Transition from club in 10th grade to other non-travel vball option?

[Anonymous]

DD is in 9th grade at a school/area (not in DC) where vball is hyper competitive. She plays club, and is on the 3rd or 4th team at a national ranked club. She knows she won't be a college recruit. She's a short setter, but she's a very smart player and good on defense (not good on hitting and she is average to only slightly above average in terms of athleticism/speed). She is telling us she wants to quit club vball next year. B/c of the travel schedule, she has not been able to do the full range of high school activities she wants to do. She's an A student in the most rigorous classes, and she absolutely loves the high school activities that she got to try this year (things like student government and the school newspaper). Without club volleybally, she will have more opportuities to go to weekend academic competitions and try things that she was unable to try this year (such as DECA or speech).

I told her that next year, she should consider a non-travel team at one of the local clubs, but she tells me that this would be punishing for her b/c the playing level at these teams is so low that it will be a frustrating experience for her as a setter. If she quits club, her skills will go down, and she likely will be cut from her school team b/c vball happens to be hyper-competitive at her school.

Is it better for her to just quit club vball cold turkey than to try to find some non-travel, club alternative?

[Anonymous]

Just curious, was she on the Freshman, JV or Varsity team this past season?

[Anonymous]

Junior Varsity. No freshman team at our school.

[Anonymous]

She has a valid point. It is frustrating to play at low level, and not easy to keep up if she wants to be part of Varsity throughout.

I see a couple of options: 1. Be a Practice Player on a good club if they offer it. 2. In some local/non-club leagues, you are allowed to organize/bring your own team, if she can find enough HS girls in similar situation. That way, at least you have a consistent high level from your side of the court.

[Anonymous]

Is her varsity HS team all club players? If so, what level do they compete at? In the DC metro area the best HS teams are all club players playing. The top teams have virtually all their seniors committing to play in college and a lot of juniors already committed. If her HS varsity team is at that level, its highly unlikely that she makes her team in later years unless she is "keeping up" with the athletic growth of both her peers in her age group and incoming players.

If the varsity team isn't as competitive, it's not unusual for JV players to be moved up to varsity in the junior or senior years even if they aren't expected to play much. Does the JV program have a "no seniors or a no seniors/juniors rule" rule for participation?

Keep in mind in virtually every region volleyball is growing faster than any other established woman's sport. It won't get easier to make teams next year, with 10-20% more players coming in than last year.

It sounds like your DD has a belief that "non-travel" clubs aren't as good as travel clubs. In some regions that's true, but in most regions there are clubs that don't have a national travel schedule but are still very good. In CHRVA last year something like 90+ seniors committed to play in college. The majority of those came from clubs that don't go to every qualifier and travel less than 50% of their schedule. The best high school programs in our region have a mix of club players that are on the "top" travel teams and the "top" less travel teams. If your region is similar you just need to find a club that does less travel but still has good players and coaching.

[Anonymous]

Yes the varsity team at her school is all Club players, and often has several D1 and D3 recruits.

The girls on the varsity team are not just Club players, but at top Club players that are known by name throughout the country, and who play in Nationals level or above.

[Anonymous]

The JV team also cuts older players who are not aggressively improving. There is no rule, that I have heard some schools have, where all seniors make Varisty (but maybe hang out on the bench).

[Anonymous]

Can she play up in age but go to a regional club?

[Anonymous]

My daughter is not playing club this year and is very similar to your daughter in many ways. She did not want to play on a lower level team for the same reasons, is in very rigorous classes and is having a great time in high school. She still goes to open gyms and some clinics because she loves volleyball, especially around the times of pre club tryouts. The competitive preseason clinics is still a few months of competitive volleyball, even if not on a team. No, she won’t tryout for the HS team or club again next year. She knows it won’t help her for college and will actually hurt her in the long run since it’s so time consuming.

She’s played on some co-ed teams for fun but they were more like pick up games. Shes looking forward to playing on adult leagues, for fun, in the future.

[Anonymous]

New poster here. This sounds about right for many volleyball players. Making varsity is a steep road that most players (including my DD) cannot climb. That's the main reason why the interest in club volleyball drops dramatically after 16. Many girls are disillusioned and demoralized by trying to stay the course, participating in practice and tournaments, working hard in the gym, just to be cut from their varsity teams. Some of them can read the writing on the wall and don't even show up at tryouts (they already know their competition and realize they have no chance). Some save their sanity by smoothly transitioning to and prioritizing other interests. My DD likes her team and may play club even if she doesn't make her varsity team. But it is hard to justify pouring so many resources into club volleyball once you cannot make your varsity team. Money is just part of the big picture - time may be even more valuable (both for players and for parents). Clubs rarely begin to be more flexible just because you turn 17 and you have to apply to college toward the end of your junior year.

[Anonymous]

The choice she (and you) really comes down to two questions:

1) Is playing varsity volleyball in HS really important to her?
2) If not, if she stops playing volleyball will it be a net positive for her in terms of time, personal development, school, college preparation and mental health?

Based on the information you shared it sounds like she wants the HS team but wants to move away from the club side. If the HS team has future college players who are competing at a national level making the team could be very hard without keeping up with the talent level. Only you know your specific HS situation, but for most good teams unless you are incredibly athletic it is nearly impossible to keep up with other players who are putting in the time and effort to play a sport that they want to play. Player development really happens in club and losing hundreds of hours of coaching, practices and tournaments is very difficult to overcome.

If there really is a very good low-travel team she can make in your region then that might be the one option she has to keep her HS goal alive while reducing the time commitment. As a PP covered here in the DC area its a very viable option. But leaving club altogether likely isn't. The defining characteristic between a JV player at a very good HS program and a varsity player is often the amount of effort they put into the sport outside of HS. And as you mentioned the coach expects "aggressive improvement", which definitely requires putting in the time and the appropriate level of play.

A lot of players who get to this point are really facing their real first "end of" decision. They've been playing volleyball a while, they've built a friend group and a routine around participation in club. When you ask them the direct question "is it time to move on to something else" they really aren't answering just the athletic question, they are answering the much larger question of "what does it mean if volleyball this isn't in my life any more?" While its a tough conversation it is a great life lesson.

Like most big decisions it helps to plan ahead. If she really wants to play HS varsity, then have a realistic conversation with her about what she thinks it will take to make the team and get meaningful playing time. If she is OK leaving the sport, have a plan on what will fill the gap. Then compare the two plans and see which one she feels is best for her.

[Anonymous]

I am the OP. I think DD is ready to move on from Club vball. I am encouraging her to (1) consider and (2) find/be open to a third way - a non-travel club option. It does exist in our area at clubs, but she doesn't feel like this is going to be worthwhile for her. She's ready to move on. I guess I am having trouble letting her let go (or perhaps I am having trouble letting go), given the years of time she's invested and the skills she has honed.

It's really helpful for me to hear from others whose DD were in a similar position, let go, and moved on. I guess I am trying to convince her that there's a "third path," using analogies that I guess don't apply to volleyball (i.e., friends whose kids found a less demanding route for their classical music intrument, or syncohronized swimming, or other extracurricular).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP. I think DD is ready to move on from Club vball. I am encouraging her to (1) consider and (2) find/be open to a third way - a non-travel club option. It does exist in our area at clubs, but she doesn't feel like this is going to be worthwhile for her. She's ready to move on. I guess I am having trouble letting her let go (or perhaps I am having trouble letting go), given the years of time she's invested and the skills she has honed.

It's really helpful for me to hear from others whose DD were in a similar position, let go, and moved on. I guess I am trying to convince her that there's a "third path," using analogies that I guess don't apply to volleyball (i.e., friends whose kids found a less demanding route for their classical music intrument, or syncohronized swimming, or other extracurricular).

I understand your DD's point of view. A non-travel team is a significant downgrade - in most clubs she would play with girls at significantly lower level. It would be frustrating and probably humiliating that she would find herself on such a roster. A good compromise would be MVSA, where even the 3rd team is pretty god compared to the other bottom teams. It would be hard to make an MVSA team though because they bring back their players year after year. You can tell that many MVSA players in the bottom teams are less competitive than others who are cut at the tryouts. But that's the advantage of being part of the MVSA family from early age.

[Anonymous]

What is MVSA? We are not in DC.

Do they have clubs outside of DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP. I think DD is ready to move on from Club vball. I am encouraging her to (1) consider and (2) find/be open to a third way - a non-travel club option. It does exist in our area at clubs, but she doesn't feel like this is going to be worthwhile for her. She's ready to move on. I guess I am having trouble letting her let go (or perhaps I am having trouble letting go), given the years of time she's invested and the skills she has honed.

It's really helpful for me to hear from others whose DD were in a similar position, let go, and moved on. I guess I am trying to convince her that there's a "third path," using analogies that I guess don't apply to volleyball (i.e., friends whose kids found a less demanding route for their classical music intrument, or syncohronized swimming, or other extracurricular).

I have the daughter who stopped playing club and is happy and understand how you are having a hard time moving on. Look at me, I am still frequently on the this forum! Volleyball was a HUGE part of our life for so many years. But my daughter has to make the right decision for her. A lot of her friends still play at all different levels. Some are on the very top teams. Some are on low level teams. My daughter is involved in some very time consuming activities in other areas of HS and that was the right fit for her. But yes, I do miss the tournament weekends and getting together with my friends there, as you will too. But ultimately, it’s up to them. My DD would not have enjoyed being on a lower level club team.