Online Volleyball Blog

If you are going to be a champion, you must be willing to pay a
greater price. — Bud Wilkinson

Club season is almost here–time to start looking for the best team
for your skill level. Although club is time-consuming and expensive,
it is well-worth the effort in the long-run. However, before
selecting a club, consider the following advice.

If you are not sure which club you are going to play for, here are a
few things you can do to ensure a successful and enjoyable club season.

In selecting a coach, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the following.

1. Ask friends who have played for the coach about him/her. Be sure
to inquire about the factors that are important to you such as
ability to teach, whether they play just the best girls or they play
everybody, and most importantly, if your friend would like to be
coached again by that person.

2. If you already have an idea of which club coaches that you might
consider playing for next year, go to one of their matches and
watching the coach on the sideline. Does he/she coach possess the
coaching style that you seek in that would benefit you?

3. Search online for how teams in the past have done under that
coach. Did they consistently place at the top of the regional
volleyball rankings? Or perhaps in the middle, or even at the bottom?
Is this even a factor for you?

Some additional questions to ask before selecting a coach:

Is the coach too demanding, or too laid-back?
Did the coach play the same position as you (ex. setter, libero)?
How many years have they coached?
Does the coach play everyone or do they play to win?
Where did the coach play for high school/college?

If you are fortunate enough to be offered a spot on more than one
club team, here are some questions to ask yourself:

1.Who are the players? Are they girls you will get along with?

2. How many players will be on the team? This will affect playing time.

3. How many players will be on the team that play your position/s?

This too will affect playing time.

Some final advice before selecting a team:

1. Attend the Players & Parents introduction meeting. It is the best
place to get answers for any questions you may have and to understand
the demands of the club. At the meeting, you will learn the
expectations (for example: you play basketball or softball, and some
of those practices conflict with your club practices–will this be a
problem? Or what if you have homework or group projects at school;
will you be allowed to miss practice?)

2. Can you afford a club team? How much will it cost? What are the
volleyball club fees? What are the monthly payments? Is their a
discount if you pay in full? What extra costs (travel, overnight
lodging, food, etc.) when you go to away-tournaments?

3. If you are religious, does the club have practices or tournaments
on your religious days? If so, can you compromise?

With that, I can only wish you the best of luck in your club season!

And remember: hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

Kenzie Aries