Project #1 (July 2024): Durham Volleyball

Introduction:

This guide covers the benefits of volleyball, local program options for various skill levels, factors to consider when choosing a program, and steps to get your daughter started in the sport. Give feedback on Project #1: Durham Volleyball

Why Volleyball?:

• It's fun and healthy, fostering a love of physical activity and appreciation for teamwork.

• It can be played in gyms, on grass, or on the beach and is popular and accessible into adulthood.

• It's less injury prone than other popular sports.1 Volleyball is uniquely a competitive team sport that avoids many contact sport injuries because each team stays on their own side of the court.

• Girls own this sport. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), there are six times more girls playing volleyball in high school than boys.2

• It's inclusive. It is a myth that you have to be tall to play volleyball. There are also adaptive forms of volleyball for those with physical differences.

• It is relatively inexpensive: find a court and bring a ball ($20) and a few friends!

On the point of cost, however, you should know that costs for serious private club players can be quite high ($1,500 to >$10,000 per year for club team dues, gear, year-round practice, clinics, lessons, memberships, tournaments and travel). If your child is very competitive but cost is a constraint, ask about financial assistance and club "practice player" programs.

Choosing a Program:

If you really want your girl to have fun with volleyball, she will benefit from a good program to learn some skills and strategies for being a great teammate. To help busy Durham parents, we've assembled a list of choices for girls' volleyball programs within 20 minutes of downtown Durham.

For Beginners, there are a few ways to learn volleyball with low pressure and a focus on fun.

1. Organize it yourself. You may want to watch a few online videos on how to teach basic rules and skills of volleyball to get started. Gather a few friends and find a court. Durham Parks and Recreation has an adult indoor league and offers courts at two parks: Cook Road Park and Forest Hills. You can also arrange court time at YMCAs. Though we did not find any Durham YMCAs offering volleyball currently, you may be able to work with the Sports Director to arrange a program. (Note that, a bit beyond our "20 minute drive" rule, the Northwest Cary Y has a fall program beginning in August. YMCAs generally offer recreational volleyball for ages 7 - 14 with an emphasis on skills development and fun. Costs run $110 - $138 per season.)

   
   

2. i9Sports at W.G. Pearson Center on E. Umstead in downtown Durham offers recreational volleyball in two fall sessions and a winter session of six weeks each.
   Coed practice and games are held on Saturdays for ages 7 to 15. Everyone plays in every game. There are no tryouts, evaluations or drafts. Sportsmanship and other life values are integrated into the curriculum and rewarded weekly. You can also try i9Sports at Lucas Middle School (they advertise summer camps). i9Sports is a locally franchised national brand known for family oriented, convenient, affordable sports programs with a focus on safety and fun. Costs run approximately $140 - $200, depending on early registration and multi-participant registration.

   
   

3. Your girl's middle school can be a convenient and inexpensive way to play, but they may be required to tryout. Reach out to the athletic department to find out how to participate. All Durham public middle schools have volleyball. Tryouts are held in late August and require paperwork and physicals to be completed ahead of time.

Other Programs For All Skill Levels:

4. Triangle Volleyball Club (trianglevolleyball.org) in RTP is about 20 minutes outside of downtown Durham and runs beginner programs in summer for elementary through middle school youth. Triangle Volleyball's stated mission is to "educate and promote the whole person through excellence in volleyball." Summer camps are advertised for $210 - $400 per week. In addition to beginner camps, Triangle VC is also one of North Carolina's leading competitive club team programs, ranking in the top 50 club organizations nationally, based on tournament finishes. Other programs at Triangle include open registration skills clinics ($32 each), private lessons ($40 - $120 / hr) and competitive Winter Club Teams. Triangle is the only program I found offering adaptive volleyball for those individuals with physical differences. Triangle boasts a very large, modern facility with 8 orthopedic subfloor indoor courts, 3 sand courts, locker rooms, on-site physical therapy and a store.

   
   

5. Another RTP Club is North Carolina Volleyball Academy (ncacademyvb.org). NC Academy offers year-round programs focused on competitive development of players and summer camps starting at age 8. Advertised pricing is similar to Triangle and other major North Carolina clubs. This is also a very large program with large modern volleyball facilities and state of the art flooring to support the amount of time players train here.

   
   

6. There are two club programs located in West and North Durham which may potentially offer less expensive club team options. Jammers Volleyball Club (jammersvolleyball.com), utilizing three Durham high school and middle school gyms, serves girls age 8 - 18 and D.O.V.E (dovevb.com) plays in Holt Athletic Center for 12 - 18 year old girls. These private clubs follow the typical winter club schedule: Tryouts for older girls are in August and for Middle School age are in October. Practices start in November. Tournaments are January through April (and beyond) and can be held anywhere: home court, throughout the Raleigh Durham Chapel Hill region, the state, or beyond. Prices between these two programs are similar, running between $1,200 and $3,700 for the club season, plus cost of tournament entries and travel.

   
   

7. Finally, a beach volleyball alternative is Sinjin Beach Club (sinjinbeachraleigh.com), also in RTP. They have both recreational and competitive programs and serve girls and boys age 10 - 18, with some activities being coed. Recreational "practice bundles" offer skills training and fun competition on their 3 outdoor sand courts for $150 - $640 for 5 - 25 sessions, varying by season and age. Competitive teams operate similar to indoor club teams by season and pricing.
   Sinjin offers athletes year-round opportunities to train, but also encourages and provides options for players to diversify between indoor, beach and other sports for healthier youth development.

What To Look For In A Program:

1. Safety factors: Ensure the program conducts background checks on all staff and volunteers. Ask about their concussion protocol and how they maintain safe playing conditions.

2. Good business practices: Look for clear, upfront communication about all costs, including potential travel expenses and equipment requirements. Ask how they communicate schedule changes or cancellations. If cost is an issue, ask about financial assistance as some programs have associated foundations that may be able to help.

3. Values orientation: Consider whether the program's philosophy aligns with your family's goals. Some emphasize fun and participation, while others focus on intense competition.

Getting Her Involved:

Ready to get your girl involved in volleyball?

1. First, get them inspired:

• Watch Team USA Olympic matches, beach and indoor, starting Monday, July 29th. Indoor matches continue up to the gold medal match on Sunday, August 11th, and the Women's Beach Volleyball gold medal match is August 9th.

• To get the full vibe, attend a local match. NC Central and Duke play August 21st to kick off the college season. Durham high schools' competitions are held
  September through October.

• Durham Public High Schools live stream all home matches. You can subscribe to the service and a portion of the cost goes back to the school's athletics program.

2. Second, speak to your child and listen to what interests them about volleyball to get a sense for the kind of program that might be best for them.

3. Finally, reach out to your school's athletic department or some of the programs in this guide to find the best fit for your young athlete and family. The skills, friendships, and memories to be gained are priceless.

Give feedback on Project #1: Durham Volleyball: We intend to shape our work to fit your needs with your feedback.

Share your volleyball program knowledge: If you have experience with any of these programs, let us know how it went. We're on a mission to help parents choose the best fit in sports programs for girls, to level the playing field and give girls equal opportunities from sports.

Vote for the next project: Soccer? Flag Football? Something else? Rank your favorites so we know what to work on next.

Footnotes:

1. According to Aspen Institute's Healthy Sport Index research volleyball players experience 11.5 injuries per 10,000 exposures to the game, versus girls' soccer at 26.6 injuries per 10,000 exposures. (Healthy Sport Index, Aspen Institute research: htts://healthysportindex.com/report/safety-analysis-report/).

2. NFHS participation stats 2022-23. (https://www.nfhs.org/media/7212351/2022-23_participation_survey.pdf)

*Disclaimer: Website provided by KXM Holdings LLC, doing business as GirlGrade Athletics℠. Information provided here was gathered from publicly available sources to create awareness of potential ways to participate in sports programs. KXM Holdings LLC and GirlGradeAthletics℠ have no affiliation to any program or organization mentioned here, and make no representations about the accuracy of information. Please read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

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