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2007 Objectives of the JVDA
Written by JVDA Staff
Thursday, 14 December 2006

The Junior Volleyball Directors Association (JVDA) is a chapter of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). With a membership of over 4,000 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and developing the sport of volleyball.

The mission and objectives of the JVDA for 2007 are:

1. To work to provide fair and democratic representation for Junior Volleyball clubs with both the Regional Volleyball Associations (RVA’s) and USA Volleyball (USAV) which is the national governing body of our sport: Currently junior volleyball players, coaches and directors make up 90% of all registered membership at both the regional and national level. At the regional level where all financial resources are derived from local membership and tournament entry fees, the junior volleyball community is overwhelmingly the primary source of revenue for these associations. Yet, many regional associations have little or no direct junior representation on their board of directors. In regards to USA Volleyball, currently the Junior Volleyball community does not have a single vote on the USAV board of directors that numbers over 40 people. We urge USA Volleyball and the Regional Volleyball Associations to take steps to allow the junior community to have a fair and democratic voice in the decision making process at both the local and national level.

2. To work to insure that two of the three RVA representatives to the Youth and Junior Olympic Volleyball Division (YJOVD) are members of the JVDA: The mission of the YJOV as stated in their Administrative Manual is to be “responsible for the creation and enhancement of the youth and junior Olympic volleyball programs of USAV member organizations. The YJOVD will strive to introduce the sport of volleyball to youth in America, to provide positive playing experiences for all participants, and to increase access to programs that develop the talents of athletes and coaches.” This mission and the goals of the YJOV mirror many of the goals and objectives of the JVDA. It only makes sense that members from the JVDA populate this division. We need to insure that region leadership sends the most qualified representatives to speak and vote on junior issues. We believe that our members have those qualifications.

3. To work with USA Volleyball to restructure the national championship qualification process so that it is more affordable and inclusive to all Junior Volleyball clubs who wish to participate: The current qualification process for the USA Volleyball national championship has gotten to the point where the time, effort and financial commitments are often times overwhelming to not only the junior clubs, but more importantly to the families of the players who financially support this endeavor. We urge USA Volleyball to reexamine the current qualification process and take steps to develop a more affordable model that is inclusive to the entire junior community and does not discriminate against the junior clubs and their families who do not have the financial resources that is currently required to participate.

4. To work with USA Volleyball to upgrade and professionalize the quality of the USAV Jr. National Championship tournament: We urge USA Volleyball to work with the junior community to upgrade the National Championship tournament and to provide the highest level of quality in all areas to this event that showcases our most elite programs and athletes. We feel many areas can be streamlined and made more efficient including marketing of the event, registration, check in and improving quality of the event itself. We have a strong desire to work with USA Volleyball to develop a consumer friendly partnership that makes the USAV Jr. Volleyball championship the finest junior volleyball event in the world.

5. To work to shorten the junior volleyball season so all competitions are completed by the end of June: We strongly feel the Junior Volleyball season needs to be shorter so players and coaches with summer commitments have adequate time to rest and recover from what is already a very long season that often encompasses 80-100 matches and thousands of miles of travel for many players. We feel that by shortening the season the junior volleyball community can ultimately develop a better product and also ensure less risk to our players from overtraining that can lead to serious or chronic injuries. An earlier end to the competitive season would allow a rest period for players involved in the National Development Programs and Beach Programs of USAV.