Choosing the Right Volleyball Club

By: Krystal W. Abbott

There is a laundry list of factors to consider in choosing the right volleyball club but who has time to interrogate a volleyball club coach or owner with 100 questions? What you first need to do is determine what YOU want your child to get out of the volleyball training. If the objective is exercise and for purely recreational purposes, then all you need to know is that the lessons are affordable and at a time and frequency that fall in line with your schedule, the facility is conveniently located, and the coaches have some experience as former players or in their length of coaching other athletes. 

If your volleyball athlete is more serious about playing volleyball at a higher level (i.e., your athlete has a desire to play varsity high school, collegiate and/or high performance team volleyball), you still don’t need to ask 100 questions! It’s real simple . . . if the answer is "yes" to the following 6 questions, then the club is worth trying (note that the cost is really not an issue because the more competitive clubs all pretty much charge about the same amount compared to others in the same geographical area):

1) Does your club participate in open bracket tournaments?

2) Do you not only offer 2-3 days of practice per week, but do you also offer other types of training (i.e., skills training, conditioning, weight training, group sessions, semi-private or private sessions, etc.)?

3) Are your coaches either former collegiate players or do they have extensive experience in coaching volleyball athletes?

4) Does your club have staff who actively participate in helping the volleyball athlete in their college recruiting efforts?

5) Does your club have athletes each year who are recruited to play college volleyball?

6) Is this a winning club at tournaments?

Even though you may get "yes" answers (followed by more details hopefully) to these questions, that does not necessarily mean that this club will be the right fit for you and your athlete . . . that’s why I said "yes" answers warrant giving the club a try. If is it a good fit, great! If not, rest assured that there are several other clubs in your area to choose from.