Anonymous
09/21/2024 11:09
Subject: Let us pick a volleyball club for you
Anonymous wrote:I have combed through multiple volleyball threads and I cannot find a practice location that would work for our family multiple times a week. We are EOTP in DC. I cannot drive to Germantown or Gaithersburg or Loudon county 2x week for practices.
Is there really no DC option? I would like a rec league but Metro Central (which from what I can tell would be closest) is full already.
What am I missing?
There are very few rec leagues during the club season, you'll need to move quick if you can even find one. Consider looking for clinics if you are willing to do 1x per week.
If you are interested in clubs, what age group are you looking for?
Anonymous
09/21/2024 00:29
Subject: Let us pick a volleyball club for you
Anonymous wrote:I have combed through multiple volleyball threads and I cannot find a practice location that would work for our family multiple times a week. We are EOTP in DC. I cannot drive to Germantown or Gaithersburg or Loudon county 2x week for practices.
Is there really no DC option? I would like a rec league but Metro Central (which from what I can tell would be closest) is full already.
What am I missing?
Timing. Kidding aside, leagues fill up pretty quickly. Once you become aware of a league, mark the date on your calendar and be ready to register as soon as registration opens. You can learn about various options by following the clubs on social media.
Anonymous
09/20/2024 19:56
Subject: Let us pick a volleyball club for you
Are there any options for a 7/8 YO boy?
Anonymous
09/20/2024 19:48
Subject: Let us pick a volleyball club for you
I have combed through multiple volleyball threads and I cannot find a practice location that would work for our family multiple times a week. We are EOTP in DC. I cannot drive to Germantown or Gaithersburg or Loudon county 2x week for practices.
Is there really no DC option? I would like a rec league but Metro Central (which from what I can tell would be closest) is full already.
What am I missing?
Is there really no DC option? I would like a rec league but Metro Central (which from what I can tell would be closest) is full already.
What am I missing?
Anonymous
09/20/2024 15:40
Subject: Let us pick a volleyball club for you
Anonymous wrote:My 13-year-old daughter has attended clinics and camps over the last year and is playing for the Metro fall rec league. I think she has potential (she can serve overhand and knows the basics of passing and hitting), but she has never played club before and does not have a lot of playing experience. We are in close-in Montgomery County.
We have heard of MVSA, MoCo, and Metro, but I’m worried she won’t make a team given her limited experience. Can you recommend clubs where she would have a decent shot at making a 14U team that would not involve an insane commute to practices?
First of all, if she has shown the ability to master the basics then she has a chance of making a team for at least one of those clubs. The U14 age group is competitive---its the second largest tryout group after U15--but its not impossible to be a first time club player and make a team.
In addition to her skills development, it will help if she is naturally athletic, tall, physically able to develop quickly (e.g. can jump OK right now, but with good coaching will be able to jump much higher) or has the right mentality for club volleyball (hustles, tries to get to balls before they hit the floor, communicates).
The best way to figure out if she has a chance is to go to some pre-tryout clinics across multiple clubs. For close-in Montgomery County, MOCO will be the closest option. You can also consider going up to the Rockville area for MEVC and Platform pre-tryout clinics. All of those clubs have reasonable club fees and established programs. Generally those clubs are also supportive of new players, and some of them make a real effort to teach potential players in their pre-tryout clinics, which is rare because most clubs run them solely to figure out if a player has a chance to make a team.
If you have no club experience making a top MVSA or MOCO team is highly unlikely -- especially this year as both had USAV bids and were top 10 in region. But making a MOCO 3s, or an MEVC 2s, Metro Central or a Platform team is possible, even as a new player. You can also try MVSA, but if you aren't in their rec league its hard to get noticed at tryouts unless you standout in the qualities described above.
Anonymous
09/20/2024 14:27
Subject: Let us pick a volleyball club for you
My 13-year-old daughter has attended clinics and camps over the last year and is playing for the Metro fall rec league. I think she has potential (she can serve overhand and knows the basics of passing and hitting), but she has never played club before and does not have a lot of playing experience. We are in close-in Montgomery County.
We have heard of MVSA, MoCo, and Metro, but I’m worried she won’t make a team given her limited experience. Can you recommend clubs where she would have a decent shot at making a 14U team that would not involve an insane commute to practices?
We have heard of MVSA, MoCo, and Metro, but I’m worried she won’t make a team given her limited experience. Can you recommend clubs where she would have a decent shot at making a 14U team that would not involve an insane commute to practices?
Anonymous
09/19/2024 08:50
Subject: Let us pick a volleyball club for you
Anonymous wrote:Where should a beginner turn for a better than House league experience at age 13?
I am unfamiliar with the term "House league" but I can assume it means "rec league." The easiest approach would be adding clinics to the schedule. Clinics organized by clubs are typically of higher quality than those in rec centers (but more expensive). If you end up paying for too many clinics, it becomes more cost-effective to join a club (even though the cost will sting more upfront). Many players are already reasonably skilled at 13 (you will definitely notice if you join the club scene).
Anonymous
09/19/2024 08:13
Subject: Let us pick a volleyball club for you
Where should a beginner turn for a better than House league experience at age 13?
Anonymous
09/18/2024 15:02
Subject: Re:Let us pick a volleyball club for you
Several good points already mentioned. Juggling an athlete schedule is difficult, but the schedule tends to be lighter at the younger ages. Since there are fewer tournaments, the cost is generally lower. If your family gets hooked to club volleyball, you will eventually face busier schedules and higher costs. The clubs catering to younger and younger ages is expanding. Besides the clubs already mentioned, MOCO has U11 teams.
MVSA was suggested as the best club to get your player in and I agree that it is one of the clubs you should try out for. However, have a backup plan in case you don't get an offer. Here is something quoted from the newest MVSA blog post [https://www.mvsavbc.org/news_article/show/1317676]: "In the past, MVSA has been able to extend a team offer to every 10U eligible player that came to tryouts – the number of players was small enough that we could do this. That is no longer the case."
MVSA was suggested as the best club to get your player in and I agree that it is one of the clubs you should try out for. However, have a backup plan in case you don't get an offer. Here is something quoted from the newest MVSA blog post [https://www.mvsavbc.org/news_article/show/1317676]: "In the past, MVSA has been able to extend a team offer to every 10U eligible player that came to tryouts – the number of players was small enough that we could do this. That is no longer the case."
Anonymous
09/18/2024 12:46
Subject: Let us pick a volleyball club for you
Anonymous wrote:Where would you send a 10yo beginner, but decently athletic/coordinated(has played other sports) 10yo girl in Bethesda/Silver Spring/Kensington/Rockville? Maybe just into/skills clinics to start, even.
Thanks!
Definitely MVSA. They are known for developing and possessing the best talent at the younger age group in this area. Their younger teams U12-U13 have consistently made it to the National tournament year after year.
There are a number of good U10/U11 options in that area.
Clubs Teams:
At U11 ages a club team is usually a regional team that practices 2x per week and attends ~4-6 local tournaments. You get a lot of training and have the benefit of working with the same coach for 5-6 months, plus experience tournaments. In general, a player at the U10/U11 age will advance much faster playing in club than they do in clinics. However, it is a time commitment that lasts from December-May and its a team sport so if you commit you should be willing to play the entire season. You do have to tryout and make a team, but even at the clubs in highest demand you should have a good chance with an athletic player who is already into other sports. Club at that age seems more expensive upfront, but over the course of a season is less cost than you paid for 1x/week clinics.
Living where you are, you are lucky. You have a lot of options for U11 club volleyball, which isn't the case in other parts of CHRVA. The clubs with teams in that age include:
MEVC: 1 U10 and 1 U11
MVSA: 1 U10 and 2 U11
MOCO: 2 U11
If you are U10, its common for players to play U11 as their first club team.
Clinics:
There are a wider range of clinic options. MEVC and MOCO both run clinics for that age group basically year round. There are a couple of other clubs/organizations that don't offer club teams that age but do accept players into clinics. I'm not aware of any MVSA clinics for this age group, other than the fall rec program which is already underway.
When fall comes around, absolutely try to get into the MVSA rec league or the MOCO fall training program. They are both great.
FPYCparent
09/18/2024 12:08
Subject: Re:Let us pick a volleyball club for you
It'll cost some money, but try to have you player attend some of the ongoing clinics prior to tryouts. You/your player may get a sense of the club's culture before you have to commit to anything long term.
Look on the club websites to get a sense of where the teams practice. Some facilities are great (The St. James, on the inside at least), others are relatively accessible (close to interstate/Beltway exits), while others are at churches or schools. You may end up driving your kid to these locations three times a week, so make sure the practice locations make sense logistically for your household. Also check out practice times, if they are already posted. There are some weeknight practices that may start as early as 4:30/5PM or may end at 9PM or later ... and you still have to drive home after that!
Also, look at the events where the club intends to compete. Some are putting out their tournament schedules now. Get to know where some of these events are ... Volley by the James (Richmond), M-APL (Hampton, Raleigh, York in the past), Capital City Classic (DC), Big South (Atlanta), Music City (New Orleans), Sunshine (Orlando), Show Me (Kansas City), NEQ (Philadelphia), etc. Some of these schedules can be budget busters, so go into the season fully armed with an understanding of the intended schedule ... and fists full of dollars.
For high school families who may be pursuing club for the first time ... talk to outer parents. See if there are players that have already played a club season or two.
Look on the club websites to get a sense of where the teams practice. Some facilities are great (The St. James, on the inside at least), others are relatively accessible (close to interstate/Beltway exits), while others are at churches or schools. You may end up driving your kid to these locations three times a week, so make sure the practice locations make sense logistically for your household. Also check out practice times, if they are already posted. There are some weeknight practices that may start as early as 4:30/5PM or may end at 9PM or later ... and you still have to drive home after that!
Also, look at the events where the club intends to compete. Some are putting out their tournament schedules now. Get to know where some of these events are ... Volley by the James (Richmond), M-APL (Hampton, Raleigh, York in the past), Capital City Classic (DC), Big South (Atlanta), Music City (New Orleans), Sunshine (Orlando), Show Me (Kansas City), NEQ (Philadelphia), etc. Some of these schedules can be budget busters, so go into the season fully armed with an understanding of the intended schedule ... and fists full of dollars.
For high school families who may be pursuing club for the first time ... talk to outer parents. See if there are players that have already played a club season or two.
Anonymous
09/18/2024 10:13
Subject: Let us pick a volleyball club for you
Anonymous wrote:Where would you send a 10yo beginner, but decently athletic/coordinated(has played other sports) 10yo girl in Bethesda/Silver Spring/Kensington/Rockville? Maybe just into/skills clinics to start, even.
Thanks!
Definitely MVSA. They are known for developing and possessing the best talent at the younger age group in this area. Their younger teams U12-U13 have consistently made it to the National tournament year after year.
Anonymous
09/18/2024 10:06
Subject: Let us pick a volleyball club for you
*intro no into
Anonymous
09/18/2024 10:05
Subject: Let us pick a volleyball club for you
Where would you send a 10yo beginner, but decently athletic/coordinated(has played other sports) 10yo girl in Bethesda/Silver Spring/Kensington/Rockville? Maybe just into/skills clinics to start, even.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Anonymous
09/18/2024 08:42
Subject: Let us pick a volleyball club for you
There are too many club options and you don't know which one to try out for. Maybe you tried out for multiple clubs and received multiple offers. Maybe you didn't receive any offer after the tryouts and you are looking for options. You probably don't need this thread if you already know the volleyball scene, but - as a new volleyball parent - you are looking for information that would help you decide what your next step should be. Of course, we will not pick a volleyball club for you, we will just give you enough information for you to make an informed decision.
I noticed that there are plenty of us here who would happily share information with those who need it. Those of you tempted to discuss how bad the coaching is at Metro or how much better Metro is compared to Paramount, please understand that new volleyball parents have nothing to gain from these discussions.
I noticed that there are plenty of us here who would happily share information with those who need it. Those of you tempted to discuss how bad the coaching is at Metro or how much better Metro is compared to Paramount, please understand that new volleyball parents have nothing to gain from these discussions.