Episode #177: Danlynn Silva on Recruiting

 “Auntie Dani” on Recruiting, Relationships & Finding the Right Fit | Part II

Danlynn Silva, the new Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at Cameron University, joins the Significant Recruiting Podcast for a powerful conversation on recruiting, relationships, communication, and helping student-athletes find the right college fit.

Drawing from her experiences as a player, longtime club director, parent, and now NCAA Division II head coach, Danlynn shares honest insight into what college coaches are really looking for during the recruiting process. She discusses the importance of body language, communication, effort, trust, and why families need to stop focusing only on Division I labels and start focusing on fit, growth, and long-term happiness.

This episode also explores the Hawaiian concept of relationships and family culture, including why Danlynn prefers her athletes call her “Auntie” instead of “Coach.”

Topics include:
 🏐 What college coaches notice immediately
 📧 How recruits should communicate with coaches
 👀 What stands out during evaluations
 🌺 Hawaii culture and relationship-building
 🎓 Why fit matters more than division
 👨‍👩‍👧 Advice for parents, club coaches, and recruits

🎧 Listen at:
 coachmattrogers.com/podcast

📺 Watch at:
 youtube.com/@CoachMattRogers

Transcript

0:10

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. Today is part two of my conversation with Dani Silva, the new head women's volleyball coach at Cameron University, and this conversation is packed with insight for recruits, parents, and coaches alike. One of the things I appreciate most about Dani is that she's experienced recruiting from almost every angle imaginable, as a player, an assistant coach, a club director, a parent, and now a head college coach building her own roster. Throughout this conversation, you'll hear her emphasize that recruiting should be built around relationships, honesty, communication, and finding that right fit, not just chasing the division label. We talk about what college coaches did well with her athletes and her own children, what families need to understand about the process, and what truly stands out to her when evaluating recruits. And honestly, one of the best takeaways from this episode is her reminder that the goal isn't simply to play Division I. It's to find a place where a student athlete can thrive academically, athletically, socially, and personally. And as always, don't forget to subscribe, share the show, and check out our new weekly blog, along with recruiting resources, books, journals, and strategy sessions at coachmattrogers.com and our YouTube channel at Coach Matt Rogers. All right. Let's get into part two with Cameron University head volleyball coach, Danlyn Silva. Welcome back to the Significant Coaching podcast. I've got the incomparable, Coach Dani Silva here, and she, is the new head coach at Cameron University, NCAA Division II. If you didn't listen to part one, go back and listen to part one. And I'll tell you, if you want college athletics to feel a certain way, you want it to be authentic, you want it to be about love and trust and growth and development and family, I don't know if there's anybody gonna do it better than you, Coach Dani. 'Cause you get that. It's who, who you are to the soul, and I'm excited to see everything you're gonna do moving forward. But let's talk a little recruiting, shall we? Shall we? Yeah. Thank you, Matt. My pleasure. I'm gonna take you back to your club coach days to start with, okay? Mm-hmm. 'Cause you had a ton of talent, including this fabulous young lady that's transferring in to play for you this year. Your daughter's gonna come play for you. Talk a little bit about how you perceived recruiting from a club coach's perspective. Recruiting, huh? It was, I gotta say, it was new, right? Right. Getting into that realm of all of that, right? Having to be on the other side now, and trying to s- reach out to coaches. It was, I guess at, at tournaments, a little overwhelming when all the coaches wanna come and talk to them, right? Right. And so getting to know that process, you know, talking to them, if they can talk to them, what age, right? If they're too young. You know, when you have big middles, right? Of course, everybody, all the coaches wanna talk to them, right? Right. 'Cause they're 6'4", you can't teach 6'4", and so all of a sudden, "Oh, I can use her," right? But knowing age-wise. So I think for us, with the recruiting practi- practi- um, process, excuse me, we needed to learn those type of things, where we can step out of it or not, right? 'Cause we just thinking in Hawaii, "Eh, we're just gonna talk to the coach. Yeah, no big deal." Mm. Have, drop a con- conversation. Um, knowing, I think, as far as the recruiting part of that, is just having them see what our girls are about. You know what I mean? Like, them understanding the way that Hawaii is, and hoping that they will take what we're about and maybe turn around and love them. Having them understand that these kids need to be loved, and that you're making a promise. Your promise is to take care of them, and I'm hoping that they can take that with them. So like, as a recruiter coming in to understand that, and knowing that kind of stuff and the promise you make to them is very big. So for us in the recruiting process is hoping that when we talk to the coaches, we can try and see that so that we can send our kids to somewhere we know that they're gonna be okay. Yeah. And that's why I know you're gonna do more than well recruiting, because you're gonna have families lining up, and the hardest thing for you i- in recruiting is gonna be telling kids no. You're, you know, telling kids they don't, you don't have a spot here. Might... Tell me I'm wrong. You're definitely wrong, 'cause then, I mean, you're definitely right, because for us, like, we had this one kid, and then when she told us no, I was like, "Oh." You know what I mean? Like- It breaks your heart, doesn't it? Like, wait, what just happened here? But it, you know what I mean? Like, I was just like, "Wow, is that what it feels like?" Right. Honestly, you know what I mean? Right. And then he was like, "Yeah, but you just gotta move on." And I think- Yeah we're both in that situation, because even when we do something wrong, wrong, or, your word means something, right? So when you tell them something and then all of a sudden it's like, "Huh? She just told me no." Yeah. You know what I mean? Right. Like, you j- so I think yes, I think it's, that's what it's gonna be, knowing that you can't be fully attached at this moment, 'cause you're- Right you, you can show and truly love on them when they get here, but- Right you have to put your best foot forward, I get that part. But when they do tell you no, you're like, "Holy crackers." Right. Yeah. "She just said no." "Who can destroy your week?" Yeah. Yeah. I put so much into this kid. I'd already envisioned how I was gonna coach them, I already envisioned how they were gonna play for us, and what we were gonna do with them, and now they're not coming here. Yeah. I tell kids this all the time, 'cause they're, they're so afraid to, you know, to call a coach and say, "Coach, I'm sorry, I'm not gonna come there." I said, "This is just part of the job, you know?" Right. A college coach might talk to 150, 200 kids over the course of a year. They're not getting 150, 200 kids, you know? Right. And that's, we're gonna have to say no to each other every once in a while, and that's just, that's part of this process. What are some of the things you saw college coaches do with your daughter and the girls on your club team that you were like, "Gosh, that felt, that made us feel good"? That you were, you just liked how they treated your kids, or how they talked to them? I, when, I like that they come and they approach and they talk. Mainly they talk to Royden, and you know, and I, here and there they'll talk and communicate with me. But I like how they approach him, ask him, "Oh, you know, hey, can I talk to you? I wanna talk about so and so." But not full, like some of the coaches that came across, it wasn't just fully business. You know what I mean? Like, they could, like, ask how you're doing, and this and that, and wanting to know about the kids, which was good, which is what I like. As a process for my daughter, I like that the coach had, she reached out to us and said, you know, "Hey, we're doing this, this, and this, and I'm gonna meet so and so." But also gave them responsibility. Like, having to make sure they make initiative, you know what I mean? Knowing that they're the age that can be talking to the coaches. So giving more on them. How much do you want it? How much are you as a player and how much do you want it? You know what I mean? Like, having to remind them, like, "Hey Matt, did you reach out to them? 'Cause she wants to know what court you're gonna be playing on." Right. You know what I mean? So I like the process of when they're at that age where they can reach out to the kid, but also let us know what's going on, and now it's your job to just kinda, like, nudge you and be like, "Hey, did you do what you wanted?" Yeah. You know what I mean? So I think the way that they approach us and ha- like, wanna have a conversation and get to know the kid, you know? Yeah. And so we had experiences that were great like that, and some were just kinda like, I guess maybe it's their personality too, 'cause some of them can be really brash. So it depends on, I guess, who comes across, too. And then you have others that this is all they want, like real robotic. Yeah. Just like, you know what I mean? It's hard to have a conversation and let them know what the kid's about if they're not about that. Well, talk a little bit about that other side. What are the, some of the things that maybe you learned that you're like, "I'm not recruiting that way. I'm not gonna be that person for a kid that I'm interested in." Are, are there some of those things that just clearly you know, and you're like, "I am not doing it that way." I feel like you have to have a personality, right? You have to come across, and you have to ask them... You, you wanna know about them first, right? Instead of just like, "Okay, I'm looking for this and this and this," right? You be like, "Hey Matt, how are you?" Yeah. "Tell me a little bit about yourself." Right. You know what I mean? You, you wanna make them feel comfortable first before you give them a million questions and be like, "Hey, do you wanna do this? Do you wanna sign here? Do you wanna do these things?" For me, I look at it differently, right? I wanna approach you, and, and draw up a relationship and have a communication with you, and openly so you're comfortable when you share with me. Right. So I feel like I would rather make an approach that way. Yeah. Well, I think that goes back to your, your culture. You know, we don't need a contract. Right. You know, we, we can shake hands and have an agreement, and we know we're gonna, we're, we're gonna do what we told, told you, right? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Does, does there have to be a signing day? Yes. If I tell you you're gonna get this much scholarship, I'm gonna make sure you get it. Yes, we're gonna put that in writing. But it's that, again, it's that love and trust that we're, we're gonna be honest with each other and... But a part of that is getting to know each other before we even get that. Let's not worry about scholarship. Let's not worry about whether you're gonna come here or not. Let's, let's see if we like each other first, right? And, and I agree, and I think that's what it is. And I think that if my husband, if we could just do a handshake all the time, he would love it. He just doesn't like to do paperwork. But- Yeah, yeah. Yeah you know what I mean? And I, and I think that's a big plus, right? 'Cause you've gotta know if personalities are gonna mesh together. Yeah. Yeah, I love that. I wanna get into some advice for kids and parents and high school coaches and club coaches, but let's, let's talk a little bit about how you watch games and, and how you visualize that. When you watch, whether you're watching film or you're watching kids play live, what are some of those things that jump out at you from a skill set that get you excited about that kid, that makes you think, "I can work with that kid. That kid can help us"? Look at basic, uh, ball control. That's a big thing, right? Yeah. Your, your techniques, right? What makes you positive and sometimes negative towards it, right? Movement, the passion behind it, your movement, if you're lazy or not. You know, that kinda stuff. Just your body language. And don't get me wrong, there's kids that can be where they look like they're laz- lazy, but they're working hard. Right. And it's just because some people are just gifted that way, right? They're just made to- Yeah play volleyball. Yeah. Right? So it's just, it's something that you have to, like, constantly watch them and see and then be like, "Oh, no, they are working hard." So, you know, when I look at the game, I look at body language, about ball control, your structure, how you carry yourself, if you are happy when you, when your teammate makes a great thing, or are you only about yourself? You only, you only... You know what I mean? That kinda stuff. I look at things like that. Right. Like, if you only celebrate when it's you, Matt, versus me making a kill. You know what I mean? So that kinda stuff. And I watch it, like, over and over. Like, if I watch film, I'm being like... And I think I analyze it too much, but I just wanna see what and what and how sh- you do things, right? Yeah. I do, if I wa- ooh, if I watch live, then I watch your o- off, on and off the court interaction. That's important to me. Body language, relationships. Yes. Right. Absolutely. How you address your coach, how you address your teammates, how you address your parents. That's important to me. Big stuff. Because respect is big, right? So I, I feel like that's how I watch, you know, just, and a person you are. That just gives me more knowledge of what type of person you are. Are you the type of recruiter that if you see something, you see all those things, and you see it in, you know, you see it in the first set? You know, they're, they're, they're holding their frame, they're high-fiving, they're treating everybody with res- respect. Can you let go of that, or are you all in on that kid if you see the things you love? Are you that type of... 'Cause I, I always struggle with that. You know, there's, there's coaches that'll watch a kid play four or five times. They wanna see them over six to 10 months and repeat those things, and they don't really allow themselves to get attached until a certain point. How are you with that? I'm a sucker. I'm one of those that are all in. I am too. I am. I'm like, "No," you know? And then my husband will be like, he's the, he's the person on the shoulder like, "Are you sure?" And you're like, "No, for real." Like, "Look at..." Ah. "Yeah, but this," and I'm like, "Yeah, but I think we could do..." Yes, I'm, I'm one of those suckers that I feel like- Yeah if I have a connection and I feel like you have all of these things, 'cause you can always teach, right? Right. You can always... You're gonna, you're gonna work on and teach and change things based on your vision. But if they're, where they have all the tools and you can work with it, I'm sold. Well, it's, it's, it's what we do too. If, if you go to one of these events, you know, and anybody that has a kid that's playing club volleyball knows what we're talking about. There's 110 courts. Oh my lord. And you can, and you can sit there and watch game after game after game, and you're just like, "Ah, I just wanna see this." And all of a sudden, a kid does it. You know? And does all those things you're looking for, and you go, "Oh, I've waited for two days for this." Like, like, where you been all my life? That's right. It's love at first sight- when a kid can kick it up. I love it. Hey, hey. I had a feeling you and I shared that. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. But I, I think it also talks a little bit about how important your priorities are to you that you know them very quickly when you see them, but you don't see them very often because you do have such high standards. Correct. Yeah. Right? Yeah. Um, if you see a kid that has a lot of those things, but there's some things that you're unsure about, will you address that? Will you talk to the kid about, say, "Hey, I love this and this, but I wanna see a little bit more of this out of you"? Yes. I would. And it's just so that, not necessarily for me, but that would be for the next coach coming. Yeah. Right? 'Cause you kinda have a, a line of what we all see, and especially if it's general, right? Like, you need to work on facial expressions, or you need to- Yeah work on body language, right? It's just like a, like, a tip for them. 'Cause you might not work out in our program, but there is other programs out there that you will work in. Yeah. But just letting you know that this is what we wanna see. And that's just, that's just being honest, to be hon- You know what I mean? Like, and that's things that all the coaches tell them, right? You gotta work... You know, they work- watching you off the court. Like, every aspect matters. And to just give them a piece of advice, I think they should take it far. Yeah. And it's, it's one of the things now that I'm at 30,000 feet and I'm not coaching or recruiting my own program anymore, I can, I can say these things. And I'm sure I wasn't very good of that, good at them when I was a head coach. But there's times where I wish coaches would look at a kid, they'd watch their film, and just send an email back and say, "Hey, we like you." Here's two things that we've got to see you improve. And I know that's so hard as a head college coach, especially if you're getting 100 emails a day, which you're gonna start getting if you're not getting them- Oh, yes already, is, is just taking that time to say, "Hey, right now you're not a good fit, but this is what we would need to see for us to reconsider you." Yeah. And I think kids need that. They, 'cause they're not getting that from anywhere else. There's nobody at the college level that's giving them feedback. So the, that's why I take it so personally. When I have, when a kid asks me, sends me film, I say, "Here's your reality. You know, you gotta do this and this. You do this really well, but you gotta do this and this." No, and I agree to that. Yeah. 'Cause you can always respond and say that, "Here's your reality." But then you can always, you can always back it up with, "But that was a great... You did a great dig or whatever." Right. Still positive reinforcement, right? Just to know that they're not dead in the water, right? They still, there's still positive things out of it, right? It's just that we need to tweak these. So I, I feel like for me that's something that I'm, I would always put my best foot forward with kids, is that if we have to correct them, you always back it up with a positive. Right. So like I said, that is, you're pro- absolutely right. If we can email more of them, because a lot of them email and they get no response. Right. Right? Yes. Right? I mean, that is the reality of it, right? 'Cause you just said there's so many out there, and, and some of them, it just d- depends on how they take it, right? They're gonna take it and run with it and be better, or they're just gonna take it and sulk and just not do anything, and that's on them. That's right. But it's just trying to make them better, right? To help them be better. It's funny, and I wanna get your perspective on this. I, you know, I... Kids send me film all the time. And, and it's, I get baseball film, I get football film, basketball film, volleyball, softball. You name it, I get film. Kids wanna, mom and dad want me to evaluate them and give them the reality, and I love doing that. And I was watching film with a kid the other day over Zoom, and she sent me her film. And we got on Zoom just to watch it together, and I said, "Okay, I'm gonna show you 30 seconds of you, and I want you to tell me, I want you to look at your film from a coach's perspective, and I want you to tell me how you would evaluate you." And we watched it, and there were four digs in a row where she dove or got, had to go to her knees, or had to fall down to get it. She made the pass, hit her setter, you know. And I go, "Tell me how you would evaluate what you just saw there." And she goes, "Well, I think I did pretty good. I showed my hustle. I showed I can get to balls." And I go, "I can probably show that 30 seconds to every college volleyball coach in the country, and they're all gonna tell me the same thing. Can she make that pass without falling down? Can she stay on her feet?" Right. She goes, "Oh, I didn't even think about that." How do you feel about that? When you see a kid really hustling- But it's because they didn't anticipate or they didn't get their feet there or they reacted late. D- does that mean anything to you when you see them always going down to their knees or always having to dive for balls? Yes, for sure. I think she forgot that we have these two legs and feet- that we can use to get to the ball. And I always, that's something that I always tell our club coach. I'm like, "Hey, guys. We have these two things here that was given to us that we need to use to make it happen." And I, and I feel like, and that, and you're probably, I would've told her the same thing. Like, you're... You can use these, and a lot of people don't use their legs to move to the ball, right? 'Cause they feel like if I give that hustle, that shows that, ooh, I'm amazing, right, 'cause I did that hustle, when reality, she could've made a better pass if she just moved her feet. Right. Yep. And it shows their ability to anticipate. It, it, they, they know how- Right to read the ball. All of that, yes. They know how to read the set, they know how to read the swing, you know. Yeah. And, and the more kids have that, the, really the higher level they can play- the better they are. For sure. Right? Yeah, and it's, and it's just simple, right? 'Cause volleyball is simple. I think later, I think in our world now, they're just making it so dynamic and this- Right and that, and I'm like, it's just basics that we just need to take and utilize, and it just- Yeah makes you better. Yeah. Gotcha. Same, same idea from the pin hitter's perspective. Are there things that you see where you're like, "Okay, that kid gets it"? What are, what are some things that get you excited about a pin hitter? Okay, so you know that our base is always ball control. So for me, when I look at a pin hitter for outside, you have to be able to pass a ball, right? 'Cause it's important, right? But the importance is to pass. Yeah. Right? That's, you know, play defense and then hitting comes to be, but we gotta be able to do all the first two first, right? If we can't pass, we can't do anything. Right. So their ball control, to me, is the most important thing, 'cause that tells me that they can, they're a six-rotation player, right? Because this is first. Passing is first. You gotta be able to play defense, and then you can hit the ball. The setter will put it out there, and I know you can do amazing things there, but I need you to do it the first ball contact. Right. And that's important to me, and that's what we see and that's how... You know, outside hitters are not just anybody that can walk in the gym. Let's just be honest. Passing is hard. It's not very easy. You know, that's a very hard thing to do. The balls are coming, the way people serve now, it's super competitive. So you being a passer that can be comfortable in your skin and be able to do it, then you're considered amazing, and you just can't walk in the gym and do that- Right to me. And so, like passers are given that gift to comfort the ball if they have to- You know what I mean? Don't move your arms. Get around it. Passing dimes if you have to. I just feel like you have that gift, and it's hard to find them nowadays. Yeah. And, and, and it's very important. So for me, that's what I vision a pin hitter to be. I know it's a lot, but that just makes life easier as a coach, 'cause I know that I can put you out there and you're gonna do your job. Yeah. Yeah. It's so funny, Coach, 'cause I'll have... I have the same conversation with basketball players. They'll send me film and I go, "There's no doubt you can shoot it. But that chair right there, you couldn't guard that chair, so I can't recruit you." You know? Mm-hmm. You can't keep in front of a ball handler. You know, and I think, I think you've said it best. With pin hitters, when you can swing, when you can really rocket it, it's great. But if I'm losing a point every f- four serves because you can't make the pass, it doesn't matter how well you can swing, you've gotta be able to do both. Yeah. Uh, I love that. Yeah. Um, let's give some advice to that 15, 16-year-old that really wants to play college volleyball. What would you tell them, um, about communication with college coaches? What are some of the things that they should be doing to get a coach's attention, or to get your attention? Can I kinda like rewind a little bit and kinda- Please, please take a few steps back? Yeah. Can I be where I... For us to be able to share that type of information, I wanna know to share with parents and coaches that you need to understand that going to college is about an education, and it shouldn't be based on if you're only gonna play D1, right? All of these different levels of volleyball that's out here, everything at the end of the day is for you to walk home with that piece of paper and graduating and get an education, no matter which level you're at. So for me, recruiting-wise, I, I don't... I have a hard time with people coming where, "I'm only should be D1." And I have a hard time with college, uh, excuse me, club coaches or high school coaches saying that, "No, you should only be playing D1." No, it's not about that. It's at the end of the day, it's you getting a, if you can, getting a scholarship to lessen the pay and take that burden off your parents. If it's a free one, even better. And then you can go get your education and you take that piece of paper home. So for me, I like to change the outlook for high school and club coaches. And I, it's a personal experience that I have. We coach with a, a great friend of ours. Before, he used to only say, "No, it's D1 or nothing." Where I think our world has changed in that. I think that it's just too much of brainwashing. I want them to realize that your kid can go anywhere, and there's so many different levels of play. You know that. We can watch Texas, Nebraska- You know what I mean? Your kid might not be at that level, but that doesn't say that she can't accomplish at D3 NAIA, a j- a JUCO- That's true a D2 type of thing, a lower division one. But I, I just wanna change the mindset to know that it shouldn't have to be about the division. It should be where you're gonna fit to play volleyball and you get your education. So as far as recruiting-wise, you know, to share that with them. I want them to go in a open mind. I don't want them to go in knowing that if they were harpered by, "Oh, no, you should only play at this level." No, there's great things you can get at any level. And I just want you to be who you are, share what you're about, work hard at everything you do, and then you'll shine that way and not having to know, to pinpoint what division you wanna be. 'Cause in your mind, you may think you're at this division, but then in the world of volleyball, you should be here- Yeah 'cause you're gonna do better. So I, I, I just don't like that way of thinking nowadays. I agree. Right? You know what I mean? I agree. It shouldn't be about that division. It should be about getting there, play volleyball, have fun, and get a degree. Well, it's, it's... The, the analogy that I use is you tell me you wanna live in Paris, and that's all, the only place you wanna live in the world, "I wanna live in Paris." Well, what if you live in a box in an alley and that's all you can afford, do you still wanna live there? You know, what, what, what if you can't speak the language and nobody understands you or your culture, you can't find the things that you need, do you still wanna live there? Or you're not treated right, do you still wanna live there? So, for, for kids, I think the advice you just gave is right on. Stop worrying about the division, start thinking about what you, what makes you happy. Yeah. You know, c- are you a kid that can learn in a lecture hall with 300 other kids, or do you need a classroom with 12 to 14 kids where you have that professor's attention? You know, so I totally agree. I don't think enough kids think about how they tick, and I- Yes and I think a lot of times it's the parents that are saying, "We need this. We need the money" or, "We need, you know, we've, we've already put $50,000 into your club career, we need to get that money back." You know? No, yeah. "We didn't do this so you could go to a D3." Well, that D3 might be perfect for that kid, right? Right. And then, you know, education-wise, they might be amazing and they get all the scholarships, right, academically. Right. Right? And, you know, and maybe less stress. Maybe they wanna play volleyball at a D3 and, but be a doctor. Yeah. I mean, at, at the end of the day, the doctor is what it is. That's right. You know? So I just feel like, you know, just to give them advice always to work hard, but just don't be so s- fixed on just one thing. Broaden your horizons and put yourself out there. And that one person might come to you, might even be D3, but they're gonna touch your heart and you're gonna know, you're gonna love them forever. Yeah. They're gonna make an impact on your life. Yeah. I love that advice. Um, how do you... If kids have done the research, they wanna go to school in Oklahoma, they think Cameron's got their major, they wanna play for you, how do you want kids to reach out to you? They can call, they can email me, send me video. Um, I like when they do that, to be honest, 'cause this whole new recruiting thing, right, having us go in the portal. But when they reach out to us, they send these great emails, and that tells a lot about them. Mm-hmm. Right? How they structure, how they do, how they put themselves out there, the type of questions they ask, you know. So I like receiving videos, and I always hope and pray that their videos are great and not so grainy. Just makes it easier for us to see you, right? Yeah. But I like when they reach out. Sometimes, you know, like, ca- calling, I'm okay with that too, it's just that when the midst of all these things I feel bad if I can't touch that phone call. But emailing is the best, because then that's something I can visually see. Yep. And then you can write what you feel and how... And it comes across, and it's just easier for us to get back to you that way. Yeah. It's tough to return a phone call when you've been working all night and you finally get into bed at 10:00 o'clock and you got a chance, you can look at your email and go, "Oh, I could respond to this kid right now," or, "I'm at the doctor's office waiting for 20 minutes to get my appointment. I've got some time to s-" It's hard to make a phone call back, but I agree with you. I appreciate that, too. Any advice for club and high school coaches that are helping their kids with the recruiting experience? Just be honest with them. Like, you know, let them know, reach out, reach out to the coaches. Go to camps, 'cause they got coaches there. You know what I mean? People will be there. Coaches are there. I'm, I'm going to a Houston Skyline camp here in May. I'm excited. You, you, they have, they're bringing kids in there, and then you can get feedback firsthand- That's right by coaches being present. If you can afford it, or if that's one of your things, if, even if it's one camp a year 'cause that's what you can afford, go do the experience- Yeah to see what's out there. It's chapter two in my book, my Significant Recruiting book, is learning your value. It's, it's hard to know where to call and where to look if you don't know how good you are and you don't know where your value is. So the more opportunities you can get in front of college coaches to get that feedback is so important to every kid. Coach, thank you so much for doing this. I'm so happy for you and Royden. I'm so happy for your family, that you get to be together and you get to do this thing that you do so well and you love. Mahalo, and you know you've got me when you need me. Thank you, Matt. I appreciate everything. You take care of yourself And that's a wrap for part two with our conversation with Cameron University head volleyball coach Danlyn Silva. I think one of the things I'll remember most from these conversations is hearing her talk about relationships and culture through the lens of her Hawaiian background. I love understanding how auntie and uncle are terms of respect and endearment in Hawaii, and the fact that she would rather her players call her auntie than coach tells you everything you need to know about the type of environment she wants to build at Cameron University. It's not just about wins and losses for her It's about connection and trust and family and creating a place where people genuinely feel cared for. And honestly, I think that mindset carried throughout this entire recruiting conversation. Danlyn consistently talked about honesty, communication, fit, and helping student athletes find the right place for them, not just chasing a scholarship or a division label or someone else's expectations. She values things that don't always show up in a highlight video, body language, effort, respect, relationships, and how athletes treat the people around them. A huge thank you to Danlyn for joining us, and congratulations again to her and her family as they begin this exciting new chapter at Cameron University. And as always, make sure you subscribe to our newsletter at coachmattrogers.com so you don't miss any of our tips on recruiting and coaching, our podcasts, our blogs, and all the resources we provide every week for our families and coaches. You can also follow us on YouTube at Coach Matt Rogers if you wanna watch our conversations Until next time, stay focused on what you can control, stay humble, and keep chasing significance.