Club Volleyball 101: Try-Outs Part I - Picking a Volleyball Club

Believe it or not, some volleyball clubs around the United States begin junior girls club try-outs as early as July for teams that will be practicing and playing together in late Fall and January to June of the following year.  In this post I will address how to go about finding a club in your area and what to look for. 

There are a host of reasons for clubs holding "early" try-outs.  We actually liked getting it over-with before high school season began, but there are some who feel it's too early. In fact, there are some USA Volleyball (USAV) regions that require all clubs to wait until a date sometime in the Fall to begin holding try-outs.  If you are unsure of which Regional Volleyball Association (RVA) your city falls in, 

click here. 

Once you know what region you are in, you can visit their website and should be able to get a list (possibly links) of the various volleyball clubs in your area.  

WHICH CLUB SHOULD MY ATHLETE TRY-OUT FOR?

•  Begin your mission by creating a list of the clubs in your area using the info above and visit each club's website.*  Comb through each website carefully and realize they are putting their best face forward. No club is perfect. Our kids aren't perfect, and we, as parents are not perfect.
• At a minimum, write down for each club:

1. Club name
2. Try-out fee amount and deadline for early registration discount (usually there is a greater fee for "day of" registrations)  Many clubs have online registration forms you can submit.  (some take credit cards online, others you may have to send a check)
3. Dates and times each club is having try-outs for your athlete's age-group (oftentimes there are 2 try-out dates for each age group and usually they must attend BOTH!)
4. I would also record how many teams they had last year in the age group your athlete will be trying out for this year. (check to see which coaches coached that age group)  Many times the same coaches will coach the same age groups each year, but you can't count on this. Every year and club is different.
5. Where is the try-out is being held?

• One indication of a club's success is how well their top teams are doing at the regional and national level.  To some parents this is paramount, but I believe it is merely one piece of the equation. Generally the website is going to brag on those teams that did well regionally and nationally, so it will be easy to gain this information.  Your USAV region's website should also have some similar info.

• Check out the "Coaching/Staff " section of the club's website .  Most clubs will have short "Bio's" on each coach.  Your athlete's age and experience will have a lot to do with what kind of coach you might be looking for.  Keep in mind, you don't get to pick your child's coach!  They get to pick your kid!  Ideally you are looking for a club that has strong coaches for all of the teams in your child's age-group. It is probably unrealistic to expect every coach be top notch, but a knowledgeable, experienced, proven coach was always our #1 concern for our more experienced, elite athlete.  A less experienced, less developed player will do quite well with a coach that might have less coaching experience, but lots of playing experience.
• Try to find some parents of older volleyball players in your area and ask for their club recommendations. Don't just get one opinion.  Ask about team rules, travel policies, coaches and whether they've had good experiences.  What do they think of the club director and has their athlete had any bad experiences?
• Sometimes the high school coach can be a good resource, however many high school coaches are affiliated with or coach for a club team in the off-season.  Their opinion might be skewed toward that club, so be sure to ask for the top 3 clubs they would recommend. (and don't feel pressured to choose "the coaches club."
• Here is my Top Ten List of Things to Consider When Choosing a Volleyball Club

1. How good are their coaches? a) for the age group your athlete is trying out for, b) on the whole as a club, are the coaches well respected? Do the top teams in older age groups have assistant coaches?
2. Does the club have a reputation for being a well run club? (good communication with parents, organized, professional, respectful of athletes and parents?)
3. Where will your athlete practice? high school gyms? church gym? dedicated volleyball facility? The LOCATION of the facility is probably just as important.
4. Does the club have multiple teams for the various age groups?
5. What are the fees/dues?  Your monthly fee is calculated by the club and is usually dependent on how many national qualifier tournaments the team will attend and how many would be out of state, facilities overhead/rental, coaches pay, admin staff, tournament entry fees, coaches expenses, uniforms, bags, sweats, etc...
6. Does the club have teams that play locally or in-state only?  Some kids may not want to play on a travel team.
7. Does the club host clinics or camps? Are private lessons available? Is beach training available?
8. Does the club have a recruiting coordinator and if not, how is recruiting handled?
9. Does the club evaluate its coaches and its organization on a yearly basis?
10. Are the club's top teams in most age groups having good success locally, regionally and nationally?

Look for the Part II post in this series: "What to Expect at the Try-Out" and how to prepare your athlete and yourself for the try-out. 

*Note: It is possible a club could be operating without a website.  I am writing from the viewpoint that if a club does not have a website they probably are not developed to the point professionally where I would feel comfortable sending my athlete there. This is not to say there aren't some fantastic teams and clubs out there that are smaller and probably just operate on a smaller scale.  If you can find them and can contact them, hopefully you can ask them some of the above questions.