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

There are four (4) 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 16U 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 October through May, each team will practice on Sunday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.. 18U, 16U and 14U teams will also practice Wednesday evenings from 5:30-7:30 p.m. 16U and 18U teams will attend one tournament in December, while 12U and 14U’s first tournament will be in January. As the season progresses, the tournament schedule picks up. Most tournaments are Saturday-Sunday. 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 athlete.

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 practice times are less and they will attend fewer tournaments. The older teams (16U and 18) will practice more and 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 will be required 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, keep game stats, 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 at WTA Volleyball Club 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 in general. Club season lasts from December to April/May with practices beginning in October. WTA Volleyball Club is 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, and each athlete’s dedication to the team will be honored and respected.

i prefer to be on the same team as my schoolmates because we want to improve our skills as a group. why is playing with other schools’ athletes a better choice?

While we understand that the comfort and cohesion of a familiar team is enticing, the simplest answer to the question is that playing on a club team with athletes from all over the area means you play with the best of the best. When you play with the best of the best, it is impossible not to learn the game faster and more deeply than when you play on a school team. The school team may improve as a group throughout the short school season, but a deeper understanding of the game comes by playing with and against athletes and teams that are better than you over the course of the long club season. Our club offers just that - the opportunity to be challenged at every practice and every tournament for 6-7 months by playing with and against the best of the best.

ARE PRIVATE LESSONS OFFERED?

Yes! Private lessons are available to any athlete by appointment, whether or not they are part of a WTA team. 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.