Volleyball club- recap and thoughts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have information about Legacy Volleyball Academy a new club just formed?

Also looking for tea on Legacy Volleyball Academy. Looks to be a STJ spinoff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No matter what both Metro and paramount have strong programs. VA Elite definitely is going downhill. Their training is such a waste of time.

I was going to say the same thing re VA Elite. Watched some of their teams play at tourneys last club season and was not particularly impressed (U15 and U16 specifically). We saw several supposedly lower tiered clubs giving them quite a run and winning multiple sets (Mojo, VaVa and DMV).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No matter what both Metro and paramount have strong programs. VA Elite definitely is going downhill. Their training is such a waste of time.

I was going to say the same thing re VA Elite. Watched some of their teams play at tourneys last club season and was not particularly impressed (U15 and U16 specifically). We saw several supposedly lower tiered clubs giving them quite a run and winning multiple sets (Mojo, VaVa and DMV).

VAE is bad, with the exception of their rising 18s team. They routinely lost or were challenged by clubs that would be considered low tier in the CHRVA pecking order. Paramount’s 2nd teams in the 13s and 14s age groups wiped the floor with them. MOJO is now pretty much the same tier as VAE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No matter what both Metro and paramount have strong programs. VA Elite definitely is going downhill. Their training is such a waste of time.

I was going to say the same thing re VA Elite. Watched some of their teams play at tourneys last club season and was not particularly impressed (U15 and U16 specifically). We saw several supposedly lower tiered clubs giving them quite a run and winning multiple sets (Mojo, VaVa and DMV).

VAE is bad, with the exception of their rising 18s team. They routinely lost or were challenged by clubs that would be considered low tier in the CHRVA pecking order. Paramount’s 2nd teams in the 13s and 14s age groups wiped the floor with them. MOJO is now pretty much the same tier as VAE.

They’ve lost quite a few of their best coaches in the past year or two. There isn’t much below this year’s rising 18s and competition for talent is much greater.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No matter what both Metro and paramount have strong programs. VA Elite definitely is going downhill. Their training is such a waste of time.

I was going to say the same thing re VA Elite. Watched some of their teams play at tourneys last club season and was not particularly impressed (U15 and U16 specifically). We saw several supposedly lower tiered clubs giving them quite a run and winning multiple sets (Mojo, VaVa and DMV).

VAE is bad, with the exception of their rising 18s team. They routinely lost or were challenged by clubs that would be considered low tier in the CHRVA pecking order. Paramount’s 2nd teams in the 13s and 14s age groups wiped the floor with them. MOJO is now pretty much the same tier as VAE.

They’ve lost quite a few of their best coaches in the past year or two. There isn’t much below this year’s rising 18s and competition for talent is much greater.

This 100%. If you can't attract talent, coaching is only going to get you so far. And it becomes a snowball effect - if you don't win and get good recruiting results, then you won't attract the top players.

I also think their cost might be catching up with them. I know the VAE story is that their "all inclusive" cost is equivalent to what other clubs are charging when you factor in travel costs and other things that are extra at other clubs, but even with that added in, by my math they are still 25%+ more expensive than anyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No matter what both Metro and paramount have strong programs. VA Elite definitely is going downhill. Their training is such a waste of time.

I was going to say the same thing re VA Elite. Watched some of their teams play at tourneys last club season and was not particularly impressed (U15 and U16 specifically). We saw several supposedly lower tiered clubs giving them quite a run and winning multiple sets (Mojo, VaVa and DMV).

VAE is bad, with the exception of their rising 18s team. They routinely lost or were challenged by clubs that would be considered low tier in the CHRVA pecking order. Paramount’s 2nd teams in the 13s and 14s age groups wiped the floor with them. MOJO is now pretty much the same tier as VAE.

They’ve lost quite a few of their best coaches in the past year or two. There isn’t much below this year’s rising 18s and competition for talent is much greater.

Last year at tryouts the VAE coaches didn’t even look at some great players who would have certainly benefited the club. The teams seemed preordained. But - yes - we saw teams from VaVa, Mojo, Paramount 2s team, VA Jrs, DMV/Vienna Elite, on the same par or even stronger. I was very surprised.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Last year at tryouts the VAE coaches didn’t even look at some great players who would have certainly benefited the club. The teams seemed preordained. But - yes - we saw teams from VaVa, Mojo, Paramount 2s team, VA Jrs, DMV/Vienna Elite, on the same par or even stronger. I was very surprised.

And on the Maryland side, MVSA & MOCO 1s teams both beat their younger teams repeatedly, and MVSA 1s &2s, MOCO 1s &2s, Columbia 1s, MEVC 1s were all ranked higher at U13. Similar story at U14.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No matter what both Metro and paramount have strong programs. VA Elite definitely is going downhill. Their training is such a waste of time.

I was going to say the same thing re VA Elite. Watched some of their teams play at tourneys last club season and was not particularly impressed (U15 and U16 specifically). We saw several supposedly lower tiered clubs giving them quite a run and winning multiple sets (Mojo, VaVa and DMV).

VAE is bad, with the exception of their rising 18s team. They routinely lost or were challenged by clubs that would be considered low tier in the CHRVA pecking order. Paramount’s 2nd teams in the 13s and 14s age groups wiped the floor with them. MOJO is now pretty much the same tier as VAE.

They’ve lost quite a few of their best coaches in the past year or two. There isn’t much below this year’s rising 18s and competition for talent is much greater.

This 100%. If you can't attract talent, coaching is only going to get you so far. And it becomes a snowball effect - if you don't win and get good recruiting results, then you won't attract the top players.

I also think their cost might be catching up with them. I know the VAE story is that their "all inclusive" cost is equivalent to what other clubs are charging when you factor in travel costs and other things that are extra at other clubs, but even with that added in, by my math they are still 25%+ more expensive than anyone else.

Cost and the fact that the players have to stay together in a room. When I travel with DD the time in the room is helpful to catch up, vent, relax etc instead of always being around teammates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No matter what both Metro and paramount have strong programs. VA Elite definitely is going downhill. Their training is such a waste of time.

I was going to say the same thing re VA Elite. Watched some of their teams play at tourneys last club season and was not particularly impressed (U15 and U16 specifically). We saw several supposedly lower tiered clubs giving them quite a run and winning multiple sets (Mojo, VaVa and DMV).

VAE is bad, with the exception of their rising 18s team. They routinely lost or were challenged by clubs that would be considered low tier in the CHRVA pecking order. Paramount’s 2nd teams in the 13s and 14s age groups wiped the floor with them. MOJO is now pretty much the same tier as VAE.

They’ve lost quite a few of their best coaches in the past year or two. There isn’t much below this year’s rising 18s and competition for talent is much greater.

Their recruiting seems to be more focused on high academic D3 schools. Some pretty impressive schools there - is that their niche now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No matter what both Metro and paramount have strong programs. VA Elite definitely is going downhill. Their training is such a waste of time.

I was going to say the same thing re VA Elite. Watched some of their teams play at tourneys last club season and was not particularly impressed (U15 and U16 specifically). We saw several supposedly lower tiered clubs giving them quite a run and winning multiple sets (Mojo, VaVa and DMV).

VAE is bad, with the exception of their rising 18s team. They routinely lost or were challenged by clubs that would be considered low tier in the CHRVA pecking order. Paramount’s 2nd teams in the 13s and 14s age groups wiped the floor with them. MOJO is now pretty much the same tier as VAE.

They’ve lost quite a few of their best coaches in the past year or two. There isn’t much below this year’s rising 18s and competition for talent is much greater.

Their recruiting seems to be more focused on high academic D3 schools. Some pretty impressive schools there - is that their niche now?

The VAE rising 18s have some solid D1 commitments - JMU, UNH, W&M, and Lafayette. I think more broadly there are some good volleyball programs at high academic D3s (MIT, Emory, Wesleyan, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, Wash U St Louis, U Chicago, and many others) and these schools are going after players that could maybe play at smaller D1s and leveraging the admissions advantage of being a recruited volleyball player as their carrot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No matter what both Metro and paramount have strong programs. VA Elite definitely is going downhill. Their training is such a waste of time.

I was going to say the same thing re VA Elite. Watched some of their teams play at tourneys last club season and was not particularly impressed (U15 and U16 specifically). We saw several supposedly lower tiered clubs giving them quite a run and winning multiple sets (Mojo, VaVa and DMV).

VAE is bad, with the exception of their rising 18s team. They routinely lost or were challenged by clubs that would be considered low tier in the CHRVA pecking order. Paramount’s 2nd teams in the 13s and 14s age groups wiped the floor with them. MOJO is now pretty much the same tier as VAE.

They’ve lost quite a few of their best coaches in the past year or two. There isn’t much below this year’s rising 18s and competition for talent is much greater.

This 100%. If you can't attract talent, coaching is only going to get you so far. And it becomes a snowball effect - if you don't win and get good recruiting results, then you won't attract the top players.

I also think their cost might be catching up with them. I know the VAE story is that their "all inclusive" cost is equivalent to what other clubs are charging when you factor in travel costs and other things that are extra at other clubs, but even with that added in, by my math they are still 25%+ more expensive than anyone else.

Cost and the fact that the players have to stay together in a room. When I travel with DD the time in the room is helpful to catch up, vent, relax etc instead of always being around teammates.

I completely agree. They need that down time away from the team.

[Anonymous]

Lots of clubs have opened their clinic registrations for the fall. If you're interested in a particular club, don't wait too long to register. Some clinics do sell out.

[Anonymous]

Is Loudoun Elite any good? I see it's $7502 for this season. That seems very high.

[Anonymous]

That price tag is ridiculous. Isn’t it higher than VAE?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Loudoun Elite any good? I see it's $7502 for this season. That seems very high.

Wow, that’s way too much. My daughter wanted to try out for them but it’s too high. I just checked their site and you are right.