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Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have the 411 on No Panic and Xfactor clubs? How about VaVa?
Our player was "introduced" to club volleyball via No Panic last year by a recommendation from another parent. I'd say that at least 5 (and maybe even 10) girls across current varsity and JV players at DD's high school played at No Panic last year. My kid did try out with the club last year but ultimately decided to accept another offer.
As the name suggests, this is/was a low-to-no-stress club. Based on last year's experience, I'd say it's a decent place for players starting to get into organized volleyball. However, if you are looking for your player to excel, this may not be the place that will push you kid to elite levels of skill/play. But that's not a bad thing! Everyone needs to find a level of play that's compatible.
Based on the club's website, they're now located in Manassas and not in Chantilly like they were to start last year's season. I don't have any details behind the location change.
The only other thing I can add is that one of the NP coaches from last year now appears to be on staff at VA Juniors.
I'm still relatively new, but I think the invite-only clinics may be very dependent on age groups. I could be wrong, but I'm going to guess that there aren't invite-only's for 12s or 13s and younger ... unless your 6th grader is already 6-foot 4. 
I think I shared a bit of my kid's story earlier in this thread. This time last year, she was still 100% club soccer (in her 6th consecutive year of mid-level travel) but she earned a spot on her high school's JV team as a freshman with no prior VB club experience (not a really high bar, given the school). Someone from a local club watched her at one of the JV matches which resulted in a clinic invite. Although she attended multiple clinics (five to ten) last October before tryouts, I believe all but one were "general admission." Ultimately, she tried out at three clubs ... and got offers from all three. My kid isn't super tall (5-6/5-7 now at age 15) but she can jump.
I think I shared a bit of my kid's story earlier in this thread. This time last year, she was still 100% club soccer (in her 6th consecutive year of mid-level travel) but she earned a spot on her high school's JV team as a freshman with no prior VB club experience (not a really high bar, given the school). Someone from a local club watched her at one of the JV matches which resulted in a clinic invite. Although she attended multiple clinics (five to ten) last October before tryouts, I believe all but one were "general admission." Ultimately, she tried out at three clubs ... and got offers from all three. My kid isn't super tall (5-6/5-7 now at age 15) but she can jump.
So, with my 10th grade/varsity VB kid considering new clubs for the upcoming season, I'm wondering what questions I should have that could only be answered by other parents.
For example,
Which parents are totally nuts?
What if I'm the parent that's totally nuts?
How are families with younger, non-VB kids balancing things out?
Are there parents that volunteer to handle the video recording/streaming/sharing? ... And are they any good?
Any carpooling to practices?
Who manages the wine sign-up list for tournaments? :p
How serious are players and parents about getting recruited to college? (On a scale from "If it happens, it happens" to "My kid will start at Nebraska on Day 1.")
How would you rate the club's resources for the college recruiting process?
Having only completed one club season, what questions should I be considering?
For example,
Which parents are totally nuts?
What if I'm the parent that's totally nuts?
How are families with younger, non-VB kids balancing things out?
Are there parents that volunteer to handle the video recording/streaming/sharing? ... And are they any good?
Any carpooling to practices?
Who manages the wine sign-up list for tournaments? :p
How serious are players and parents about getting recruited to college? (On a scale from "If it happens, it happens" to "My kid will start at Nebraska on Day 1.")
How would you rate the club's resources for the college recruiting process?
Having only completed one club season, what questions should I be considering?
Bing Maps is telling me that the address used to be a Bed, Bath, and Beyond location. I'm not familiar with the location, but I presume there are other retailers there/nearby, since its at an I-66 exit.
I wonder if they'll be able to host single-day tournaments there.
I wonder if they'll be able to host single-day tournaments there.
I find the Paramount announcement (two teams in sever age groups) interesting. I think I've read here that the club has previously attracted players that ultimately didn't play much for their teams. Now, outside of national qualifiers, they'll have two Open-level teams. Is there that much top-level talent? Will all of that talent get to play meaningful minutes?
I also wonder if the 15-2 team, for example, outperforms the 15-1 team in the events leading up to the big qualifiers. Does the 15-1 team still play in the Open division at the big events? Or, will the rosters between the two teams remain fluid throughout the club season. Will players get offers for a specific team (-1 or -2)? How will coaching work, as I don't think any information like that has been publicly shared.
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I also find Renaissance Chesapeake becoming a wrinkle in the (original) The St. James - to - EC Power + MOJO - now without MOJO - now without EC Power storyline.
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I don't have any first-hand interaction with any of these clubs, but wow ... there seems to be a lot going on ... and if you don't have access to inside information, you can easily be caught unaware.
I also wonder if the 15-2 team, for example, outperforms the 15-1 team in the events leading up to the big qualifiers. Does the 15-1 team still play in the Open division at the big events? Or, will the rosters between the two teams remain fluid throughout the club season. Will players get offers for a specific team (-1 or -2)? How will coaching work, as I don't think any information like that has been publicly shared.
...
I also find Renaissance Chesapeake becoming a wrinkle in the (original) The St. James - to - EC Power + MOJO - now without MOJO - now without EC Power storyline.
...
I don't have any first-hand interaction with any of these clubs, but wow ... there seems to be a lot going on ... and if you don't have access to inside information, you can easily be caught unaware.
One piece of advice that DD's U15 club coach gave us last year is that you want to aim for playing on an 18s team in your player's senior year ... at least if you want to continue in the sport at some collegiate level. If you work backwards from there, that means targeting 17s as a junior, 16s, as a sophomore, etc. Of course, each player charts their own path, but that may be a starting point to consider.
I'll try to give you my perspective as a parent whose daughter played her first year of club VB (U15) at The St. James. I obviously cannot give you many specifics on the TSJ boys program ... and I've got no knowledge of your alternate option.
One of the TSJ boys coaches is now the girls' varsity head coach at Flint Hill (promoted from JV coach, I think). Many folks may argue that Flint Hill is the best girls' program in VA. This doesn't mean that the coach will be your son's coach this year, but that coach will at least be "in the room." Can't be bad, right?
The TSJ boys program also has decent/strong ties to the men's VB program at George Mason University. I think there are only 30 or so Division I men's VB programs in the country and GMU is one of the few on the East Coast. The NCAA men's championships were held in Fairfax earlier this summer.
Many of the boys and girls teams practiced during the same time slots, so there was plenty of interaction (including scrimmaging) between teams and coaches regardless of gender.
Depending on your son's goals, I cannot identify an immediate reason to rule out TSJ. You may have to try it one year to see if there is a fit and be willing to move on next year if needed. We made the choice to pursue club VB for our DD to better position her to make her high school's varsity team this year, after earning a spot on JV as a 9th grader. Although her school's entire VB program has been weak recently, the mission was accomplished (and the varsity team has already won more games than it had in the last two years combined). We may not be returning to TSJ this year given DD's "upgraded" VB goals now that we have a better understanding of the club landscape on the girls side. However, that does not mean we view the season at TSJ as a poor or bad experience.
One of the TSJ boys coaches is now the girls' varsity head coach at Flint Hill (promoted from JV coach, I think). Many folks may argue that Flint Hill is the best girls' program in VA. This doesn't mean that the coach will be your son's coach this year, but that coach will at least be "in the room." Can't be bad, right?
The TSJ boys program also has decent/strong ties to the men's VB program at George Mason University. I think there are only 30 or so Division I men's VB programs in the country and GMU is one of the few on the East Coast. The NCAA men's championships were held in Fairfax earlier this summer.
Many of the boys and girls teams practiced during the same time slots, so there was plenty of interaction (including scrimmaging) between teams and coaches regardless of gender.
Depending on your son's goals, I cannot identify an immediate reason to rule out TSJ. You may have to try it one year to see if there is a fit and be willing to move on next year if needed. We made the choice to pursue club VB for our DD to better position her to make her high school's varsity team this year, after earning a spot on JV as a 9th grader. Although her school's entire VB program has been weak recently, the mission was accomplished (and the varsity team has already won more games than it had in the last two years combined). We may not be returning to TSJ this year given DD's "upgraded" VB goals now that we have a better understanding of the club landscape on the girls side. However, that does not mean we view the season at TSJ as a poor or bad experience.
I've got a nephew playing JV in Charles County this fall season. His team is now playing two games (against different teams) on weekday match days. According to my SIL, this is due to a ref shortage. Are things that bad everywhere?
I forgot to mention tryouts ...
Last year, U15 tryouts were bananas. One club had 150 prospective players show up with the intent of earning a spot on one of four teams in that age group. I hear that the club eventually fielded a fifth team given the interest. Another club had about 75 players show up for slots on two teams in the age group. A third club (playing at a fairly-low level) ended up adding a third team given how many prospects showed up.
At this point, I can only hope that U16 tryouts are "less bananas." Now, I also understand the power of invite-only clinics ... and I'm trying to get my player seen by some clubs at their pre-tryout and invite-only clinics before the tryout weekend. I don't want her to be an unknown face who happens to walk through the door in November.
The Volley Truth (Coach Johns) did a few videos last year about the process last year.
TVT Ep. 5 - Choosing the Right Volleyball Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3KpFW2z9PE
TVT Ep. 15 - Trying Out for Multiple Volleyball Clubs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHsPLiftZqQ
Last year, U15 tryouts were bananas. One club had 150 prospective players show up with the intent of earning a spot on one of four teams in that age group. I hear that the club eventually fielded a fifth team given the interest. Another club had about 75 players show up for slots on two teams in the age group. A third club (playing at a fairly-low level) ended up adding a third team given how many prospects showed up.
At this point, I can only hope that U16 tryouts are "less bananas." Now, I also understand the power of invite-only clinics ... and I'm trying to get my player seen by some clubs at their pre-tryout and invite-only clinics before the tryout weekend. I don't want her to be an unknown face who happens to walk through the door in November.
The Volley Truth (Coach Johns) did a few videos last year about the process last year.
TVT Ep. 5 - Choosing the Right Volleyball Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3KpFW2z9PE
TVT Ep. 15 - Trying Out for Multiple Volleyball Clubs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHsPLiftZqQ
Virginia Elite is the only club that posts its all-in pricing on the website (https://www.vaelite.com/club-fees). While the numbers will give most sticker shock, I'd say that it is probably on-par with other clubs that play at the highest level once you include travel, uniform, and other expenses. (No, my DD1 does not play for VA Elite, so I have no first-hand experience with the club.)
If you are looking to strike a balance between club VB costs and level of play, I'd look at the AES rankings to see where clubs/teams typically sit for your player's age group. Filter by region (Chesapeake, in the case for most of us) and go from there. Clubs at the top are likely similarly priced once all costs are considered. As you work your way down the list, you may not want to pay similar prices as those teams at the top. Perhaps those middle-to-lower tier teams compete in more regional tournaments versus the larger national qualifiers ... and their costs remain relative with their expected level of play.
U15 rankings example (look at 2022-2023 in the "Historical Seasons" pulldown): https://advancedeventsystems.com/rankings/Female/U15
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I think an additional challenge with rec VB is finding coaches with available time. DD1 "started" with with our local club (FPYC) and my spouse ended up signing up as a coach with no prior experience. With some patience and plenty of "Coach Koko" videos, the team and coach made it through.
If you are looking to strike a balance between club VB costs and level of play, I'd look at the AES rankings to see where clubs/teams typically sit for your player's age group. Filter by region (Chesapeake, in the case for most of us) and go from there. Clubs at the top are likely similarly priced once all costs are considered. As you work your way down the list, you may not want to pay similar prices as those teams at the top. Perhaps those middle-to-lower tier teams compete in more regional tournaments versus the larger national qualifiers ... and their costs remain relative with their expected level of play.
U15 rankings example (look at 2022-2023 in the "Historical Seasons" pulldown): https://advancedeventsystems.com/rankings/Female/U15
...
I think an additional challenge with rec VB is finding coaches with available time. DD1 "started" with with our local club (FPYC) and my spouse ended up signing up as a coach with no prior experience. With some patience and plenty of "Coach Koko" videos, the team and coach made it through.
Based in DD1's limited (less than 2 years) experience, invite-only clinics are standard practice in this area. I guess there's too much disposable income that needs a home.
I think Virginia Juniors is the only club that openly mentions the existence of invite-only clinics (with dates and times posted on their website!).
I think Virginia Juniors is the only club that openly mentions the existence of invite-only clinics (with dates and times posted on their website!).
Let's see if I can keep this short (well, I failed ... apologies in advance!)
DD1 started club/travel soccer in 3rd grade with a mid-level team here in NoVA. She remained with the team through the fall season of 9th grade (there is no spring club season at the mid/low level as it competes with HS soccer here in VA). DD2 is six years younger.
DD1 joined a co-ed middle school VB team in 8th grade (first full year back in the buildings aftetr COVID) as a part of an FCPS pilot. She loved it and proceeded to play two rec seasons (winter and spring, I think) that had little conflicts with club soccer.
She asked if she could try out for a HS team in 9th grade. We discussed the matter before financially committing to club soccer (typically, a year-long commitment) and agreed that if she was going to try out for VB ... or anything else, she might as well do it in 9th grade. In the worst case, she makes a team and doesn't like it ... allowing her to return to soccer in 10th grade. She ends up earning a spot on the JV VB team and we managed to navigate only one or two conflicts with club soccer during the fall of her 9th grade year (she missed one or two soccer practices and no games). To be fair, her HS hasn't been strong in VB for years ... and perhaps her years of soccer provided enough of an athletic base for her to "excel" in VB at her school as a relatively new player.
As the first HS season winds down, some of the JV parents started asking if she's been playing club VB. Having been in club soccer for years, we were like "Wait? Are you saying there is club VB too?" We never knew! Many of the HS players were playing at one nearby low-level VB club. We met one of the coaches at a HS game and proceeded to attend a few clinics with that club. Another club spotted her at a JV match and invited her to some clinics as well. After a minimal amount of research, we also checked out clinics at one more club (with the middle school team coach). Somehow, we managed to have her try out at all three clubs during the same weekend as a soccer tournament (yeah ... not doing that again). She got offers from all three VB clubs and we let her choose which one she wanted (all three options were within our logistical and financial reach).
So, for the first six months of 2023, DD1 played at the Open level and the entire family is exposed to high-level club VB life. DD1 is now addicted. She has no plans to return to soccer as long as it conflicts with VB (she really wishes she could do both sports ... at a high level. If only she didn't have to go to class and learn something not related to VB.). She even got a name-only mention in PrepDig during the AAU Nationals in Orlando (team didn't get a USAV bid). We got her into a few VB camps over the summer (including a full week of sleep-over camps out at JMU). DD1 continues raising some eyebrows, but she cannot fully engage with colleges until after 10th grade. Did I mention she tries to watch/stream every D-I college VB match she can find? She knows many collegiate players on top 25 teams by name. She's also making her own highlight videos and posting them on YouTube. (I learned to record matches during the preceding club season. Yes, I am that guy!)
This year, she's on varsity at her HS (one of three sophs) and is a starter. As of last night, the team has already won more matches that it did all of last season. DD1 is now only looking at top-flight VB clubs and we have a spreadsheet to plot how we'll get her in front of club coaches before the tryout weekend. She's got two invite-only clinics (one is from last year's club) coming up and is still seeking more. Right now, we don't anticipate that she'll choose to go back to the old club ... assuming she has worthy tryout performances at "better/higher-level" clubs in November.
Meanwhile, DD2 is far more artsy that DD1, but is perfectly content with rec soccer. She's similarly athletic as DD1, and is technically playing soccer a year up. However, she has no desire to jump to club/travel soccer ... or volleyball. (She's tall enough to get asked regularly if she plays VB.)
So, yes, club VB is a madhouse here in NoVA (just wait until you see tryout weekend!), but it can be done within a family of 4 (dual-income ... none from home, two kids).
And for anyone counting pennies, we've spent more on VB in one year than we did in six years of soccer. We're well into five-figures for a single year of club VB.
Pay for each pre-tyout clinic? Yep!
Pay for each summer camp? Yep!
Pay for each tyouts Yep!
Pay for CHRVA and AAU memberships? Yep!
Pay for the uniforms that may only get used for one year? Yep!
Pay the mid-four-figures in club fees? Yep!
Oh, you need new shoes ... and knee pads ... and too-short shorts? Stank Sticks? A club-branded backback? A ball? Yep!
What about out-of-state travel ... including flights, vehicle rentals, meals, and hotels? YEP!
DD1 started club/travel soccer in 3rd grade with a mid-level team here in NoVA. She remained with the team through the fall season of 9th grade (there is no spring club season at the mid/low level as it competes with HS soccer here in VA). DD2 is six years younger.
DD1 joined a co-ed middle school VB team in 8th grade (first full year back in the buildings aftetr COVID) as a part of an FCPS pilot. She loved it and proceeded to play two rec seasons (winter and spring, I think) that had little conflicts with club soccer.
She asked if she could try out for a HS team in 9th grade. We discussed the matter before financially committing to club soccer (typically, a year-long commitment) and agreed that if she was going to try out for VB ... or anything else, she might as well do it in 9th grade. In the worst case, she makes a team and doesn't like it ... allowing her to return to soccer in 10th grade. She ends up earning a spot on the JV VB team and we managed to navigate only one or two conflicts with club soccer during the fall of her 9th grade year (she missed one or two soccer practices and no games). To be fair, her HS hasn't been strong in VB for years ... and perhaps her years of soccer provided enough of an athletic base for her to "excel" in VB at her school as a relatively new player.
As the first HS season winds down, some of the JV parents started asking if she's been playing club VB. Having been in club soccer for years, we were like "Wait? Are you saying there is club VB too?" We never knew! Many of the HS players were playing at one nearby low-level VB club. We met one of the coaches at a HS game and proceeded to attend a few clinics with that club. Another club spotted her at a JV match and invited her to some clinics as well. After a minimal amount of research, we also checked out clinics at one more club (with the middle school team coach). Somehow, we managed to have her try out at all three clubs during the same weekend as a soccer tournament (yeah ... not doing that again). She got offers from all three VB clubs and we let her choose which one she wanted (all three options were within our logistical and financial reach).
So, for the first six months of 2023, DD1 played at the Open level and the entire family is exposed to high-level club VB life. DD1 is now addicted. She has no plans to return to soccer as long as it conflicts with VB (she really wishes she could do both sports ... at a high level. If only she didn't have to go to class and learn something not related to VB.). She even got a name-only mention in PrepDig during the AAU Nationals in Orlando (team didn't get a USAV bid). We got her into a few VB camps over the summer (including a full week of sleep-over camps out at JMU). DD1 continues raising some eyebrows, but she cannot fully engage with colleges until after 10th grade. Did I mention she tries to watch/stream every D-I college VB match she can find? She knows many collegiate players on top 25 teams by name. She's also making her own highlight videos and posting them on YouTube. (I learned to record matches during the preceding club season. Yes, I am that guy!)
This year, she's on varsity at her HS (one of three sophs) and is a starter. As of last night, the team has already won more matches that it did all of last season. DD1 is now only looking at top-flight VB clubs and we have a spreadsheet to plot how we'll get her in front of club coaches before the tryout weekend. She's got two invite-only clinics (one is from last year's club) coming up and is still seeking more. Right now, we don't anticipate that she'll choose to go back to the old club ... assuming she has worthy tryout performances at "better/higher-level" clubs in November.
Meanwhile, DD2 is far more artsy that DD1, but is perfectly content with rec soccer. She's similarly athletic as DD1, and is technically playing soccer a year up. However, she has no desire to jump to club/travel soccer ... or volleyball. (She's tall enough to get asked regularly if she plays VB.)
So, yes, club VB is a madhouse here in NoVA (just wait until you see tryout weekend!), but it can be done within a family of 4 (dual-income ... none from home, two kids).
And for anyone counting pennies, we've spent more on VB in one year than we did in six years of soccer. We're well into five-figures for a single year of club VB.
Pay for each pre-tyout clinic? Yep!
Pay for each summer camp? Yep!
Pay for each tyouts Yep!
Pay for CHRVA and AAU memberships? Yep!
Pay for the uniforms that may only get used for one year? Yep!
Pay the mid-four-figures in club fees? Yep!
Oh, you need new shoes ... and knee pads ... and too-short shorts? Stank Sticks? A club-branded backback? A ball? Yep!
What about out-of-state travel ... including flights, vehicle rentals, meals, and hotels? YEP!
As a relative newbie parent, what's the "short story" behind ECP and MOJO? So the two clubs merged at one point (how long ago?) ... and may be separating now?
CHRVA club tryout dates are November 3 -7. Is it normal to have all age groups tryout the same weekend (vs. last year when the tryouts were split over two weekends to separate young age groups from older groups)?
https://cdn1.sportngin.com/attachments/document/46c4-2262193/2023-2024_CHRVA_Junior_Recruiting_and_Tryout_Policy.pdf
https://cdn1.sportngin.com/attachments/document/46c4-2262193/2023-2024_CHRVA_Junior_Recruiting_and_Tryout_Policy.pdf
Metro VBC has posted its Fall 2023 training sessions.
https://www.metrovbc.com/academyclinics
Under the "TRAVEL/CENTRAL CLINICS -- RITCHIE PARK ELEMENTARY" section, it lists sessions as:
"Saturday & Sunday: September 16 - October 29th"
I want to assume that these sessions are every Saturday and Sunday, starting Sept. 16th and ending Oct. 29th. However, my better half is thinking that these sessions are ONLY on Sept. 16th and Oct. 29th. She's got the registration logins for our DD, so I haven't been able to login to confirm what sessions are actually available.
Can anyone confirm that these sessions are every Sat/Sun? Thanks in advance!
https://www.metrovbc.com/academyclinics
Under the "TRAVEL/CENTRAL CLINICS -- RITCHIE PARK ELEMENTARY" section, it lists sessions as:
"Saturday & Sunday: September 16 - October 29th"
I want to assume that these sessions are every Saturday and Sunday, starting Sept. 16th and ending Oct. 29th. However, my better half is thinking that these sessions are ONLY on Sept. 16th and Oct. 29th. She's got the registration logins for our DD, so I haven't been able to login to confirm what sessions are actually available.
Can anyone confirm that these sessions are every Sat/Sun? Thanks in advance!