No team at school....can I make a club team?

Question
im a teen and i always wondered if there are any ways i can
join any competing volleyball teams in nyc or where i can
try out for them since my school doesnt have a volleyball
competing team.

Answer
Good evening Britney and welcome to www.allexperts.com.

Here's the deal!  If you are a young teen, 13 or 14, there may still be a chance for you to play on a travel team.  There are a number of them in your area.  To see the entire list, paste this website onto your browser and begin searching!  :)   http://reg.geva.org/HAI_P/H_CLBAprRpt.php?T=A&A=J

Unfortunately, if you're 15 or older, the chances of making one of these teams is small.  Why?  B/c most of these girls play school ball in the fall, then club ball in the winter & spring.....year after year after year.  By the time you're a freshman in high school, most of these girls will have already played on 2, 3 or 4 teams.  You'll just be too far behind them to be able to compete.

Notice, though, that I didn't say "No chance".  Some programs have a 15A team, a 15B team, a 15C team, etc.  They do this b/c they want to keep as many kids as possible.  

So THAT'S what you need to know:  When you find a club that's close by, send a question to someone that's on their website, "How many teams will you be fielding in my age group in the winter/spring of 2010?" If they can't answer it now, ask them again around November 1st.  If they still tell you, "Depends on how many kids show up for tryouts," then go to their tryouts and see what happens!  

Other info:  (a) Tryouts are usually in Nov or Dec, b/c tournaments begin in early January.  (b) What age group will you be playing?  Well, if you'll be a 9th grader next year, you'll be playing 15's, unless you are ridiculously young for your age.  So if your b'day is after September 1st, then you can play 14's.  If you're in the 8th grade, you will play 14's unless you have a freashingly late b'day.  

Do you have any other questions?
If so, just follow up.

Thanks again for visiting.  And please visit www.coachhouser.com. I know that you'll enjoy the smiling faces!!

Coach Houser

p.s.  Go ahead and sign up & attend as many summer volleyball camps as you can!!!  I hope you don't already have your summer planned out, b/c if you do, then your chance of making a club team just got cut in half.  :(