COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Sept. 30, 2024) – USA Volleyball welcomed 6,257 participants in its first year hosting “Try Volleyball for Free,” which included 195 no-cost clinics around the country.
Try Volleyball for Free is a new initiative for USA Volleyball, the national governing body for the sport. It gave families across the United States the opportunity to get introduced to volleyball between Sept. 13-22. The clinics concluded the day before National Volleyball Day on Sept. 23.
USA Volleyball’s 40 regional volleyball associations were instrumental to the program’s success, from hosting clinics to encouraging local clubs and sport organizations to offer opportunities to their communities. Clinics were hosted in 32 regions, with the top three regions including Florida Region (16 clinics), Carolina Region (16 clinics) and Lone Star Region (15 clinics). Southern California Region’s Beach Cities Volleyball Club had the highest participation with 247 participants.
“Try Volleyball came along at a perfect time for our region,” said Carolina Region Commissioner Kevin Wendelboe. “Our board is currently undertaking a multi-year strategic planning effort and Try Volleyball became our first program to undertake. We set a goal for a clinic in three parts of the state. We met that and more. We were fortunate to have great club partners that saw the chance to give back and introduce the next generation of players to our great .”
Clubs that hosted clinics found it to be a rewarding experience.
“Hosting this event felt like more than just a fun day – it was a way for us to give back to the community and rekindle a sense of connection,” said Marleena Catalan, club director at Storm Volleyball.
“Too many have forgotten the importance of supporting one another, but events like this help remind everyone how much we can achieve when we come together for our kids. Watching them experience the joy of volleyball lit a fire in all of us, and I believe it’s only the beginning of something bigger.”
To set clinic hosts up for success, USA Volleyball developed a “host hub” offering access to an array of resources to promote and run clinics including graphics, videos, templates, clinic plans and more. It also donated more than 1,000 Molten First Touch Volleyballs to local clinics to give kids the opportunity to continue playing and learning at home.
“The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games provided volleyball a global stage for the exposure of our sport,” said Jamie Davis, president and CEO of USAV. “We knew that interest would be spiked and wanted to provide fun and educational outlets across the country for people to try the game. USA Volleyball couldn’t be more excited by the interest that was expressed and the large participation in the clinics and cannot wait to expand the program next year.”
More information about Try Volleyball for Free in 2025 is coming soon. For more information on Try Volleyball and how you can get involved, visit tryvolleyball.org.
