Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It is very unusual for someone to start playing volleyball at the club level u15. If you’re 6’+, sure. If you’re a truly extraordinary athlete, maybe.

It would be nice for girls who didn’t have their athletic dreams mapped out in time for u12 to be able to play volleyball as a positive experience.



Girl Dad 2X here. I agree with this. Not sure if I'm going to put them threw this next year. At least I'll be better informed, they'll be better prepared, and we can manage expectations.

Its not true that U15 is a rare age for players to start playing club volleyball -- its actually the opposite. The two most popular ages to start are U15 and U13. U15 because its often the first time players are introduced to the game in HS. U15 tryouts are returning club players + new HS players, and are always the largest tryout group at established clubs.

Yes, it helps to be a good athlete and/or physically gifted, but it is not a requirement. Lots of players without club experience make teams at U15 -- you just have to find the right club. You usually aren't going to make a 1s team at a good club where everyone has 3-4 years club experience and lots of physical/athletic ability, especially if you only have one season of JV volleyball. But you can make a 2s or 3s team at many different clubs in the area.

The key is to show that you can improve quickly during the pre-tryout clinics. If a coach is watching you and sees you get better when you are exposed to club-level volleyball, they'll usually make a note of it and sometimes come talk to you about it. Its very common for coaches to ask how long you've played, and if the answer is 3 months and you are already able to play close to a club level, coaches will notice. Players don't make club teams just on current ability -- they also make club teams on potential growth ability. Its where you'll be at the end of the season that matters the most.

On the other hand, if your DD played an entire season of JV volleyball and still can't consistently serve/pass/hit/set, then you will struggle to make a club team. If2+ months of 5 days a week practices didn't develop the ability to do any of the fundamentals, then its very doubtful you can make a club team.

Nope. Uncommon. This is how clubs rake in so much $$ at tryouts. The math doesn’t work. All those hundreds of girls at tryouts for very few spots. Most of them have played before. Those are not all novices showing up at u15. It’s possible. Not likely. To the extent they make it, they knock out another girl who has been playing for longer.

I think there is a big squeeze at 15 bc high school interest and prior club and rec interest. But there aren’t more 15 teams than 14, are there? And girls who haven’t played club before would have a hard time making high school teams

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It is very unusual for someone to start playing volleyball at the club level u15. If you’re 6’+, sure. If you’re a truly extraordinary athlete, maybe.

It would be nice for girls who didn’t have their athletic dreams mapped out in time for u12 to be able to play volleyball as a positive experience.



Girl Dad 2X here. I agree with this. Not sure if I'm going to put them threw this next year. At least I'll be better informed, they'll be better prepared, and we can manage expectations.

Its not true that U15 is a rare age for players to start playing club volleyball -- its actually the opposite. The two most popular ages to start are U15 and U13. U15 because its often the first time players are introduced to the game in HS. U15 tryouts are returning club players + new HS players, and are always the largest tryout group at established clubs.

Yes, it helps to be a good athlete and/or physically gifted, but it is not a requirement. Lots of players without club experience make teams at U15 -- you just have to find the right club. You usually aren't going to make a 1s team at a good club where everyone has 3-4 years club experience and lots of physical/athletic ability, especially if you only have one season of JV volleyball. But you can make a 2s or 3s team at many different clubs in the area.

The key is to show that you can improve quickly during the pre-tryout clinics. If a coach is watching you and sees you get better when you are exposed to club-level volleyball, they'll usually make a note of it and sometimes come talk to you about it. Its very common for coaches to ask how long you've played, and if the answer is 3 months and you are already able to play close to a club level, coaches will notice. Players don't make club teams just on current ability -- they also make club teams on potential growth ability. Its where you'll be at the end of the season that matters the most.

On the other hand, if your DD played an entire season of JV volleyball and still can't consistently serve/pass/hit/set, then you will struggle to make a club team. If2+ months of 5 days a week practices didn't develop the ability to do any of the fundamentals, then its very doubtful you can make a club team.

Nope. Uncommon. This is how clubs rake in so much $$ at tryouts. The math doesn’t work. All those hundreds of girls at tryouts for very few spots. Most of them have played before. Those are not all novices showing up at u15. It’s possible. Not likely. To the extent they make it, they knock out another girl who has been playing for longer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It is very unusual for someone to start playing volleyball at the club level u15. If you’re 6’+, sure. If you’re a truly extraordinary athlete, maybe.

It would be nice for girls who didn’t have their athletic dreams mapped out in time for u12 to be able to play volleyball as a positive experience.



Girl Dad 2X here. I agree with this. Not sure if I'm going to put them threw this next year. At least I'll be better informed, they'll be better prepared, and we can manage expectations.

Its not true that U15 is a rare age for players to start playing club volleyball -- its actually the opposite. The two most popular ages to start are U15 and U13. U15 because its often the first time players are introduced to the game in HS. U15 tryouts are returning club players + new HS players, and are always the largest tryout group at established clubs.

Yes, it helps to be a good athlete and/or physically gifted, but it is not a requirement. Lots of players without club experience make teams at U15 -- you just have to find the right club. You usually aren't going to make a 1s team at a good club where everyone has 3-4 years club experience and lots of physical/athletic ability, especially if you only have one season of JV volleyball. But you can make a 2s or 3s team at many different clubs in the area.

The key is to show that you can improve quickly during the pre-tryout clinics. If a coach is watching you and sees you get better when you are exposed to club-level volleyball, they'll usually make a note of it and sometimes come talk to you about it. Its very common for coaches to ask how long you've played, and if the answer is 3 months and you are already able to play close to a club level, coaches will notice. Players don't make club teams just on current ability -- they also make club teams on potential growth ability. Its where you'll be at the end of the season that matters the most.

On the other hand, if your DD played an entire season of JV volleyball and still can't consistently serve/pass/hit/set, then you will struggle to make a club team. If2+ months of 5 days a week practices didn't develop the ability to do any of the fundamentals, then its very doubtful you can make a club team.

Nope. Uncommon. This is how clubs rake in so much $$ at tryouts. The math doesn’t work. All those hundreds of girls at tryouts for very few spots. Most of them have played before. Those are not all novices showing up at u15. It’s possible. Not likely. To the extent they make it, they knock out another girl who has been playing for longer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It is very unusual for someone to start playing volleyball at the club level u15. If you’re 6’+, sure. If you’re a truly extraordinary athlete, maybe.

It would be nice for girls who didn’t have their athletic dreams mapped out in time for u12 to be able to play volleyball as a positive experience.



Girl Dad 2X here. I agree with this. Not sure if I'm going to put them threw this next year. At least I'll be better informed, they'll be better prepared, and we can manage expectations.

Its not true that U15 is a rare age for players to start playing club volleyball -- its actually the opposite. The two most popular ages to start are U15 and U13. U15 because its often the first time players are introduced to the game in HS. U15 tryouts are returning club players + new HS players, and are always the largest tryout group at established clubs.

Yes, it helps to be a good athlete and/or physically gifted, but it is not a requirement. Lots of players without club experience make teams at U15 -- you just have to find the right club. You usually aren't going to make a 1s team at a good club where everyone has 3-4 years club experience and lots of physical/athletic ability, especially if you only have one season of JV volleyball. But you can make a 2s or 3s team at many different clubs in the area.

The key is to show that you can improve quickly during the pre-tryout clinics. If a coach is watching you and sees you get better when you are exposed to club-level volleyball, they'll usually make a note of it and sometimes come talk to you about it. Its very common for coaches to ask how long you've played, and if the answer is 3 months and you are already able to play close to a club level, coaches will notice. Players don't make club teams just on current ability -- they also make club teams on potential growth ability. Its where you'll be at the end of the season that matters the most.

On the other hand, if your DD played an entire season of JV volleyball and still can't consistently serve/pass/hit/set, then you will struggle to make a club team. If2+ months of 5 days a week practices didn't develop the ability to do any of the fundamentals, then its very doubtful you can make a club team.

Anonymous wrote:

It is very unusual for someone to start playing volleyball at the club level u15. If you’re 6’+, sure. If you’re a truly extraordinary athlete, maybe.

It would be nice for girls who didn’t have their athletic dreams mapped out in time for u12 to be able to play volleyball as a positive experience.



Girl Dad 2X here. I agree with this. Not sure if I'm going to put them threw this next year. At least I'll be better informed, they'll be better prepared, and we can manage expectations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aftermath thoughts:

1. Its basically pay to play.
2. Its better to start young to develop skills early. Start at 12 years old if your child is interested
3. Tryouts are not truly open, girls are preselected. Its a joke to have 100 girls on a court at a time for evaluation.
4. There are not enough teams in the DMV area. Specifically DC. VB needs a Rec component here.
5. Height plays a huge factor and since the average height is 5'3 or 5'4. Libero will be the toughest position to compete for.
6. Height and athletic potential outweigh playing experience. I.E. they'll take someone that is 6'2 before someone that understands rules, rotations, and fundamentals.
7. CHRVA needs revamping or create a new organization for the DMV area.
8. It's very expensive to play club.

I think that about covers it from my perspective.

My daughter started playing volleyball as a freshman in HS. In our case, club teams have not been pre-selected. There has always been movement within her last 2 years of club (ESPECIALLY this year as a junior).

There is movement, but coaches often know which players they will keep, which they’ll give up if something better comes along, and they often have already identified the new players they would take before tryouts begin. (DD team has < 50% of last year’s players)

It is very unusual for someone to start playing volleyball at the club level u15. If you’re 6’+, sure. If you’re a truly extraordinary athlete, maybe.

It would be nice for girls who didn’t have their athletic dreams mapped out in time for u12 to be able to play volleyball as a positive experience.

Anonymous wrote:

There is movement, but coaches often know which players they will keep, which they’ll give up if something better comes along, and they often have already identified the new players they would take before tryouts begin. (DD team has < 50% of last year’s players)

It is very unusual for someone to start playing volleyball at the club level u15. If you’re 6’+, sure. If you’re a truly extraordinary athlete, maybe.

It would be nice for girls who didn’t have their athletic dreams mapped out in time for u12 to be able to play volleyball as a positive experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is mojo still holding tryouts? There is absolutely no way they need more players. There were soooo many great players at their clinics and their tryouts were full. I have a really hard time believing they still need players.

IMO it’s almost always because they shoot too high, focus on the wrong players at tryouts (think: players who are using mojo as backup but end up choosing Virginia elite or Juniors), and initially ignore the ones who are seriously interested. Their tryout sessions are so dismissive and humiliating toward the girls who aren’t the “chosen” ones that it’s a total turnoff. Those players then go on to accept other offers. And by Tuesday at least half of the top choices the mojo thought they were getting finally turn down their offer in favor of accepting at a stronger club and it leaves mojo scrambling.
Problem is, mojo really doesn’t play the game well when it comes to courting the ones who didn’t quite make the cut.
And by the time they realize they need them, they wind up reaching out to players who have already committed.
I hate to come down so hard on mojo but I’ve seen and heard it happen too many times to not call it out. Maybe they think their way is more honest and real? But if they made all the players who come to tryout dates feel valued and seen even if they don’t give them a bid, those players might feel like waiting around until Tuesday to see if an offer eventually comes. But mojo makes it super clear who they want and it’s hard to come back from that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW my DD rec’d an immediate offer on Mojo’s team despite never having played at ECP or attending a clinic. She accepted an offer an open-level team instead, but to be fair, the owner reached out after we declined and was gracious. (That wasn’t true of all the coaches at the tryout — DD really didn’t enjoy them).

All of DD’s offers were for open and national-level teams but the one she did NOT get was with the regional team Dulles Youth Sports (DYS). Go figure! That club is wildly popular, in part because it’s relatively inexpensive but also because it seems very fun and laid back.

Sorry but this doesn’t disprove the point above about mojo.
AT the tryout, if they have already seen you at clinics, they make it known very quickly that they don’t want you by assigning you to a court that none of the coaches bother to look at. It’s super obvious!
I suspect that with the one girl who got 5 offers, she’s probably on the shorter side—inferred from mom’s post—and they figured they have enough shorter players who are known to them already.
The point is—you and your DD saw a different side to how the MOJO staff treats players because your DD was one of “the chosen”—-even if she was chosen the second they first saw her at tryout for the first time. (I’m guessing your DD is very tall or she was otherwise known to them from having seen her play at prior tournaments for another team) They are very consistent at love-bombing the ones they want—even if it’s players they just met. And they are equally consistent at completely dismissing and ignoring the ones they have no interest in even while AT the tryout. That is t the case everywhere. My DD didn’t get 5 out if 6 offers. She got 1 out if 3. But the staff at two of those clubs really engaged with all the players and encouraged all of them.

And of course mojo made a follow-up call and were gracious when your DD turned them down because the whole point of the call was to see if it was too late to persuade her to choose them (They probably asked “are you sure? Have you paid the deposit yet?—because we’d really love you to play for us and it’s not too late for you to change your mind…” And they know that there is always next year, so it is not a surprise that they know how to be nice to players they want.

OP here and I understand people’s frustrations with the club, truly. I was not trying to “disprove the point” but inly sharing my experience which differed from yours. Mojo did show interest in some players at tryouts, despite not knowing them previously and despite my DD not being tall. I realize that wasn’t the case for your child. The owner was gracious in that she at least followed up when we declined (no other club did) and as soon as I confirmed that we had accepted an offer, she wished us well and asked that we reconsider them in the future.

And yes, when DD decided on a club, she did not attend the last tryout and let other clubs know immediately.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW my DD rec’d an immediate offer on Mojo’s team despite never having played at ECP or attending a clinic. She accepted an offer an open-level team instead, but to be fair, the owner reached out after we declined and was gracious. (That wasn’t true of all the coaches at the tryout — DD really didn’t enjoy them).

All of DD’s offers were for open and national-level teams but the one she did NOT get was with the regional team Dulles Youth Sports (DYS). Go figure! That club is wildly popular, in part because it’s relatively inexpensive but also because it seems very fun and laid back.

Sorry but this doesn’t disprove the point above about mojo.
AT the tryout, if they have already seen you at clinics, they make it known very quickly that they don’t want you by assigning you to a court that none of the coaches bother to look at. It’s super obvious!
I suspect that with the one girl who got 5 offers, she’s probably on the shorter side—inferred from mom’s post—and they figured they have enough shorter players who are known to them already.
The point is—you and your DD saw a different side to how the MOJO staff treats players because your DD was one of “the chosen”—-even if she was chosen the second they first saw her at tryout for the first time. (I’m guessing your DD is very tall or she was otherwise known to them from having seen her play at prior tournaments for another team) They are very consistent at love-bombing the ones they want—even if it’s players they just met. And they are equally consistent at completely dismissing and ignoring the ones they have no interest in even while AT the tryout. That is t the case everywhere. My DD didn’t get 5 out if 6 offers. She got 1 out if 3. But the staff at two of those clubs really engaged with all the players and encouraged all of them.

And of course mojo made a follow-up call and were gracious when your DD turned them down because the whole point of the call was to see if it was too late to persuade her to choose them (They probably asked “are you sure? Have you paid the deposit yet?—because we’d really love you to play for us and it’s not too late for you to change your mind…” And they know that there is always next year, so it is not a surprise that they know how to be nice to players they want.