ask that question, "What's your leadership style like?" "What kind of culture are you looking for?" And they've never thought about it. at least- Yeah they've never been able, they've never been in a position to have to articulate it. Verbalize, yeah, verbalize it. So I love that you're asking those questions. Because you don't want a kid for one year. You definitely don't wanna have to deal with drama for a year because they picked the wrong school for them.

Michael 12:07

yeah. You're doing everything to say, "I want you to be here four years. This is a family." "We care about you. You need to make sure this is it." w- who in their right mind's gonna go on one date and propose and get married, right? Yeah. We're talking about the next four years of your life. yeah. It should be multiple conversations. If you- if you live in Colorado and you wanna go to Coe, maybe you can't visit two or three times, but you can- Zoom with Coach Avery. You can Zoom with the girls. I bet you wouldn't have a problem, having your girls meet with a recruit on Zoom, right? Yep, yep. We've done that. I'm sure that happens a lot. I think we've done that, too, with players who have lived further away. Yeah. Just 'cause those are the people you're gonna spend your time with. If you don't like the players that are in the program right now, that's- Yeah you're gonna be around them a lot. That's right. and I, and also if the coach doesn't want you to meet with players, that- Red flag can be a red flag. You betcha. Now, it can be different when you are a coach taking over a program and there's a, there can be tension when a co- new coach comes in with, the players who've been in the program, right?

April Elsbernd 13:05

that happens. But I think, yeah, you have to meet, you have to meet some of the team. you have to be allowed to ask some questions. Absolutely. and get a feel- Yeah for things, Yeah. you're right on. Yeah. If a coach doesn't want you to meet with the players o- by themselves- run away, 'cause there's- there's a problem there. and you want the truth. And- Yeah and they're basically giving you the truth without giving you the opportunity to learn it. yes. Coach, let's wrap up this fantastic conversation. Let's give some advice to that 16, 17-year-old that would love to play for you at Coe. Love that opportunity. How do they reach out to you, and what do you want from them? Yeah, I love to get a personalized email, that has a link, a link to their... If they have a r- a recruiting profile online, or they have some Hudl film. the very basics are great. but I also, I do like to hear why are you interested in Coe, and why are you interested in playing for me? If you don't know, that's okay too, right? I love the idea of being in Cedar Rapids, or I've heard things about your program. but it is nice to kinda get more of a, is this the same email you're sending to everybody, or is there a little... is there truly a reason why Coe interests you, Yeah. If it's simply "I know Coe's a great school, and your team has won a lot of championships," that's great, putting that. But I think just making sure there's a little bit of personality in it, and just a little bit of a personal touch. Yeah. just to kinda s- so that we know. We just get so many emails from recruiting services, and it's like- Yeah you're sending this email. Don't tell me this kid is interested when you're sending this team email to, you know- 300 different schools. Like- That's right I just delete them. I do. I- I just- I know. I need to- I just delete them. Yeah, and I tell kids all the time, send the email from your Gmail account. Send it- send it from your school account. Make sure they know it's coming from you. Make sure that's clear, and do your research, Yeah. It doesn't take long to say, "Hey coach, congrats on, on making the national tournament last year." that's, it's a great way to start an email, don't you think?

Michael 15:13

Yeah. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. They might be sending that to 60 teams, but- Yeah, but at least- at least, they put, they try. they know the truth. And that's, and I get that too. It's hard on their end to, they know they wanna play, and they wanna cast a wide net. Yeah. That's fine, Then I think it's like, "Hey, I wanna schedule a visit. Can we..." trying to get, kinda get to that next... We always like to say, is there some way that we can have an easy action? if we're cold emailing, is there e- is something for them to do to trigger their interest, right? And so is there something that, you're looking for that I can answer quick? Yeah. Not, what i- You know, it's when there's so many questions, it's whew, that's a campus visit kinda questions. I'm sorry. That's, that's- I'd love to be able to respond to that, but- Yeah yeah, sometimes- it's hard to spend 45 minutes on a email response on the first email, right? Right. yeah.

April Elsbernd 16:04

what's your advice to parents who are going through this journey with a 16, 17-year-old? what are the, what do you want them to understand and know? I think, I think one of the big things within the club world, so if you have a daughter who is trying to find a club team or you're struggling with what club to go with, and they, and you know they wanna play in college, I think Sometimes we get caught up in the flash and the flair of some of these club teams, especially when they're new club teams coming out that make a lot of promises. but I think like Helping your child or your daughter do that due diligence the same way you would with college- Yeah is, asking questions, about some of the, the most important things. Not about the uniforms, not about, what i- what does their social media day look like, but, who are the, what... Are you doing coaching development for your coaches? That's right. Are are you putting together a program based on the number of coaches, or are you just trying to put together as many teams as you can and then beg people to coach your teams? that's probably not gonna be, a, the best, development experience. and so I think, if someone is good enough to be recruited as a D-1 player, it won't matter what team they're on. That's right. if they are a s- a big time, player and, they're gonna go at the highest level of D-1, it does not matter what team they're on. Does not matter, like, how much you pay, doesn't matter how many, qualifiers you go to.

Michael 17:40

I just feel like club in some ways, is, I don't know. it, there's so much money involved. There's so many trips, that teams go on. and I would say if your club wants to go on three qualifiers in Reno, in Northeast, in Texas, how many of your kids are actually going to go anywhere outside of the three states around you, right? I get the exposure idea, but I think sometimes this exposure idea, these qualifiers where we go all over, for p- most athletes are gonna stay within their state or the states around them. Yeah. and again, or if they're not, they're gonna be being recruited in a way, no matter, where they play.

April Elsbernd 18:31

I th- I think the, my biggest problem with clubs, and I have many problems with clubs, is... All right. Let's say we're gonna go play in Dallas. We're gonna do three days in Dallas. We're gonna play, those six, eight games, whatever it ends up being. let's figure out which schools that our girls on that team may be interested in going to college there. Yeah. Let's reach out to those coaches ahead of time. Let's give them the schedule. Let's send something- saying, "Hey, Coach. We're gonna be in Dallas. It's the closest- we're ever gonna be for this- these kids in Iowa to watch you play." For sure. "We've got athlete that we think can play for you. They're interested in you. Would you take, would you come look at them?" For sure. "Or if you can't, take a look at their film and give us some feedback." That's what I don't see clubs doing. I don't see- You know, bring, bringing in the D1 coach to talk to your kids at a practice- is great, but if you don't have any D1 kids, all you're doing is getting some motivation from those kids. If you're gonna travel- put an hour's worth of work in to help- those coaches in that area come watch your kids, and make sure- there's some interest, right? 'Cause we walk into those centers, and there's 100 courts. Yeah. And it's, yeah. How do you even start? And then you don't even know, yeah, you don't know what kids are committed, what kids aren't.

Matt Rogers 19:40

so I think a parent- I didn't go, I never went to those tournaments unless I had a sheet of... I knew there's 10 kids in 10 different states. I couldn't get- Yeah to those 10 states, but I can see 10 kids- in one place. Yeah. If I have that, if I can, yeah, if I have that information ahead of time, they know they're interested in the school, I think that's the biggest thing, is reaching out with that. And I think for parents, too, I think helping your athlete... And it's hard to ask them questions, and I know young people don't sometimes wanna s- stop and think about hard things. But I think the more you can help them figure out is there a region they wanna go to school, is there a ma- not a, not that they necessarily...

April Elsbernd 20:24

I think sometimes we ask too much about the major, but like- Yeah, agreed is it a school where there are options for them in something that they might be interested in, right? Like, how far away is, too far away? those, I think you can help them have a better idea of what they're looking for. What... Asking them questions, like in your journal, "Hey, let's have your core values, figured out," That's right. That's right. I think those are the things that impress us as coaches, are the recruits who come in and they are asking questions that are different from what other, other recruits are asking, and they can clearly express, who they are and what it is that they're looking for. I think those are, like, those are the players that you're like, "That's a kid I want. That's a leader right there that I want in my program." So I think they can help facilitate some of that, which I'm sure they are trying. Yeah. But I think, Some are. Yes. Yes. Not enough. Yeah. All right.

Michael 21:21

So recruits, be specific, be genuine. Show your individuality and show why you're interested. For parents, you don't have, be smart about your club. Be smart about your choices. Be smart about your money. Yep. Make sure your kid really wants that next level. It needs to be more than just a sorority to pay $5,000 a year, right? Yeah. Work with the club to maybe combine- recruitment with that journey that you're on. I love that. Quick advice for that high school coach that wants to help their kids get to that next level. What should they be thinking about? Oh, that's a really good question. I think for high school coaches, reaching out to us college coaches.

Elizabeth 22:04

And I've had many ask, "Can I come and watch a practice?" Or, "Could we bring our team to your games?" like I think if you can start getting your players thinking about, college when they're, maybe sophomores, to drop that in their brains a little bit and get them to have some of that experience. If there are college, like team camps that you can go to, just to get them on a college campus like informally, I think can be really helpful. but also I think continuing to learn as a high school coach and not being afraid of what you don't know, and not being afraid to, and not being afraid to ask questions. because I don't... I think sometimes, that, that fear of looking like you don't know what you're doing can be really strong. Yeah. Instead of that fear, I don't know everything. I'm still learning. I think just having, approaching coaching as an ever-learning, ever-evolving, role. and just being, being able to admit when you don't know everything. I think your kids trust you more. and I think you just, you become a better coach because you're open to learning and asking questions and mentorship, right? Yeah. it's really hard to mentor someone if they don't wanna be mentored.

Michael 23:16

That's right. Yeah. I love it. Coach, you're fantastic. I can't thank you enough for the time you've given me today. I'm such a big fan of yours, and- Thank you you or the women in your program ever need anything, I hope you'll call me. I'm always here to help in any- shape or form, whatever that looks like. But thank you for doing what you're doing and we're always cheering for you. Thanks so much. Yeah. Go Kohawks, right? That's right.

23:41

And that's a wrap on this week's recruiting presentation of the Significant Coaching podcast with Coe College head volleyball coach April Elsbernd. Coach, thank you so much for your time and for sharing your perspective on the recruiting process. I especially appreciate your thoughts in encouraging recruits to visit campuses multiple times before making a commitment, and your belief that student athletes should spend meaningful time with current players before deciding where they wanna spend the next four years. In a recruiting world that often pushes young people to make faster and faster decisions, your approach is a refreshing reminder that finding the right fit is worth the extra time and effort And to everyone listening or watching, thank you for continuing to support the podcast. Don't forget to favorite, like, subscribe, and share the show so you and your family and your friends never miss an episode. The Significant Coaching Podcast available audio only everywhere you get your favorite podcasts and on the Coach Matt Rogers YouTube channel. Also, be sure to check out this week's blog where I share practical strategies to help college coaches take control of their recruiting process, their time, and their results and if you're a recruit or a parent, a coach, an AD, or even a college president looking for direction, or if you simply want to talk through your journey in college athletics and college recruiting, make sure you schedule your free coaching session at coachmattrogers.com. Until next time, stay focused on what you can control. Stay humble, and keep chasing significance