A NEW PARENT/PLAYER GUIDE TO CLUB VOLLEYBALL

So, you have decided to play club volleyball, or are thinking about it. It can be both confusing and intimidating for new people searching for opportunities. This guide will provide a basic introduction to club volleyball in the Northern Virginia (Loudoun County) area, along with frequently asked questions and answers.

What is Club Volleyball?

The first thing you should do is click the link below and read the Guide to Club Volleyball in Northern Virginia by the NoVa Volleyball Alliance. They do a great job of breaking down the difference between club, travel and recreational (house league) volleyball and introducing many of the local area clubs.

https://www.novavolleyballalliance.org/clubguide

Where to start?

Go to clinics for each of the teams you are interested in playing for. During the months leading up to tryouts, each club holds prep clinics. The tryout isn’t where you want to meet the coach for the first time. They should know who you are ahead of time. By the time tryout day happens, most coaches already know who they want on the team and may only have one or two open slots they are waiting to fill.

How many places should I try out for?

Our best advice is to try out for several clubs that you are interested in playing for. You may not get offers from all the clubs, so this will provide you with options from which to choose. Also, trying out for multiple clubs will provide opportunities to meet other local players and coaches and see how different organizations handle the process. You can learn a lot about a club by how they run their tryouts.

What if I don’t get an offer right away?

Don’t panic. This happens every season. Most coaches don’t make all their offers right away- they want to keep some spots open until they have evaluated all the players.

Then they must wait on responses from players and will likely continue to reach out with offers through the end of the tryout period.

There will be teams still trying to form rosters after the Open Tryout Period. If you don’t have an offer by Monday, it is okay to reach out to the coaches and ask where you stand. The teams that don’t fill their rosters by Tuesday will likely have call back tryouts-you should actively seek out these opportunities if you are still looking for a place to play.

When are tryouts?

For the 2024-2025 season, the Tryout Period for U13 and U14 opens at 11:00AM on October 25th and runs until 10:00PM the following Tuesday (October 29th). For U15, U16, U17 Tryout Period opens at 11:00AM on November 1st and runs until 10:00PM the following Tuesday (November 5th). Per CHRVA (Chesapeake Region Volleyball Association) rules, no offers can be made prior to the Open Tryout Period, and once made, must be honored through the end of the Open Tryout Period. In other words:

If U13 or U14:

• You cannot tryout before 11:00AM on Friday, October 25th.
• No offers can be made before 11:00AM on Friday, October 25th
• All offers must be in writing- verbal offers are not acceptable.
• Once an offer is made, the player has until 10:00PM on Tuesday, October 29th to either accept or reject the offer.

If U15, U16 or U17:

• You cannot tryout before 11:00AM on Friday, October 25th.
• No offers can be made before 11:00AM on Friday, November 1st
• All offers must be in writing- verbal offers are not acceptable.
• Once an offer is made, the player has until 10:00PM on Tuesday, November 5th to either accept or reject the offer.

If you know where you want to play, and receive an offer there, you should accept the offer as soon as possible and let the other clubs know that you will not be accepting their offer. All offers expire at 10:00PM on Tuesday. Any offers made after that do not have to be held by the club if the player doesn’t accept right away.

Most of the local region clubs are affiliated with USAV (USA Volleyball) and governed by CHRVA, which is the local region for USAV. All these clubs must adhere to the rules established above. If a club is NOT affiliated with USAV they could potentially operate outside of these rules. Many clubs are affiliated with multiple governing organizations, such as JVA (Junior Volleyball Association) and AAU (Amateur Athletic Union), making it easy to register for tournaments throughout the season. If a club is NOT affiliated with USAV, it is worth a question to find out why.

What is best for my player?

Pat Powers is a world-class Volleyball coach and Olympic Gold Medalist (1984). Here are his 5 rules for junior athletics:

1. Everybody thinks they are better than they are.

2. Every parent thinks their son/daughter is better than they are.

3. Everybody wants to play with the better players.

4. Which means nobody want to play with the worse players.

5. Everybody thinks the first four rules do not apply to them.

So, let’s break this down a little further so that new parents and players can find the right fit their individual needs:

Here are a couple of questions that each family should consider clarifying which club may be the best fit for you each year. Note: your athlete must try out every year. There is no guarantee that you will make the same team each year, or that you’ll want to stay at the same club every year.

What is most important to you?

a. Having a great experience as a player/family.

b. Playing at the highest level possible (my daughter hopes to play D1 volleyball or go to the Olympics one day).

c. Improving as a volleyball player to prepare for her High School Varsity team.

d. Have a healthy volleyball/school/life balance.

e. Winning is more important than playing time.

Whereas these are not mutually exclusive, you are unlikely to find a place where all of these can be achieved simultaneously. Each club has its own vision and core values.

These should help you understand what is important to the club so that you can find one that best matches your values.

How much time do you want to invest?

The more robust programs may practice as many as 5 days a week, and travel all over the US looking to secure a bid to the National Championships. Conversely, there are other programs that are better suited to players who want to compete on a high level while still enjoying pursuits outside of volleyball. These clubs typically practice 2-3 times a week. Some programs run from November through May, while others go through July.

Some programs may play back-to-back-to-back weekends, while others may play tournaments every other weekend, or roughly twice a month. Be prepared to travel with your player for almost all the long holiday weekends. “Skipping a tournament” is not an option.

What type of club/team atmosphere will your athlete excel in?

The programs that tend to focus on winning above all else also tend to invest little time in soft skills and relationships. These types of clubs can be great places to learn, but know their coaches are not there to develop a relationship with the players. Some players excel in this environment. But parents beware- if this is not really what your player is looking for, or they are not fully prepared for the mental investment required, this can lead to a long season for everyone.

Other programs are more focused on providing a great experience while growing the whole person- using volleyball for a medium to teach life skills. While still others are looking to provide a good learning environment for the player to grow as a volleyball player. What is best for your family?

Also be aware of what other players are planning to accept offers from a club. You could have the best coach in the world but with the wrong group of players (and parents) there can be lots of drama and stress.

How much does Club Volleyball cost?

Okay, now is the time to panic.

Typically, the initial fees for club volleyball range from $2,500-$10,500 per season. This does not include travel costs, meals, or hotel accommodations. Typically, this also does not include costs associated with post-season play (additional practices, tournament fees, travel, etc.).

Assuming one multi-day tournament a month January-May, you can expect to pay an additional $2,500-$3,500 for hotel accommodations.

Travel costs will vary depending upon whether you are driving or flying, but a conservative estimate is to allow another $ 500-$1,000 for regional play and $4,000-$5,000 if you play for a team that is flying to tournaments.

A higher cost means better quality and value, right?

No. There are great coaches and teams in lower-priced programs and there are terrible coaches and teams in higher-priced programs. Do your homework. Talk to other parents and players. Research the clubs you are interested in - check out their vision statement, mission statement and core values. Talk with the coaches and administrators during open gyms and clinics. Make a short list of the clubs that best seem to represent the experience you are looking for. Questions to ask other families or players about their experience at a club:

• What was the best thing about your season?
• What was the hardest thing about your season?
• Do you feel like you got what you were expecting out of your season?
• How was the communication from Directors and Coaches at the team?
• Do you feel like you grew and improved as a player?
• Would you play there again?

Which age group should my athlete try out for?

The common ages for club volleyball are U13 through U17. The most popular age groups are at U14 and U15. Many clubs offer teams for U12 & U18. The age cutoff date for eligibility is July 1. Below is the matrix for the 2024-2025 season.

Most players play with their school-age peer group - meaning 7th graders play U13, 8th graders play U14, etc. However, sometimes a player is selected for a team that they are age-eligible for, based upon their birthdate. This isn’t a bad thing - it just means the family of the player must determine what is best for their player.

Some players (parents) want to play up to a higher age group. There are times when this is appropriate, and other times when this is likely not in the player’s best interest. Ask the coaches for an honest assessment before getting attached to this idea.

Typically coaches want players to play with their age-eligible group. The exceptions to this would be:

• When a player is dominant at their age group and would be better challenged at another level.

• When a player is the best option for a position amongst the available players, even though it is a higher age group.

• The coach has a clear plan for developing the player for future success.

If your player is unlikely to start and play every match at the higher age group, in the position that she is looking to develop in, you are better off playing at your eligible age than being on the roster of a higher team. Volleyball players improve through quality touches, under pressure. Practice time with older players is no substitute for tournament play to help develop as a player.

How do we narrow it down and select the best club for our athlete/family?

You must be a responsible consumer in this regard. The more you know, the more likely you are to make a decision that aligns with your expectations. Not all clubs are created equal. Each club has its own personality. Here is a list of common questions that you should use to help you peak behind the curtain and better understand the clubs that you are interested in:

• What is the club philosophy? To win? To improve? To have a great experience? Let them tell you in their own words where their passions are. Then verify they are telling the truth by asking existing parents/players if true.

• How many teams will you have at each age level? Some clubs have multiple teams for each age level. Mostly, talent is not equally distributed amongst these teams. Be clear on which team your player is being selected for.

• Who are the coaches at my age level? Know who the coaches will be for the teams you are targeting:

o What is their background in coaching?

o What is their coaching style?

o Is your athlete likely to be receptive to this coaching style?

• How is playing time allocated? This seems to be the source of most frustration as the seasons progress. Make sure you understand how court time is determined. If you understand, but don’t like how court time is determined, do everyone a favor, and move on. Expecting the coach’s philosophy on playing time to change throughout the season is like marrying a husband and expecting to change them into your Prince Charming- nope, it doesn’t work.

• How many players will you have on the roster? Size does matter. Twelve is the norm for volleyball rosters. This provides enough players for 6v6 competitions at practice. Ten is the perfect number for coaches looking to get every player in a match. Anything above twelve means someone is not getting quality touches during the season. Quality touches is the most important factor in player improvement.

• What position do you envision my athlete playing? You should be open-minded in this regard. Different coaches will see different qualities in different players. This doesn’t make it bad…it only makes it different.

• How many other players that play the same position (as my athlete) be on the roster? Volleyball players get better by playing volleyball.

• What are the club dues? Is there a payment schedule? When would the first payment be due?

• What is covered/not covered in the dues fee?

• Are there other financial obligations that are not part of the dues fee? Travel expense? Fundraising? Uniforms?

• What is the expectation for players and parents for volunteering? Some clubs have community service projects as part of their format. Some depend on parent volunteers to help perform administrative tasks related to the management of the individual teams. Know what you are signing up for.

• Where, when, and how often will this team practice? Make sure it fits into your schedule (if driving is required) as well as your players schedule.

• How many hours a week will this team practice?

• Are their weekend practices on weekends with no tournament?

• Are players allowed to play other sports during club volleyball season?

• What happens if my athlete must miss a practice? A tournament?

• How long is your season? When is the first practice? When is the last tournament?

• How far do you travel for tournaments?

• How many tournaments will you attend? When and where?

• Does your club accept practice players? If so, what is the fee for practice players? Practice player is a good option for an athlete who can’t commit to the full season or the travel requirements because they have other commitments or play a second sport, but still want to improve their volleyball skills.

When used in the team’s name, the descriptive designations are meaningless. If a team has Elite, Premier, Select, Sensational, Prime, Special, Premium, Marvelous in their name, they are describing who they aspire to be - not who they are or what kind of experience you can expect. Buyer beware - sometimes the marketing is better than the product. Be an informed consumer.

What are all the divisions?

Open Division is the top level of play in Juniors Volleyball, no matter what type of event (USAV/AAU/JVA). These will typically be the top-level teams at the event competing in this divisions. There is typically a smaller number of teams in this division at tournaments.

Club Division is the division that many teams from our area play in. This level of play offers great competition with like-level teams. Many 2–3-day tournaments offer Open & Club divisions only.

AAU and JVA Volleyball have distinct names for their divisions- provided here in order of the level of competition:

Open

Premiere

Club

Aspire

Classic

USA Volleyball uses the following designations for their divisions:

Open

National

USA

Liberty

American

Freedom

Patriot

Summation

The club volleyball experience can be both confusing and intimidating to new players and families. However, you are surrounded by coaches, parents and players that have prior experience, good and bad, that can help you navigate through the process of selecting clubs that best fit your needs. At the end of the day, there is no one-source solution that will work for every family. With this in mind, we will leave you with the following thoughts for your consideration:

1. If given the option of being a back-up player on a great team or being a starter on a good team, we recommend playing for the team where you will get the most court time in tournament play.

2. The club volleyball season is LONG. Pick an environment where you can grow as a person and a volleyball player and enjoy the experience.

3. The decision of which club is best for you is different for each player/family. Pick the one that is best for you. Once you have evaluated all the options and weighed the pros and cons, don’t let others influence your decision. Pick the team that is best for you and your long-term goals.