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PICKING A CLUB

By USA Volleyball, 09/30/16, 12:00AM CDT

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PICKING THE RIGHT CLUB

PARENTS GUIDE to CLUB VOLLEYBALL

By USAVolleyball

How Do I Choose A Club?  

We know the process of choosing a club can be very overwhelming. We've put together some tips to help you through the process. These are only guidelines. You, your player and your family should discuss what you need from club volleyball, what are your expectations and realistic goals, your financial obligations, your personal obligations and time commitment.

Where Do I Find The Clubs?

The best way to find out all of your options is to visit the area Region Volleyball website (Badger Region-. Each region sets their own rules and regulations for being a sanctioned volleyball club. Typically the Junior Clubs that are offered in your area will have their own web page listed but if you cannot find the Junior Club page, contact the Regional Volleyball office by email or phone which both should be listed on the home page of each region. Now What? Get information on all the clubs in your area. Check the websites or email the club directors and ask for information.

Things you want to know: 

What age groups do you offer? - How do you select your members? - How many teams do you have at each age level? - Who are the coaches at your child’s age level? - What is their background in coaching? - What is the club philosophy? (Does everyone play? Is it “play to win?) - What are your membership fees? Is there a payment schedule? - What is covered/not covered in that fee? - Are there any other financial obligations? Travel? Fund raising? Uniforms? - Where, when and how often do you practice? - Are practices mandatory? What if my child misses a practice? Misses a tournament? - How long is your season? - How far will the team be traveling?

Once you have this information for all the clubs, sit down as a family and see which clubs fit into your goals, commitment level, financial situation, etc. Ask yourselves some questions: - What does my child want to get out of the club experience? - Does my child want to play in high school? At what level in college? - Does my child just want to enjoy the game and play with friends? - What is my child’s priority for allocating free time: job, activities with friends, other club sports, etc.? - Can my child keep up with school work? - Can we afford the program we choose? - How important is it that we, as parents, travel with our child? Can we save money if our child travels with the team? Don’t be afraid to shoot too high! Don’t assume big clubs are better than small clubs. Don't assume a "volunteer" coach is better than a "paid" coach.

Most important of all – don’t listen to rumors!!! Ask the club personnel questions – that’s what they’re there for. Make sure you have things in writing. This is a big decision from both a financial and time commitment standpoint and it’s your right to find out as much as you possibly can before making a decision. Good luck and please contact your Region office or board of directors with any questions!