The latest news and articles from JVA
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Recently Added
The Rise of Specialty Injuries in Youth Volleyball: Are You Covered for Potential Liability?
The competitive nature of youth sports and the growing opportunities for young athletes to participate on multiple teams make [...]
Blog Categories
JVA Safety Policy
Our young athletes deserve to be safe. You are practicing good risk management by In having policies and procedures in place to protect your members. The JVA prioritizes the safety of junior volleyball athletes by providing the proper resources and...
Building a Stronger Club Through Mentorship: How the JVA Mentor Program Helped Fair Play Volleyball Club Take the Next Step
Every successful volleyball club reaches a point where passion alone isn't enough to sustain growth. Building a strong organization requires systems, strategy, and the willingness to learn from leaders who have already navigated many [...]
Leading with Compassion: How JVA AthLeader Elisabeth Adolfsson Makes an Impact On and Off the Court
For some athletes, volleyball begins with a first practice or a friend's invitation. For Elisabeth Adolfsson, a 2027 outside hitter for Mill City Volleyball Club, the sport has been woven into her life for [...]
News
JVA Announces the 2026 JVA Boys’ Watch List powered by VKTRY Performance Insoles
(Naperville, IL) JVA announces the top male volleyball athletes in the country nominated for the 2026 JVA Boys’ Watch List powered by VKTRY Performance Insoles. More than 1,513 male indoor junior volleyball athletes from [...]
JVA Announces the 2026 JVA Girls’ Watch List powered by VKTRY Performance Insoles
(Naperville, IL) JVA announces the top female volleyball athletes in the country nominated for the 2026 JVA Girls’ Watch List powered by VKTRY Performance Insoles. More than 5,774 female indoor junior volleyball athletes from [...]
The JVA Impact: 2025
As we turn the page on 2025, JVA is energized by the momentum and promise surrounding the continued growth of our sport. This has been a year of growth and transformation. Our membership has [...]
Club Directors
JVA Boys National Championship
NAPERVILLE, IL - JVA is proud to announce the launch of the JVA Boys National Championship, a new tournament created to support the rapid growth of boys volleyball and deliver a national championship experience [...]
Closing Out the Season: A Club Director’s Guide to Reflection, Evaluation, and Planning Ahead
Navigating through the end of a season can be a daunting task for a Club Director. Preparation and planning for the following season has begun. Meanwhile you are trying to keep teams motivated through the first couple weeks of summer...
Queen City Starlings Invest in the Whole Athlete Through Mental Wellness Program
For Queen City Starlings in Matthews, North Carolina, developing successful volleyball players has always meant more than improving skills on the court. The club’s mission is rooted in creating a welcoming and inclusive environment [...]
Coaches
Business Solutions: Navigating Tryout Stress and Related Lawsuits
No matter how long you’ve been in the game, tryouts evoke a range of emotions — excitement about building this season’s team, apprehension about which athletes will show up for tryouts, anticipation for helping [...]
Coaching Solutions: Managing Responsibilities for a Head Volleyball Coach and Assistant Volleyball Coach
One of the most important aspects of running a successful volleyball program at any level—especially in junior volleyball—is having clearly defined coaching roles during matches. When both the head coach and assistant coach understand [...]
Coaching Solutions: Serve Receive Tactics to Consider for Your Volleyball Team
</ Serve receive is essential to a team's success. There are tactics you can apply as a coach to adjust your team's serve receive strategy such as: Your teams's passers strengths and weaknesses Set [...]
Boys
Maggie Griffin and Kris Wojiek-Stein Elected to the JVA Board of Directors
The JVA is pleased to announce that Maggie Griffin has been re-elected to the JVA Board of Directors and Kris Wojiek-Stein has been elected to the JVA Board of Directors. This will be Maggie's [...]
3 Ways to Increase Participation in Your Boys Volleyball 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 [...]
Beach Solutions: Practice Considerations to Maximize Potential and Develop Talent
Whether a beach program has 10 participants or 100, coaches need to have a plan in place to challenge the athletes who are advanced, while also keeping the players on the lower court motivated [...]
Girls
Fueling for Performance: Nutrition Strategies for Junior Beach Volleyball Athletes
Beach volleyball demands explosive power, long rally endurance, quick decision-making, and resilience in hot, outdoor environments. To meet these demands, athletes need consistent, adequate fueling. One of the most important concepts for coaches and [...]
Lights Out Volleyball Provides Communities with Access to Opportunity, Education, and Purpose Through Volleyball
Lights Out Volleyball (LOV) was born in 2019 from a simple yet powerful vision from founder Harshil Thaker, to use the sport of volleyball as a force for connection, equality and raising human consciousness. What [...]
An Athleader’s Journey: Uplifting Children in India Through Beads of Hope
Miah was introduced to volleyball in the 4th grade by her mom who also played volleyball when she was young, and encouraged her to try it. She is so grateful that she did, because [...]
Beach
Outdoor Volleyball Events: State of the Market
The bottom line: Outdoor volleyball is thriving, not just surviving. Despite year-round indoor competition, the data shows sustained growth where it matters most. Key findings: Destination events are booming: Junior national championships grew 15% (275.5 [...]
Beach Solutions: Planning Your Club’s Beach Volleyball Summer Camps
Hybrid models, competitive prep, and programming that builds your brand and your athletes As the sun comes out and indoor seasons wind down, the beach game begins to heat up — and summer becomes [...]
JVA Announces the 2025 JVA Best in Beach powered by VKTRY Performance Insoles
(July 2, 2025. Naperville, Illinois) The JVA is pleased to announce the 2025 JVA Best in Beach powered by VKTRY Performance Insoles that recognizes the nation’s top female JVA beach athletes for outstanding achievement [...]
Culture
3 Ways to Cultivate a Culture of Belonging
Team building is a critical element to any successful volleyball team, however melding a roster of individuals into a team is no easy task. There is a subtle, yet critical difference between a team [...]
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 Partners with A Better Way Athletics to promote and Enhance Healthy Parent-Coach Engagement
New Partnership is designed to promote and enhance healthy parent-coach engagement within all Junior Volleyball Association's member clubs and families in an effort to provide the best possible sport experience for all involved. Milwaukee, WI [...]
Events
Behind the Whistle: Playing in the Opponent’s Space
Under current USA Volleyball (USAV) rules, there are specific conditions under which a player may legally enter or play the ball within the opponent's space, whether above, below, or across the net. Reaching Beyond [...]
JVA Partners with AIM Sports Group to Elevate the Youth Volleyball Experience with AIM+
AIM+, the AI-Powered Digital Platform and Ecosystem for the Youth Sports Industry, is now Being used to Enhance the JVA Event Experience NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Junior Volleyball Association (JVA), the leading organization focused solely [...]
Tournament Procedures That Protect: A Guide for Volleyball Club and Tournament Directors
Clear, consistent tournament procedures are not optional. They are essential to protecting athletes, staff, spectators, and the integrity of the event. Every Club Director and Tournament Director is responsible for establishing and enforcing guidelines [...]
Awards
JVA Announces the 2026 JVA Boys’ Watch List powered by VKTRY Performance Insoles
(Naperville, IL) JVA announces the top male volleyball athletes in the country nominated for the 2026 JVA Boys’ Watch List powered by VKTRY Performance Insoles. More than 1,513 male indoor junior volleyball athletes from [...]
JVA Announces the 2026 JVA Girls’ Watch List powered by VKTRY Performance Insoles
(Naperville, IL) JVA announces the top female volleyball athletes in the country nominated for the 2026 JVA Girls’ Watch List powered by VKTRY Performance Insoles. More than 5,774 female indoor junior volleyball athletes from [...]
Gameday Sports Academy Wins JVA Club of the Month
Gameday Sports Academy launched in 2021 as a boys-only volleyball club at Dignity Health Sports Complex, a state-of-the-art facility owned by retired professional basketball player Kyle Shiloh. The program filled a countywide gap, as [...]
Training
What is Mental Performance?
At its core, mental performance refers to the way athletes think, feel, and respond in competitive situations — especially under pressure — and how those internal responses influence their actual performance on the court. [...]
Coaching Solutions: 4 Ways to Develop Emotional Stability on the Volleyball Court
Mental toughness and emotional stability are essential components of athlete development in volleyball. As a fast-paced, momentum-driven game, volleyball demands that athletes manage emotions effectively to perform consistently. From a coaching perspective, this [...]
Sample Early Season Performance Training Program
When implementing an early season training program, the first thing to consider is the type of physical activity the participants have recently had, and what place their bodies are in from a fitness perspective [...]
Parents
6 Ways to Help Volleyball Athletes with Anxiety and Panic Attacks
In the US, nearly one in three adolescents suffer from an anxiety disorder, and according to the NCAA, 85% of athletes suffer from anxiety or panic attacks. Coaches often spend a significant amount of [...]
Recruiting Solutions: A List of Player and Parent Do’s and Don’ts
As the club season is upon us, here are some do’s and don’ts that college coaches look for when they get a chance to evaluate and communicate with student athletes and parents during the club [...]
5 Ways to Help Volleyball Athletes Prepare for Practice and Competition With Mental Performance Strategies
Athletes feel pressure from many different areas and often create high expectations based on those pressures that ultimately affect their confidence. In working with a mental performance coach, athletes learn how to mentally prepare [...]
Recruiting
Recruiting Solutions: 6 Steps to Get Recruited to Play College Beach Volleyball
Transitioning from indoor to beach volleyball comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities, but with the right strategy, you can increase your chances of getting recruited for college beach volleyball. Here's a [...]
Recruiting Solutions: 4 Ways to Guide Your Athletes During the Recruiting Process
The volleyball recruiting process is far different from just a few years ago when the newest club and high school coaches navigated the process themselves as student athletes. The evolution of recruiting services, social [...]
Recruiting Solutions: 4 Things to Know Heading Into the Contact and Evaluation Period
Two months ago, we were preparing for the club volleyball season to start, the holiday break hit us, and boom, now we're in the Evaluation Period. UPPERCLASSMEN (juniors and seniors in high school), hopefully, [...]
Travel
Virus Precautions and Recommendations
May 15, 2020 Update We are all closely following the evolution of the COVID-19 coronavirus, and based on the most recent updates, the Junior Volleyball Association is recommending that all JVA member clubs and tournament [...]
From the JVA Office: JVA Hosts First Boys Summit in Chicago
One of the resources that JVA brings to our members is advocacy. A conversation that is continually brought up by our Boys Club Directors and coaches is a dissatisfaction with the current split season for [...]
From the JVA Office: Cooperation Among the Highest Levels Governing Our Sport Strengthens the Common Good
JVA, as a professional association of Club Directors and their staff, is committed to supporting our member clubs outside of networking, education and resources. We are often called upon to advocate for our members, and [...]
