new (confused!) volleyball parent - looking for Montgomery County (Bethesda-area+) feedback

[Anonymous]

Hey All - I've gone down the rabbit hole that is this forum (specifically the one titled "Volleyball club- recap and thoughts") and am still quite confused so figured I'd try a direct ask.

If I have a tall, athletic, 9th grade daughter that has only done MoCo Rec volleyball and is looking to do club volleyball, which club(s) are best for a relative newbie where they can make a team and not get their spirit crushed during the season? For additional context, we've done clinics this summer at both MOCO and MEVC. She is also going to try out for her HS team, but no idea if she would even make it.

From what I've seen, it sounds like:
- MOCO and MEVC might be clubs she'd want to try out for (or am I wrong and she isn't experienced enough for either of these?)
- Paramount, Academy and MVSA are clubs that we shouldn't even try for given she has never played at the club level

Any advice appreciated as I want to be able to guide her in the direction of a club or two but I'm flying a tad blind.

Thank you!!

[Anonymous]

You got a few things right and a few things wrong.
* There are two reasons not to try out for Paramount: (1) your DD will probably not make any of their U15 teams, (2) Paramount is Virginia club and you don't want to drive all the way to Manassas for practice.
* You are correct about MVSA: likely no chance to make a U15 team with no club experience.
* Trying out for MOCO is an exercise in futility. A tall, athletic player may have remote chances to make it, but it is unlikely at U15 level. Focus instead on clubs where you have more chances.
* MEVC would be a better option than MOCO, but don't get your hopes too high either.
* Platform (which you didn't mention) would be your best bet. They have a relatively strong top team (better than MEVC), but beginners make up most of their bottom teams. Aim for the top team, but you will likely be offered a spot on their bottom teams.
* Academy is one of the weaker clubs in the area, so this would be your best bet to make a top club team (especially for a tall athletic player). I think they only have one team per age group, so you should have a backup plan in case you don't make it (see Platform above).

Understand that most clubs will bring back lots of returning players - very few spots are open every year for each team. The more successful the club, the higher the return rate. Top players in mediocre clubs try to move up to better clubs and some do succeed. Focus on clubs that you have a realistic chance of making a team. Strategize your summer and fall by attending clinics at those clubs. Many of the decisions are made during these clinics, even though nobody cannot tell you anything officially until after tryouts. Coaches could watch you for a few minutes and tell you whether you have a chance in their club. But don't expect that courtesy - all coaches will invite you to the tryouts even if they know you have no chance of making any of their teams. They are trying to boost their tryout numbers, which brings bragging rights.

[Anonymous]

Why don’t you try Virginia Elite? They love a tall, athletic kid to work with - expensive but they would likely develop her. Reachable from Bethesda too.

[Anonymous]

If your tall athletic kid can play middle, they have a much higher chance of getting a club spot than say, a DS or pin hitter. You should also look into MDJrs regional and lower teams if you’re willing to drive to Jessup. DMV gets a lot of first-timers, but others on this forum complain about the price. There are regional teams that travel less such as XPerience who have less experienced players as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you try Virginia Elite? They love a tall, athletic kid to work with - expensive but they would likely develop her. Reachable from Bethesda too.

Claiming that VAE is doable from Bethesda is a bit of a stretch. Driving to practices is going to be a nightmare, especially with the never-ending construction on 495. Even in ideal circumstances, crossing the American Legion Bridge can add hours to the weekly commute. While not impossible, it is unlikely for a beginner player to even make a U15 team in VAE. This would be just another statistics for VAE to brag that even players from Bethesda are trying out for their club. See the warning above about coaches encouraging players to try out (even those who clearly have a minuscule chance of making a team).

[Anonymous]

9th grade can also be U14. To the PP whom is assuming U15.

[Anonymous]

*who* (not whom)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:9th grade can also be U14. To the PP whom is assuming U15.

I know because my DD plays age level rather than grade level. However, the competition is almost as fierce at U14 as it is at U15 level. At the same time, it is true that - given a set of skills - you have a better chance of making a U14 team than a U15 team. We simply don't know if the OP's DD qualifies for U14 or U15.

OP, is your DD born before or after July 1st? That would clear up the issue of U14 vs U15.

[Anonymous]

Nobody on this forum has seen your daughter play. It’s better to ask the coaches at the MOCO and MEVC clinics she attended what level of clubs she should be aiming for.

Does she know what position she wants to play? She’s tall and athletic, and if she can block well, she could be a middle blocker. A LOT of teams are looking for tall, athletic middle blockers who can block well.

The highest-level fall clinics are run by Metro (Saturdays, I believe) and Paramount (Sundays). Don’t be intimidated—not everyone attending those clinics is a superstar, and I think you can sign up one session at a time. You can stay after the clinic and ask the coaches (who have seen your daughter play) for suggestions on which positions might suit her and what level of clubs she should target. Metro clinics are run by Coach Silvia (club director), and Paramount clinics are run by Coach Nick (club tech director). You can also ask them whether they give private lessons. In a private lesson, the coach will run a variety of drills to evaluate her abilities and potential. Both Metro and Paramount are adding a new 15U team this coming season. If your daughter is good enough, they’ll contact you; if they don’t, she’s probably not ready for their teams.

MVSA is the next best choice. First, their fees are the lowest. Second—and more importantly—they only have 10 players per team. That means if you make one of their teams, you’ll get a lot of playing time, which isn’t the case with teams that carry 14 or 15 players. However, MVSA doesn’t have fall clinics for 9th graders.

A lot of people think MVSA heavily favors returning players. That’s usually true—but last year their 15U teams saw many new players:
15-1: 4 new players out of 10
15-2: 5 new players out of 10
15-3: 6 new players out of 10
These numbers include some internal moves, but there were also players from outside MVSA joining their teams.

MOCO is also a good option for you because it’s in Bethesda (Stone Ridge School). You can ask Coach Francis (club director) whether he can evaluate your daughter in a private lesson. MOCO has fall clinics by invitation.

After that, MEVC and Platform would be the next options.

[Anonymous]

Note MOCO’s fall clinics go up to U14 only.

[Anonymous]

I would try out for academy with what you’ve described. They get crap on this board but it’s mostly because yes they do give a chance for girls who haven’t played club before. When you say tall, how tall are you talking? Can she do a jump serve reliably?
She should try out for JV — last year the Bethesda JV teams did take some girls who basically were beginners. Start there since that’s next week and then she’ll have a better sense of where she can try out when try outs happen in fall. Which HS—Bcc, WJ or Whitman?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nobody on this forum has seen your daughter play. It’s better to ask the coaches at the MOCO and MEVC clinics she attended what level of clubs she should be aiming for.

Does she know what position she wants to play? She’s tall and athletic, and if she can block well, she could be a middle blocker. A LOT of teams are looking for tall, athletic middle blockers who can block well.

The highest-level fall clinics are run by Metro (Saturdays, I believe) and Paramount (Sundays). Don’t be intimidated—not everyone attending those clinics is a superstar, and I think you can sign up one session at a time. You can stay after the clinic and ask the coaches (who have seen your daughter play) for suggestions on which positions might suit her and what level of clubs she should target. Metro clinics are run by Coach Silvia (club director), and Paramount clinics are run by Coach Nick (club tech director). You can also ask them whether they give private lessons. In a private lesson, the coach will run a variety of drills to evaluate her abilities and potential. Both Metro and Paramount are adding a new 15U team this coming season. If your daughter is good enough, they’ll contact you; if they don’t, she’s probably not ready for their teams.

MVSA is the next best choice. First, their fees are the lowest. Second—and more importantly—they only have 10 players per team. That means if you make one of their teams, you’ll get a lot of playing time, which isn’t the case with teams that carry 14 or 15 players. However, MVSA doesn’t have fall clinics for 9th graders.

A lot of people think MVSA heavily favors returning players. That’s usually true—but last year their 15U teams saw many new players:
15-1: 4 new players out of 10
15-2: 5 new players out of 10
15-3: 6 new players out of 10
These numbers include some internal moves, but there were also players from outside MVSA joining their teams.

MOCO is also a good option for you because it’s in Bethesda (Stone Ridge School). You can ask Coach Francis (club director) whether he can evaluate your daughter in a private lesson. MOCO has fall clinics by invitation.

After that, MEVC and Platform would be the next options.

This would be a good plan at the beginning of the summer. The time is now extremely limited with the HS tryouts in a few days. Here is something more doable:
1. If you are still going to MOCO and MEVC clinics, talk to the coaches (as suggested above). It would be awkward to simply show up and hope that the coach would be available, but you can sign up for one more clinic at each club just for the benefit of the conversation.
2. Figure out some pre-HS tryout clinics that you are still able to attend. Make sure they are for beginner players (those for intermediate / advanced players will go over your DD's head).
3. As suggested above, book a private lesson with a coach if you don't mind spending the money.
4. Go to the HS tryouts and hope to make the JV team.

In all cases, share your plan to continue with club volleyball and ask the coaches what club(s) your DD should be trying out for. You want to have one or two good choice clubs (where you have a realistic chance to make it), one dream club (where you would like to make it, but you probably won't), and one backup club (where you will accept a spot if everything else fails). Most coaches will suggest their own club as a dream club: you should ignore that suggestion unless you hear it from a coach from a different club. You can continue this conversation all the way into the tryout season (your DD may improve a lot during the JV season). You can probably manage tryouts for these four clubs, even though it will be tough. Avoid including more than one dream club: each tryout is going to be tiring (if your DD is not tired after a tryout, she probably didn't do her best).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Note MOCO’s fall clinics go up to U14 only.

MOCO has club prep sessions in the fall by invitation:
https://www.mocovc.org/clubprep

[Anonymous]

In Bethesda, she will be attending BCC, Whitman, or Walter Johnson. These are all good high school teams.

Next week, her high school coaches will evaluate her during tryouts.

If she makes varsity as a freshman, she should attend Metro and Paramount clinics in the fall, as she may have great potential and could make the MVSA or MOCO first teams.

If she makes JV, she may make the MVSA or MOCO second or third teams, and she should try to attend MOCO's Club Prep Sessions for example:
https://www.mocovc.org/clubprep

If she doesn't make JV, MEVC, Platform, and Academy may be her most realistic options. She should try to attend fall clinics by these clubs. I believe MEVC and Platform have 2 and 3 15U teams respectively, and Academy has 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In Bethesda, she will be attending BCC, Whitman, or Walter Johnson. These are all good high school teams.

Next week, her high school coaches will evaluate her during tryouts.

If she makes varsity as a freshman, she should attend Metro and Paramount clinics in the fall, as she may have great potential and could make the MVSA or MOCO first teams.

If she makes JV, she may make the MVSA or MOCO second or third teams, and she should try to attend MOCO's Club Prep Sessions for example:
https://www.mocovc.org/clubprep

If she doesn't make JV, MEVC, Platform, and Academy may be her most realistic options. She should try to attend fall clinics by these clubs. I believe MEVC and Platform have 2 and 3 15U teams respectively, and Academy has 1.

This entire post is completely hilarious, especially the bolded part. You forgot to mention that she should try out for Metro if she is a starter on Varsity. You do realize that the Bethesda area is full of MVSA, MOCO, Platform, and MEVC players, right? Do you believe that a freshmen with no club experience will make the varsity team? This is the type of advice that gets people's hopes high, just to crash during tryouts.

Even the advice conditional on the acceptance in the JV team is out of whack. You can be a starter on the JV team and not be able to make MVSA or MOCO. If you make it to the JV team because they need a few bench warmers after they ran out of club players who are trying out, then you are clearly not going to make MOCO or MVSA.