What is Club/JO Volleyball?
USA Junior Olympic (sometimes called J.O.) volleyball or club volleyball is a nationwide, junior volleyball system comprised of individual clubs organized by region under the parent organization, USA Volleyball, for the primary purpose of growing and supporting the sport. Generally, club volleyball offers participants the opportunity to continue to compete and develop skills well beyond the relatively short middle school and high school seasons.
Minnesota Select Volleyball Club is a member of the North Country Region (NCR) of USA Volleyball and the United States Volleyball Association (USAV).
Why Play Club/JO Volleyball?
For the younger volleyball player, important questions for both the athlete and their parents are "Should I play *JO Volleyball?" and "Should I play JO Volleyball on the highest level team I can earn significant playing time with?" For the 9th grade, B-Squad, and JV player hoping to make varsity, the same questions are asked as well as: "Do I need to move from a more casual, low key (and lower cost) program to a more intense (and expensive) JO team like Minnesota Select?"
The resounding answer to all these questions is "Yes!"
Who can tryout for Minnesota Select?
Everyone! Tryouts for our teams are open to everyone and athletes are placed based on athleticism, potential, attitude and skill.
Why is it so expensive?
A high level JO experience should be considered a good value - you get a great return in training, skill, and experience for the money you spend. But it is still a large amount of money compared to many youth sports experiences. Some of the main reasons fees are so high include:
Over time, we will post links to articles that can be helpful to you in understanding this. In the meantime, please feel free to call us or email us with your questions and we will be happy to respond. Other good sources of information are the better players on your high school varsity team and their parents. Chances are JO volleyball, besides being one of their most favorite activities ever, will be credited with a huge impact on their development as a player.
* JO Volleyball = Junior Olympic Volleyball, the youth arm of USA Volleyball. USA Volleyball is headquartered in Colorado Spring and is the national governing body for volleyball in the United States and is recognized by the Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). JO Volleyball is played after the end of the high school season until late spring and summer.
Where do teams practice?
All Minnesota Select Girls' and Boys' teams practice at MN Select Volleyball Center in Maple Grove.
How often do teams practice?
All Minnesota Select club teams will have 2 practices per week. All practices will be held at MN Select Volleyball Center in Maple Grove.
Note: Players will receive up to a total of 6 hours of volleyball instruction each week working with multiple coaches and up to 60 minutes of athletic training.
How long is the season?
Teams practice from late November through the end of their competitive seasons (varies based on age and level). All teams will take two weeks off for the holiday season. All teams' competition schedule begins in January. Team schedules will conclude at different dates depending on the team they participate in. Full season tournament schedules are available on each team's page.
Are the players able to participate in other activities?
Perspective about Volleyball's Role in Your Life: While playing for MN Select requires hard work and commitment, we believe our philosophies and coaching staff provide excellent support to participants taking on multiple commitments. For instance, many multiple sport athletes can and do participate in our program. Participants are excused for those family-related and school-related activities that conflict with their team's practices or tournaments.