Indoor Volleyball - Youth Indoor - How to Start A Club

The following is a 4 step approach to starting a volleyball club. A club can be defined as one team or multiple teams of different ages and genders. The club season generally runs from January to May culminating in the Provincial and National championships. Volleyball pei offers various options for participation in many different levels of play.

 

Step: One

Determine if you are having one team or multiple teams in your club and the age division you want to compete in.  Current divisions for youth include 14U-18U for both genders and multiple tiers of play for most divisions.

 

Step: Two

Secure:

o Gym space for training: Contact your local schools, recreational centers or
community gyms.

 

Equipment:

o Balls/ball bag
o Medical kit
o Competition uniforms: Numbers on the chest are 15cm high on the front
and 20cm high on the back. Recommended numbers are 1-15.    These are needed for tournaments outside of PEI but not for Spring League
o Volleyball antennae: can be purchased if you feel it's necessary.

 

Athletes:

o Minimum of 8/Maximum of 15 per team
o Team selection process, if any
o A club may have any number of teams, however, if you're going to have several teams, be sure that you're well prepared. There must be a sufficient amount of volunteers, equipment, facilities, and funds for the number of teams that you plan to have as part of your club.

 

Recruiting players:

1. Put notices and information in the paper or distribute them through
local schools.
2. Word of mouth is a very easy way to let people know what's going on.
3. Attend local school tournaments and pass out flyers, pamphlets, etc.
4. Hold a tryout camp.

 

Coaches:

o Certified coaches and or individuals motivated to become certified: It is important that a coach is both dedicated and enthusiastic towards the players and their development in the sport. Read books on coaching techniques, training programs, practice drills, systems, and most importantly are familiar with the rules of the game.

o Check out the Coach Eligibility & Certification Policy in the Policy section to ensure all your coaches and Persons in Authority meet all requirements

 

Parents:
o Help with club and team administration

 

Fundraising initiatives:

o This may not be a serious problem for your club. Clubs usually organize their own fundraising activities-raffles, meat sales, bingos, casinos, servathon, etc, to raise extra funds to subsidize travel costs and entry fees. Hosting a tournament can also be a fundraising event for your club. You can have club members become certified officials and thereby cut costs of hosting your own individual tournament. Various
types of clinics are offered to certify and recognize individuals as qualified officials.

o Sponsors: Acquiring sponsors is sometimes difficult but can be very rewarding. Usually sponsors pick up the cost of outfitting your club.

 

Volunteers:

o Volunteers are the backbone of every club organization. Forming a small
committee will enable coverage of various aspects including facilities,
registration, coaching, transportation and fundraising. Most club
committees are composed of:

1. President
2. Secretary
3. Treasurer
4. Sub committees that may handle the following:

-coaching
-recruiting
-risk management and safety
-fund raising
-transportation
-social activities
-media relations
-tournament hosting

As you can see, having a good group of volunteers working together for
your new club can be a great help and can take some load off of your
shoulders.

 

Step Three

Prepare budget
o Volleyball PEI/Volleyball Canada player & coach (person in authority) registration fees
o Tournament fees
o Gym rental costs
o Coaching Honorariums (if Applicable)
o Equipment & uniforms
o Travel Costs - hotels, buses etc.

 

Step Four

o Register your club with Volleyball PEI by completing the Sanctioning your Club Process
o Pass the online membership and program registration links along to your athletes and coaches
o Register your teams in the Volleyball Canada National Championships (if interested)

 

Summary

By now, you should be well on your way to starting a new volleyball club. Participation, enthusiasm, and dedication from all involved will result in guaranteed satisfaction and success. Good Luck!

If you require any further information regarding starting a volleyball club please contact our Volleyball PEI office at (902)569-0583 or e-mail cgcrozier@sportpei.pe.ca