Why do college coaches really ghost athletes in their inbox? In Part 1 of this two-part deep dive, Susan and Jessie break down the hidden reasons athletes get ignored — straight from Jessie’s firsthand experience as a former D1 athlete and partner of a long-time D1 recruiting coordinator.

From understanding a coach’s year-round workload to recognizing when your target list is too ambitious, this episode gives athletes and families the honest truth about why they’re not hearing back. You’ll learn what coaches actually look for when they open their inbox, how evaluations really happen, and how to assess whether your recruiting strategy is aligned or completely off-track.

If your athlete is emailing and hearing nothing but silence, this episode will change the way you approach the process.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome + intro to today’s topic

01:00 – Meet Jessie and her transfer story 

04:40 – What athletes don’t understand about coaching careers

06:30 – How coaching responsibilities impact email response times

10:30 – Why being “busy” is a very real factor in ghosting

13:00 – The year-long recruiting and coaching cycle no one talks about

16:00 – Why athletes think they’re being ignored

17:00 – Reason 1: Missing key components in an email

19:00 – Reason 2: Your highlight film isn't helping you

22:00 – Reason 3: Asking for a call before you’ve earned it

25:00 – Reason 4: You're emailing too early (and NCAA rules matter)

27:45 – Reason 5: Top athletes still need to signal interest

29:00 – Why coaches almost never call athletes who never emailed them

30:40 – Different recruiting timelines for different divisions

32:00 – Why two athletes with the same ability may hear back at different times

33:30 – The mindset shift athletes need during ghosting

Join Susan for a monthly recruiting lesson January-June inside the Volleyball Recruiting School! Become a subscriber here. Or register for January's class all about highlight film here!

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Connect with Susan:
Check out the website: www.nxtvb.com
Follow on Instagram: @hey.susank

P.S. If you’re an athlete with big goals, a parent who wants to support the journey, or a coach who cares deeply about your players, this podcast was made for you. Hit subscribe and come grow with us.