Frequently Asked Questions
One of the biggest topics we discuss with our parents is about balancing indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. Below is a brief summary to help you navigate the junior volleyball world!
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What time of year should I be playing volleyball?
Always! We are a huge proponent of playing volleyball year round. It is important that all volleyball athletes are diligently focused on touching a ball, or finding ways to get reps. Why? Because that is how you get better!
How do I balance club and school volleyball, especially High School?
We get this question a lot! School volleyball is a great time to craft fond memories with your friends and teammates, especially in High School (HS). Although Elementary and Middle school programs are less of a time commitment, we realize that HS demands a lot of time. This is one of the things we consider while structuring beach programs.
For starters, during the HS season we have varying time commitment programs called "Fall Ball" which allows players to get in the sand, play some games, keep their joints strong, and have a mental break while they are in season. When it comes to summer programming we have tried our best to have our HS players practice only in the evening, allowing for the usual M-TH morning HS workouts, in addition to Wednesday nights off (which was the night of Summer League for the past 4+ years).
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Can I play indoor club and beach volleyball at the same time?
Yes! If you plan on playing indoor club but would also like to play beach, we suggest checking out our Year Round or Winter Ball program! Typically our athletes will be playing 4-5 nights a week (2 indoor and 2-3 beach) when enrolled in both. Which still leaves time for tournaments and rest!
Things to Keep in Mind
With all that was said above, it is important to identify in your volleyball career if you want to focus on beach, indoor, or both. The sooner you can decide the better for your growth!
Quick Facts:
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Only 5.8% of Girls volleyball players play in college, only 1.1% at a D1 level. (www.scholarshipstats.com/volleyball)
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The percentage of multi-sport athletes is significantly higher at the high school level than at the college
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For the small percentage of athletes playing both in college, athletes should know the following NCAA compliance rule. Athletes on a beach scholarship can not play on the indoor team, BUT athletes on an indoor scholarship may play on the beach team.
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Personal Beliefs / Quick Thoughts: ​
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If your daughter is dead set on being a multi-sport athlete, beach volleyball and indoor volleyball is a great avenue. Why? There is a ton of correlation, and although two completely different games, the transfer of skills and fundamentals is closer than any other two CIF sports.
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Additionally, both of these sports are explosive (or fast twitch) sports. This means athletes who are participating in Strength and Conditioning programs, when done correctly, should be benefiting in both sports. (For example: this is not the case in softball and volleyball, where softball is a slower power sport, and volleyball is a fast twitch sport.)
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Theoretically, the more time one dedicates to a single sport, the better they will become. Those trying to play multiple sports in HS and still compete at the College level will be competing against athletes who dedicate all of their time into one sport (which usually means athletes fall behind). This obviously isn't an infallible correlation, but is often time more accurate than not.
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Below are some examples of a schedule for 3 different types of volleyball players:
A primarily indoor player:
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August - October: High School Season (As mentioned earlier, some players supplement with a little beach to keep their ankles strong and better their ball control)
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November - Mid May: Indoor Club Volleyball. It's an absolute must and the #1 most important piece of the indoor puzzle for kids looking to play at the next level. (They can also supplement a beach program during indoor club for extra reps)
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Mid May - July: Beach Volleyball! It's the summer, take some time to rest from indoor, get your feet in the sand and enjoy the sun. It is a great opportunity to stay in shape, and keep improving your overall skills.
A primarily beach player:
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August - October: High School Season. This is your beach "off season." High School is a great change of scenery, and it allows you to be a part of your school, build memories, and grow friendships. Remember to play Fall Ball so you don't lose your sand legs. For year round players, Fall Ball is included!
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November - Beginning of May: Year Round Beach. It's crucial that you are playing A TON of beach during this time. This includes multiple tournaments a month, 3 beach practices a week, and extra curricular workouts. The Year Round program includes all of this and is enough to keep you busy 4 (on the light side) to 6 (on the heavy side) days a week.
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Mid May - July: Beach Volleyball! It's the summer, you've been training for months. Finish the season strong in the summer program, get to the beach, and enjoy one last hoorah before the HS season. Remember, it all starts again next season!
The one who wants to do both! (The Most Work!)
Although some smaller universities have their indoor programs playing beach, a majority of the larger programs only have a small handful of players who play both. To play both sports at a high level, you have to be an advanced player in both.
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August - October: High School Season and Fall Ball
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November - Beginning of May: Indoor Club and Fall Ball, Winter Ball, or Year Round Beach. You should also be playing in beach tournaments when you are not at indoor tournaments. Sounds like a lot? It Is! However it is doable and you would be surprised how many girls do it.
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Mid May - July: Beach Volleyball... and Indoor Volleyball. It is hard to find indoor opportunities during the summer, but if you are on a strong club team you will be playing through the beginning of July with tournaments like AAU Nationals, and JO's.