Is Club Volleyball Worth It?

Volleyball players employ various strategies to master the sport. One such strategy is to join a volleyball club and learn from the A-listers who have all the tactics to train hobbyists and potential players into professional volleyball players. So many people are confused, is joining the volleyball club worth it or not?

Is club volleyball worth it? Well, if you have the required time, money, and passion to join a club, there is no harm in doing that. But if you are just a hobbyist who neither wants to pursue professional volleyball nor is ready to engage yourself in long-time commitment, joining the volleyball club is not worth it.

Is Joining a Volleyball Club Worth it?

Joining volleyball clubs have both pros and cons listed below which will help you in making informed decisions.

Pros of Joining a volleyball club

Volleyball clubs have many objectives, and they provide players with some real benefits. including:

Increased Competition among players

Club volleyball provides an opportunity for players to compete against a wider variety of teams, players, and styles.

By playing against different teams from different regions, you can develop a better understanding of how to change your game to different styles of play. This exposure can help you in improving your skills and prepare you for more competitive levels of play.

When I was playing club-level volleyball, I had a discussion with a libero from my rival club. Amazingly, he helped me in getting deep insights into the level of competition in his team and how his coach tries to handle things rather differently on and off the court. So, whenever you are playing club volleyball, you have an opportunity to interact with players from other clubs in tournaments.

But always remember that you need to first make it into your club team to get an opportunity to interact with players and coaches of other clubs. This is because only players included in the club team usually travel with the clubs during the tournaments.

More Time to Practice and Master the Skill

Club volleyball typically involves more practice time than high school teams, allowing players to work on their skills more frequently and consistently.

This can help players make more significant progress in their development, especially when they need enough individual attention to improve their specific skills like serving, hitting, and blocking.

Improved Coaching and more room for Improvement

Club volleyball teams are often coached by experienced coaches who have a deep knowledge of the sport. These coaches always provide personalized feedback and help players improve their skills.

By receiving individual attention and instruction, players can identify areas where they need to improve and focus on specific techniques to achieve their goals. In a volleyball club, you are trained under professional coaches.

They teach you skills that are hard to learn individually. They will share their invaluable experience with you, which will allow you to groom yourself.

Club coaches also help players in deciding which is the best position for them to play. So, if you don’t know what is your best position on the court, club coaches can help you with that.

Increased Team Bonding and Socialization

Club volleyball teams often travel to tournaments together, which can help players in building lifelong friendships. By spending time together outside of practices and games, players can develop a stronger sense of teamwork and unity. This can translate to better on-court performance and more enjoyable experiences.

Opportunity to Meet New Coaches

When volleyball club owners or mentors start a new club team, they spend a lot of time in hiring the best talent out there. This is why these clubs give you an opportunity to improve your skills as well as help you to connect with new people, which is extremely critical if you want to get ahead in your professional career.

In good volleyball clubs, you will meet coaches and staffers who have good connections with high-level selectors of the game. So if you are playing good volleyball or have exceptional talent, you will immediately get noticed in a club, thus helping you to fast-track your career.

Facilities of Volleyball Club

You can also enjoy gyms and clinic facilities in volleyball clubs, which can be a great boost for your fitness.

But if you are not a part of any volleyball club, it is hard to get your hands on many facilities of the club. Even if you join a gym other than the one in the volleyball club, you might waste your time developing muscles that have little or no role in the game of volleyball.

In the club gym, dedicated trainers are present who would train you as per the needs of the volleyball game. For instance, you need to focus on developing different muscles based on the position you are playing in the volleyball game.

So, it’s better to go to the gym at the volleyball club if your specific aim is to develop your body as per the needs of the game.

But there are some downsides to joining the volleyball club as well.

Cons of Joining a Volleyball Club

Joining volleyball clubs has some disadvantages including:

High Cost of the Club

Club volleyball can be expensive, with costs including tournament fees, travel expenses, equipment, and coaching fees.

Some families may find it difficult to afford these expenses. On average, you can expect to pay something between $4000-$6000 for a volleyball season in a good club. Even in an average club, you can expect to pay almost $2,000 per season. But this cost will vary depending upon the type of facilities you are looking for in a volleyball club.

The popularity of volleyball in your area also determines the cost of club volleyball, as more popular areas will have more clubs, which results in more club competition and decreased costs. But remember, club volleyball can often be a one-time investment if done rightly. Once you have gained the required skill, you don’t have to join it every season.

Time Commitment for the Club

Club volleyball can be a significant time commitment, with practices and tournaments often taking up several hours a week. This can be challenging for players who have other commitments, such as schoolwork or jobs.

When you are playing club-level volleyball, you are on a tight schedule. Your club will organize tournaments and regular matches, and you will need to take part in them. And the time commitment are different in different levels of volleyball club.

Players must be able to manage their time effectively to balance their volleyball schedule with their other responsibilities. To avoid any inconvenience, you must first learn about the time commitments of the club you want to join. In general, you will have to spare at least a couple of hours daily. But this time increases significantly when you have to travel to play tournaments. 

In club volleyball, you are expected to spare some time to travel for tournaments as well. So, if you are already packed with a busy schedule and are unable to get free time, volleyball clubs might not be the best bet for you.

Possible Burnout Among Club Players

The high level of competition and time commitment required for club volleyball can lead to Burnout for some players. Burnout is easy to present for those players who are really passionate about the game.

Obviously, the last thing you would imagine is to pay for a volleyball club upfront just to skip the classes later on. So, if you are one who can get burnt out easily about the sport, volleyball clubs will not be the best option for you.

Decision Time: Is it Worthwhile to Join a Volleyball Club?

Considering all the ups and down of club volleyball, our recommendation is that you should join the club if:

• You have enough time available.
• Can pay the fee of the club (along with the hidden fee that comes from time to time). Always ask for a hidden fee upfront to avoid this problem.

Also…

There are two types of people who want to play volleyball:

• Who is playing the game just for recreational activity
• Who wants to get better in the game every day?

If you are looking to play volleyball at a higher level, and want to get picked at the national level, clubs can be important in your career. A big chunk of international players come from one club or another.

However, if you are not looking to play volleyball professionally and take the game as a hobby only, clubs might not be the best place for you.

Final Words

If you really want to improve your volleyball skill, there is no harm in joining the club. But if you are just taking the sport as a recreational activity, you can do pretty well without joining a club.

Nonetheless, if you are short on time, you can also attend side programs in club volleyball, including development programs for beginners, camps, and clinics that can help you in mastering the art you want, that too without too much time commitment.

And just we go, if you are interested in club volleyball, here is a complete guide of when does club volleyball season start and what should you expect in your club journey.