IS IT WORTH IT?

For every volleyball parent who has ever wondered if the time, money, travel, hotel rooms, early mornings, long weekends, and missed plans are too much, remember this: you are not just paying for your daughter to play a sport. You are giving her a place to learn courage before she feels confident, discipline before she feels motivated, resilience before life demands it from her, and confidence that has to be earned one hard moment at a time. Maybe she plays in college. Maybe she does not. But years from now, when she has to handle pressure, recover from disappointment, work with people, lead when things are difficult, and keep going when quitting would be easier, she will carry pieces of what volleyball built in her. That is what this is really giving her. That is why it matters. That is why you keep showing up. That is why it is worth it.

how many teams are there in the club, and what age groups are the teams?

Depending on the number of tryout registrations, there wil tentatively be five (5) teams. The age groups are 18U for girls age 18 and under, 16U for girls age 16 and under, 14U for girls age 14 and under, and 12U for girls age 12 and under. Girls can only play up an age group, not down. For example, a 13 year old cannot play on the 12U team, but she could play on the 14U team. However, only exceptionally skilled athletes will be asked to play up in age group.

HOW MUCH TIME CAN I EXPECT TO DEVOTE TO THE CLUB?

From November through May, each team will practice for three hours on Sunday afternoons, and depending on junior high and high school schedules, the weekday(s) practices will be determined at a later date and will be two hours long. Most tournaments are Saturday and Sunday only. The tournament schedule can be found here. Please note that we understand and respect how busy everyone is with other sports, extracurriculars and their families.  Our practice schedule is set up the way it is because we value the well-rounded and multi-sport athletes.

HOW MUCH MONEY DOES IT COST?

Tuition and fees are dependent on the team to which the athlete is selected. The younger teams (12U and 14U) cost less because they will attend fewer tournaments. The older teams (16U and 18) will attend more tournaments. Click here to see the tuition requirements and breakdown of costs for each team. There will be an initial commitment fee that covers uniforms and other gear that needs to be ordered as soon as possible. After the initial fee, the remaining tuition balance will be invoiced and is due monthly for the remainder of the season.  To lessen the financial burden on parents, athletes may be choose to participate in individual and team fundraising activities.

does playing club increase my chances of being recruited to play at the collegiate level?

Without a doubt. College recruiters extremely rarely attend high school volleyball games, especially in West Texas. The main reason for that is time. From a recruiter’s perspective, he/she can attend one high school game and scout 1 or 2 athletes. On the other hand, club tournaments allow recruiters to scout hundreds of girls all in one weekend. If your end goal is to play at the collegiate level, our coaches and directors will work endlessly to help you reach that goal. We will film matches, put together highlight reels, and assist with emailing colleges. We also want to stress that the most important reason for attending any college is to get a rock-solid education so always keep in mind that while playing NCAA Division 1 volleyball is an admirable future goal, it also means that education will come second as the time requirement is daunting. Playing at an NCAA Division 2 or 3 school or an NJCAA or NAIA enables the athelete to continue to play the sport they love while also preparing for life once she hangs up her jersey. One of our main goals is to give young women the tools to develop into self-sufficient women with the power to steer their own course in life. Not to mention the fact that a college education is increasingly more expensive and getting a scholarship to play ball is a great way to decrease those costs.  Think of playing club volleyball as an investment in your future.

HOW IS CLUB VOLLEYBALL DIFFERENT FROM RECREATIONAL (i.e. ymca) volleyball?

Club volleyball is quite different from rec. Club is more competitive and requires more time, energy, and money than rec ball. Club season lasts from December to April/May with practices beginning in November. No tournaments are held locally so each tournament requires a drive and, usually, a hotel stay. We are dedicated to developing proper fundamentals in athletes that will be honed into highly competitive skills. Another difference, and perhaps a difficult truth about club is that playing time may not be equal among athletes. That said, each athlete is equally valuable to the team and the organization as a whole. Each athlete’s dedication to the team will be honored and respected, and individual roles will be clearly communicated to each athlete.

ARE PRIVATE LESSONS OFFERED?

Yes! Private lessons are available to any athlete by appointment, whether or not they are a member of the Club. While we expect our regularly scheduled practices to provide ample time for skill development, you may feel the need to focus on a particular set of skills in a private setting. The cost of private lessons will be paid in addition to the base tuition and is negotiable. If you are interested in private lessons, simply send an email to westtexasacesvolleyball@gmail.com.

what on earth does coqui mean?

Coquí is a type of frog native to Puerto Rico. Yes, that frog on our logo is a coqui frog! The owner of Coquí Volleyball Club, to whom we’re a sister club, (Mississippi) is Coach Gabe Rivera, a proud Puerto Rican honoring his roots in everything he does. We love our fierce little mascot!