Houston Juniors Volleyball Club was founded as a non-profit organization in 1985 and is the oldest volleyball club in the city of Houston. The club was founded to give girls an avenue to play and further their skill development outside of high school volleyball. Upon taking over Houston Juniors in 2011, the club went from 4 teams to 17. The club leadership including Club Director Stephanie Rhodes, Head training coaches Jeff Ham and Tara Cross-Battle, and Recruiting Coordinator Kara Pratt worked very hard to ensure the club’s growth. On a solid foundation of believing in training every athlete that walks through our doors, Houston Juniors has grown into a club that is now home to 50 teams at two locations.

Houston Juniors has a very clear set of objectives and goals that are designed to benefit the individual as well as the team and organization. Organizers and coaches within Houston Juniors emphasize the fundamentals of volleyball, the development of positive attitudes, the importance of preparation for top level competition, teamwork, and the value of volleyball as a sport.

We believe that…
Ability… is what you are capable of doing.
Motivation… determines what you do.
Attitude… determines how well you do it.

FAST Complex is the home of Houston Juniors, and is a 52,000 sq. foot facility with 8 courts, sports performance room, concession stand, pro shop, staff offices, coaches room and an Adidas room for the players to study quietly when they need to. The club’s second facility is The Zone on the south side of Houston, and includes 6 courts.

Houston Juniors is the non-profit organization and FAST Complex is the for profit organization. The 2 entities are separate but work together to offer the following to our community:

1. Club volleyball – Houston Juniors VBC
2. Camps & Clinics
3. Leagues (Summer/Fall)
4. Tournaments
5. Court Rental
6. Sports Performance Training
7. Pro Shop
8. Concessions

Coaching
Houston Juniors has an advanced training regimen, under the direction of our head training coaches and master coaches who script practices to ensure all athletes receive the training for the level of the athletes/teams.

“Our staff is second to none with the experience ranging from all levels of NCAA College to International and Olympic experience” shares Club Director Stephanie Rhodes. “We provide our coaches with training (within the club and outside of the club) and a training manual to ensure they understand how we want skills taught.”

Recruiting
Houston Juniors takes pride in all of their athletes who commit no matter the level of school, and consistently has 98% or more of  their seniors go on to play collegiate volleyball. We support our athletes during their tenor with Houston Juniors and after they leave.

Sports Psychologist and Sports Performance Training
Richard Dishman has been a valuable tool for Houston Juniors athletes for the last three years. Richard provides the mental aspect of the game by helping the athletes stay focused and understand why things may be happening, and what they can do to help themselves. He also helps the athletes set achievable goals. Sports Performance Training is a part of Houston Juniors athlete’s fees, and is sport specific. Players continue with sports performance after the season is complete.

Camp, Clinics and Leagues
Houston Juniors uses camps and clinics as a way to carry the club’s clear objectives. Parents have the ability to look at the player development chart and know where to start their athlete based on age and experience. The development chart allows parents to look at camps and clinics that they can attend based on their athlete’s desire to learn the game of volleyball.  Leagues are an extension of the club’s camps and clinics. The leagues teach the technique and allow the application with 6 on 6 play and normally last six to eight weeks.

Community Service
Houston Juniors is also community conscious. The club gives volleyballs, backpacks and uniforms that are in good condition to schools in the Houston area in need, and also donates hundreds of uniforms to new schools being built in Africa. These uniforms and backpacks are given by the club’s athletes to kids that need them not for volleyball but for school.

“We want to make sure we give back” adds Rhodes. “To see the pictures of the kids wearing our backpacks and uniforms is a blessing and fills our heart!”

Virtual Training
In this trying time Houston Juniors is doing a lot of virtual training. The club leadership and coaches are sending out skills and sports performance training on a weekly basis and asking players to do these trainings on their practice nights. During the virtual training teams are reviewing practices and tournament play. Coaches are asking questions and allowing players to explain with no judgement. The club views this as a great time to grow the mental part of the game since normally during this time of the season everyone is looking for a break!

“We really appreciate all of the support we have received over the years from the JVA” says Rhodes. “The communication is ongoing and there is always open dialogue. Thank you so much for this honor. We really appreciate all that JVA does for their members.”

Houston Juniors is a long time member of the Junior Volleyball Association, an organization committed to enhancing the junior volleyball experience for club directors, coaches, players, and fans.

For more information about joining the JVA click HERE. For more information about JVA Awards click HERE. To nominate your club for JVA Club of the Month click HERE.