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 Indy Ignite Assistant Coach) who wanted to coach his two younger daughters.  In 2018, the club partnered with The Academy Volleyball Club, becoming part of one of the largest volleyball organizations in the country. This collaboration allows The Academy Boiler Juniors to serve more players and families, expanding their reach and impact. At The Academy, the development of the whole athlete is a priority, aiming to ensure that players gain more than just volleyball skills. For Club Director Jasmine Fullove and her staff, the overall well-being and success of the athletes, both on and off the court, are the club’s top priorities.

Leadership Team, Programs and Home

Prior to the current facility, Boiler Juniors used what was primarily a basketball facility called Legacy Courts. The club had generous families who allowed teams to use their barns for practices in addition to Legacy, as well as the YMCA. In 2021, Boiler Juniors acquired their own facility that had 6 courts, which then expanded to 10 courts in 2022.

The Leadership Team consists of the Club Director, Jasmine Fullove, Program Coordinator, Lauren Cox, and Director of Sponsorships and Outreach, Anna McKean. Fulloveis in charge of managing the club teams and working directly with coaches and families. Cox is responsible for growing and running our year-round camps, clinics, and academies. McKean is involved in the community enhancing our relationships with small businesses in surrounding counties.

At the Boiler Juniors Volleyball Center, the club runs various programs for indoor volleyball including: travel teams for girls and boys, a youth academy,cadets program, adult leagues and tournaments, clinics, camps and private lessons. The facility includes 10 full-sized courts, a full concession stand with hot and cold options, a viewing area with tables and chairs for spectators and a ProShop.

Boys Volleyball Growth

In 2023, Boiler Juniors successfully expanded to include boys’ teams, forming four teams in the first year. In 2024, they fielded two teams, totaling six boys’ teams over the last two seasons. The IHSAA made a high school rule change which impacted the number of teams the club was able to field. The rule limits teams to no more than three players from the same high school, which poses a challenge as there are only three high schools in Lafayette offering boys’ teams. The club hopes the IHSAA will offer a waiver to allow flexibility, enabling the boys’ volleyball program to grow.

Partnership with Heads Up Tutoring & Life Skills Program

In June 2024, Boiler Juniors teamed up with the Heads Up Tutoring & Life Skills Program (Heads Up) through Purdue University. Heads Up is an informal education program offering academic assistance and social development for K-12 children living in public housing complexes in east-Lafayette. What makes Heads Up unique is its location in a clubhouse where our families live, eliminating the challenge of transportation. Heads Up offers a Homework Club, Teen Mentoring Program, and Sunny Days summer enrichment for children in the Heads Up community.

“At Heads Up, we place an emphasis on encouraging skill development, normalizing ambition, and supporting autonomy. Lauren Cox, our Program Coordinator, along with some of our coaches, spent the afternoon running a camp with the children involved in the Heads UP program at Boiler Juniors. This gave Lauren an opportunity to expose and teach children basic fundamentals of volleyball while also building relationships with the Heads Up staff,” shared Fullove.

Through this partnership, Boiler Juniors provided Friday afternoon training sessions and free pizza for the students. Heads Up offered transportation for the students, ensuring they could attend the sessions at Boiler Juniors’ facility.

“This provided a wonderful opportunity to share our love for the sport with a group of children who are working with Purdue to develop important life skills. We spent a fantastic afternoon playing volleyball, enjoying food, and building connections,” said Fullove.
JVA Grant Impact

Boiler Juniors was awarded a grant from the JVA Grant Program targeted at marginalized communities. The funds were used to offer free volleyball training and lunch to K-8 students in the Lafayette School Corporation (LSC), which has the highest percentage of free and reduced lunch recipients in the area. Over 6 sessions, more than 50 students participated in this initiative, making the program accessible to those who might not otherwise have the means to join.

One of the key initiatives for Boiler Juniors this season was expanding the Metro program. The club introduced a second season to better support multi-sport athletes and those who wanted to continue playing after Metro I. The Metro program was designed to allow more children to play club volleyball. It is more cost effective with shorter seasons and less travel than the elite and regional programs. It is great for players who are new to club volleyball, multi-sport athletes, or have limited time and resources to commit to a lengthy club season.
Leadership, Education and Service
“As a Director, I am deeply committed to leadership development and love seeing athletes step into leadership roles. This season, we introduced a Big Sister/Little Sister program, where teams partnered with others to engage in activities that promote leadership, camaraderie, and team building,” said Fullove.
Examples of this are Boiler Junior athletes have actively participated in the Community Activism Awareness Program (CAAP) and Helping Hands, where they volunteer to serve meals, attend fundraising dinners for local charities like cancer centers, help out at vacation Bible schools, and travel on mission trips. Additionally, the club has been involved in the local Toys for Tots drive, providing gifts for children in surrounding counties.  Boiler Juniors coaches have also taken the initiative to give back through their own community service activities, such as distributing gift baskets to local fire and police departments during the holidays.
Additionally, In the fall of 2023 Boiler Juniors organized an AVCA-style coaches convention, where coaches had the chance to learn from their peers through on-court demonstrations, classroom sessions, and panel discussions. It was an invaluable learning experience for everyone involved. Topics included how to develop your team’s serve receive, out of system training, developing an outside attacker, to name a few. The convention included panel discussions on building positive relationships with your team through communication. The club invited parents to discuss their role at the club and the impact parents can have on their child’s club experience.
“Looking ahead, our goal is to continue growing boys’ volleyball within our club and expand our presence in the boys’ game. We also aim to increase our events in the Lafayette area by organizing more local tournaments for clubs in the surrounding regions. Additionally, we’ve expanded our Metro program to offer two seasons, providing more opportunities for multi-sport athletes. Moving forward, we plan to fine-tune and enhance this program to further elevate the experience for our athletes,” added Fullove.

The Academy Boiler Junios (Lafayette, IN) is a member of the Junior Volleyball Association, an organization committed to enhancing the junior volleyball experience for club directors, coaches, players, and fans.

View more about joining the JVA. View more about JVA Awards. Nominate your club for JVA Club of the Month.