JVDA-Junior Volleyball Directors Association

[Phaedrus]

Just got this today.
____________________________________________

New Association Aims To Lobby for a Voice
Written by JVDA Staff
Monday, 11 December 2006
The Newly Formed JVDA Plans To Create a Path for Better Representation of Youth and Junior Volleyball

The Junior Volleyball Director’s Association, was recently founded on five major goals: Work to make the Junior club season shorter, attempt to make Junior Volleyball more affordable for all participants, make the National Championship qualifier process inclusive to all clubs who want to participate, integrate JVDA into the YJOV, and reconstruct the current Junior National Championship so that it is a memorable event for the athletes that compete for this ultimate goal.

The JVDA looks to give Junior Club Directors an alternative – and better – avenue to voice their opinions, allowing them to participate in their sport’s future.

“The JVDA will provide an experienced voice for all levels of volleyball. The Directors of the organizations that make up a majority membership of the sport in this country now have the opportunity for a cohesive and effective method to advance the needs of all youth and junior athletes.” Rich Zeciski, Director Team Z Volleyball Club.

As its web site, at www.JVDA.org states, the association will be open to all club directors to join a democratic system to ultimately create agendas to putforth immediately to USA Volleyball. The charter members seek to unite Junior Volleyball Club Directors across America, believing that tapping and facilitating the goals of directors will inevitably lead to a better governing body that currently controls Junior Volleyball in our country.

Kathy Steel, Director of Celtic Force VBC, points out that USA Volleyball states in the by-laws that “The vision of the United States Volleyball Association is to be acknowledged as the world leader in volleyball. USA volleyball needs to look to our youth programs, and how to make volleyball accessible and affordable to all in the United States, before we can be seen as a world leader.”

The Association’s coherent messages, as well as a well-considered range of positions on a precise host of issues, are reflected on the web site. The Association, for example, is committed to a reformed Junior National Championships, and a system that makes it accessible to all Youth and Juniors in our country to not only strive for, but also participate in.

Rick Butler, director of Mizuno Sports Performance, is currently one of the longest and most successful club directors currently still participating in the sport, and he offers this: "I have attended every USAV Jr. Championship since 1981. During the 1980's and early 1990's it was commonplace to see 2,000-3,000 spectators at the final matches and the tournament felt like a true celebration of our sport. It was a great way for our most elite athletes and coaches to end their season and careers. That has all changed. It has become a mass market to get people in and out with very little attention to detail to the final product. For the large amounts of money our players are now paying the junior community is receiving grossly inferior service. Our championship tournament is but one example of the deterioration of our sport.” He also goes on to remind directors and USA Volleyball alike that “currently junior players and coaches makes up over 80% of USA Volleyball's membership revenue, but the junior membership has little or no voting power at the regional or national level to make policy changes."

Essentially, the JVDA members are believers in the power of the people. The Association also espouses fresh and innovative ideas for using the wisdom of its seasoned charter members, the ideas of Directors from all regions, and plans to coordinate meetings to hear and vote on current and future objectives. The JVDA seeks to make all directors feel actively participatory in this mission of building a better Junior Volleyball Program in this country.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 14 December 2006 )


Charter Members
1st Alliance (IL) Juggernaut (CO) Premier (OH)
A5 Volleyball (GA) KIVA (KY) Mizuno Renaissance (PA)
Carolina Juniors (NC) Lions (IL) Sky High (IL)
Celtic Force (IL) M Juniors (MI) Sports Performance (IL)
Club Fusion (IL) M1 VBC (MN) TCA (CA)
Club South (SC) Michigan Elite (MI) Team Z (OH)
Colorado Jrs. (CO) Milwaukee Sting (WI) Texas Advantage (TX)
Dayton Jrs. (OH) Munciana (IN) Texas Tornados (TX)
Dunes (IN) Nebraska Volleyball Acad. (NE) Vision (CA)
Illini Elite (IL) Willowbrook (TX)

[ugopher]

I'm all for the shorter season. 7-8 months is too long.

[Go Iowa]

me too... although, the line about making this affordable... none of these clubs have a problem with enrollment. I wonder what the true hidden agenda is.

[db]

I'm all for the shorter season & making JO's more of an "event".

Speaking as a parent who pays the bills, I just don't get the complaints about Club Volleyball being so expensive. Club is a huge bargain compared to other competetive sports. My kid plays on a top open team at one of the major clubs - they are most likely towards the top of the dues category. Any athlete with finanacial issues can contribute substantially to their dues through the work program.

No, every Sally, Sue, and Cindy that wants to play Volleyball won't be able to afford trips to 3 out of state qualifiers - but there are local team options, the Y, etc....

And no, I'm not Melinda Gates by any stretch of the imagination - we are a middle class family.

I've done the math - and even adding in supplemental income from private lessons, I'm blown away that club coaches put in the hours and headaches they do for what they receive monetarily. When you factor in that some areas of the country have only volunteer coaches - and those parents complain about costs as well.....It makes me think that those complaining about the high costs of club don't have a real grasp on the reality of what it takes to just cover expenses for a team.

I fear that if a movement to reduce club costs across the board is enacted, the quality of coaching will decline as a whole. Sometimes you do get what you pay for - most don't blink an eye at the time investment, hotel and flight expenses - why would you want to cheap out on the real reason your kid plays - the coaching.

[cyberVBmidwest]

I am a little surprised that they didn't set this up as a sub-committee of the AVCA instead of creating a whole new organization. It is my experience, that a lot of club coaches do not belong to AVCA. Maybe it is because many of them only plan on doing it for a few years. I would think a club would automatically pay for the AVCA membership of their "regular" coaches. It only costs $55 and that is not a large cost that would impact the per player costs.

Maybe they did try but I have not heard that.

[cyberVBmidwest]

goiowa said:

me too... although, the line about making this affordable... none of these clubs have a problem with enrollment. I wonder what the true hidden agenda is.

Me thinks the same thing....

[Keystonekid]

We will have an affiliation with the AVCA. Secondly, we are trying to change the qualification process to get to Nationals. Under the current system teams are near forced to play in 2-3 qualifiers which charge $8-900 and have hotel costs up over $100 per night. That cost alone, makes club way to expensive. It isn't the club expenses alone, its the money it costs to play in these events.

[cyberVBmidwest]

keystonekid said:

We will have an affiliation with the AVCA.

That is good to hear and thanks for the clarification.

[Go Iowa]

keystonekid said:

We will have an affiliation with the AVCA. Secondly, we are trying to change the qualification process to get to Nationals. Under the current system teams are near forced to play in 2-3 qualifiers which charge $8-900 and have hotel costs up over $100 per night. That cost alone, makes club way to expensive. It isn't the club expenses alone, its the money it costs to play in these events.

Tis true that some of these events can get out of control in the pricing. However, no one is "forced" to play in 2-3 Qualifiers. That's a decision that the director(s) make for their organization(s). By attempting to change the Qualifier process (i.e. not having National Qualifiers), aren't you trying to stick it to the organizations that came on and built up those businesses? I'm just playing the Devil's Advocate... I really don't care one way or another (and I think USAV royally screwed up by not running these events by themselves, but whatever). Most would agree that this club season drags on for way too long, and kids suffer because of it. However, the basketball, soccer and softball travel circuits are similar. It's just the way junior athletic organizations are running, and as I've said before, none of these clubs have a problem with enrollment or the ability to pay the expenses that come with it.

[Keystonekid]

As clubs we do have a problem with the rising costs. We recognize that the cost of business, prices many people out. Even if these clubs are ran as businesses, as many of us do, that money isn't going to the business, its going to those who run tournaments. Obviously it is the clubs choice as to what tournaments we go to, but if you wish to participate in your Nat'l Chanmpionship, it shouldn't cost a kidney to do so. We used soccer and softball as models, their prices to qualify and participate in nat'l events isn't even close to ours.

[ESTRELLA]

db said:

I'm all for the shorter season & making JO's more of an "event".

Speaking as a parent who pays the bills, I just don't get the complaints about Club Volleyball being so expensive. Club is a huge bargain compared to other competetive sports. My kid plays on a top open team at one of the major clubs - they are most likely towards the top of the dues category. Any athlete with finanacial issues can contribute substantially to their dues through the work program.

No, every Sally, Sue, and Cindy that wants to play Volleyball won't be able to afford trips to 3 out of state qualifiers - but there are local team options, the Y, etc....

And no, I'm not Melinda Gates by any stretch of the imagination - we are a middle class family.

I've done the math - and even adding in supplemental income from private lessons, I'm blown away that club coaches put in the hours and headaches they do for what they receive monetarily. When you factor in that some areas of the country have only volunteer coaches - and those parents complain about costs as well.....It makes me think that those complaining about the high costs of club don't have a real grasp on the reality of what it takes to just cover expenses for a team.

I fear that if a movement to reduce club costs across the board is enacted, the quality of coaching will decline as a whole. Sometimes you do get what you pay for - most don't blink an eye at the time investment, hotel and flight expenses - why would you want to cheap out on the real reason your kid plays - the coaching.

db,
I think they are not talking about coaching. i think they are talking about the outrageous amount of money it takes to participate in a tournament, hotels and traveling.

In fact coaching is already hurting because you can't pay decent wages to the folks that really help our youth. Take the money out of those moeny making events and bring back to where it should be.....in the club for good coaching!

ESTRELLA

[cyberVBmidwest]

The JVDA subject was a topic of the AVCA High School coaches session during the recent convention in Omaha.

Most recently, the AVCA has been working diligently on a project with a group of club directors. The Junior Volleyball Director’s Association will be partnering with the AVCA in order to serve their constituents and vision more effectively. If this type of partnership was formed for high school coaches within the AVCA, would this be beneficial for our members? As an association it is vital that the AVCA be informed of the high school coach’s needs and be equipped to act on those requests.

AVCA has an Senior High School All-American selection process but the coach has to be a member of AVCA to make a nomination. The girls nominations deadline has already passed and the boys will be in the spring.