I thought Thelen from NDA played basketball for a few years. I am sure there are other examples.

I think this supports the point that it is extremely difficult to do both. Both O'Conner and Tibbs were great athletes but neither played high end club volleyball and HS basketball at the same time.

 

To excel and advance in volleyball, Tibbs would have needed the club experience to develop.

O'Conner was able to develop through her club experience and continue her volleyball career at UK. But did not play HS basketball (much to her father's chagrin, I'm certain).

 

Unless you've seen it up close, you have no idea the difference that playing club volleyball makes. I watched my daughter, who was a decent athlete, fall further and further behind in high school volleyball, because she wasn't willing to make the commitment to play even low or mid level club volleyball. She understood how that choice affected her, and was ok with it.

 

While I'm not a fan of kids specializing, especially at young ages, I'd say that, without a doubt, that playing club volleyball is necessary to eventually be able to play the sport at a high level. There's a reason you see the same 4 or 5 teams dominate the sport here in KY year after year, after year. And that's the commitment and connection those teams players have to club volleyball.

I thought Thelen from NDA played basketball for a few years. I am sure there are other examples.

 

There was a Thelen on the basketball roster, but it wasn't Abby. I don't see where she ever played varsity basketball at ND. Don't know about whether she played freshman or JV ball.

So now we are getting documentation that you don't need to play club volleyball to be a top-notch player. Why do so many coaches pressure players, especially young athletes, to drop other sports and play volleyball year round? Who benefits from that - paid coaches or young athletes?

 

 

Most kid need club ball to play at that higher level. Very few are so talented that they do not.

 

That being said, club tournaments are filled with college scouts watching players. If your child wants to play at a college level, club tournaments are the best way to be seen.

I think ANY high school or lower level coach that discourages children from playing more than one sport should be out of coaching permanently.

 

Agreed. This is my second go round in girls sports. My oldest played year round. Each season built on skills underused in the previous season. From VBall season it was jumping, from basketball season it was acceleration and endurance. From track it was speed at greater distances (100 & 200). From Softball it was refined hand eye coordination, and AAU basketball strength and quickness. As a side benefit there was never any time to get into trouble as homework seemed to fill the rest of the time.

If you choose to play club vball you are choosing to NOT play basketball. It's not fair to either coach if you try to play both.

 

Because it's all about the coaches right????

Let's change it up. Let's say the child wants to play soccer yet also play in the marching band. Should both coaches allow that even though they need them every day?

 

If the kid was good enough to make the team and the band, and they are willing to make the necessary time commitment to practice and they really want then absolutely yes. You find a way to make it work. In spring my daughter played AAU basketball for one of the top NKY Teams, Softball and ran Track for her HS. After school she had track practice till 430, Softball practice till 6 and AAU practice (2-3x/wk) till 8:30. We had great coaches, great communication and established flexible priorities with each. Was it challenging? Was it time consuming? Were there missed events? Yes, yes and yes. Was it worth it??? I asked her for this answer and got a resounding HELL YES!!!!

Some of this depends on the level of club ball being played.

 

Someone playing high level open club volleyball (NKYVC Tsunami, Tri-State Elite Blue, Lexington Elite, KIVA, etc..) will be consumed by the practice time and tournament travel. Both the HS basketball and Club VBall seasons run concurrently so she would be missing numerous practices for both teams and have conflicts for games, especially on the weekends.

 

Both teams will be counting on your commitment to be present for all practices and games. How does a basketball team go without their starting point guard or the volleyball team go without their setter? This puts the coaches in a quandary for setting team attendance rules and opens up the opportunity for resentment amongst teammates. If you can't commit fully to a team, you really shouldn't be on it.

 

Not to mention that playing both sports at the same time can really wear down a body. That's twice the impact on a player's joints and muscles and that can certainly lead to injuries.

 

In most cases, the players at the elite Volleyball clubs are playing because they have designs on playing in college. I've seen it done, rarely, by some athletes, but both teams suffer for it.

 

Someone playing a lower level club volleyball or playing on a "regional" type team with much less travel could probably make it work. The volleyball expectations and travel are not as demanding at that level.

 

Again, it's about the kids and what do the kids want to do. There is more than one setter and more than one point guard to be had. What would you do if the player became injured during the season and had to miss several weeks? Kick them off the team?? No, you build your team with positional back ups and wait for them to get healthy to be slowly reintegrate back in.

Club volleyball teams will typically practice 3 times / week (twice on weeknights and on Saturdays they don't have a tourney). Players will also participate in position specific training about once a week (setters, middle blockers, outside hitters, defense, etc.). Much of the position specific training is for an hour prior to scheduled team practice so still 3 days / week.

 

A typical tournament schedule would have a team traveling about 2-3 weekends a month. This would be mostly regional travel (Louisville, Columbus, Indy, Chicago) but would also include major tournaments in Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Orlando, etc.

 

Don't see the problem. We've made it work for years!!!! And now on the 2nd go around and still making it work. Not going to say it's easy. As a parents we log about 50k miles a year tween our vehicles. But it is doable.

My daughter played NKYVC in high school. It is one of the most competitive programs in the area. Equus is right on with his information. No way can you play a second sport if you choose to compete at that level.

 

What makes it really hard, is if the prom or any other social event is on a tournament weekend, they are expected to be at the tournament. I remember one parent saying that it separates the girls who are serious from those who are not. Nationals are held during dead time so family vacations are screwed too.

 

NKYVC is a great program, but it comes at a price.

 

Yes sacrifices must be made, but anything is doable with communication, effort and comprmise.

This is not an issue in the mountains, not to my knowledge anyway, because there’s no club volleyball. At least there’s not any on the level this thread is talking about. In my region there’s none.

But I will say this much, if club volleyball were available and I was a high school basketball coach and lost a potentially good center to club volleyball it would be extremely discouraging. Someone mentioned a couple of 6’4 athletic girls in one of the posts. Those type players don’t come around everyday in high school basketball. You can’t teach height, especially height with athleticism. To lose a kid like that to a non-high school sports team would be a “what if we’d had her” moment for a long time, lol.

This is not an issue in the mountains, not to my knowledge anyway, because there’s no club volleyball. At least there’s not any on the level this thread is talking about. In my region there’s none.

But I will say this much, if club volleyball were available and I was a high school basketball coach and lost a potentially good center to club volleyball it would be extremely discouraging. Someone mentioned a couple of 6’4 athletic girls in one of the posts. Those type players don’t come around everyday in high school basketball. You can’t teach height, especially height with athleticism. To lose a kid like that to a non-high school sports team would be a “what if we’d had her” moment for a long time, lol.

 

It happens in boys sports all the time too.

This is not an issue in the mountains, not to my knowledge anyway, because there’s no club volleyball. At least there’s not any on the level this thread is talking about. In my region there’s none.

But I will say this much, if club volleyball were available and I was a high school basketball coach and lost a potentially good center to club volleyball it would be extremely discouraging. Someone mentioned a couple of 6’4 athletic girls in one of the posts. Those type players don’t come around everyday in high school basketball. You can’t teach height, especially height with athleticism. To lose a kid like that to a non-high school sports team would be a “what if we’d had her” moment for a long time, lol.

 

True. Any young, tall girl who is told she needs to quit basketball to play club volleyball is ridiculous - and very self serving by the volleyball coach.

Yes sacrifices must be made, but anything is doable with communication, effort and comprmise.

 

Not a lot of two way communication, effort or compromise at NKYVC. The rules are clearly spelled out and if your daughter starts missing practices or tournaments, they find someone to take her place, and there is always someone who would love to take her place.

 

Don’t get me wrong, NKYVC was great for my daughter. You just have to understand that it is NKYVC’s way or the highway. All top level clubs are that way. There are less competitive clubs that give girls more freedom. You just have to find what is best for your daughter.