The latest news and articles from JVA
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Recently Added
An Official’s Impact: The Power of Mentorship
Twenty one years into his volleyball officiating career, Shawn Davis still has as much fun as he did in [...]
Blog Categories
Technology Solutions: 5 Essential Components of an Effective Cybersecurity Strategy
“How do you protect my personal and financial information?” If you haven’t yet fielded this question, it’s only a matter of time before you do. Consumers are becoming increasingly more aware that their private [...]
3 Benefits of Lower Body Strength Training for Volleyball Athletes
Lower body weight training is very common among athletes who are looking to improve their performance on the court. When looking at collegiate and professional volleyball players, there’s no shortage of athletes that [...]
3 Ways to Increase Participation in Your Boys Program
Junior volleyball clubs are seeing a spike in participation levels, especially at the high school divisions 15U-18U. Boys volleyball is one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S, with 36 states offering high school [...]
News
JVA Welcomes Steve Sack to the JVA Board of Directors
The JVA is pleased to announce that Emily Hawthorne has been re-elected to the JVA Board of Directors, and Steve Sack has been elected to the JVA Board of Directors for a three year term [...]
From the JVA Office: Fostering Inclusion and Belonging in Junior Volleyball
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and as racial justice movements recaptured our country’s collective attention, our office embarked on a reflection of how we can advance equity and inclusion in junior volleyball. The [...]
JVA Honors the 12 Recipients of the 2020 JVA Junior Club Service Award
"We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future." ~Franklin D. Roosevelt The JVA is pleased to announce the 12 individuals honored with the 2020 [...]
Club Directors
Matchbox Volleyball Club Wins JVA Club of the Month
Matchbox Volleyball Club, based out of Aberdeen, South Dakota, is one of the largest club volleyball organizations in South Dakota and provides athletes ages 8-18 with a developmental and competitive volleyball experience. The club was [...]
Beach Solutions: Cohesion and Flexibility with Indoor Leads to Success
Madsand Beach started in 2017 with less than 10 athletes training with Founder Will Buchanan. At the time, Buchanan was coaching indoor for Madfrog Volleyball Club, one of the top indoor clubs in the region, [...]
Master Training Philosophy and Execution for 12U-18U
Illini Elite utilizes the master training philosophy for all of its programs from camps and clinics to youth teams and high school elite teams. Through its execution, one of the benefits of master training is [...]
Coaches
From the JVA Office: Becoming a Learning Leader
Behind every successful team or organization is great leadership. In order to sustain and repeat success, the greatest leaders continue to learn, adapt and grow. The JVA is proud to sponsor numerous sessions at the [...]
How Video and Data Can Drive Player Development and Club Growth
In 2017, Minnesota Select Volleyball Club saw a 250% increase in the number of athletes who played collegiate volleyball after graduating from their program. Kayla Cole, the club’s Associate Director and Recruiting Coordinator, said that [...]
3 Methods to Track the Vertical Jump
If you’ve been training to increase your vertical, it’s important to be able to find out if (or how much) you’ve improved since the beginning. There are a multitude of ways to test your vertical, [...]
Boys
Girls
3 Reasons Why Volleyball Athletes Need Strong Glute Muscles
Volleyball athletes use their glutes for almost every movement whether on the hard court or in the sand. Every skill incorporates the glute muscles to perform the volleyball movements correctly. It’s no wonder, because the [...]
Recruiting Solutions: 5 Tips for the Class of 2021
In September, the DI Council extended the recruiting dead period for all Division I schools through January 1st. This means there can be no in-person recruiting taking place through the end of the year. Phone [...]
Recruiting Solutions: 5 Ways to Stay Connected to Division II College Programs
At this point most athletes, as well college volleyball coaches are tired of virtual recruiting. It has been challenging to evaluate skill, athletic ability, and character through a device rather than in person. However, there [...]
Beach
The Vacation Mindset of Beach Volleyball and It’s Positive Impact on Juniors
Lets kick off the shoes, and toss those stinky knee pads. Lets hang up the jerseys and grab a tank top. Oh, and on your way out the door, don't forget your favorite hat, sunglasses and flip flops as we head to the beach! Let's look at 3 reasons beach volleyball is growing in popularity, because let's face it, everyone wants to head to the beach.
JVA Announces 2018 Beach Sponsor Clubs
The JVA is proud to announce the five beach clubs named 2018 JVA Sponsor Clubs. In it's third consecutive year of the JVA Sponsorship Program, these five beach clubs join the 59 indoor clubs to set a new record for JVA Sponsor Clubs. As a member driven and member centered organization, the JVA is giving $200,000 back to the JVA Sponsor Clubs this season.
JVA Highlights During 2017 AVCA Convention
Each year the JVA sponsors educational sessions at the AVCA Annual Convention, and holds it's Annual Meeting, featuring a nationally known key note speaker. This year the JVA will host one hard court session, one beach court session, one beach classroom session and two hard court classroom sessions. The topics are geared toward club management, indoor coaching, and beach coaching. In addition, we will have an excellent session focused on recruiting. The presenters all share a wealth of knowledge, expertise and respect in the junior volleyball and collegiate volleyball realms.
Culture
Events
JVA Event Registration is Now Open
This season the JVA is hosting 6 indoor events, all of which are among the nation's elite events. Registration is open and if you have not experienced a JVA event before, now is the time.
JVA Announces 2019 JVA Challenge Series powered by TeamSnap
We are thrilled to announce the events named to the 2019 JVA Challenge Series powered by TeamSnap. This season the JVA Challenge Series features 23 events in 14 states across the country. As you plan your competition schedule this season, here are events...
From the JVA Office: Basketball Clubs Form New Grassroots Volleyball Movement in the Northeast
Over the past decade there has been a decline in girls basketball participation numbers, which has been partially accredited to the influx in girls volleyball athletes. Three years ago, for the first time, more high school girls played volleyball than...
Awards
An AthLeader’s Journey: Sisy Chen’s Drive to Break Gender Norms and Represent Her Heritage
During high school, Sisy realized that she wanted to take volleyball more seriously, so she decided to play club with Chicago Elite Volleyball Club. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Sisy's heritage has always played a big role in her life. Coupled with her passion for STEM, Sisy developed a desire to give back to her own community, as well as empower young girls to pursue their interests in STEM and break gender norms. Read Sisy's inspiring journey here.
An AthLeader’s Journey: Alexa Austin’s Fight to Find a Cure
The saying "a memory will last a lifetime" has a different meaning for Alexa Austin. After losing her great-grandfather to Alzheimer's disease at the age of 11, Alexa began fundraising for a cure. So far her efforts have raised over $100,000 for Alzheimer’s Tennessee. Read Alexa's journey here.
An AthLeader’s Journey: Maddie Bonifas Finds True Passion through Personal Battle
Maddie Bonifas always self-inflicted a lot of pressure to be the best version of herself possible. But when her mother passed away from stage IV breast cancer, she found herself in a very dark place. Volleyball played a life saving...
Training
4 Ways to Improve Your Team’s Volleyball Game Without a Ball
On average, a volleyball player spends only 1% of the time in a match actually playing the volleyball. The rest of the time is spent tracking the ball, moving around the court, and communicating with teammates and coaches. Here are four...
Here Comes the Boom: The Real Facts on Concussions and 4 Ways to Minimize Head Injuries in Your Gym
Concussions in volleyball are an all too common occurrence. According to a 2015 study in PT in Motion News, volleyball players report a rate of 3.57 concussions per 10,000 exposures. An exposure is equivalent to one practice or one match. This number may...
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.
Parents
Can a Parent Council Help Your Club?
By Sharon L. Galonski, Club Director, Next Level VBC (This article is Part II. To read Part I click here.) I did it! After tryouts were completed, teams were selected, uniforms were ordered, and practices began, each competitive team within...
The On-Going Struggle to Introduce Volleyball at an Early Age
By: Meg Davis, Youth Academy Director at Southern Performance Volleyball When I was first told I would be officially in charge of the "Youth Academy" at the club then known as Team Sting Volleyball Club, and now Southern Performance Volleyball...
Build the Recruiting Pyramid
To empower the best opportunity for a Prospective Student Athlete's collegiate future, volleyball families can build a pyramid of outreach to college coaches. When families build this pyramid, it allows them the opportunity to say "no"; saying "no" or "no
Recruiting
Dear Uncommitted Athletes
We are just a few short months away from the beginning of the 2017 Collegiate Volleyball season. Each high school recruiting class is going through it's range of emotions, concerns and stressors, especially the uncommitted athletes. For the purpose of calming all of your fears, to induce hope and clarify the reality of the recruiting landscape, I am going to address each graduating year.
Is Summer Camp a Recruiting Opportunity?
The regular season of club volleyball has ended, and while many teams are still training in preparation for the national championships, summer is rapidly approaching. With summer, comes summer camps and unofficial visit opportunities. Here is some advice to help...
Video in the Recruiting Process: Simple and Significant
One of the KEY components in the recruiting process is getting a college coaches’ attention. With all of the correspondence college coaches and recruiting coordinators receive on a weekly basis (at all levels) it is mind boggling to figure out...
