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Recently Added
An Athleader’s Journey: Turning Expectation into Joy
Caitlin moved to a new school during the COVID-19 pandemic, and did not have many close friends. Her parents [...]
Blog Categories
The Academy Boiler Juniors Wins JVA Club of the Month
Boiler Juniors was founded in 2014 by a group of coaches and parents passionate about sharing the game of volleyball with others, including John Shondell (former Assistant Coach at Purdue University, and current [...]
Coaching Solutions: 10 Tips for Increasing the Tempo of Your Practice
A fast-paced volleyball practice keeps players engaged, enhances skill development, and better prepares athletes for the speed of real competition. As a coach, creating an up-tempo environment doesn’t just happen—it requires intentional planning, clear [...]
Beach Solutions: Supplemental Revenue Streams for Beach Volleyball Clubs
As a Juniors Beach Volleyball Club Director, it’s easy to get caught up in the grind of collecting club dues and running practices. But let’s be real—if you want to build a thriving, financially [...]
News
JVA Sponsor Program Returns for 2022-2023 Season
The JVA is thrilled to announce the return of the JVA Sponsor Program for the upcoming 2022-2023 junior volleyball season. After taking a pause in mid 2020 amidst the pandemic, the JVA is pleased to [...]
2022 JVA Boys Watch List powered by Fivestar is Released
(Milwaukee, Wisconsin) The JVA proudly announces the 2022 JVA Boys Watch List powered by Fivestar featuring nearly 500 boys indoor junior volleyball athletes from 55 JVA member clubs. The players nominated are among the best [...]
2022 JVA Watch List powered by Fivestar is Released
(Milwaukee, Wisconsin) The JVA proudly announces the 2022 JVA Watch List powered by Fivestar featuring over 2,800 girls indoor junior volleyball athletes from 200 JVA member clubs. The players nominated are among the best in [...]
Club Directors
Risk Management Solutions: Legal Duties for Volleyball Leadership to Promote Physical and Emotional Safety
*Information provided in this article is not to be considered a substitute for legal advice. Readers are strongly encouraged to seek the advice of a licensed attorney familiar with youth sport laws and regulations within [...]
Mamba Volleyball Academy Wins JVA Club of the Month
Mamba all started with a crazy dream: building a club that empowers young male athletes to become not just skilled players, but also incredible leaders on and off the court. [...]
Business Solutions: The Responsibilities and Impact of a Travel Coordinator
Having a designated Travel Coordinator has significantly improved the tournament and travel experience for The Academy Volleyball Club. A couple of years after hiring Marketing Director Katelyn Storms full-time, travel coordination was added to [...]
Coaches
Give your athletes the tools to improve their mental health
Athletes are a different breed of human, but they are still human. They deal with the daily stress of school, life, and playing their sport. They have emotions, anxiety, struggle, mental blocks, and self doubt. [...]
Coaching Mental Performance: Developing Rapport
It has been established that a good coach-athlete relationship is paramount for positive performance outcomes at the elite sport level (Gould & Maynard, 2009; Jowett & Shanmugam, 2016; Werthner & Coleman, 2009). In fact, [...]
Keeping Athletes Healthy This Winter
Flu season is upon us now. Since athletes are often around many other people when training or playing, they are more likely to be exposed to infection or virus. It’s crucial for athletes to stay [...]
Boys
Plyometrics Vertical Training for Volleyball Athletes
If you don't have access to a gym or performance training coach, there are still ways to improve at home. Take your game to the next level with this equipment-free home workout to improve your vertical jump.
3 Ways to Develop Player Ambition
Our club runs several seasonal leagues, youth development programs, camps/clinics and club teams so I observe and work with a variety of volleyball athletes. Over the past couple of years I have noticed a growing trend among our youth...
3 Olympic Lifts to Increase Speed, Power and Explosiveness of a Volleyball Attack
As the sport of volleyball continues to grow across the nation, the bar for excellence is constantly on the rise. There is more to "making it" than the skills learned in practice, watching videos, and completing drills. The addition of...
Girls
Functional vs Dysfunctional Breathing for Volleyball Athletes
Athletes that practice breathwork can take their game to the next level. Similar to training volleyball skills to perform at your best in a match, athletes should practice breathing so it comes naturally to you [...]
2 Steps to Improve Mental Resilience for Volleyball Athletes
If we are not in the right state of mind before major changes happen, how do we mentally handle shifts and changes with ease and keep our eyes on our overall goals? Characteristics of [...]
2021 JVA Beach Watch List Announced
(June 28, 2021. Milwaukee, Wisconsin) The JVA is pleased to announce the 2021 JVA Beach Watch List that recognizes the top female beach athletes from JVA member clubs across the country this season. This year's [...]
Beach
Beach Defensive Strategy: Pulling Down the Line
Covering the sand court with two defenders requires a balanced defensive strategy. Beach Nation shares the most common defensive strategy used among junior and collegiate programs of pulling down the line. Learn how to effectively implement this strategy and improve...
Beach Volleyball Recruiting Guidelines
Beach Volleyball is the NCAA's fastest-growing sport, starting with 15 Division I programs in 2012 and exceeding 100 collegiate programs in 2019, which means a huge influx of opportunities and scholarships for female student-athletes. Below is a brief explanation of and game plan to begin the recruiting process for girls interested in playing beach volleyball at the collegiate level. This is by no means comprehensive but should give you a good start to the process as well as some valuable information to guide your journey.
S3 Volleyball Wins JVA Club of the Month
S3 Volleyball, short for Southern Select Sand Volleyball, was founded in 2014, around the same time that a massive multi-sport venue called LakePoint Sporting Community opened 35 minutes north of Atlanta. In collaboration with RallyVB out of LakePoint, the two parties agreed...
Culture
Events
Beach Club Duals and Youth Program Serve Eager Junior Athletes in Milwaukee
The Frisco Mo Revolution Team Beach Battle formed this summer as a six-week league on Tuesday nights for a team of 3 pairs to compete as a squad against other squads on the sand. The [...]
Beach Program Adaptations During COVID-19
Beach coaches look forward to getting out on the sand every summer with the athletes in their program. However, this year has looked quite different as our country is facing unforeseen challenges with the pandemic [...]
Hosting an Indoor Volleyball Tournament in the COVID-19 era: Protocol Considerations and Recommendations
Joyce Fahnestock, Director for Club Idaho Volleyball hosted their annual Idaho Classic AAU Super Regional in Boise, Idaho on the last weekend in May and the first weekend in June. JVA Executive Director Jenny Hahn [...]
Awards
2021 JVA Beach Watch List Announced
(June 28, 2021. Milwaukee, Wisconsin) The JVA is pleased to announce the 2021 JVA Beach Watch List that recognizes the top female beach athletes from JVA member clubs across the country this season. This year's [...]
210 Beach Wins JVA Club of the Month
210 Beach was formed by Jason Kaiser in 2012 as a small training group for his daughter, Maja, and a few other athletes to get reps after the indoor season. The training group competed [...]
JVA Proudly Releases the 2021 Ultra Ankle JVA All-National Team
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN (June 2, 2021) The JVA is pleased to announce the 79 student athletes selected to the 2021 Ultra Ankle® JVA All-National Team, which recognizes the top female indoor volleyball players competing for a [...]
Training
How to Manage Stress and Avoid Athlete Burnout in Times of Uncertainty
Feeling Tired? Lacking Motivation? You’re Not Alone! In the world of COVID-19, burnout is a true risk, particularly for athletes who are used to performing at high levels with many opportunities for feedback. Athletes do [...]
Volleyball Workout to Warm-up and Re-activate the Muscles
Injuries are always a possibility for youth athletes, but the risk of injury could be significantly higher with the return to training after spending the past couple of months outside of the gym. This is [...]
Sample At Home Training Calendar May 2020
Volleyball athletes frequently struggle with physical limitations such as mobility deficits, poor movement patterns, and decreased strength. The recent hiatus from practice and training means that these problem areas will be more exaggerated than ever. [...]
Parents
There’s More to Collegiate Sports than Division I
This time of year, the sports media attention is focused on March Madness and NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championships. A couple of months ago, it was the Bowl Season. NCAA Division I athletics have become synonymous with collegiate sports; so many student-athletes and families are raised upon DI sports and understandably feel DI is the best choice for being a collegiate athlete. Let's shine a light on why Division II, III and NAIA are also excellent options for junior volleyball athletes.
What Parents Need to Hear
Over the past year, I have been leading 'Recruiting Sessions' for parents whose athletes attended various college showcases. As I was planning these sessions, my goal was to simplify the process and give parents 'real tools' to pass on to their athletes. Below is an outline that I use to begin each session, I like to call it 'Recruiting 101'.
From the JVA Office: Building Great Sports Parents
When I talk to Club Directors and ask them "What keeps you up a night?" The #1 response I hear most often is "Parents". I had the good fortune to meet and talk with an amazing woman, Ruth Nelson, this past...
Recruiting
When Should Volleyball Athletes Start the Recruiting Process?
One of the most frequently asked questions is “When should we start the recruiting process?” And the answer is: It really depends on the athlete. Here is some guidance for athletes and parents who are considering navigating the recruiting process...
When the Pressure of the Recruiting Process Surfaces: Focus on Getting Better
The AAU and USAV National Championships are around the corner. On the forefront of every young athlete’s mind (that wants to play at the next level) is “what college coaches will be watching me?” or “how do I get...
A Letter to High School Athletes,
This is an exciting, yet stressful time for you. One sport, two sports, three sports, National Honors Society, mock governments, club or travel ball, SAT, ACT, GPA, and more – you have or will put a lot into your four years...
Travel
