| Help please - freshman boy just decided he's into volleyball. Any beginner rec clubs in Northern VA? Thank you. |
I believe St James has a winter volleyball program. I don’t know the details but one of my DD’s friend’s mom was talking about it. |
| 13 year old girl (14 in April), rising 9th grader, skilled player on middle school team, loves the game but has never played club ball? Thank you! |
Location, location, location. The area is too large to offer advice that would work everywhere in the DMV area. Options in Virginia would not work for you if you are located in Montgomery County. |
| What location does MEVC practice at? |
Rockville area. They have their own facility (likely rental), but I don't know much about it. My DD was there for clinics, but they would not let me stay (they said they had no space for spectators). I would assume it's a relatively small place. |
MEVC uses a lot of MCPS schools gyms in Germantown in addition to the MEVC location in Rockville. McNair ES, Rachel Carson, Lakelands, Fox Chapel to name a few. Also have strength/agility training in Gaithersburg. |
| DD is rising 9th going to oakton hs, only does rec swimming and is mild at it. It’s the only sport she does, but she’s done volleyball drills by herself and isn’t bad. Definitely a beginner though and wants to join a club. WWYD? |
|
6th grade girl
Beginner Alexandria (FX Cty) Only interested in girls-only teams (otherwise, FHYA looks ideal) |
It’s too late for club right now but spring rec is about to start. She’s a beginner so it’s a good place to start. https://www.vyi.org/volleyball/about-volleyball |
I think something like 70-80 girls try out for the Oakton freshman team. Unless your daughter is six feet tall, this is probably not the sport to pick up and make the team. Field Hockey is supposed to be easier to make as a freshman if she's just looking for a fall sport. You can still register for the spring CYA season for rec volleyball to see if she likes it. |
My daughter is a little on the shorter side… like 5’2. Her two choices were cross country/track or volleyball. Which one would be easier to make progress or make the team? (I’m kinda new to all the sports stuff since my daughter just started showing interest…) |
Cross country. She can play volleyball in the spring as a beginner on a rec team at VYI or at a different place and still should if she has an interest. But yes, HS team will be extremely competitive to make and even the freshman team will have experienced club players. |
| Cross country is the obvious answer here. It’s usually no cut and doesn’t take learning specific skills. She could train on her own to build up endurance. |
It is very difficult for a parent to assess their DD's skills based on middle school team games. It is easy for parents who are new to volleyball to believe that their kids are skilled when they only see them play recreationally (believe me, I was one of them). You start to understand that your DD is just a beginner once you start playing club (or - at least - participate into some club clinics). There are girls with 3-4 years of club experience by the time they make it into the high school. It's not too late to start: many girls discover volleyball only as they enter high school. Keep in mind that height and athleticism are the volleyball currency. If you are in Northern Virginia, check out https://www.novavolleyballalliance.org/clubguide If you are in Montgomery County, check out: https://volleymontgomery.wordpress.com/clubs/ |