Athletic department recruitment

The main way that any college sports team can succeed is by having a strong recruitment program. Bellevue College has a strong sports tradition and at the core of it is a recruitment plan to players that fit with their play style. While every coach has their own style of recruitment, all of them strive for the same goal, to win the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) title and be a part of the BC sporting tradition.
The first thing when it comes to recruitment is knowing what to look for. This is different for all coaches, based on playing style among other factors. Women’s soccer coach Kiko Magana said that he prefers players that are strong tactically and have at least one really strong asset that he can build around in each player. Other coaches have specific things they look for in a player. Baseball coach Mark Yoshino has three specific things he looks for in players that he tries to recruit, “Talent, hustle and attitude.” Volleyball coach Kim Culliton also has a set of qualities that she looks for when she is recruiting potential players, “Mostly, sport skill/talent, attitude, academics, personality and how they mesh with the current team.  There are other qualities, but those are the first ones to make it in the door.” All of these coaches have specific attributes that they look for in players which is how they determine which players will help the team the most.
When it comes to getting the best players around, coaches everywhere are always looking for an edge in getting these players. The biggest challenge coaches face is getting players to choose their college over other teams. Coach Culliton does most of her recruiting through club volleyball tournaments and high school matches while letting her assistant coaches and current players help out as well. Coach Yoshino gets most of his information on players from the high school coaches. Bellevue College coaches have an additional advantage because of their rich sports tradition. Coach Culliton knows the effect BC has on new recruits, “The college itself is attractive to most people.  The athletic department is very supportive – in many ways – which entices players to come to BC.  You can’t find our kind of support system at all colleges.  The volleyball program has a history of success.  Also, the current players on the team are already great athletes and friendly ladies. People want to be a part of it.” Just being a part of Bellevue College helps coaches get new recruits easier.
There is not just one recruitment process for every coach at Bellevue College. Each coach has their own styles for recruitment. While each style is completely different, they are all extremely effective in getting the correct players into a Bellevue College uniform. While all of these styles are different, each coach’s goal is exactly the same. Every coach strives to win the NWAACC title each year and keep the BC sports tradition alive.