Episode #28: Haylee Pruse

Haylee Pruse is a 2024 graduate of Kamehameha Schools and Lanakila Volleyball Academy in Maui, Hawaii where she finished her high school career as a First Team Maui Interscholastic League Division 1 All Star.  She was a Varsity Team Captain her Junior and Senior seasons, as well as a Team Captain at Lanakila from 2018-2024.  She's a natural leader and role model!

She is 1 of 4 original Significant Recruiting graduates receiving multiple offers to play collegiately while ultimately choosing to play at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA where she will major in Environmental Studies.  We had a great conversation about what she learned about college recruiting and herself this past year.   Enjoy!

Learn more about Haylee Pruse here:  https://athletics.whitman.edu/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/haylee-pruse/5367

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Welcome back to the Significant Coaching Podcast. I'm coach Matt Rogers. Before I talk about this week's superstar of a guest, I want to encourage anyone who's looking for clear direction on college recruiting to download my new book, Significant Recruiting, for free! And it's going to be free through Labor Day weekend, and you can find it at CoachMattRogers. com. All you got to do is put in your email address and you'll be able to download it immediately. Now, I want to help as many student athletes and parents and coaches as I can. And this is a great way for all of you to get a huge jumpstart on your recruitment for free. So take advantage of it. Also, if you're enjoying these conversations, please don't forget to subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. So you can get all the episodes coming up and you have access to all the older episodes. Now to get to our guests. I'm so excited for this episode because I sat down with one of the fab for Haley proofs. I Call them the fab for because they are the first kids to go through my significant recruiting launchpad And Haley is a part of that group that all received multiple offers at really good fit colleges across the country Haley is a 2024 graduate. I'm gonna butcher this. I'm gonna do my best Kamehameha High School and Lanakila Volleyball Club, where she played for my good friend, Coach Jimmy, on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Haley was a 4. 0 student. and captain setter for high school and club. She did great work owning her college recruitment where she received multiple offers and she ultimately chose Whitman College in Walla Walla Washington where she is currently playing for coach Matt Helm this season. Her first game is actually tonight on August 30th when this episode will go live. Haley and I had a fun conversation rehashing her recruiting journey you And we discussed all that she learned about college recruiting and herself along the way. It was a fun conversation with a significant student athlete and a natural leader and a really good person from a great family. I'm so thankful for her mom Dickie Lee and her dad Craig for letting me be a part of their family and Haley's journey to college this past year. Great, great family. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. Okay, Miss Haley Pruce, you've got two weeks before you start your college athlete career. How does that feel? It's unreal because It's been something that I've been dreaming about since I was really, really young. And I thought Oh, it's so far away. It's going to be a while, but I'm actually like right there now. And it's it's so exciting. I'm really excited to start. I feel like we just had this conversation yesterday after you admitted, I felt like it was like a week ago. We're already almost three months past that. So it's crazy. I want to, We've got a lot of student athletes that listen to this. A lot of parents that listen to this talk a little bit about where you were a year ago. With the thought of getting recruited, just the idea, were you serious about it? Were you passionate about it? Year ago I was about to start my senior year and there was around the time where I would talk to my teammates or like people around, the volleyball community and see like people talking to coaches and signing and everything. And I just felt, I always knew that this was something I wanted to do. But I remember like trying my best to reach out to coaches and navigated on my own in my junior year. And it just wasn't really showing results. So by the time I got to my senior year, I started to get worried. And then everyone started talking about Oh, what college do you want to go to? What, where are you going? What's your financial plan? For like my school and everything. So that just really bombarded me with a lot of. expectations in the moment, I just felt like I was so behind. And I honestly hadn't, didn't know if I was going to be able to go to college to pursue volleyball and to pursue the education I wanted at the same time. So at that time in my life, I honestly wasn't, I didn't believe I was going to get there. I was in your shoes. I get it. I remember that. It's been 30 years, but it's I remember that. Yeah, go back a year ago. One more time. How did you think recruiting work? Do you remember? For me, because we're so far in like Hawaii, in Hawaii that recruiters I knew from a young age that recruiters don't normally come here. All this way to just look at you and just like how you can in the States, you can drive, you can everybody's at the tournament. So you can go for us. We go to tournaments like once every month, maybe if you're a part of a really good traveling team, once a month, you go to them States and you play, and that's where you probably get the most seen. But when it comes to high school and all that stuff, I always thought Oh, like I really need to, it's all on video. That was my personal interpretation of how recruiting works is that it's pure video. And I had no idea about the interactions with the coaches and how important it is to follow up and for you to have that drive to keep bugging, because you're one of the million kids that are trying to get their attention. So for me, I think I was just blind to that side of like how much of me it took to want to get my own recruitment. It's so much like getting a job. Yeah. You know who in their right mind is going to sit in their house and just go, I'm gonna cross my fingers and hope somebody finds me. Yeah, realizes that I want a job. Nobody does that. We know that I've got to apply for the job. I've got to send an application. I've got to send my resume. I might have to call somebody. I might have to, I've got to go search for the right jobs and what I really want to do. Recruiting is very much like that. So when we started working together. Were there things that I was asking you to do that surprised you? Well, first of all, what I appreciated about when we first started working together was before we even had started anything, you had plain out asked me is this what you want to do? You have to commit. It has to be what you want for your future if we're going to follow through. And that really had me to think do I still want to do this? It's always been my dream, but is this the reality that I want? I want to be an athlete and a student for the next four years. I want to pursue this career at the next level. And ultimately I had myself thinking questioning myself do I? But then I was like, of course I do. But you really had me thinking if this is what I want, then this is what I have to do. This is what I have to follow through with. So I think what had caught me off guard a little bit when we first started working was when you would tell me like, Oh, you're going to send 10 emails this week or 15 emails this week. And I was like, 15. It surprised me because I was like sending one a month. So that definitely surprised me. But after seeing the results, it got me like, even if just a few weeks, like the responses I was getting from coaches, it was, It showed me like what I needed to do to get it done, and I understood it. You were the first in your class that really recognized that an email to a coach wasn't enough. Yeah. Do you remember that day? Yeah. And what happened the day where you go, okay, Matt, I'll call the coaches. I've emailed. And what happened that next day after you called all the coaches you've been emailing? What did you learn about your emails? That my emails really weren't like a one coach had told me that she's like, Oh, I didn't even see your email. It went in the, it went in the rubbish email. And I was like, okay. Yeah. I was like, Oh, so if I hadn't called, you just didn't have, wouldn't have seen it anyway. So it's not even, it's not my fault. It's not your fault. It's just. The way that things work and it just realized to me, it was how personable a phone call can be because they actually hear you talking. I hear them talking. It gives you so much better of a reading of how your coaches or how they can get rid of how you are. You never know if that's what clicks. You know what I mean? And I don't think I understood this as a teenager. We didn't have email back when I was 10, but I don't think teenagers understand that coaches, I just got off the phone with a division one coach. They get 220 emails a week. They're lucky if they actually read a third of those, but it's so important, like you said, that they hear your voice, they hear your passion. They don't just read that. I love to play, or I'm interested in your school. Now they can actually have a conversation with you and they find out you're a great kid and that you're, you've got a great mindset and you've got a great personality. And okay, now I don't want to let that kid down. You're real. So what happened after you made those phone calls and they said, Oh, I didn't even know you email me or, Oh gosh, I found it in my spam and my junk email. What happened afterwards after they watched, actually got into your email and looked at your film? Yeah, they started to I think my first coach that ever called me, I don't remember which coach it was, but they called me and I was like staring at my phone cause I had saved the contact. So I knew who was calling and I was like. Oh my God. I was like, okay, I know I prepared for this. Like we had practice phone calls. And that was the thing that they called me back because they heard my voicemail, they checked my email, and then they had called me and I was like, I don't even know what they're going to say to me. So I answered the phone and I was like, Hello, this is Hayley you know how we had practiced in a confident way. And they just wanted to talk to me about so hey tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How did you Like become with a passion for volleyball and then going into what makes you like want to play for my school What makes you want to play under me and just like how you always told me like to be real Don't tell them what they want to hear. Tell them what you're what you want to say And I think that's what made it such a flowy conversation Like it was never awkward for the coaches and not at least not for me, right? The coaches wanted you if they like you and they want to recruit you They want you to be happier, don't they? Yeah, did you find that you had to control the conversation or They made it easy on you I think I had a control on the conversation because we had practiced And you told me like to make sure I asked my questions I need in certain phone calls so that would always surprise them like I would talk to a coach and be like They're like, oh, do you have any questions for me after I would you know finish answering their questions and i'd be like Oh, yes, of course. I have questions for you and I would go down the list and they'd be like Wow. These are some great questions. And they were so surprised that I was even asking that on the call. And they're like, this is this is stuff you need to know. These are good questions. I'm like, thank you. You do need to know, but what do you think it did to their perception of you, that you were prepared with those questions and you were thinking that way? Yeah, I think it, they took me a lot seriously. more serious because they saw that I had done my research, that I was serious about the real stuff, asking questions about, do you have my degree? Is this program good? What's your student life like on campus? How's it like when you travel? Just those kinds of questions. I think they took me more seriously because I actually cared of what would happen to me after the recruitment. So I'm looking forward. And you're a setter. And you asked every coach, how many setters do you got coming back? Where do I fit? Where's my role? And what did you learn by asking about their roster? That a lot of coaches will not tell you about the roster first. They'll wait till you ask. And it's super important because going into the team, you want to know where you fit in or if you even have an opportunity to play. Awesome. When you look back at your journey, you've gone on now, your recruiting journey, Was it harder or easier than you expected it to be? I think coming in my senior year, I expected it to be really hard. Because I knew that I was behind in the game, but I found that it wasn't as hard. It was, I actually enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would have because I learned a lot more about myself through this process because I got to had to talk myself up to other people. And that's something that I'm not naturally very good at or like to do. So I had to learn to be comfortable with doing that in order to put myself forward Showcase what I have to offer, so it was more enjoyable for me than like a chore. Yeah, I didn't expect that. I remember telling you early on. I said, okay, Haley, you've got to take a humility and modesty of yours. And we're going to put it on a shelf for a while, right? Yeah. Because we can't just say, I want to play volleyball because it's fun. And I I want you to recruit me because I'm a nice girl, right? Yeah, these coaches are looking for kids that want to compete and love the game and are going to be good fits and you're all that and 10 times more right but learning how to say it out loud and being confident with it and not sounding like you're bragging. Yeah, we have to practice that, right? Yes, we did. You did great. What advice would you give to a 16, 17 year old that really wants to play in college now that you've gone through this? What advice would you give them? The advice I would give them is don't, not don't, yeah, don't give up. If this is the dream that you want, don't ever stop pushing. Don't ever stop emailing, asking questions. But most of all, I think it's important that they. understand that there's always a place for, there's a place for everyone who wants to accomplish this dream of playing at the next level. And as long as you keep looking, you're going to find your place. And I think that's the most fulfilling part of this is that I'm so happy about the school I'm going to and the team I'm going into. I thought I would have had to sacrifice like something to get this dream, but I'm actually all around happy about where I'm going. And I think it's important that they keep that in mind. to always go for their top dream. Absolutely. There is a place where you can check most of your boxes. You were easy. I've got clients and I've got student athletes that, I've got to have this, and this. Well, there's 50 schools in the country that fit all those things. So we've got our work cut out for us, but you have a, you have an unusual major with environmental science. Not a lot of schools have that really want that hands on experience. And you wanted a school that was going to offer that. Yeah. You want a chance to play right away because you had offers where coaches were basically saying you can come here and start. And, and let's talk about that because I think that's, that speaks dramatically to your maturity in this process. You did have other offers, you did have other places and that was our goal that we wanted to be able to compare and contrast and go, okay, where's best for us. What was that like having multiple offers and you had some choices in yet? I never thought I would have had multiple offers in the first place. So it was like not, I'm not underwhelmed, but just unexpected, I guess, that I had actually a choice. And for the schools that had offered me so easily you have a starting spot on my team. I right when you come in, I have a perfect this is for you. It made me I was used to having to fight for, a chance to get that option. So it made me a little skeptical at first, as to, like, how come I just have a starting spot? Just made me want to look a little bit more into the program. And that kind of taught me to ask about positions, ask about what's your record, how are you guys doing this past season? What are you expecting for the next season? So for me, it didn't really, starting was always a, it's a dream, but for me, it's also about the team. And I understand as a player. That has played in volleyball and on other sports too for a while that it all it's all about the team goal and just so happens like you don't blend with the team. Why would you guarantee a starting spot? So it showed me a lot about like the coaches culture and how they run their team and their priorities. So that opened my eyes definitely when it came to that situation and having options just made it a lot easier for me to look at every program. In a different point of view and to try and see okay, where would I fit? Where do I want to go? Here's a scary stat for you over the last eight years, 41 percent of all incoming freshmen student athletes that were recruited 41 percent transfer or quit. So I'm getting that stat. Cause I want you to think about now the process you went through, you looked at a lot of schools, you got multiple offers. You asked really hard hitting questions. You went, you completed your process. You didn't cut any corners. Can you see why kids that maybe get that first offer and says, somebody says you can come in and start and they jump at it and maybe they end up quitting or transferring a year from now? Oh, yeah. I definitely think they took, they probably just jumped at the first, like you said, jumped at the first opportunity of a starting position and didn't really take the chance to step back and look like this is the school. This is the program. Like you're not just entering the team. You're entering the school. You're entering a new part of your life. Like you don't have the comfort of your home. So it's important that you not only match that. One part of the team, but you match the school to you and you match the coach and teammates. You have to make sure all around that it's like perfect, like not perfect, but it checks most of your boxes. So yeah, I can definitely see how you can be misled and just take the first opportunity. And then when you're in there that year, you're like, Oh, this wasn't such a good idea. Right. Well, kiddo, I'm so proud of you. You're, I call you rockstar cause you are. Grades are great, and you've earned this opportunity to go play at a really good school. You're going to be at Whitman College. Is that right? Is it college? Whitman College. And then you're leaving in two weeks and I expect great things. Do you want to talk about what we talked about before we recorded about what I advised I gave you over these next two weeks? Yeah. So for these next two weeks, after I finish all of my registration and all those things and find out my roommate. So important thing is to connect with my roommate. And to make sure that we have stuff clear, basically a clear line of communication and saying I'm going to bring this, you're going to bring this, what's your lifestyle like and living, getting familiar before we get there so that it's not too all of a sudden all at once. Yeah. And then. Getting to these next two weeks, you were telling me that it's important for my conditioning and for my lung capacity coming from Hawaii, I'm used to playing at sea level every once in a while, of course I go to the States and play up there, but you know, my normal is at the sea level and my lung capacity changes with elevation. So getting in shape and really training my lungs to stay in condition for these next two weeks are top priority for when I go into season. If you're getting oxygen to your brain and you feel like you're good, you're listening more, you're healthy more, you're going after balls more you're into the drills more, you're learning faster. So conditioning is such a big part of those last couple of weeks of summer before you go play, because you're going to be nervous. Yeah. So that nervousness is going to eat up a lot of that oxygen because your brain's working so hard to learn everything. And the better the shape you're in, when you start the more success you're going to have quicker. So great job. You're going to, you're going to do great. I can't wait to follow you and see how, and see your games and your season and you're going to do great. Thank you so much for everything. I really appreciate it. Well, it's my pleasure. Thanks for doing this with me and talking about your journey. It's, it was a fun one. Yeah, of course. All right. Great job. We'll see you soon. Yes, I will see you soon. I'll let you know about all that stuff we talked about. Great. Thank you, Coach Rogers. Well, that's a wrap for this episode of the significant coaching podcast. I'd like to thank the fabulous Haley Preuss from Lanakila volleyball academy on the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii, who expect to have a great freshman season at Whitman college. She was a pure joy to coach. And I'm greatly looking forward to all she will do in her life. If you're enjoying these conversations, I encourage you to subscribe on the platform of your choice. If you're interested in working with me or scheduling me to speak at your school or organization, you can schedule a free strategy session with me@coachmattrogers.com. Hey, thanks again for listening. Have a significant week. Goodbye.