FAQs

What is Team Detroit Volleyball Club?

Team Detroit Volleyball Club provides training, instruction, competition, recruiting, and education of  volleyball to athletes ages 4-18.  “Team D” is comitted to developing well rounded players in the sport of volleyball in both Michigan and the country.  We are members of  USA Volleyball, Junior Volleyball Association (JVA), AAU/MJVBA and AVCA.

We offer a 6 month season training and competition program for girls ages 9-18, as well as a Youth Development Academy for boys and girls K-6.

Why Play Club Volleyball?

Current polls tell us that over 85% of college coaches recruit at the club level versus high school. There are legitimate reasons for the majority of collegiate recruiting in the sport of volleyball to be tied to club volleyball. Listed below are the 'Top 10' answers from a recent survey of college coaches.

  1. Club teams are typically made up of similarly skilled athletes. As well, the athletes compete in their own age classifications, which allow college coaches to evaluate players both athletically and competitively by grad year. Another benefit is the club environment gives them the opportunity to see athletes that may compete against each other at the collegiate level. Overall, a more comprehensive environment for evaluating athletic ability.
  2. Club tournaments allow college coaches to view dozens of athletes in one venue over a short period of time.
  3. Regional and National tournaments allow college coaches to evaluate a variety of athletes they would normally not be aware of via high school play.
  4. For college programs that have limited recruiting budgets being able to attend an event that is at one location gives them the maximum benefit for their dollars.
  5. Club level players typically train and compete at a higher level as well over a longer period of time.
  6. The goal of club training & competition is typically focused on preparing the athlete to play at the next level especially at the open and national levels.
  7. High School volleyball season coincides with the collegiate volleyball season therefore making it more difficult and costly for college coaches to get to high school matches to evaluate one or two players (as skill levels vary greatly on high school teams)
  8. Many players competing at the high school level are asked to play positions that do not coincide with the position they play in club or will play at the collegiate level.
  9. The evolution of high level regional and national tournaments gives college coaches the ability to evaluate athletes from across the country (& internationally), which is not possible at the high school level.
  10. Club tournaments allow college coaches immediate access to club directors, coaches & recruiting coordinators allowing them to obtain current athlete information.

Why is Team Detroit Volleyball Club different than other clubs?

Team Detroit Volleyball Club is committed to quality and value. We provide the opportunity for U10-U18 Athletes to compete at the highest level possible, putting the training and needs of the families first. Volleyball Coaching Professionals, development, train, educate, build and manage all the programs in the club and academy to provide the best volleyball possible.

The coaching staff at Team Detroit Volleyball Club has amassed 4 National Qualifier Wins, 3 National Championship Titles, 25 MJVBA State Titles, coached 3 Miss Volleyball of Michigan recipients, and 3 Gatorade Players of the Year. We are the ONLY coaches in Michigan to have these illustrious awards and accomplishments under our belts. With over 75 plus years of combined experience coaching, running club volleyball programs, creating programming and the landscape that is Club Volleyball in Michigan, the Leadership Team at Team Detroit provides the best full service value and club experience in the state.

Where is Team Detroit Located?

Team D is located in the Jewish Community Center (JCC) at 6600 West Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322.

How does an athlete tryout for Team Detroit and who can tryout?

All female volleyball players 18 and under are eligible to tryout for Team Detroit Volleyball Club. The Program Coordinators run, evaluate and communicate all results to players within 1 week of the official tryout date. For more tryout information and tryout dates, please see the tryouts page.

Why do I have to register on line

We get a lot of activity from both drop in and on line.  On line registration and registering on "EZ Facilities" (the program we have chosen to track our business) allows our clients to see the schedules, pay on line and register for events so waiting in line is minimized.  You can set up reminders electronically  schedule / reschedule/ pay, 24 hours a day to make it more convenient.

Can I play another sport and still be a part of Team Detroit Volleyball Club?

Yes, however Team Detroit reserves the right to move players to different teams should the player miss practice on a consistent basis.  We carry only 10 players max on each team, therefore it is not only the commitment to yourself you need to make but also to the 9 other families that spend their time and money preparing to compete.  It is only fair that Team Detroit be the first priority at the High School Prep and College Prep Levels in the Program.

Can I still play my middle school season?

If your middle school season is in the fall, yes.  If your middle school season is in the winter or spring, the MHSAA does not allow a player to COMPETE on two teams in the same sport at once.  Therefore, you may do one of the following:

  • practice only and compete once your middle school season comes to a close (all players must let the staff know this is their intention prior to team selection)
  • opt out of the middle school season all together
  • train with  Volleymasters Training Systems rather than play on a Team Detroit Team.

When will practices begin?

  • Youth Competitive Program U10-U11 January
  • Middle School Prep U12-U13 December
  • High School Prep U14-U15 December
  • College Prep U16-U18 December

1's -2's National Teams may start practicing at the end of November right after high school season ends.

What are the costs and what is included?

Club tuition fees are different for each program.

Fees include all tournament entry fees, equipment, coaching salaries, court rental, coaches’ travel, and administration fees for the entire regular season

What is NOT included in my club fees?

Travel expenses are NOT included in club fees.  Most Parents are traveling with their child to tournaments and therefore would prefer their child stay with them.  For the 2021 season, uniform costs are also not included like every previous year.  This was done to keep costs as low as possible for our returning families who will use the same uniforms from the 2020 season.

AAU and USAV Membership annual dues is NOT included in your club fees, as this is an individually purchased item by each  player.

How are travel arrangements coordinated between the club and the parents?

Please visit our Travel Page for useful travel information.

Malia Gabel is the new Travel Coordinator for the club that will handle the travel arrangements (and blocks of rooms for teams where possible).  Team pages will have all the travel information at beginning of December.

Club vs High School Volleyball

Why college coaches recruit from Club Volleyball vs High School Volleyball.  Click the link below to read the article.