How Much Does Club Volleyball Cost?

Last Updated on September 14, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Volleyball is a very popular team sport that has benefits for both physical and mental health. If you want to make a career in this sport and play club volleyball, you will want to sign up for a club team. Also, you need to consider all the related costs, that we are going to talk about in the following lines.

How Much Does Club Volleyball Cost?

The average professional club session will usually cost between $3,000 and $5,000. This price is affected by many different options and choices. Keep in mind that this price range is for the average clubs, not for the elite or the cheapest of them.

Costs breakdown

When you decide to start looking for a volleyball club, it can be a little overwhelming as there may be several different hidden costs along the way. In the lines below, we are going to go over some of the most important fees you need to consider.

The cost of the club itself

The expense of actually joining a volleyball club is the most obvious cost. Each volleyball club has its own club fees that can include anything the club considers reasonable.

Most clubs are offering different team levels, that come at different prices and different tournament schedules. Also, these may have a different practice time amount.

You can benefit from good prices and services if you live in an area where this sport is very popular as the competition will be very high.

The cost of “Not-For-Profit” clubs

The mission of these types of clubs is to offer the players the best experience without them having to spend a lot of money.

Frustrated by the huge prices of the typical clubs, some coaches and parents founded “Not-For-Profit” clubs, that are run by volunteers. These are operated on a non-existent profit margin or a very low profit so every player can afford to join a volleyball club.

You might also like our articles on the cost of travel softball, hockey equipment, or pickleball courts.

You should be prepared to spend anywhere between $620 and $1,600 on dues alone. This amount will cover the costs of the equipment for practice, tournament fees, and uniforms.

The travel costs will be kept to a minimum because most of the tournaments will be local. There may be as many tournaments as for an elite volleyball team in the highest-level clubs, but these will be played in local High School gyms.

This type of club doesn’t have its own facility, so it may operate out of a community center, school gym, or church building. Some of these clubs are “borrowing” courts from privately owned gyms or from the YMCA.

Usually, the coaches from these clubs are volunteering and may be paid only for their expenses. Also, in some cases, they will be coaching in exchange for their own children or child to join the club’s team at no cost.

Enrollment cannot be predicted in these clubs. If there are not enough players in your age bracket, you may have to “play up” to the next age group. As the players are growing up and become more experienced, they tend to join higher clubs. So, some of these clubs may have more teams of lower age groups.

The cost of average clubs

Usually, you should expect to pay around $3,600 for the top teams with seven to eight tournaments and $1,900 for a lower team with only two to three tournaments.

The aim of this type of club is to provide the best possible competition and level of coaching at a reasonable cost. Also, these clubs aim to help players get recruited to college.

In general, the average clubs will provide a list of High School coaches who are paid staff members. Usually, they have a dedicated practice facility and attract enough players to train many teams for each age level. So, every player will have the opportunity to find a place that suits them the best. You should be prepared to have tryouts for your age group with more than one hundred players.

There is a set number of team slots and coaches at some of these clubs, and they are only searching to fill those places with the best people they can find. But there are also clubs with a flexible number of teams and more inclusive conditions. If it is necessary to offer every player a chance to join the club, they will just add more coaches and teams to the lower level of the talent pool.

The cost of elite clubs

The mission of this type of club is to rank nationally, to be the best, and to take on the best teams across the country. If you play in one of these clubs, you will have great chances to be recruited for the next level.

As you would expect, elite clubs have a dedicated facility, usually very extensive and elaborate. Here you can find the best coaches available, selected from the best Colleges and High Schools in the area. Usually, they have three levels of teams within their club, including Local, National, and Regional.

If you want to play for a Local Team, you should be quite committed as they have five or six tournaments within a closer geographic area. The main advantage is that you are part of a team that is focused to win and you are exposed to some of the best coaches.

You must be a very advanced and experienced athlete, and be prepared to make a major time commitment if you want to play for their National Team. Also, you should afford to pay the highest levels of dues. These would be anywhere between $4,100 and $6,100 per season.

Please remember that this is the cost for only being part of the team, and usually, a team has around ten tournaments, that can be held anywhere across de country. So, you need to budget for the flying expenses and other costs.

In general, a Regional Team has seven or eight tournaments, and, usually, the club dues will be reflected in this. But the cost per tournament should be a little lower, as these tournaments will not be as prestigious and large.

Hidden club fees and additional costs

There are many “hidden” costs throughout the club season, aside from the actual costs, that you need to consider.

Tryout costs

Be prepared to spend $30 to $80 per each club that you try out with. These are the very first costs you have to pay. In order to make an informed decision, you should try out with several clubs and see what each has to offer.

It would be a good idea to try out at least two times in case you are not chosen by the team you want. Also, you will develop as a player if you go through multiple tryouts.

Admission costs

Everyone who is not a coach or a player will have to pay tournament admission fees. These would be around $10 per day, per person. In the case of multi-day tournaments, if you pay upfront for the whole tournament, you will get a lower cost. Usually, they offer a wristband that you must wear during the tournament. Also, the fees may be lower for children, but this is not necessarily the case for all tournaments.

The cost of registering with your State Athletic Association

Plan on spending anywhere between $20 and $60 per year for registering with your State Athletic Association. This association tracks players throughout the season in order to maintain that teams and clubs are respecting the rules.

Tournament travel costs

The costs the tournament travel are affected by several factors, including the way you are traveling (as one player, with one parent, or with your entire family), the driving distance, the accommodation expenses, the period (if it is a one or two-day tournament), the costs with food, and even with sightseeing.

Tournament apparel costs

Even though this is optional, you may want to buy a souvenir from some of these tournaments as a memory. Some players really like to purchase T-shirts that they can wear during their school season.

Parking costs

Be prepared to spend anywhere between $7 and $25 per vehicle on parking. In general, there are no parking costs for the smaller local tournaments. Anytime your tournament venue is in any building that is not a High School, you should expect to pay for parking.

Is it worth playing for a volleyball club?

The answer to this question depends on each individual. For instance, although some people expect to spend around $4,100 per year for playing club, they can count on a full scholarship in college to compensate for the costs.

In order to decide whether it is worth it or not, you should get the answers yourself to the following questions:

• Are there other family members in other programs, clubs, sports, and teams?
• How important is volleyball for you?
• Does your family need a break as the seasons run from one to another?
• Is this your only sport and your main hobby?
• Is the time commitment for your family reasonable?
• Do you have a true passion for volleyball?
• Is money a problem? If so, you have limited club choices.
• Are you a good enough player that you could choose to pass the club season and be certain to make the school team anyway?
• When you consider your place on the team, how do you rank in your particular position?
• Are you generally athletic and have a high overall fitness level?

FAQs

How much time do I have to decide whether I want to go with a club team?

The clubs have a small window of time to offer you a position on a team after you try out. You should offer them an answer as soon as possible.

Why is my team scheduled to play a younger team in a tournament?

In order to test themselves, some teams will “play up” in a tournament. They would want to compete against older teams if they had success in the past.