How to Choose a Volleyball Club: A Parent Guide From a Club Director

Picking a club is one of the bigger decisions a volleyball family makes. A good fit keeps your kid learning and loving the game. A poor fit costs money and joy. I run a club, so here is what I'd want any parent to look at, and ask about, before you sign.

By Kent Littlejohn, Director, Cincinnati Volleyball Academy / Cincy Elite Boys

8 Things to Look At in Any Club

Use this list when you visit a club, go to an open gym or sit down with a director. No club is perfect on every point. What matters is that the answers fit your kid and your family.

Who Will Actually Coach Your Kid

The club name matters less than the person running practice on a Tuesday night. Ask who coaches your kid's age group, how long they've coached, and how the club supports its coaches.

Ask the director: 'Who will coach this team, and how do you help your coaches get better?'

The Right Team Level

Most clubs have more than one team at each age group, and those teams can differ a lot in travel and tournament schedule. A team far above your kid's level can be frustrating. A team far below it can get boring. Look for the one where your kid gets real reps and real challenges.

Ask: 'What does a season look like for each of your teams at this age?'

Age Group and Birth Date

Club age groups follow USA Volleyball age definitions, which go by birth date, not school grade. For 2026–27, 12U is for players born on or after July 1, 2014, and 11U is for players born on or after July 1, 2015. Most sixth graders are 12U. In the Ohio Valley Region (OVR), some American and Regional teams can be grade-based instead, so ask the club how they place players.

Check the club's age chart before you register for tryouts.

Season Calendar and Commitment

Ask when practices start, how many nights a week the team practices and when the last tournament is. Ask how many travel weekends the team usually has and which events are already set.

Ask for last season's schedule. It's the best preview of this one.

The Full Cost

The club fee is only part of it. Uniforms, travel, hotels, food and gas add up, and travel teams add up faster. A good club will help you see the whole number before you commit.

Ask what the club fee includes and what costs come on top of it.

Practice Location and Drive Time

Two practices a week at a gym 45 minutes away is about three hours of driving every week. Be honest about what your family can keep up with for a whole season.

Drive the route at practice time once before you decide.

SafeSport and Background Checks

Every coach working with minors should have a current background check and SafeSport training. Ask directly if you don't see it listed.

Ask: 'Are all your coaches SafeSport trained and background checked?' A good club will answer right away.

Offers and Deadlines

Find out how the club makes offers and how long you'll have to answer. CVA follows the OVR guideline of giving families at least 48 hours to make a decision on an offer. Whatever a club's window is, know it before tryout weekend so you can plan the family conversation ahead of time.

Ask: 'How will we hear about placement, and how long do we have to answer?'

Age-by-Age Selection Guide

What matters most changes as kids grow. Here's what I'd put first at each stage.

9U–12U

Fundamentals and fun

Look for a club that teaches ball control and keeps kids loving the game. Many players this age are new to club, and that's fine. Coaches at these ages care most about effort, coachability and how quickly a kid learns.

13U–14U

Learning positions

Kids start to settle into positions. Look for coaches who teach position skills and still let players try more than one spot.

15U–16U

Finding the right level

Players ready for national-level play may want a team with that schedule. Players who are still developing often get more from a regional team with strong practices and lots of reps.

17U–18U

College goals

If your player wants to play in college, ask how the club helps with recruiting, like film, contact with college coaches and honest feedback about level. Club play helps, and the player's own outreach matters too.

Questions to Ask Before Committing

Good club directors expect these questions. I would rather answer them before tryouts than have a family wonder all season.

When to Slow Down and Ask More

None of these mean a club is a bad club. They mean you should ask a follow-up question before you sign.

Where PACE Fits In

PACE is Volleyball.net's free athlete assessment. It maps how a player competes, communicates and handles pressure. It won't pick a club for you, but it gives your family and your kid's coaches a shared language from the first practice.

Take it before tryouts and bring the results to your first conversation with the coach.

Trying Out With CVA?

Cincinnati Volleyball Academy trains at Courts 4 Sports in Mason, Ohio. If your family is nearby, come see how we do it. Start with an open gym, then register for tryouts.