The latest news and articles from JVA
Scroll to see blog articles by topic or filter & search using the bar below.
Recently Added
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 [...]
Blog Categories
Recruiting Solutions: How to Share Your Club Season Schedule with College Coaches
One of the most common recruiting mistakes athletes make is sharing too much schedule information with college coaches. While enthusiasm is appreciated, cluttered emails can make it harder—not easier—for coaches to evaluate and follow [...]
TEAM Kiwi Wins JVA Club of the Month
Founded in March 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, TEAM Kiwi Volleyball Club was built from the ground up by Eric Praetorius and Spencer Hilland with a clear mission: to create [...]
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 [...]
News
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 [...]
JVA and VKTRY Gear Enhance Partnership through Recognition of JVA Student Athletes
The Junior Volleyball Association (JVA) is pleased to announce VKTRY Performance Insoles as the Title Sponsor of all JVA Player Awards in 2025. This partnership will be instrumental for junior volleyball players to take [...]
Nearly 40 Beach Events Unite in the 2025 BVCA Club Challenge Series powered by JVA
The JVA is excited to announce that the 2024-2025 BVCA Club Challenge Series powered by the JVA is expanding to nearly 40 beach events across 15 states, a testament to the incredible cooperative effort of our [...]
Club Directors
JVA Grant Supports FaR Out’s Inclusive Volleyball Vision with Special Olympics
Two years ago, FaR Out Volleyball Club partnered with Special Olympics Michigan to create a volleyball program to build lifelong relationships and teach lessons that extend far beyond the court. Through support from the [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Coaches
Coaching Solutions: Volleyball Defensive Technical and Tactical Player Feedback Using Match Film
Minnesota Select coaching staff provided Defensive Specialists with individualized feedback on defensive positioning using match film from the previous tournament. Coaches who utilize Hudl apply this review process throughout the season. Film becomes especially [...]
Coaching Solutions: 10 Tips for Increasing the Tempo of Your Practice
A fast-paced volleyball practice keeps players engaged, accelerates skill development, and better prepares athletes for the speed of competition. Creating an up-tempo environment requires intentional planning, clear communication, and efficient drill design. Here are [...]
Coaching Solutions: How to Utilize a Scouting Report With Your Volleyball Team
Scouting is a tool that can benefit players and coaches alike in an upcoming match or tournament, similar to how studying for an exam can prove beneficial at the time of the test. [...]
Boys
Appalachian Boys Power League Launches in 2023
Growing boys volleyball in Tennessee has been a most rewarding challenge. In 2012 K2 Volleyball Coach Cory Felts started a boys team that included his son and his son's friends, some other coaches' sons, and [...]
From the JVA Office: How to Increase Matched Competition for Boys Volleyball
Boys volleyball is growing at the grassroots level, with more tournaments adding 12U divisions due to the demand for high level competition as the sport continues to catch the interest of youth at a [...]
2022 JVA Boys All-National Team Announced
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN (June 20, 2022) The JVA is pleased to announce the 56 student athletes selected to the 2022 JVA Boys All-National Team powered by Fivestar, which recognizes the top male indoor volleyball players competing [...]
Girls
An Official’s Impact: Leading a New Generation of the Volleyball Community
While playing in an adult league in her late twenties Shannon saw that the league was looking for referees, so she signed up. A few months later, an Official saw her reffing an adult [...]
Volleyball Student Athlete Amyri Robinson Creates a Platform to Inspire Hope through Samaritan’s Feet
Amyri grew up watching her older sister, Jamilyn, compete in volleyball and basketball, and from a young age, she followed in her footsteps. In eighth grade Amyri started her club volleyball journey at Red [...]
An Athleader’s Journey: Leading Others to a Healthy Lifestyle
Vivian recalls how proud she was during her 12U club season when she learned how to overhand serve. At the young age of two Vivian was diagnosed with third degree heart block, and it [...]
Beach
Nearly 40 Beach Events Unite in the 2025 BVCA Club Challenge Series powered by JVA
The JVA is excited to announce that the 2024-2025 BVCA Club Challenge Series powered by the JVA is expanding to nearly 40 beach events across 15 states, a testament to the incredible cooperative effort of our [...]
Beach Solutions: A Step-By-Step Guide to Building an Outdoor Sand Volleyball Court
Building a sand volleyball court is a rewarding but challenging project, especially when faced with unique terrain obstacles. TeamLVC Directors Chris Hosley and Taylor Teal, took on the ambitious task of constructing a professional-grade [...]
2024 JVA Best in Beach powered by Fivestar
(July 3, 2024. Milwaukee, Wisconsin) The JVA is pleased to announce the 2024 JVA Best in Beach powered by Fivestar that recognizes the nation’s top female JVA beach athletes for outstanding achievement during the [...]
Culture
A5 Trains and Competes in Japan: Key Takeaways for Coaches and Directors
Over Thanksgiving of this year, A5 was fortunate to travel to Japan with a select group of 16 athletes from three different age groups. The trip to Japan marked the club's 9th international outing, and from a volleyball perspective, was in many ways the most impactful trip to date. Club Director Bob Westbrook shares the important takeaways from a coach's and club director's perspective.
From the JVA Office: Making Safety a Priority
Safety of our youth is an extremely important focus in the news, in political discussions, among school meetings, and at the dinner table. The JVA is also prioritizing the safety of the junior volleyball athletes to provide the proper resources...
Three Keys That Have Helped a Young Club Establish a Strong Foundation
Maylen Mitrovich loved volleyball, and she wanted better coaches and tougher tournaments than what her small, local club provided. So her mother, Monica, researched and identified a few other options. But Maylen Mitrovich didn’t have the best experience, and...
Events
Nearly 40 Beach Events Unite in the 2025 BVCA Club Challenge Series powered by JVA
The JVA is excited to announce that the 2024-2025 BVCA Club Challenge Series powered by the JVA is expanding to nearly 40 beach events across 15 states, a testament to the incredible cooperative effort of our [...]
2024 JVA Club Management Track and AVCA Convention Schedule
The JVA is excited to facilitate a long list of indoor and beach volleyball educational sessions at the 2024 AVCA Convention and NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championships in Louisville, Kentucky December 18-22, 2024. [...]
2025 JVA Challenge Series presented by i6
Milwaukee, WI — Monday, Sept. 16, 2024 The JVA is pleased to announce the return of the highly anticipated 2025 JVA Challenge Series presented by i6. The series features 25 premier volleyball tournaments designed [...]
Awards
JVA Announces the 2025 JVA Boys’ Watch List powered by VKTRY Performance Insoles
(Naperville, Illinois) The JVA is pleased to announce the top male volleyball athletes in the country nominated for the 2025 JVA Boys' Watch List powered by VKTRY Performance Insoles. Nearly 1,300 male indoor junior [...]
JVA Announces the 2025 JVA Girls’ Watch List powered by VKTRY Performance Insoles
(Naperville, Illinois) The JVA is pleased to announce the top female volleyball athletes in the country nominated for the 2025 JVA Watch List powered by VKTRY Performance Insoles. Over 5,100 female indoor junior volleyball [...]
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 [...]
Training
Coaching Mental Performance: TARGET Culture and Intrinsically Motivated Athletes
One of the most prominent issues I hear from coaches is that their team needs to be more “mentally tough” or “resilient.” They will say, “my team just can’t win long rallies,” or “they [...]
Coaching Mental Performance: Team Identity and Value Systems
Despite a club’s best intentions to make sure all coaches are maintaining consistent verbiage across age groups and skill levels, and keeping the expectations of the training environment relatively consistent, it often devolves into [...]
Coaching Mental Performance: Reinforcement and Punishment
After the season I always find it appropriate to challenge coaches to reflect on how their teams formed and performed throughout the season. Often with these reflections we get coaches that feel as if [...]
Parents
Recruiting Solutions: Campus Tours and Virtual Options for Beach Prospects in the Age of COVID
Visiting college campuses and their surrounding areas is a critical part of the beach volleyball recruiting process. The "feel" of the campus, and the characteristics of the town in which it resides, is among 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 [...]
JVA and FlipGive Partner to Help Clubs with Fundraising This Year
New Partnership Aims to Bring Virtual Fundraising to all Junior Volleyball Association’s Member Clubs and Families Milwaukee, WI (September 02, 2020) – Junior Volleyball Association, the leading junior volleyball organization providing programs, resources, and education [...]
Recruiting
Recruiting Solutions: Staying Pro-active in the Recruiting Process Outside of the Club Season
It is not about when you commit, but more about committing at the right time. Here are some ways that prospective student athletes entering their senior year can stay pro-active in the recruiting process [...]
Recruiting Solutions: Understanding the Rules Regarding Face to Face Communication at a Tournament
Club season is in full swing and during a given tournament weekend, the courts are crowded with players, parents and college coaches. Everyone is constantly intermingling throughout the tournament. In order to assist junior [...]
Recruiting Solutions: The Evolution of the Transfer Portal
The NCAA Transfer Portal is transformational in collegiate athletics. It was established October 15, 2018 as an online interface to systematically manage the transfer process from start to finish, add more transparency to the [...]
Travel
3 Benefits of the Club vs. Club Format and Why It Is Essential for Junior Beach Volleyball
Similar to indoor, collegiate beach volleyball is a team game, and it is the fastest growing NCAA sport over the last five years in Division I. And the juniors are following suit. Now it's time for junior beach events to mirror the college game. Here are three benefits of the Club vs Club format and why it is essential for the continued development of junior and collegiate beach volleyball.
JVA Announces BVCA Club Challenge Series
Junior beach volleyball is now one step closer to the college game with the start of the BVCA Club Challenge Series powered by JVA. The new format includes 4 weekend events where junior beach volleyball clubs align their ranked teams to...
A5 Trains and Competes in Japan: Key Takeaways for Coaches and Directors
Over Thanksgiving of this year, A5 was fortunate to travel to Japan with a select group of 16 athletes from three different age groups. The trip to Japan marked the club's 9th international outing, and from a volleyball perspective, was in many ways the most impactful trip to date. Club Director Bob Westbrook shares the important takeaways from a coach's and club director's perspective.


















