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 AVCA Convention to provide valuable opportunities for junior volleyball coaches, directors and administrators to continue their journey as a learning leader. From the Club Management Track and on court sessions, to classroom sessions and meetings, there are many reasons to attend live or virtually.

Here are the various opportunities to enhance your journey to becoming a learning leader at the 2021 AVCA Convention:

Club Management Education Track. Wednesday, December 15th. 1:30-5:30pm. C 160-162

The JVA is presenting a half day of educational programming targeted specially for club directors and staff charged with managing the business operations of a club. Whether you are new to the role or a veteran looking to brush up on your skills these sessions will make you a more effective manager and leader. All programming is included with a Full Convention registration package.  RSVP HERE

1:00-1:30 – Welcome Gathering with light refreshments
1:30-2:00 Top Down Culture Breeds Success – Presented by Mike Lingenfelter (Munciana Volleyball)
2:10-2:40 Club and Program Budgeting and Finance. Presented by Steve Sack (Michigan Elite), Lexi Patton and Jason Kozak (Virginia Elite)
2:50-3:20 Identifying and Executing Your Marketing Strategies. Presented by Scott Jackson and Kayla Cole (Minnesota Select)
3:30-4:00 Making Your Facility Work For You: Revenue Opportunities, Court/Asset Management, and Staffing. Presented by Emily Hawthorne (The Academy Volleyball)
4:10-4:40 Validating Beach Volleyball through a Consistent Tournament Structure. Understanding the Club vs Club Model at the D1, D2 and D3 level. Presented by Jeff Smith (BVCA and 692 West) and Chris Hannemann (Dakine Beach)
4:50-5:30 The Importance of Multi-Year Program Goals and Coach Evaluation. Presented by Jim Stone (Jim Stone Consulting)
5:30-6:30 Happy Hour presented by USSCI and Hudl

JVA Annual Gathering: “Becoming a Learning Leader”. Thursday, December 16th. 3:00-4:00 p.m. GCCC Union Station Ballroom A

Keynote: Ryan Hawk, The Learning Leader Show.
Ryan will distill what he’s found to be the most useful and practical tools, routines, and habits to help you become a more effective leader. The goal for this presentation is to help shift your mind from a “know it all” leader to a “learn it all” leader. Thus, a LEARNING LEADER. The Learning Leader Show has been listened to by millions of people and was chosen by Apple Podcasts as an “all-time best-seller” in 2020. Forbes called it, “the most dynamic leadership podcast out there.” Inc Magazine said, “It’s one of the five podcasts to make you a smarter leader.”

Mental Fitness: How Skilling Up with Mental Health First Aid Supports a Culture of Well-Being. Friday, December 17th. 10:30 – 11:30 am. GCCC Union Station Ballroom B

Lynn Hennighausen (WholeHealth Sport, LLC) will address how this season in particular brings unprecedented challenges when it comes to supporting athletes who are commonly dealing with fear, uncertainty, anxiety and the effects of isolation. As coaches, creating a culture of athlete mental wellbeing has never been more important. It isn’t about adding one more thing to an already packed plate; it’s about learning how to respond to what’s already there.

Training Offense and Terminal Attackers in Pressure Situations. Friday, December 17th. 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Mateflex Court 2 – Exhibit Hall B

Dan Mader, Associate Director of VCNebraska, will cover some intermediate to advanced approaches to training attackers to be terminal in pressure situations. It will begin by previewing an offensive system that sets up attackers to be successful, followed by “What If” strategies for individuals when that are faced with troublesome attacking scenarios. The remainder of the session will be drills and themes to prepare the attacker in a practice setting.

Tier Training in Mass Numbers. Friday, December 17th. 3:45-4:45pm. Mateflex Court 2

Max Miller, Director or Mintonette Sports, will tackle how to have an efficient and effective practice, even with a lot of athletes training on the same court or in the same gym at one time. Max will share how his club trains a large number of athletes on a day-to-day basis with 16 teams over 8 courts. He’ll highlight typical warm-ups, ball handling series, position training and game-like situations that will maximize touches and keep the energy level high.

Flourishing or Surviving? How to successfully navigate your athletes through the recruiting process. Friday, December 17th. 10:15-11:15am. Classroom GCCC Short North Ballroom B

Glenna Bianchin, Recruiting Coordinator at Carolina Union Volleyball Club, will discuss the last two years and the variables that have changed the process for the next few years. These variable include COVID, NCAA Eligibility waivers, transfer portal and no communication with sophomores until June 15th of sophomore year. Each club is going to have its own process for each athlete. We all have different types and levels of players so this is not a one size fits all discussion. By discussing some scenarios, we hope to guide and provide ideas that clubs can apply to their process and hopefully help their athletes navigate recruiting today.

Defense: Understanding and Developing a Blocked Base Defensive System – presented by JVA and Beach Nation. Saturday, December 18, 9 – 10 a.m (Beach Court).

Kristen Rohr (Grand Canyon Head Beach Coach), Beth Van Fleet (Georgia State Head Beach Coach), Joe Rich (Cal Poly Assistant Beach Coach), Patty Dodd (Beach Nation Founder) will teach how to better use a two-defender defense. The pros do it, why shouldn’t juniors? Coaches will learn the job of a beach blocker, when and how to switch into a two rear defender defense, and how to maximize this system from this on-sand session.

Prepare Your Junior Athletes for College by Modeling the Collegiate Competition Format of Club vs Club. Saturday, December 18th. 3:15-4:15 GCCC Short North Ballroom A

Jeff Smith (BVCA Club Challenge Series Founder and 692 West Director), Kristen Rohr, Beth Van Fleet and Patty Dodd with Beach Nation will share how the Club vs Club competition model prepares athletes for the next level and the collegiate journey. Girls’ clubs have continued to develop at a rapid pace across the country. Learn the benefits of the club versus club model,
how to evolve your players in different tiers, and what is essential for the collegiate journey from this classroom session.

Learn more about a JVA membership and benefits

View more JVA education for directors and coaches

Learn more about the AVCA Convention offerings and registration