How To Choose a Junior Volleyball Club Team

Here's How:

1. Ask Around

   Find some kids who have played on the team before and ask them about this particular J.O. team. Ask them to tell you everything, both the good and the bad. This will give you a glimpse of the program before you even get close to trying out.

2. Attend the Meeting

   J.O. volleyball teams will have some type of organizational meeting. Attend that meeting. DON'T MISS IT !! Your attendance will give you another good feel for the team. TAKE YOUR PARENTS TO THE MEETING. Often, while you're so excited you can't tell a pancake from a beach dig, your parents will still be able to sense the atmosphere of the team's program. In addition, don't be afraid to ask questions. Ask someone, anyone. Have your parents ask your questions for you.

3. Bring a Friend

   Take your friends along who may also be interested in the team. Playing on the team will be much easier if you have friends with you. But, on the other hand, not playing because you're the only kid on the J.O. team from your school is an unacceptable reason for you to give up what you love. DO NOT decide to give up J.O. because you might be lonely.

4. Make a List of Questions
   • What are the fees? Can I make monthly payments?
   • Are there fund raisers? Are they mandatory?
   • How often/long do we practice? Where are they held? Will I need transportation?
   • How many trips and which ones are mandatory?
   • How many trips must parents attend? What extra costs should my parents expect?
   • What other fee's will there be?
   • Will practices I miss be excused due to my commitments to my high school sport or schoolwork?
   • How about job, church, or family obligations?
5. Investigate the Coaches

   You do not have to call the CIA, but the coach will have the biggest impact on your JO experience. Talk to players who have played for that coach.

   • What do they think of the coach?
   • Is the coach too demanding, or not demanding enough?
   • Is the coach experienced?
   • Do YOU want a younger or older coach?
   • Is the coach's philosophy on winning similar to yours?
   • What is the coach's philosophy on playing time? If you are not a starter, will you play in every game or just some?
6. Put it all Together

   You should now have a good idea if this team and your family can work together. You should feel comfortable that your commitment to improving your volleyball skills is similar to the intensity of the team that you have investigated.

7. Does it Fit?

   Remember, there is no perfect fit. Two types of matches have the best chance of working out. The first is when a child gets into a program run by his/her high school or middle school coach. They have similar goals and objectives. The second type is when an intense, 24-7, never-stop-hustling kid plays for that type of coach. Then they can be both happy traveling all over the country, playing, playing, playing, and leaving town weekend after weekend.

Tips:

1. Join to See More

   Tasha Dillard, a rising sophomore at St. Paul's (Va.) college said, "J.O. makes you better for your upcoming high school season. You get to see how other teams play and how you compare to them. It motivates you to improve."

2. Join to Learn More

   Tasha continues, "JO helped me learn the game better and become a better overall player. I was also given the chance to learn in JO what I didn't grasp during my HS season: passing, serving & hitting special sets. I wasn't a passer or server on my HS team, but sometimes in JO I had to be one or both. In my program, we were encouraged to try new things, and there was little penalty for screw ups. Plus it keeps you active, in shape, and gives you something to do in the spring."

3. Be Prepared for the NegativeTasha continues, "Sometimes your best players had conflicts on tournament weekends. Then other girls would have emergencies at the last moment. Not only would we not do well that weekend, but occasionally, we would lose to teams who we had beaten easily just a few weeks before."
4. Be Ready to Put Your Social Life on Hold

   Tasha remarked that J.O. got in the way of her social life and her job, but then she recanted, saying, "I will have plenty more weekends in my life to go out, but I knew that my high school volleyball playing days would be over soon...and they were."

5. Don't Cancel Out

   Jessica Helms, a sophomore in high school stated, "J.O. helped me improve in the areas I needed work on. But I hated it when people would cancel, because sometimes the entire trip would be canceled."