Anonymous wrote:For U14 mom- what primary position does she play?
Realistically, this information is important in the effort to match up to a club team at U14. Also you could get so Kenmore
Specific suggestions from this forum re additional training opportunities

U14 mom here. Her preference is for front line/hitter. She’s tall. But she can also set and receive serves. Serving is her Achilles heel. She has a killer underhand serve from playing Rec. But hasn’t yet developed a consistent overhand serve. That’s the issue I think.

For U14 mom- what primary position does she play?
Realistically, this information is important in the effort to match up to a club team at U14. Also you could get so Kenmore
Specific suggestions from this forum re additional training opportunities

Anonymous wrote:I would say in the bottom Tier, it's worth a try. At least to get the experience of playing in tournaments. The good thing is now you have all this experience under your belt and will be ready for next year. I would still reach out to clubs and see what happens.

U14 mom here. What clubs would you recommend a new to volleyball U14 kid try out for if they want a second bite at the apple in U15? Xfactor and ECP and NVVA were all Nos for U14. Does she try those again? Or go for even lesser ranked teams? What would be considered lesser ranked? No panic? Monument? Metro regional teams? Has to be VA only due to logistics so DC and MD not an option. My understanding is that several Metro regional teams aren’t full yet. She isn’t a powerhouse player (yet) but wants to level up over Rec so she can improve and play up.

Can anyone speak to “MetroFX”? Still having U14 openings. We are not familiar.

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Anonymous wrote:I would mention that, if your DD manages to get a 14s offer as late as this, the chances are high she is a roster filler and may spend a lot of time on the bench. IMHO, better to find a lower tier team where she would play. She has plenty of vball time ahead of her, but technical coaching and playing are the most important things at this age.

Would you recommend that when U14 mom starts calling teams to make inquiries, she ask about play time (i.e. can the clubs that are reputable but full recommend other clubs where her daughter would get both good coaching and actual playtime, and not ride the bench the whole season? A few parents are reaching out to me by text (parents I knew and ran into during tryouts) and I hadn't been advising that but thinking maybe I should if they ask me?

VAVA and STJ are still looking for U14 players. I've heard decent things about STJ, but most people I talk to say the guys who run VAVA are good guys (which can't be said for some of these other clubs). If your daughter is still looking for a team, I recommend reaching out to VAVA.

I think the main reason a lot of these clubs are still looking for players in the U14 age group (including even VAE) is because Paramount is having two 14s teams this season. I've heard a good chunk of players turned down offers from VAE, Jrs., VAVA and EC Power to accept spots on Paramount's 14-2 team.

+1 Heard the same thing. Metro 14 Travel taking 15 players and then Paramount forming two 14s teams has really limited the selection ability of the other Tier 1 and Tier 2 clubs. VAJrs had a strong 13s team last season but I heard it fell apart because their lone setter and best middle went to Metro.

There appear to be some significant shifts in U13 & U14 this year -- while some clubs were able to hold on to just about all of their good players, some of the big names were still scrambling right up until the deadline last night. Metro was still advertising makeup tryouts and slots available on their 14 travel on Saturday night. They either had their team identified already (and the advertising was just a way to get more money for tryouts) or they really did need the makeup tryout to finalize their roster. VA Elite and VA Juniors were trying to get players to switch clubs, but they either didn't or went to a different high level club. On the Maryland side--where the big clubs tend to run 2-3 teams at each age group--it seemed like most of them had little problem locking in their top teams, and many had their second and third teams done well before the end of the tryout period.

Anonymous wrote:Another U14 parent here new to club volleyball, and my kid tried out for 5 teams and was shut out entirely even from a couple of the lower tier teams. What a discouraging situation for an enthusiastic teen who tried really hard and committed to 12+ hours of volleyball tryouts over past weekend. What options do these kids have? How do kids develop and improve if the coaches expect them to show up fully packaged? She is a strong player but does need to work on certain skills. But how do they get better without the coaching? She is not happy about playing Rec again bc she isn’t learning much and is already a top player there. She was really hoping to step up to the next level where the leagues play regulation rules and actually serve etc. and they can play tournaments.

This is the hardest part of club volleyball -- everyone loves to talk about the top tier teams, college scholarships, compare club strength, etc. but for every player that is trying to go that route, there are dozens that just want to play volleyball at a level above a rec league. Trying out for 5 different teams and not making one is really hard, but kudos to your kid for putting themselves out there and trying so hard.

First, I would suggest finding a club in your area that runs clinic sessions over an extended period of time during the club season. Make sure the number of players in the clinics is low, so that they spend their time playing volleyball not just watching it. Make sure the coaches are the same for each week -- you want a coaching staff that can progress your player, and that means repeated exposure to them. Avoid single skill clinics until you have good all around skills. A good clinic program will combine a lot of fundamentals work with enough gameplay to keep the clinic interesting to the players. To help in getting on a team next year, before selecting the club for your clinics, ask the club how many players on their top teams started in their skills program and/or the youngest club team. If they have a development team, check to see how many of the clinic players make it on to to the development team.

Second, think about avoiding fall rec leagues and instead focus on fall training programs/academy. While the players in those leagues often love them (and the clubs love to post on social media with the winners and their medals), the reality is that most clubs take just a few rec league players on to their club teams. Also, most rec league coaching is not good. When looking for a good fall program, ask how many of the teams/groups are coached by a club coach and how many club players came out of their fall program and/or went on to play in other clubs that year.

Finally, realize that the tiers talked about here are heavily biased towards the how the top teams perform. Many parents get hooked on the though that the best clubs must also have the best training/clinic programs. That's not true -- the Tier 1 and most of the tier 2 clubs use other clubs for their training. They have little interest in developing a good player from the very first time they touch a ball -- its hard work and ties up their good coaches (of which there are few).

Anonymous wrote:Another U14 parent here new to club volleyball, and my kid tried out for 5 teams and was shut out entirely even from a couple of the lower tier teams. What a discouraging situation for an enthusiastic teen who tried really hard and committed to 12+ hours of volleyball tryouts over past weekend. What options do these kids have? How do kids develop and improve if the coaches expect them to show up fully packaged? She is a strong player but does need to work on certain skills. But how do they get better without the coaching? She is not happy about playing Rec again bc she isn’t learning much and is already a top player there. She was really hoping to step up to the next level where the leagues play regulation rules and actually serve etc. and they can play tournaments.

I'm really sorry to hear about that and do feel for her. At the top of my head, one thing I would suggest at this point in time is to consider clinics that really focus on specific skills such as receiving and passing. Some clubs/organizations do offer those (but it may not be always throughout the year, only at certain times) and some could provide info on private training. I checked really quickly for one in Maryland and saw that MD Juniors has info on private lessons. This is the URL: https://www.mdjrs.org/clinics

Of course, which organization you go to depends on where you and your daughter are based.

Another U14 parent here new to club volleyball, and my kid tried out for 5 teams and was shut out entirely even from a couple of the lower tier teams. What a discouraging situation for an enthusiastic teen who tried really hard and committed to 12+ hours of volleyball tryouts over past weekend. What options do these kids have? How do kids develop and improve if the coaches expect them to show up fully packaged? She is a strong player but does need to work on certain skills. But how do they get better without the coaching? She is not happy about playing Rec again bc she isn’t learning much and is already a top player there. She was really hoping to step up to the next level where the leagues play regulation rules and actually serve etc. and they can play tournaments.

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Anonymous wrote:U14 mom, is your daughter in 8th grade?

Yes.

From my understanding, you can play an age up but not down. So a 14 year old could still tryout for a 15s team this weekend?Last year my 14 daughter was on a team with a couple of (just turned) 13 year olds. I also saw an 8th grader or two at some 15 tryout clinics. Why not have her try out for 15u in a lower tier club Another option is to do winter league at one of the clubs and spring travel league (the ones you try out for in March).

Would a "still fairly new-to-volleyball" 14 yr old get slammed trying out for U15? Or it's really worth a shot?

If the club is fairly new or young and the coaches are open to the idea + primarily more focused on development and not being competitive (aka focused on winning in tournaments), then the idea of a 14 y/o trying for U15 isn't out of the realm of possibility. At this point, give the club a call/email and ask.

Clarification in terms of definition: A 14 y/o being someone who would typically qualify and focus on U14.

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Anonymous wrote:U14 mom, is your daughter in 8th grade?

Yes.

From my understanding, you can play an age up but not down. So a 14 year old could still tryout for a 15s team this weekend?Last year my 14 daughter was on a team with a couple of (just turned) 13 year olds. I also saw an 8th grader or two at some 15 tryout clinics. Why not have her try out for 15u in a lower tier club Another option is to do winter league at one of the clubs and spring travel league (the ones you try out for in March).

Would a "still fairly new-to-volleyball" 14 yr old get slammed trying out for U15? Or it's really worth a shot?

If the club is fairly new or young and the coaches are open to the idea + primarily more focused on development and not being competitive (aka focused on winning in tournaments), then the idea of a 14 y/o trying for U15 isn't out of the realm of possibility. At this point, give the club a call/email and ask.

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Anonymous wrote:U14 mom, is your daughter in 8th grade?

Yes.

From my understanding, you can play an age up but not down. So a 14 year old could still tryout for a 15s team this weekend?Last year my 14 daughter was on a team with a couple of (just turned) 13 year olds. I also saw an 8th grader or two at some 15 tryout clinics. Why not have her try out for 15u in a lower tier club Another option is to do winter league at one of the clubs and spring travel league (the ones you try out for in March).

Would a "still fairly new-to-volleyball" 14 yr old get slammed trying out for U15? Or it's really worth a shot?

I would also try X-Factor, which is run by the head coach at NOVA CC and is geared towards development and is not a blood sport club.

U14 Mom from what little I know about VAVA (and what's said above), I'd start with them about U14 spots if the logistics and price could work for you. They may be a nice combo of good coaches, but too new a club to get people running to be in it. So maybe getting in on the ground floor will give you a win-win? It's possible!

I would say in the bottom Tier, it's worth a try. At least to get the experience of playing in tournaments. The good thing is now you have all this experience under your belt and will be ready for next year. I would still reach out to clubs and see what happens.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U14 mom, is your daughter in 8th grade?

Yes.

From my understanding, you can play an age up but not down. So a 14 year old could still tryout for a 15s team this weekend?Last year my 14 daughter was on a team with a couple of (just turned) 13 year olds. I also saw an 8th grader or two at some 15 tryout clinics. Why not have her try out for 15u in a lower tier club Another option is to do winter league at one of the clubs and spring travel league (the ones you try out for in March).

Would a "still fairly new-to-volleyball" 14 yr old get slammed trying out for U15? Or it's really worth a shot?

Anonymous wrote:V'ball dad again - Acronyms galore! Here are a few with the relevant websites plus other clubs for reference. I know I've missed some but I don't know everything! (While doing this, I again am amazed by how many clubs there are...)

VAVA = Virginia Volleyball Academy - https://vavolleyball.com/
VAE = Virginia Elite - https://www.vaelite.com/
Vienna Elite - https://www.viennaelite.org/
VA Jrs = Virginia Juniors - https://www.vajuniors.com/
ECP = East Coast Power Chesapeake - https://ecpowerchesapeake.com/dc-teams/
STJ = St. James Volleyball - https://www.thestjamesvolleyball.com/
NVVA = Northern Virginia Volleyball Association - https://www.nvva.com/clubvolleyball
Libero Virginia - https://liberovirginia.com/
No Panic Volleyball - https://www.nopanicvolleyball.com/
X-Factor Volleyball - https://www.x-factorvolleyball.com/
Paramount - https://www.paramountvbc.com/
Metro = https://www.metrovbc.com/
MoCo = Montgomery County Volleyball Club - https://www.mocovc.org/
MVSA = Montgomery Village Sports Association - https://www.mvsavbc.org/
MEVC = Maryland Exclusive Volleyball Club - https://maryland-exclusive-volleyball-club.sportngin.com/
MD Jrs = Maryland Juniors - https://www.mdjrs.org/
SRVC = South River Volleyball Club - https://www.southrivervolleyball.com/
BAVA = Bay Area Volleyball Academy - https://www.bayvolleyball.com/
CVA = Columbia Volleyball Academy - https://www.columbiavolleyballclub.org/
Liberty Elite (Hagerstown) - https://www.libertyelitevolleyball.com/
Xperience Volleyball Club - https://www.xperiencevbc.com/
MVP = Maryland Volleyball Program - https://mvpvolleyball.net/ (this is an all-boys program)

I'm not the U14 mom OP, but thank you so much for putting this together!