Two Springfield area volleyball players, Byrd and Kaiser, ready to play at collegiate level
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Laura Kaiser was introduced to volleyball as a kindergartner and fell in love with the sport. In the years that followed, she became one of the the top middle hitters in her age group and earned a spot on the Springfield Shock, one of the most competitive volleyball clubs in the area. When she was a freshman on the Chatham Glenwood team, college coaches began taking notice.
鈥淢ost of my early recruitment process was really fun 鈥� hearing from different schools and imagining where I would find my second home,鈥� Laura says. 鈥淚 looked at many schools, from South Carolina to Wisconsin and every state in between.鈥�
As time went on, Laura started looking more seriously at what each school offered, both on the court and in the classroom. She wanted a school that aligned with her goals and values and where she felt comfortable. Eventually, she narrowed her search to two colleges, one in Wisconsin and one in Illinois.
But before Laura made her final decision, the Wisconsin school pulled their offer, possibly due to the extra year of eligibility granted to current players after COVID-shortened聽 the season.聽鈥淚 never expected that, and it left me heartbroken. I really got to know the coaching staff, and it felt like they had given up on me,鈥� she says.
Then she remembered that one of the first bits of advice given by recruiting experts is to never select a school based solely on the coaching staff. As Laura assessed her situation, she knew she had done exactly that.聽鈥淚 realized a lot of my core values had been glossed over by a great coaching staff. I know now that the Wisconsin school wasn’t the best fit for me in areas other than volleyball.鈥�
So, Laura will be attending her other top choice and playing for Illinois College in the fall. She鈥檚 not only sold on the volleyball program and staff, but equally impressed with the school鈥檚 teacher preparation program.
Chloe Byrd is a teammate of Laura鈥檚 on the Shock, and an opponent when her Springfield Senators聽 squared off against her friend鈥檚 Glenwood side. Both players were named All-American last summer after the Shock took second place at the AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships. That experience is one of the reasons that Chloe chose to continue her career at Parkland College in Champaign.
鈥淭heir volleyball program goes to nationals and plays in the championship game every year, so after being in that environment last summer, I鈥檓 ready to experience that again,鈥� Chloe says.
Like Laura, Chloe considered the entire package Parkland offered before making her decision. She likes the small classes and the personal attention she鈥檒l get from her professors. The school鈥檚 proximity to the University of Illinois campus also provides the opportunity to live in a major college town.
Having successfully navigated the college recruitment process, both players have advice for up-and-coming athletes.
鈥淏e sure to start branding yourself freshman year and reach out to colleges early because recruitment is harder when you wait. Also, it鈥檚 okay to be your biggest critic, but have confidence in yourself as a person and a player,鈥� Chloe advises.
鈥淒on鈥檛 take it too fast,鈥� Laura cautions. 鈥淏urnout is real, and it’s important to make sure you’re doing your sport for your own enjoyment. The recruitment process is tough, but it鈥檚 worth it. If you can play college sports at any level, you should run with it.鈥�
They both advise to have fun while you鈥檙e chasing your dream!
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.