Now that the school year is winding down and parents are looking at things to do with their little ones while school is out, I thought I’d put down in writing some of the things I learned along the way of eight years of club volleyball

It all starts innocently enough.  You look through the local newspaper or city rec department  and see that there are beginner volleyball lessons for kids ten and under.  They might call them “drop ins” where you don’t have to sign up or commit to anything.  Just bring your budding athlete for some inexpensive instruction.  Look honey, it’s volleyball.  Star of family picnic games and highlight of that resort you stayed at in Cancun.  It seems like every hotel on a beach has a volleyball court and it gets used a lot.  Let’s sign up, why not?  After all, isn’t volleyball fun?  Even people who aren’t very good at volleyball enjoy volleyball…. Ever watch Meet the Parents?  FUN!  

The Basics  

If you decide to “drop in” on a few classes at your local club, you’ll soon be approached about their Tweens program.  They might say that your child seems to be having a good time or that your child seems to be picking up the fundamentals rather quickly and he/she may want to matriculate to the next level.

All clubs have what is akin to a developmental squad…. The future players of the club.  They are the little ones.  The early starters are about ten years old.  Any earlier than that and keeping the ball in the air is a challenge for those little frames who are still developing their coordination.  The time and financial commitment are more than the drop ins, but you get a club coach who is usually very good with the little ones being very supportive and encouraging.  They will compete against other club’s tweens (AKA Club Lite in some places) and it’s a great entre into the competitive side of the game.  It will also give you a flavor for the club and the culture that drives them.  By the time your child turns 12, it will be time to age out of the game or step up your commitment onto a club team.

If you’re going to stick around, count yourself lucky as Orange County is the mecca of club volleyball in SoCal.  Teams from as far away as Mammoth Mountain to the north, Vegas to the east and deep San Diego to the south come here to compete in monthly tournaments.  The local governing body of the sport in Orange County is https://www.scvavolleyball.org/ or SCVA as it is called and they are very organized.  They stipulate when tournaments are, how teams are seeded, and where those teams play.  They also set the rankings of each team based on an algorithm I’ve yet to figure out.

Tryouts

SCVA mandates for no posted reason that all volleyball clubs must have their tryouts on the same weekend and a lot of the local clubs seem to schedule their tryout times for certain age groups at the same time, so it can be very difficult to get a sense of who the coach is going to be and what the team that you will be asked to commit to is going to look like.  In the 2022 year, club tryouts for the 14 and unders are the first weekend in October.  All clubs will run two days of tryouts and can offer a spot on their team(s) anytime during that weekend either live or later on the phone.  If you are offered, you can either accept the spot and, although not binding on the players, the team will reserve your position as contracts are not official until the following Tuesday when money is exchanged and uniforms are sized.  That is to say that if you are offered a spot on a team that you accept, and then you go to another try out and accept an offer there, you have a decision to make.  Sometimes, a club may make you an offer and ask for your commitment so that they can make an offer to another player.  The offer made may be conditional on your accepting it at that time as the club has a responsibility to fill their team that weekend…. It’s very stressful for everyone.

All of the clubs will have training classes and camps all throughout the summer.  This is the time to find a place that feels like home and where your daughter feels a connection.  If you can narrow your “thumbs up” club to two and frequent their sessions,  you’ll be sending  a distinct message to that club that you are interested and you’ll be trying out there.  It’s best to introduce yourself to the coach running the sessions and the club director so they know who you are and can get a sense of what kind of player and family they are going to be potentially dealing with during the season. It’s a great time to have your child do a little selling of her own and encourage her to let her intentions be known to the coaches.  This goes a long way as competition for a spot on the better teams at the better clubs is very competitive and there really should be no more than 12 girls on a team…..any more players rostered is pushing it for many  reasons.  I’ve seen triple the amount of girls that could fit on teams show up to tryouts, so there are obviously some disappointed kids that are not getting offered.

The Teams

Volleyball teams at clubs are ranked by numbers.  They will refer to their top teams as “The Ones”, the next team down would be “The Two’s” etc.  If your daughter is asked to join the 3’s team, then you know where you stand.  Some teams have as many as five levels in an age group, other smaller ones may have only one team. One question I always ask the coach upon offer is “Do you play to win or do you play to develop”.  If you are asked to be on the one’s, chances are the girls that give the team the best chance to win will get the majority of the play time.  You may be super excited to get an offer on a top team and your daughter may find herself at the bottom of the depth chart and standing on the sidelines for 6 hours during a tournament.  The flip side to that is you may get an offer for a lower team and find yourself as a bigger fish in a smaller pond, get a ton of playtime and maybe lose a lot.  Deciding on the lesser of these evils depends on the kind of kid you have.  I’ve been in both places and they both have their challenges.  When we first started on our volleyball journey, I had a coach tell me that if he didn’t have 1/3 of the parents wanting to kill him, he wasn’t doing his job…. So take that in the spirit in which it’s intended.  In the end, I think the best thing is to be on a team where your kid is not the very best and not the worst.  You want her to be challenged to improve, but you also want her to make a contribution for her own sense of self-esteem and self-worth.

The Cost

How much?  Get ready because this could make all the information I shared completely irrelevant.  

·      Summer sessions will usually be around 12 hours per week and cost about $250 per week

·      Club dues and uniform will run you $5500 on average for the season.  Some are more and a few may be a little less.

·      Be prepared for local tournament costs-  parking can cost you up to $20 per car. Admission to watch can be $10 per person and concession prices rival Disneyland.  

·      Travel tournaments-Most teams will get at least two travel tournaments.  One or both will be in Las Vegas.  All clubs have travel fees for the coaches stipend and expenses as well as your own travel and hotel rooms.  Also, plan on missing a little school and work as well.  You may find yourself in Orlando, Reno, Phoenix, Salt Lake, Spokane, or Indianapolis also.  Be prepared.

·      Practices are usually two hours and three times a week.  Carpools are gold, but not always possible.  Time is money.  I’ve spent a lot of money at Starbucks getting work done waiting for practice to be over.

So there you have it….  This is where a few drop in classes could lead.  Of course the benefits of achieving goals set, making a commitment, being a part of a team, making friends and coping with the adversity that is sure to occur are priceless life  lessons, and selfishly it’s a ton of fun to watch your kid reach for their potential.  

*this is an Orange County, California experience  but seems to be pretty consistent with our experience and interaction with other members of the volleyball community.

About the Author:

John Schulman is an involved Orange County Sports Dad with kids that have experience multiple club sports at various levels. He is happy to help parents navigate the Club Volleyball scene. He has provided some images of local OC clubs below.

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