Paying tribute to Dan Kaplan with his column advocating for young volleyball players

My friend Dan Kaplan died April 3 at 58. His death from a heart attack left the Northern California volleyball community stunned and in mourning for a man whose predominant aim in life was to help.

When I came on the scene in 2000, Dan was the owner of Vball.com, the only site for national high school coverage on the Internet. He also was recruiting coordinator for Vision Volleyball Club. He eventually began offering his recruiting expertise to other local clubs and to individuals through CBound, a free service intended to educate players (and their parents) seeking the right college fit.

Dan was always kind, always giving of his time, always the good guy, mediator and go-between when there was a problem.

I will miss him. I cannot believe he’s gone.

As Minnesota coach Keegan Cook told us, “Dan Kaplan was an persistent advocate for coaches and for athletes. He believed in the mission of sport and value of volleyball in young peoples’ lives.”

You can read more about Dan here.

Dan wrote for me for a time at PrepVolleyball.com. His articles were very well-received.

Enjoy one he penned for me nine years ago. You’ll find it still has relevance today.

Peace be with you, Dan:


Stop The Insanity of the Early Commitment!
An Open Letter to Parents, Players and College Coaches

Next year will be my 20th in the junior volleyball scene. While it has been filled with rewards, the past three to four years have worn me down.

I am tired of trying to diminish the anxiety of parents and athletes in the sophomore and junior classes who worry that if they do not commit ‘now’ that they will be left without a good option.

I am also tired of hearing from college coaches who are frustrated because a player wants to transfer or quits, or they feel as though a player is not turning out to be a good fit, and hopes they move on.

Families and college coaches have control to end the lunacy of committing to college far in advance of when a student would actually enroll. This trend is ruining the ability for both sides to have a good feel for each other.

My first recollection of an issue was all the way back in the year 1999, when I sat with Debbie Green at a club tournament. At the time Debbie was the highly regarded Assistant Coach at Long Beach State. She was recruiting Kelli Walsh, a setter that would end up arriving there the year after Misty May’s MVP season. Debbie mentioned to me how she did not understand the way…